Monday Mishmash 1/21/19

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Editing  The end of this month is packed with client edits.
2. Cover design  I'm hoping to get the cover for my Piper novella this week. My cover designer will also be working on the new covers for my series redo, which will become the Madison Kramer Mysteries.
3. Blogger issues  I still can't comment on my blog or anyone else's with my Google profile. I think it's a browser issue because I only have Safari. I can sometimes comment using the name/url option, but it doesn't always give me that option. *sigh*
4. Reworking my publishing schedule  I have a lot of cozy mysteries coming out this year. I still have a paranormal novel drafted and with a cover already. I'm just not sure where to fit it in my schedule since my cozy mysteries series are taking up all my time.
5. Drafting by hand  As I mentioned previously, I'm drafting an Ashelyn novella by hand while my daughter is at basketball practice. So far it's going well.

That's all for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 10/1/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Hello October  I always feel like as soon as August arrives, it's suddenly October. September flies by. And here we are again.
2. Editing  I have a packed editing schedule this month. I'm talking no breaks at all.
3. Even more hours in my day!  My daughter is involved in so many things at school that I'm gaining even more hours to work during the week. Five more hours to be exact!
4. Two releases this month?  Okay, so I'm releasing my Love Chronicles boxed set this month for sure, but I also might rerelease my Runes World novella, which has been completely redone to omit any references to the Runes World since Kindle Worlds are now a thing of the past. Fingers crossed I can work this into my schedule.
5. Open House  This week is also Open House at my daughter's school.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 9/3/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Happy Labor Day  I hope you have a safe and happy Labor Day!
2. Blurbing a book  This week I'm reading a book to blurb for a fellow author.
3. Plotting  I'm plotting a new book. I got a little tripped up on it last week because I realized I need to write a book between the one I just revised and the new one I was plotting. So, that meant putting the current plotting aside and brainstorming a different book before it. If you're confused, so was I! ;) No, seriously, I think I know what I need to do now.
4. Createspace closing  The announcement that Createspace is closing is causing quite the uproar. It's going to affect my daughter since we only print her books to distribute in person. KDP won't allow that if they aren't for sale on Amazon. So now I need to find a new printer for her books. This is going to delay her new book, but now that school is back in session, I think it's going to be delayed anyway.
5. New schedule  I survived my daughter's first week of intermediate school. My day is long! She's gone for eight hours instead of six this year, so I'm getting a lot more accomplished. I will be able to take on more client edits and formatting jobs, which is good.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 8/6/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Editing  I'm editing for a new client this week.
2. Cozy Mystery Giveaway  I'm banding together with some other cozy mystery authors to host a giveaway for Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay. You can enter here. 
   
3. Water issues  This has been the summer of water issues. I'm hoping to have them all finally fixed this week. Fingers crossed.
4. Publishing schedule  I was going to release my Love Chronicles boxed set at the beginning of this month, but life has been crazy. I might have it ready by the end of the month, but I'm not going to stress to get it out. I'm slowly learning not to kill myself for the sake of getting books published by certain dates.
5. Three weeks left in my summer schedule  My daughter starts school in three weeks, so I'm still on summer hours until then, but this school year, my working hours will increase since the school day is going from six hours to eight!

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 7/30/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Editing  I'm finishing up an edit for a client this week and have another coming to me on Wednesday.
2. Back-to-school shopping  I'm almost finished shopping for school clothes for my daughter. They've moved to a uniform policy, which is so hard to follow because I have to count the number of buttons on shirts. How crazy is that? I can't find any with the appropriate number of buttons, which means I have to remove one button from each shirt and sew up the hole since none of the stores by me sell the appropriate number. You can imagine how happy I am about that.
3. New Facebook page for editing/formatting  For a while I've been contemplating a FB page for my editing and formatting, and last week I finally followed through. You can find it here.
4. Branding  Branding is something I've always struggled with (as Kelly not Ashelyn) since I write across genres. I'm contemplating sticking to one from now on but branching out within that genre. For example, I'll write mystery, but that can include paranormal mystery to appease my paranormal fans.
5. Summer  Is it just me or is summer flying by? I knew it would since school let out late this year, but I'm not ready for it to be August this week.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 6/25/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Cover Design  I have a cover being designed this week, which is always exciting. I also had one designed last week for a boxed set I'll have out this fall.
2. Drafting  After finishing my last client edit, I have time to dig back into my current WIP, which is book three in my psychic mystery series. I really love this series.
3. Giveaway  I'm taking part in a giveaway for a Kindle Fire. You can enter here.
4. Basketball camp  My daughter has basketball camp this week, so that means I'll have extended work hours for a few days.
5. Networked Blogs  Last week I mentioned Networked Blogs shut down. I'm wondering if this will slowly kill blogging. I've noticed a big difference already.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 5/28/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Memorial Day I hope everyone is having a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Saturday was gorgeous here, and my husband, daughter, and I spent a good portion of the day in our pool.
2. Editing  I'm finishing up an edit for a client this week.
3. GDPR  Thanks to GDPR, I actually trimmed my newsletter subscribers from about 3K to under 800. Yikes! I feel like lately, it's become so much more difficult to be an author. (For the sake of full disclosure, I did remove people who were inactive as well.) Anyway, if you would like to subscribe to my newsletter, you can do so here. Your information is never shared, and I don't take any information other than your email address.
4. Publishing  This year is bringing on new changes for me concerning how I publish. I'll be trying new things since previous methods just don't seem to work anymore. For instance, I'll be spontaneously releasing a book very soon with no preorder or cover reveal. So be on the lookout for that.
5. Revising  Once I finish my current client edit, I'll be diving into revisions on the second book in my psychic mystery series. I'm looking forward to it since my editor said I'm becoming her favorite mystery author. :) 

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 5/21/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Power  I was without water and power last Tuesday through Friday evening. It was awful. We had a storm that made me question if it was a tornado. Things were swirling everywhere, and trees and power lines still litter my area almost a week later. I have everything back but phone service now. (If I didn't comment back on your blog last week, this was why. Sorry.)
2. Formatting  I've been formatting a lot lately, and I really love it. Making manuscripts into beautiful books is a great feeling.
3. Tough year  The publishing industry is changing a lot, and it's hit me hard. I might post about this because I have a lot on my mind about Kindle Worlds closing and other things going on that affect income for authors.
4. Editing  I'm back to editing this week now that power has been restored.
5. Drafting  When I didn't have power, I started drafting a new book by hand. I only have about seven pages of actual manuscript, but I also plotted a bit, so I have a good start once I finish this client edit.
6. Giveaway ends today!  I have an Amazon giveaway for Insidious by Victoria Evers ending today. You must enter by 11:59 p.m. Enter here.
   

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 5/14/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Revising  I'm revising book two in my psychic mystery series so I can get it to my editor soon.
2. #Cockygate  If you don't know about this, you're lucky. I'll be honest. I'm very upset about the state of the publishing industry over the past year and a half. This isn't the industry I came into in 2011, and it breaks my heart to see all the awful things happening in the book world.
3. Lack of motivation  Motivation is never something I've struggled with until recently. See number two for the cause. I've been taking more time for myself lately to distance myself from what's going on in the book world.
4. Mother's Day  I hope all you moms had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend.
5. Editing  I have a small gap in my editing schedule, so if you need anything edited, check out the services I offer here.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 3/26/18

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Proofreading  I'm proofreading a book I plan to release this fall. I do several rounds of proofreading, but this is my last one before ordering a print proof.
2. Revising  I have a novella coming out this summer, and I just got it back from my editor. I'll be diving into revisions later this week.
3. Editing  I have a few days off before my next edit comes in, so I'm focusing on my own books in the meantime.
4. Scaling back  I had originally planned to release a lot of books this year. I'm still going to be releasing quite a few, but I've decided to push some back to next year for my own sanity.
5. Easter  I'm almost ready for Easter. This holiday sort of snuck up on me this year since it's early.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 12/18/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Editing  I'm editing for a client this week. All of my clients have been submitting their books early, which I love because I can get an early jump on them since I usually allow more time than I need for each edit.
2. Proofreading  I'm doing a final proofread of the paperback proof for Since I Found You, the final book in the Love Chronicles companion series. It's currently available for preorder. 
   
3. Christmas  It's one week away! The presents are all wrapped and ready.
4. Reflecting on 2017  This was a crazy year for me as far as publishing goes. I released nine books. I think. It was so crazy I lost count. 2018 will have quite a few releases as well, but after February, I'll be handling releases a little differently, so stay tuned for more info on that.
5. Newsletter  Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter may have noticed it came from a different email address. I started using the address tied to my website. It's still me though, so don't be afraid to open it. If you aren't signed up and would like to receive my newsletters, you can do so here.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 12/11/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Editing  I'm working on a client edit this week
2. Unseen Evil duology  I just got physical proofs for my ya paranormal duology coming out in 2018, and they are so gorgeous I can't stop looking at them. I can't wait to share these covers in a few months. (Yes, I'm working way ahead of schedule.)
3. Christmas Shopping  I think I'm finally finished shopping. Every year, I start early, yet I'm still shopping so close to Christmas. I'm not sure how that happens.
4. Tax Reform  I'm trying to figure out what the tax reform means for self-employed people filing under section C. This has the potential to really hurt authors if we can't deduct expenses. How will we advertise, pay for covers, pay for editing, etc.? :( 

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 11/27/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Our Little Secret $.99 Sale  Limitless Publishing has reduced the price of Our Little Secret for the holiday weekend. Today is the last day to grab the book for only $.99. Get it here now. 
   
2. Editing  I took a few days off from editing since I visited family out of state for Thanksgiving. This week, I'm back at it.
3. Proofreading Games We Play  Games We Play releases January 2nd. I'm working on the final proofread now.
4. Games We Play Cover Reveal  This Wednesday is the cover reveal for the third and final book in the Lies We Tell trilogy. I have to say, I freaked myself out while writing this book. Suspense is suspenseful for the author as well!
5. Decorating for Christmas  We decorated for Christmas yesterday. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I'm all about Christmas.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 10/30/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Formatting  I'm formatting two of my own books and a book for a client this week.
2. Proofreading  I have two paperback proofs to proofread this week. Both are early 2018 releases.
3. Halloween  Tomorrow is Halloween! I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!
4. Editing  As usual, I have a client edit to work on.
5. Jeni Fred's new blog  Most of you probably know Jeni as Beth. She has a new blog, and it has some great posts for writers as well as other professions. She talks about headshots, getting ahead of your to-do list, networking, etc. So if you haven't checked out her new blog, you can do so here.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 7/3/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Happy Fourth of July!  I hope you all have a safe and happy 4th!
2. Proofreading  I'm doing final proofreading for Reignited, my steamy Ashelyn Drake romance that will be part of Hot & Sinful Nights, which is up for preorder right now. 

   

   ★ Pre-Order for 99c ★
   Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2rXt5hH
   Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2ssZJuP
   Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2rYevXj
   Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2sWYS7m
   iBooks: http://apple.co/2sWMzb1
   Nook: http://bit.ly/2stlGKc
   Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rFrIoz
   Google Play: http://bit.ly/2sTv4I0

3. It Was Always You  We're only one week away from the release of book one in the Love Chronicles series! I can't wait! Preorder It Was Always You here now for only $.99! This sale won't last, so don't wait. 
   
4. Publishing Costs  June was a tough month for me as far as spending goes. I paid for 6 covers and edits on more than one book. Can you hear me weeping over my empty wallet?
5. Newsletter  I'm offering giveaways in just about every newsletter now! Crazy, right? It's a great time to sign up if you aren't already. Sign up here.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 6/26/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Secret News Revealed!  I told you all I had some secret projects in the works. Well, I can finally tell you what they are. My new Ashelyn Drake romance Reignited is part of a hot romance boxed set called Hot & Sinful Nights! It will release on September 26, 2017, but if you preorder, you can get it for only $0.99!

   

   ★ Pre-Order for 99c ★
   Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2rXt5hH
   Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2ssZJuP
   Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2rYevXj
   Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2sWYS7m
   iBooks: http://apple.co/2sWMzb1
   Nook: http://bit.ly/2stlGKc
   Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rFrIoz
   Google Play: http://bit.ly/2sTv4I0

2. Hot & Sinful Nights Giveaway!  The authors in the boxed set have decided to offer you this crazy awesome giveaway. You can win a $100 gift card and a year's subscription to PassionFlix. Enter here! 
   
3. Basketball Camp  My daughter has basketball camp Monday through Thursday this week, so I'll be getting a lot of work done. I have books to proofread for fall releases.
4. Cover Design  I work with some awesome cover designers. I've had six covers made in the past week, and two more are scheduled for July. Yikes! I guess I know where all my book royalties will be going. ;)
5. Newsletter  I've been doing a lot of giveaways for my newsletter subscribers, so if you aren't signed up, you might want to. I only send out newsletters when I have something for you: a giveaway (usually in just about every newsletter), a sneak peek at a cover and/or opening pages, a great sale on an awesome book, etc. Sign up here.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 6/19/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Editing  I've been swamped with client edits all month. I'm staying on schedule, but I still have a few more to go before the month ends.
2. Cover Design  I'm working with three different cover designers at the moment. Some have been scheduled for a while and are for books I have to push back to 2018 because of my crazy schedule. Did I mention I have 9 releases this year?
3. Revising  I have to revise a few books I have scheduled to release this fall. I might be able to fit some revision time in next week. I hope!
4. Drafting  I'm hoping I'll be able to draft a novella next month, but I have some revisions to tackle before I get to that.
5. Rearranging  My house looks like I'm moving. I'm not. I'm just moving things around from one room to another, mainly the den and my daughter's room. (Though my office is also being rearranged.) Things are stacked up and in transport so it's walking room only in a few places. I'm hoping to get this finished before next week when my daughter goes to basketball camp.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 5/22/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Drafting  I took a week off after drafting two books and a novella in a row. I'm ready to dive into the last book in the Lies We Tell trilogy this week.
2. Field Trip  I am chaperoning a field trip this Thursday to a cranberry bog. Please do an anti-rain dance for me. The weather is looking dreadful for the second half of this week. :(
3. Editing  I'm waiting on a client edit and taking advantage of the free time to write, write, write!
4. 9 Releases!!!!  Because I'm completely crazy, I agreed to be part of an anthology releasing on Thanksgiving. What am I thinking? That will make 9 releases this year. I may need to be fitted for a straitjacket by December!
5. Dying Laptop  I'm pretty sure my laptop is on its last leg. :( I love my MacBook Pro and am not happy about needing to buy a new one.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 5/1/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Drafting  I'm finishing up a draft today. At least that's the plan. Wish me luck, please.
2. Publishing craziness   Last week I realized I'm releasing 8 books this year. I've officially lost my mind. I'll be curled up in a ball by December. 
3. Editing  I'm editing for a client this week. Nothing new there. This month is pretty packed with client edits.
4. Blogging schedule  I'm going to be throwing my old schedule out the window. Monday Mishmash will stay, but Writer Wednesdays will only occur when I have something to say. I've been struggling for topics. Feel free to suggest some. My Friday Feature posts haven't been getting many views, so I'm cutting them out of my schedule for a while.
5. How on earth is it May already?  When did that happen? I swear it was just February. This year is going by way too quickly.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 4/3/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.

Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Revisions  This week I'm getting one of my Ashelyn Drake titles polished and ready to send to my editor.
2. Editing  I have two client edits on my plate this week.
3. Relearning to Type?  All last week, I had to type with one hand or with only 9 fingers. I actually learned to type pretty well with 9 fingers, and now I feel like I can't type with 10 anymore even though my thumb is feeling a little stronger and could probably handle typing in small increments.
4. Lies We Tell Comes Out Next Week!!!  Man, this year is flying by. I can't believe Lies We Tell, my first Kelly Hashway adult book, is coming out a week from today! I'm so excited!!! 
   
5. Taxes  There was a computer glitch with my taxes, so I'm hoping they get fixed this week. It's getting close to April 15, so I'm panicking!

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?