Monday, February 6, 2012

Monday Mishmash 2/6/12

Happy Monday! Here's what's on my mind today:

  1. Touch of Death edits  I got my editorial letter last week, so I'm deep in edits right now. The good news is I'm enjoying it. No tears... at least not yet. 
  2. Newsletter  My free monthly newsletter goes out later today. If you aren't signed up to receive it but would like to, you can sign up here.
  3. Writing without nap time  Last week I mentioned my daughter gave up naps. I now have her trained to give me one hour of quiet time each afternoon to write while she does puzzles, reads, etc. Love her!
  4. Kindergarten  Sign ups are this month. Parent/teacher conferences went well, so we move on to the kindergarten evaluation.
  5. Presidents' Day Week  I have two book signings, a school visit, and my daughter's birthday party planned for Presidents' Day Week. (Wow, that's weird to say.) One more week until the craziness begins.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

57 comments:

  1. Hi Kelly,

    Sounds like a great week ahead for you.
    I'm just hoping to be able to get my head back into my WIP. I had plenty of writing time all weekend but just couldn't get "there."

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  2. Hi Kelly,
    Wow,, you have a busy time ahead of you.Edits are fun, helps us learn something we didn't before, until tears begin to fall...LOL! Aw..your daughter is cute,and understands mommy has to work as well, bless her!
    I'm looking forward to getting back to my Soul Collector WIP today, now that my Contemp romance novella is done with.
    Have a great Monday! :)

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    1. Good luck with Soul Collector. Yes, so far edits are going well. I am definitely learning a lot.

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  3. Wow, another busy week for you. I have an ill daughter at home but she's good at amusing herself while I work. I have lots of daily grind stuff to get done 'but' I've made loads of progress on my work in progress, leaps and bounds, after changing a key element (or what I thought was a key element) of the original idea. Since then everything has fallen into place and with my synopsis written too, I'm well on the way to writing the end of my novel. Very exciting.

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    1. Yay! Congrats, Fi. It's great when you figure out the one little thing that's been tripping you up and then everything falls into place.
      I hope your daughter feels better soon!

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  4. Trying to slow my brain down this week, so I bought a paint by number kit. :)

    I haven't tried one of those since I was 15, woo hoo! Good luck with your book signings!

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  5. My kids haven't given up on their naps yet (thankfully). But it sounds like you have a great week ahead! Have fun!

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    1. Thanks, Emily! We are making due with the no naps. I'm enjoying the time with my daughter because she goes to kindergarten next year and it's all day. I'm going to miss her tremendously.

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  6. Ooo... love your cover, Kelly! Tres chic!
    My daughter's in kindy this year and it's just the cutest thing ever. Both my son and daughter gave up naps at 2 years old and my life has been a nightmare ever since....lol. Just exaggerating a bit. They're my angels.
    I'm knee deep in edits to. Nice to come up for air once in awhile, isn't it? :)

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  7. Yes, after the shock of the editorial letter, it usually becomes a fun thing. And good to know that you have professional guidance to steer your novel to a higher level.

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  8. Good luck editing! I am gearing up for the San Francisco Writers Conference next week!

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  9. I wrote about Irene McKinney, a poet and leading light of Appalachian writers, who passed away this weekend. I miss her.

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  10. Sounds like a busy week for you, Kelly. Good luck with all of your work and good for your daughter, learning about quiet time. Maybe she can be your office assistant. :)

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  11. Trying to finish the last of my edits on my WIP - but a brand new story has grabbed my brain and I am itching to research and write it.

    And the day job is saying, oh, BS, girlfriend, you're going to give ME all your attention this week.

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    1. Every time I edit one manuscript, I get an idea for a new one. That's just how my brain works, so I know exactly what you're talking about.

      Tell your day job to stop being so demanding. You have more important things to do--or should I say write. ;)

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  12. Good luck on the edits! You're lucky your daughter gives you "you time." I'm lucky my step-kids are in school. When they're not, it's really hard to concentrate!

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    1. Thanks! Yes, she keeps an eye on the clock because my writing time is at the same time everyday. I think that helps her understand when she's allowed to nudge me and demand I play with her again. ;)

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  13. Have fun with the edits, and I knew you would find a solution for the missed writing time.

    Looking forward to the newsletter.

    Today, I'm thinking about characters.

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  14. You've got lots on your plate. I remember when I used to write during my son's naptime and he gave up naps. Then I wrote while he watched a movie. Puzzles and reading are better. How old is your daughter? She must have learned to read young.

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    1. She'll be five at the end of the month. She can't read an entire story book yet, but she can read the early readers. Mostly she saves that for reading with me though. When she reads on her own, she likes to make up stories to go with the pictures or she tries to see how much she can remember about the actual story.

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  15. Your energy level should be bottled...I could use it! Signed up for your newsletter, happy editing!

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    1. LOL. I sometimes think I have too much energy when it comes to writing, but if I don't keep busy, I stress over things that are out on submission. I have to be too busy to stress. ;)

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  16. Kelly, you are one busy laday. What a lovely daughter to understand and do quiet time. Of course I signed up for your Newsletter.

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    1. Donna, I couldn't be luckier that my daughter is respectful of my writing time. She's amazing. :)

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  17. It just gets busier and busier, doesn't it? Have fun and grab a nap for yourself whenever your daughter lets you!

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    1. Nah, I don't need naps, Lee. It's her nap I was missing. It was my writing time, but she's letting me have my time (for a little while at least) each afternoon, so I can't complain.

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  18. All right, Kelly. I knew you were a super gal. But if you can train your DD to let you have an hour of quiet time every day, you are The Super Gal. This alone deserves a book. I can't seem to get mine to do it, and they are teens.

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    1. Mirka, my daughter is very independent like her mom. There is a downside to that though. Too much independence isn't a good thing.

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  19. Hi Kelly! Your daughter sounds like a sweetie :)


    Valentine's Day is on my mind today (it's my 9th wedding anniversary), so I'm planning chocolate covered strawberries in my head, and I just bought a new outfit to wear on our date :)

    Now to get back into writing...

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    1. I don't remember the last time my husband and I went out of Valentine's Day. I was never big on the holiday. We are actually going out that week (but not on the actual day) and our daughter will be coming with us. Happy anniversary!

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  20. Sounds like you're living the dream. Book signings and cute kids too? I'm so jealous!

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    1. I do think I have the cutest kid, but what mom doesn't?

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  21. Good luck with the edits- it sounds like you are enjoying them! I am sure it is rewarding to see your writing becoming cleaner!

    I hope you are resting up since you will have such a busy week next week! Wow! I think it is amazing that your daughter will work quietly for an hour while you work. Yeah for you! I am thinking about my stuffy nose and wishing I could breathe again! I don't like having the sniffles.

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    1. I hope you feel better soon.

      I'm looking forward to my busy week. It will be crazy but lots of fun. And, yes, my daughter is truly amazing for letting me have my writing time. Love her!

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  22. Sounds like a great week ahead. Enjoy your edits. :)
    I'll be working on characters mostly ...

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    1. Thanks, Claudine! Good luck with those characters.

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  23. No tears, darn right Kelly. You're always telling me... it's a labor of love for the good of the story ( I know you know this much better than I do ).. I suspect even though there is work involved, you are loving it anyway. This is one of those moments (like after running five miles and the legs ache but you feel good about the ache because of the effort) that is a wonderful sort of effort.

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    1. Brenda, you know me well. :) I am loving it. Anything to make the story better. Having to work hard for something makes it more rewarding, I think.
      Are you a runner? I've been a runner since high school, so I love your analogy.

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  24. Kelly,
    Thank you for stopping by my new blog ad your encouraging words.

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  25. Awesome stuff, Kelly. Good luck with edits and I hope you have a blast during the book signings. It's great that you're getting quiet time for writing.

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  26. Exciting! I hope your edits and book signing, and your daughter's b-day goes well!

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  27. Also will you have signed copies of your book up for sale? I'm in Canada and would like to get a signed copy if I could.

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    1. Rena, are you talking about a signed copy of TOUCH OF DEATH? If so, when the book comes out in January, I will be selling signed copies. That won't be a problem at all. :)

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  28. Wow, you do keep yourself busy! And sounds like you got a nice little behaved girl there. Goodluck with all your upcoming events!

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