Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Half Year Accomplishments plus a Giveaway
We’re right at the half year mark and instead of reviewing resolutions, we’re going to take a look at the year. Is it just me? Or did the first six months fly by? We're going to take a look at accomplishments--even ones not involved in resolutons today. And there are free books to be had if you participate...
I am working on my basement now that I have cast off the fetters of academia. I’m happily slopping joint compound on seams in dry wall (I have a lot of unfinished dry wall down there, and a lot more cinder block—all of which needs to be painted.) I have my new plants in and they’re withering under the scorching Nevada sun. Good times.
I’m looking back over the blur that is the first half of the year and thinking, wow, did I accomplish anything? Other than turning a year older? Yes, yes I have.
1) I finished a book. It beat me up bad, but I contracted in March and finished last week. I have a feeling the revisions might be an awesome sight to behold, but right now the beast is done.
2) I contracted another book that is already easier to write than the last one. Funny how some characters just jump into my head and tell me what they would do and others have to be forced to reveal.
3) I ran a race with naked people. I try to do this once a year, although I do wear clothes. That's me on the right. I don't know the guy on the left, but he looked harmless.
I’ve done some other stuff, but I’m going to limit accomplishments to three. Please, tell me three of your half year accomplishments. I’m giving away three autographed copies of my July book, Cowboy Comes Back (the characters practically wrote that book for me) and these comments also count towards the Resolution Goody Bag giveaway on January 2. Remember, you only have to post 4 times during the year to be eligible and 6 times for a double entry.
Let’s hear those accomplishments big and small. (Small are sometimes best—I feel great after getting the bed made.) I’ll be in town for part of the day getting the dog the annual vaccinations, but will be back later.
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Woo, naked butt!
LOL -- You are suck a kick -- and that poor naked man all by himself. Seems like there could be an opening for a Blaze in there somewhere....
My half year accomplishments? Hmmm... Finished what feels like a ton of books... probably 4 mss since Jan? Been writing like a madwoman, and ready for things to lighten up. Finishing the last one up now, then aside of proposals I don't have anything due until next March.
I did get a new ST proposal to my agent as well (fingers crossed she loves it as much as I do)
I got my gardens in pretty good shape. They are almost at the point where I can just sit back and enjoy, and tinker add plants. The rest of the yard, well... we'll pretend not to see that. Maybe the gardens will be pretty enough as summer goes on (if we would get more sun, please) to distract people from seeing the rest...
So...those are good ones for me... :)
Sam
Sam--You are a dynamo. I'm
Sam--You are a dynamo. I'm most impressed with the books you've written in that amount of time. I spent a lot of time pretending not to see my (lack of) yard. Like I said, Nevada sun, scorching heat=fried plants.
You also work a full time job...
On top of finding time to run with naked men, so you have my utmost admiration. ;) I figure your yard/garden should be native to your geography, right? Do you do desert specific gardening? (Not that I know what what would be -- cacti?)
Sam
I transplanted sage brush to
I transplanted sage brush to the side of the house that doesn't get watered and it's really kind of cute. I have two islands of trees and grass, although most of the grass came from hay seeds, so is an odd mix of timothy, field grass, quack grass, with a little alfalfa thrown in. The trees are ash and Russian Olive. If I don't water at least every other day, the trees die. The rest of my alleged yard is usually barren and a bit ugly, which I hope to correct with some strategically placed gravel. This year, due to the rain, I'm fighting tumbleweeds and other noxious plants in my normally barren spots. Tumbleweeds make me swell up, so I have to be gloved and wear long sleeves and long pants (in the 90 degree heat) to go near them. Tumbleweeds are evil.
Geez
And yet tumbleweeds look so cute on TV and in the westerns. ;)
There's a plant I'm trying to think of, but can't think of words any more after writing all afternoon... will come to me another time...
Sam
Cleaned out closet
and dresser of clothes I've finally resigned will never fit again. That meant having to go cloths shopping (yuck) because by the time I was done I had 2 pairs of short (but have like 5 3/4 pants which are better because then only have to shave half the legs LOL) and with the belly hanging over the pants and the summer shirts I had left left the belly exposed just didn't look right. so gritted teeth and went cloths shopping. I think I hate it becase I feel like fricking Goldilock. "This is too small, this is too big(love when that happens) and this is just right"
Friday I broke down and ironed(another least favourite thing to do). Now usually I don't buy cloths that need to be ironed but these 3/4 pants fit and looked great plus someone else bought them for me. I wanted to wear them for a Baby shower Sunday (didn't think jeans were gonna cut it) Now they'll probably get shoved to the back of the dresser until the next summer special occasion unless they look ok without being ironed
Cool post! I hate ironing,
Cool post! I hate ironing, too! I bought a little steamer that I love, having given myself over to the doesn't have to be crisply pressed side of life. Congratulations on the shopping, and ROFL about only having to shave half a leg!
Whoa!
Those are quite some accomplishments, Jeannie! Yay for you!! (It's been quite a long time since I've run, period, not to mention running an actual race. Not to mention an actual race with unclothed people!)
Hmm... half-year accomplishments? Let's see... not sure there's too much worth mentioning ;) Survived the remainder of the kids' school year and am happily enjoying the summer now; tackled one small corner of one room (only to backslide somewhat, but I'm focusing on the tiny accomplishment); performed in front of people for the first time in at least a dozen years.
Can you tell more about these upcoming books? And are there more races in your future? :)
Okay, I'll tell you about
Okay, I'll tell you about the books and races, and you tell me about the performance---deal?
The book I turned in is about denial and closure. It features a small town newspaper editor recovering from a serious injury. His ex-girlfriend, a free spirit with commitment issues, comes back into his life. The hero is still half in love with her, but refuses to get burned again, and the heroine has to confront the reason she has commitment issues.
The contracted book is about a large animal vet and a big city lawyer--the daughter of a man who sued the vet for malpractice. Lots of sparks.
Races? Oh yeah--the San Francisco Half Marathon in July, the Lake Tahoe 10K in September, the Nike's Women's Half Marathon in October and the Big Sur Half Marathon in November. I love traveling to the races and hanging out with the runners. The running part hurts, but is worth it in the long run (no pun intended.)
Ooh...
Very cool! A close friend's running the SF Half Marathon, too! I'm so not a runner though ;p
The books sound excellent--I'll be looking forward to those!
And the performance? A thankfully brief one, in a large group ballet, as one of the many acts in a local dance teacher's spring show. I taken ballet on and off for years, and resumed classes last summer after my daughter took her first dance classes. :) I've set aside any dreams of being a ballerina, but yes, I admit that I do still dance ;)
How cool! I so love dance.
How cool! I so love dance. I'm not good at it myself, but love, love, love to watch. Congratulations for getting back into it. How neat that your daughter is taking classes.
Accomplishments???
I can't think of one thing of note large or small that I have accomplished in the last six months other than grow another year older (and at my age that's good) and increase the amount of exercise I am doing by only a tiny amount. Ok I did hire someone to trim my humongous mesquite tree that had limbs hanging over the neighbor's driveway where if they broke off in a high wind they would hit the neighbor's car.
Ellen--I would have waited
Ellen--I would have waited until there was either a near miss or direct hit with the limb before calling someone (I hate to schedule stuff like that), so consider the limbing an accomplishment. Congrats on increasing the exercise.
You ran with naked people?!?
That is so not fair. No way am I ever going to top that. I won't even try.
I love that we had the
I love that we had the family coming down for an early Canada Day celebration on the weekend and got lots accomplished:
1)gave away some winter coats to the MCC store that I will never wear
2)went through my craft/storage room and let the girls have at it when the family came
3)got computer stations in the living room taken down and put in place upstairs so now the living room is more roomy and some commented on the roominess.
4)paid extra attention to the flowers so they would look nice
Buddy
You did get lots accomplished! Nothing like a family visit to really pump the adrenaline into the system, lol. Excellent.
I would say mine are: 1.
I would say mine are:
1. Going out to eat only twice a week. I used to go out for lunch and sometimes dinner too, EVERY DAY. Yikes. Bank account not happy. Reducing to 2x a week has made a huge impact, plus I am healthier.
2. Not eating after 7pm. This has been tough, but I have lost weight by just adding this simple rule.
3. Starting the book I promised I would write. It is a slow process, but I am happy I started and am working on it.
Tucco--Not eating after 7?
Tucco--Not eating after 7? Okay, I have to try that. I'm a night eater and I think that could be part of my stubborn plateau problem. Good luck on the book! Writing a book is usually a slow process. I'm about to start a single title and I think it will take a long time, since I'll be figuring things out.
hmmm
I feel as if I've done nothing! I did finish a story back in February and after not doing anything for a bit, I did write the synop and mid-June I mailed it to Harlequin.
I gave up caffeine for, oh about three weeks. Didn't notice a change and last night I had a cherry Pepsi. Didn't even make me jumpy. (tho this morning at work I was quite irritable but I blame it on the girl near me who cracks her gum. She doesn't blow bubbles or pop them inside her mouth, nope she cracks it - so annoying).
So that's two right? I walk around the pond at work during breaks. Four laps is a mile. So I do 2 in the morn and 2 in the afternoon. If it's too hot I stay on the shady side and walk back and forth!
I agree - the year has flown by!
Marcie--As a happy caffeine
Marcie--As a happy caffeine affectionado, I'm happy to report that there are positive health benefits to minor amounts of caffeine, and small amounts of caffeine in the afternoon (half a cup of cofee) helps concentration. The trick is to not drink too much caffeine. If you drink coffee, the darker the roast, the less caffeine. So espresso has less caffeine than the lighter mild roasts.
Way to go on submitting to Harlequin! That is an accomplishment.
Have lost 8 lbs, my garden
Have lost 8 lbs, my garden is in and doing well, and I have read a ton of books.
Estella--Congats on the
Estella--Congats on the continued weight loss. I imagine where you live your garden grows better than mine. I do grow decent basil, thyme and oregano, but the tomatoes come out pithy because of the heat. I don't even try to grow anything else. If the heat doesn't get them, the grasshoppers will.
Three
I've limited my soda intake to about one can a week. This is a huge deal for me because I'm addicted to Coke. I've been walking a lot more. I hope to start with some light weights to tone my arms. The third accomplishment is that I've finally did a little spring cleaning. I actually cleaned under my bed and threw away most of the old magazines that were stored there.
Way to go, Jane!
Way to go, Jane!
A naked marathon!
Wow that brings alot of visuals to mind there don't it.
Well i dont think nayone could top that at all, but here's mine so far.
1-just finished first draft of manuscript targeted to blaze. yahoo.
2-Got a new job, added a little extra to the monthly $ pool.
3-Finished "Think Sideways" writing course, helped alot with plotting.
4-just participated in "Pass the Plot 2" with Joanne Rock, so much fun!
5-Bought template for website, now to get the thing up???
I think thats all for the past six months. Now to work on the other six. in that time i want to have the book done and submitted to harlequin, have my website up and to have lost at least 30 pounds. (it could happen?)
happy writing
jody
Jody--Wow, you've
Jody--Wow, you've accomplished a lot. I can't wait to hear how the second half of the year goes. And yeah, all that can happen!