Let’s just get started on my recap! I have a bunch of s**t to do today! ‘Kay? 🙂
June
Here’s what I managed to accomplish…
Work-related:
I completed writing and published Victoria’s Six—which I hated while I was writing it but love, love, love now! It’s funny how that works.
I completed 4 editing projects for other authors in June!
The bad news? I cancelled the release of Wild Thing. I simply could not squeeze in another book in June. My goal now is to push the book toward the end of the year, releasing it in November or December.
Health-related:
I have not climbed back aboard the Weight Watchers wagon. However, I maintained 25 pounds of my loss since January. Motivation is lagging…
As for physical activity, the pool is finally sparkling clear and warm! I’m swimming at least once a day, usually twice. The little ones don’t have to do more than show up at my door with a quivering bottom lip to talk me into joining them.
Happiness-related:
After the #100DayChallenge ended in May, so did my artistic ambition. I puttered but painted very, very little. I’m embarrassed to share the “best” of what I produced, but here it goes…
July
Come hell or high water…
For work-related, I plan:
To complete and publish my next bounty hunter book, Gabriel!
To revise and compile the Danger Zone trilogy into a single bundle and get it ready for publishing!
To begin work on my next Brotherhood Protectors romantic suspense story.
To complete 3 editing projects in July!
For health related, I plan:
To restart Weight Watchers (count those points!) and hope to lose at least 5 pounds, remembering: Slow is good!
To swim at least one time a day!
To begin some low-impact aerobics. Maybe, I’ll do more housework, too. Gah.
For happiness-related, I plan:
To participate in an online #fodderchallenge beginning July 5!
To produce at least two finished pieces of art every week!
To blog about art (on my Emerald Casket site) just to keep myself honest! (No one actually has to read it!)
Contest
Solve the puzzle then comment on anything you’ve read in this post, share something you plan to do in July, or just tell me what you plan to read…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
It’s Saturday, and I have edits, edits, edits. Not the fun stuff. I can’t start the fun stuff (my next book) until I get this job out of the way. But onward!
Before we get to the puzzle, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who purchased and read Victoria’s Six. And thank you to all who posted reviews! They matter!
Puzzle-Contest
I chose today’s puzzle image based on the fact that today is International Day of the Seafarer! So have fun! Solve the puzzle and tell me who your favorite seafarers are for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
It’s Saturday after a long week of rushing to THE END of a book and finishing up edits for other authors. I took the last three days to clean my desk and office, re-jigger my calendar (so I’m ready for the next rush to THE END!), and make a really big To Do list.
I mentioned the string of bad luck we’ve had here at the Devlin house, right? Two long power outages, losing internet for an entire day, the AC crashing for days—well, add to that the dishwasher going on strike, too. Apparently, I’m the only one who knows how to wash dishes by hand. 🙄 I think I need to sage the entire house…
Anyways, today I plan to get two swims in, while cleaning our slightly greenish pool, work on a couple of sets of edits, and make some notes about what I want to have happen in the next MBH book—what funny takedowns my bounty hunters can do—wait, a second! Maybe you can help me with that…
Saturday Puzzle-Contest
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, give me an idea for a fun or exciting takedown of a criminal that my bounty hunters can do! Doesn’t have to be a good idea, doesn’t have to take much thought. This is for fun, folks!
In the meantime, you do know I have a book coming out next Tuesday, right? Victoria’s Six is set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Get a feel for the setting of the book by solving this puzzle! And if you haven’t already pre-ordered your copy, follow this link: Victoria’s Six
We had a 7-hour power outage yesterday due to heavy thunderstorms. It started in the morning and lasted well into the afternoon. We pulled the generator out of the shed to power the refrigerator and make cups of coffee (priorities!). Working by candlelight in my basement office was impossible. It’s a daylight basement. From the front of the house, you think it’s a one-story home. From the back, you see two stories. Well, my office is tucked into the way back of the basement and has no windows. I call it my “mole hole” and that lack of windows is perfect for a writer with W.A.D.D. (writer’s ADD).
However, my basement craft room has windows, so that’s where I settled. The light that reached my worktable was dim, but I had to do something. I’ll be cutting out the watercolor flowers for collaging so the ugly marks around them don’t matter (I didn’t like looking at all the white space!). The ink drawing was kind of fun. I used the dropper on my ink bottle to draw it. I’m going to practice with it more. So, not a wasted day. I learned something.
Puzzle Contest
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what you want to read right now!(My picture clues you into the genre of book I wish I had right now!)
I missed posting at the end of the month because 1) I forgot, and 2) I had guests! It’s still the first week of the month, so here goes…
May
May was challenging for soooooo many reasons. There was all the prep and pageantry related to the 18-year-old’s graduation, and the entire family contracted COVID—something we evaded for over two years! Folks, get your shots and boosters! We’re all recovering, although some slower than others!
Here’s what I managed to accomplish…
Work-related:
I completed only 2 editing projects for other authors in May!
I wrote eight chapters of my next book! I had hoped to finish the thing, but considering the alternative… 🙂
Health-related:
I fell off the Weight Watchers wagon. However, I am maintaining 25-27 pounds of my loss! I’ve been doing this since January, and am committed to going slow, so I do not view this as a failure!
As to physical activity, the pool finally got warm enough toward the end of the month, but COVID kept me from doing much swimming and impacted my steps.
Happiness-related:
I finished the #100DayProject art challenge! I didn’t hit 100 pieces completed, but I did get to 83! Here are the last two pieces I finished…
June
Here’s me putting this out in the world…
For work-related, I plan:
To complete and publish Victoria’s Six on June 21st! And this one, I can guarantee will happen!
To complete and publish Wild Thing in June—something that’s very questionable at the moment!
To begin work on my next Montana Bounty Hunter story!
To complete 4 editing projects in June!
For health-related, I plan:
To get back on the Weight Watchers wagon and hope to lose at least 5 pounds, remembering: Slow is good!
To swim at least five days out of the week!
To begin some low-impact aerobics, which will include a video workout, plus, add some outdoor activities, like pool maintenance and blowing the patio. Maybe I’ll do more housework, too. (This is an old goal, but I’ll repeat it. Maybe I’ll actually do it!)
For happiness-related, I plan:
To continue working on getting my art room better organized.
To produce something art-related at least once a week! More than that would be hard due to my work schedule!
Contest
Solve the puzzle then comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me about any special summer plans or tell me what you plan to read… Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
It’s Saturday! Everyone in the house is feeling so much better that they’re getting cranky about having to stay cooped up. I can escape the drama by being right here, sitting at my desk. Or watching a movie. Lord, I’ve watched so many the past few days. And I’ve puttered around, organizing things—not that my method of organization looks “organized.” 🙂
Puzzle-Contest
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me a story about the person in the puzzle. Have fun with the challenge! Your story doesn’t have to be long or even good!
Today the 18-year-old graduates from high school! I won’t be attending the ceremony—climbing bleachers is not my thing. But I will pop for a celebratory dinner for the family and a couple of his friends tonight! He enters the same university I attended many moons ago in the fall! We’re all so excited. One down! Three to go! LOL
Puzzle Contest
Solve the puzzle to check out the 2022 graduate! Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! Let me know if you have high school graduates in your family or will soon. Also, share any words of advice I can pass along to him!
