Monday Mayhem – Procrastination at its best

This past week, I did the 7 days of black and white photos challenge on Facebook. The last picture I posted was of my desk. I realized that I keep a lot of crap on my desk. And by crap I mean very necessary stuff.

I thought it might be fun to give you a guided tour, so I converted the picture back to color and added a few guideposts. This is my writing view most every day:

Allow me to show you around:

A) Hand lotion. The rarified air of authordom is dry. Very, very dry.

B) Cup of rarely used writing utensils. Apparently, before the QWERTY keyboard became all the rage, people used things called pens and pencils. I keep some here for nostalgic purposes, but find I have mostly forgotten how to use them. For the record, I never run with those scissors. Heck, I never run at all, so no worries there. I love the mug, though. Fodder bought it for me. It says, “True Love and Romance – In this issue: Being A Bad Cook Is the Smartest Move A Girl Could Ever Make” True. So True.

C) Bunny stickers and index cards. Both very necessary to the the plotting process.

D) Sassy pants sticky notes. Because I wear sassy pants most every day. Used only for special occasions.

E) The sparkly rainbow alligator and flamingo paper clip guard the last of my pretty postage stamps. These are particularly valuable, because they are Forever Stamps, so their street value keeps increasing.

F) Fu*king reading glasses because I am old. But it you look behind the glasses, you see I have an ENTIRE PACK OF ROLOS. So, I may be old, but I am an old broad with Rolos.

G) Mechanical caterpillar. Because.

H) All electronics are propped to ergonomically correct heights courtesy of World Book Encyclopedia (M, (j)K, and 1968 here).

I) More sticky notes. And flags. Because I lurrrrve them.

J) Library card. Kept on hand for at-home book emergencies. I also keep one on my keychain.

K) 28″ television used as monitor because I am old (see F). Also allows me to switch from author to chair potato at the press of a button.

L) Stack of boxed note cards used for book mailings. Includes Jane Austen quote cards, classic Harlequin cover postcards, cute typewriter cards, and an assortment of foil embossed cards with things like, “First of all, you’re really pretty” and “You’re so cool, and I’m not even mad about it.”

M) Dongle. *giggles*

N) Macbook: the brains of the operation. Also supported by World Book Encyclopedias spelling W(xyz), (q)R, I, T, E.

O) I am told the out of doors lies beyond these dusty blinds. I’m going there shortly. Wish me luck.

And there you have it. Welcome to my world.

How have things been in your world this week?

Monday Mayhem – Life in the Stereozoic Era

As many of you know, Fodder has been collecting and refinishing some 70s-80s-era stereo compenents. Last week, this sweet Sansui setup moved into my office.

We aren’t complete troglodytes. We hooked up a bluetooth hub, which means I can stream my iTunes playlists through my awesome receiver. Say what you want about the new compact speakers, but there’s nothing as resonant as good, old-fashioned woofers and tweeters.

I have to have music on to write. Probably because I grew up in a house that was never quiet. I have a playlist I put on as I write. Some of these songs provide inspiration for certain characters/story lines, others I simply like. Of course, being a romance writer, I named it Sexytimes. He’s a sampling on the songs on the list and some of the books they helped me write:

 

All I Want Is You                   U2 (Play Dates)

All of the Stars                        Ed Sheeran (Love & Rockets)

The Blower’s Daughter         Damien Rice (Flip This Love)

Chasing Cars                           Snow Patrol (Long Distance Love)

Falling Slowly                         Kris Allen (Double Play – WIP)

Just Breathe                            Pearl Jam (Easy Bake Lovin’ – 2018)

More Than This                      Roxy Music (A Bolt From the Blue)

Songbird                                   Eva Cassidy (A Will and A Way)

Turn Me On                             Norah Jones (Going Deep)

Secret Garden                          Bruce Springsteen (Love Game – 2018)

Long Long Time                      Linda Ronstadt (A Ring for Rosie – 2018)

Lilac Wine                                Miley Cyrus (Feel My Love-WIP)

How about you? Can music trigger memories or spark creativity in you?

 

Monday Mayhem – The definition of…Sanity

The old saying about the definition of insanity really resonates with me. You know the one I mean – it’s usually attributed to Einstein, but no one really knows who said it first. Doesn’t really matter, it’s about as true as a sentiment can be.

I’ve been all over the place this week, trying new things. Some have worked, others are still works in progress, but I’m throwing things out there, hoping something sticks.

 

PLAY DATES has been released into the wild. Thank you all for a) buying it and b) the awesome reviews. They really do help, and I appreciate them all – good and the bad (I admit I tend to skim over the ugly).

There was a big special on SEDUCING STEVE this week. Thank you so much for helping me spread the word about it. It was fun to trot the yummy red-head out again.

I’m knee deep in my next project and loving it so far. I’m dictating most of it, and having a good time simply trying to be a storyteller. I’ll put my writer cap on later, and make it all spiffy. Right now, I’m just going with the flow in hopes of ramping it up in time to hit NaNoWriMo in full stride.

In the meantime, we can all look forward to seeing LOVE GAMES on the shelves in February 2018. Have you pre-ordered your copy(ies)?

Monday Mayhem – Ooh and Om Edition

First, I want to thank you all for making the release of PLAY DATES so great. I have the best readers in the world!

Second, I want to wish all my Canadian friends a very happy Thanksgiving! I am so very thankful for you. And, I’d totally make you a plate of buttered toast, pretzels, jelly beans, and popcorn…basically my dream Thanksgiving dinner. Peppermint Patty was crazy to complain!

Third, I have a milestone to share. This week, I will celebrate a year of daily meditation. Despite my use of the Om (It Is, Will Be, or To Become) in this post’s title, I don’t chant when I meditate – at least not verbally. But, I have found that a quick 10 minute time out has made a huge difference in my life.

And believe me, I was a skeptic.

Though I always enjoyed the quiet time at the end of the yoga class, I’ve always viewed meditation as something too mystical – or worse, granola-y – for me to take seriously. But this time last year, I was stuck in a job I despised, feeling anxious about my writing, and generally tense and miserable. In other words, I was desperate.

I read an article that mentioned Calm.com and their free phone app. The article mentioned how grounded the program was in using meditation as a means to improve everyday life, not some far-fetched spiritual journey. I decided to give it a shot, and here’s what I discovered:

One breath, in and out. I could handle that. And all I had to do was concentrate on taking each breath as it came. By learning to do that, I learned to tackle my worries and stressors one at a time.

  • I left that miserable job for one that pays far less, and I don’t regret it one bit.
  • I spent time examining the motivation behind my writing and exploring the core themes of the stories I want to tell.
  • I discovered that no matter how busy I am, a 10-15 minute post-dinner puppy snuggle makes even the worst day a thousand times better.
  • And, I realized that there is absolutely nothing selfish or wrong about taking a few minutes out of the day to focus on myself and my state of mind.

I think the best we can do is to try to tune out the noise around us for a few minutes and focus inward. And when I do, I ask myself these questions:

  • Have I done everything I can do to make a difference?
  • Was I kind to someone today? Helpful? Accepting?
  • Did I make someone smile?
  • Did I ask for any help I might need?

Now, you may think the last one doesn’t fit, but I’d argue it absolutely does. I believe that we all want to contribute, even if it’s in the completion of a simple task. By asking for help, you are giving someone the opportunity to answer those first three questions affirmatively. So ultimately, by asking you are giving.

So, go into the world, give of yourselves and accept help from others. And, at the end of the day, remember to give yourself a break. We’re all going about this the same way – one breath in, one breath out.

Disclaimer: This may not work for everyone. Meditation makes Sally anxious.

 

Monday Mayhem – All I Ask of You

It’s PLAY DATES release week!

Colm and Monica’s story will be available on Tuesday, so expect to see me posting all over the place this week. If you want to follow along on my release week adventures, here’s where you can find me:

Today: Here, of course!

Tomorrow: Janice Hardy’s Fiction University, #KBooksChat Contemporary Romance chat on Twitter (1PM EST).

Wednesday and Thursday: Just Contemporary Romance

Saturday: 2-3pm Octoberfest – Fall into Romance party on Facebook (prizes!)

So, yay! A new book! Remember when I  said I was reading that book about asking for what you need?

Well, here’s my big ask:

  1. Buy the book. This is actually the best thing you can do for any author. Even if you don’t read the genre, or think the story may not be your cup of tea, consider buying a copy for a friend.
  2. If you read the book, please-please-please consider leaving a review on Amazon or another online retailer. Reviews help authors in a dozen ways, not the least of which is helping other readers decide to give a book a try (or not). I’m not asking for a good review, just an honest one.
  3. Recommend the book to your local public library for procurement. Not only do authors earn royalties library purchases, but they help us reach new readers.

Thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement. The release of PLAY DATES is just the start of a wild six months. I’m so glad to have you along for the ride!