My Writing Plan: Week of October 24

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I’ve gotten some work done on revisions, but not as much as I’d planned (or hoped). Yesterday was my granddaughter’s first birthday, and we had two parties, one on Friday for immediate family and Saturday for close friends. Be assured, we ALL practice safe social distancing and masks, and are careful about who we invite! Anyway, the last half of the week was spent frantically getting ready, which for me included doing final moving-in tasks, things that I hadn’t unpacked (or put away) needed to get done. The baby has just started walking, literally in the last week! Last Friday she took her first few steps alone… but THIS Friday she was walking across the room and back!

Anyway! Now that we’re all done with that (plus I’m ALL unpacked now, LOL), I’m back to the writing part. Today I’ve been going over the NaNo website and got my participant badge, yayy! I also looked through the previous projects and found last year’s project that… not only do I not remember writing any of that, I don’t even remember the STORY! ROFL!!!! I’ll be spending this week brainstorming that story, and another partial one I’ve started in the same Wishes & Dreams series. These are both shapeshifter stories, one with caracal hero & heroine, and a clouded leopard heroine with another shifter of unknown type for the hero.  The feedback I’m getting from my readers (as well as from beta readers for A Cat for Troy) is that they want to see more of the djinn Jacinth, from A Gift of Jacinth so she’ll be a recurring major secondary character throughout the series. I’m loathe to keep adding in all the characters from each previous book, which I’ve seen done in a few longer series and it gets confusing to the point of overwhelming, so I’m picking a few to focus on as recurring characters.

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Brainstorm for next week when NaNoWriMo begins!
  2. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  3. Find more beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  4. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of October 17

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These last 2 weeks I got behind in writing efforts. I was over in SecondLife, moving my roleplay city to a different sim, which took freakin’ foreeeeeeeeeeever! Besides just moving over everything, I also boxed it all up in rez boxes so the next time things will go a  lot smoother (and faster). I actually had fun doing it, it was just very time-consuming. However, I’ve gotten everything moved, and rental boxes out for the various homes and businesses, and oh I also re-built the Djinn Realm from scratch while I was at it, as I’d never liked the first one I built, and this one is incredible! I love it so much I’ve been reluctant to leave it and go down to my tower above the palace in the city, LOL!!! However, I’m back to writing starting as soon as I get this blog post published 🙂

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of September 26

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Soooo I’ve been working on revisions from my first round of beta reader feedback, and my 26-chapter book is now 28 chapters <laughs> It just… I mean, everything worked, but the ending came on too fast, you know? So I got a BRILLIANT idea (she said, modestly) of bringing Cat’s older brother in from California, NOT pleased that his sisters were in danger and didn’t tell him. And this TOTALLY  works because he’s the hero of the next book, Shadow Cat (just a working title for now til I come up with something better). So this gives me a chance to introduce his character into the series, although he’s been referenced before but we haven’t actually *seen* him.

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Moving. I’m pretty much settled in. I’m still arranging my pantry and kind of organizing things, but most of the crucial stuff is unpacked and in place. Two nights ago I found the cats’ kick sticks, and that was a tremendous success, with the baby too, LOL!
  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m staying home and safe, and hope you are, too!

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of September 19

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Yes, I’ve been gone for a month; however, I have a GREAT reason! I was moving 😛  It was a major move, too, I drove a 26-foot moving van across the burning desert, pulling my car, and with 2 very unhappy cats in the truck with me, and I’m now a resident of cheery (slightly smoky) Southern California. The cats are a lot happier now, they are loving this big house we’re living in. I’m still in a lot of pain, but I’m *mostly* unpacked (at least the important parts… my desk and my bedroom, and yes, in that order,  LOL). And just the last couple days I’ve finally settled enough to be able to work on the revisions.

I am actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of August 15

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This week I’ve made GREAT progress!!! I’m up to chapter 19 in revisions on A Cat for Troy (total of 26 chapters). It’s really shaping up well. I’m working my way through feedback from my beta readers, going chapter by chapter (I LOVE Scrivener!). One thing I realized… I first began writing this, well before Uber became a Thing… so now I’m having to seek out all references to taxis, cabs and cabbies, and change them over LOL.

At this point, I am going to be actively seeking beta readers for another round of Cat before I send it off to an editor for a final read-through and corrections. I have a webpage that explains what beta readers do, and my own process for handing beta reading, and some links to youtube videos for those new to the process. If you’re reading this and you’re interested, please go to my Beta Readers webpage, then give me a shout!!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 19,164 with 524 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 5,289,196 with 170,577 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

The first review for Castles in the Sand! 4 stars!

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At long last, a review of Castles in the Sand! She gave it 4 stars 🙂 🙂 Here’s what she had to say:

Read book 1 first!

This is part 2 in a series and I would recommend reading part 1 first to get to know all the secondary characters. This book is less good than part 1 in my opinion. It is less love story and more family chronicle. But I liked reading it because it tells us a lot more about the people in book 1 and I liked them a lot.

An orphaned physiotherapist is hired to help Bennett, Khalid’s brother, back on his feet after he got severely hurt by a landmine.

A lot happens in the extended family. I have the feeling Allie used a lot of her experience in the medical field in the Arab world for this story.

If you liked the love story of part 1: it might be oldfashioned me but I thought it a bit shallow and the bed activities are less sizzling.

By Tulip on Amazon and Goodreads on 8/14/20

A 4-Star Review for Wishes in a Bottle

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No, a 4-star review isn’t as exciting as a 5-star review, BUT… when it comes from a not-a-romance-reader, it’s just as good as a 5-star review from someone who does love romance! So yay n stuff!!!

Fun read

I concidered not leaving a review because I’m not really a romance reader, but I’ll share a few thoughts. As a not-romance reader, there were 3 scenes I skipped over. I did enjoy the characters and their journeys, and the positive themes of selflessness and service. The paranormal aspects were interesting and well thought out. The story was fun but a bit predictable, which killed the tension for me. Overall I enjoyed the read.

By Christie Powell on Amazon and Goodreads on 04/19/20

 

A not-quite-new 5-star review for Truck Stop

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Okay, so I was a little late finding this, it was posted in April. The world has been kind of distracting, but I did find it, and was so thrilled!

Just couldn’t out it down .

What a beautiful brilliant story , you felt like you were actually there with them all the time , never quite knowing were it was going to take you next with all the twists and turns it took you too ,yep a fantastic read , if there had been more stars to give I would have given them all.
So much looking forward to reading the other books advertised .

Posted by Pamela Beavis on Goodreads on 04/17/20

5 Stars on Amazon for SwanSong!

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Yesterday there was a new, wonderful 5-star review for SwanSong!!

Very authentic and believable lovestory
by Tulip on Amazon

My Writing Plan: Week of August 1

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I took this entire week off. After the stresses leading up to last week, I just needed some down time. I’ve been spending a lot of time in my recliner, re-reading Dianne Duvall’s “Immortal Guardians” series (which might have something to do with my lack of progress, LOL). The last 2 days I also did a bit of building on my SecondLife RP sim, just for fun rather than any compelling need. Now I have  a ton of tasks to get done this weekend, to clear off my slate so I can dive back into revisions Monday (or tomorrow, if I get these all done today) without a bunch of stuff niggling at my brain trying to distract me.

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 16,167 with 459 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 4,557,067 with 156,168 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin thinking about advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

COVID in Tucson… tracking

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I’ve been following the coronavirus here in  Tucson using the United States Coronavirus Tracker Map. There’s been a sharp upswing in cases in the last two days; we’ve gone from 15-20 new cases a day, to over 40. I’m neither an expert nor a mathemetician, but even I can see that it’s just getting started here! Probably this is from all the people who did not #StayHome (or even take precautions, if they couldn’t stay home) who were infected by people who themselves were still in the incubation period, which can last up to 14 days. And these 40+ people a day have in turn been spreading it to people they came in contact with while they were in the incubation period and thought they were perfectly fine since they had no symptoms.

Dr. Fauci said that the original estimate of the mortality rate was 1% …. which is 10% higher than the seasonal flu which is 0.01%. That was a few weeks ago; the numbers we’re seeing, not just in Tucson but nationally, are consistently well over 5%.

I’m not an alarmist… in fact, alarmists tend to make me roll my eyes until my corneas detach… and yet, I”m alarmed, especially when I see all these people out and about with no masks, children running around. I guess I just don’t understand how, at this point, people can not take this seriously!

TUCSON TOTAL + New Cases/Deaths:

Progression:

March: 202 cases, 4 deaths
April: 1,241 cases, 80 deaths
May: 2,290 cases, 186 deaths
June: 8,004 cases, 272 deaths
July: 16,475 cases, 462 deaths

AUGUST 2020:

In July, Pima County has begun sending their covid patients to Phoenix, Wickenburg and Albuquerque. Therefore, the death toll isn’t accurate as those dying in those other places may not be counted here.

Aug 1 16,475 +308 / 462 +3
Aug 2 16,475 +0 / 462 +0
Aug 3 16,655 +180 / 462 +0

NATIONAL TOTAL + New Cases/Deaths:

Progression:

March: 189,800 cases, 4,086 deaths
April: 1,082,035 cases, 64,137 deaths
May: 1,795,878 cases, 105,169 deaths
June: 2,634,495 cases, 128,833 deaths
July: 4,557,067 cases, 156,158 deaths

AUGUST 2020:

Aug 1 4,613,664 +56,597 / 157,164 +1,006
Aug 2 4,613,682 +18 / 157,166 +2
Aug 3 4,661,209 +47,527 +411

My Writing Plan: Week of July 25

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I have to admit it. I hardly did any revising this week. I’ve been over in SecondLife, working with a scripter on the custom meter for my roleplay sim, and it’s taking oooodles of time. It’s almost ready to go, and I spent the last two days… well… you’d have to be a SL’er to understand so I won’t go into it, but I’ve been SUPER busy! However, we’re finally done and I’m rolling out the new meter later today (the scripter is doing a last-minute glitch check right now as I’m typing this) so I’ll be back to revisioning today.

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 14,428 with 409 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 4,120,780 with 147,785 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin thinking about advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of July 18

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Revisions are still coming along slowly. Not from any particular reason, my mind is just kinda scattered. But I’m still plugging along on A Cat For Troy. I’ve taken several days working on Chapter 12, which involves an engagement dinner (Jacinth and Douglas, from A Gift of Jacinth) and the need to write… <shudders> conversation!!! As an introvert, I find writing conversations in a group of people particularly difficult. However, I’ve about got it nailed, with the help of my wonderful beta readers! I’m hoping to have it finished by tonight, in fact, and to be able to move forward to Chapter 13, which my beta readers didn’t have any issues with at all. Which, of course, doesn’t mean I won’t find something to tweak or fix or whatever!

I’m waiting to start advertising for beta readers, since I want to be a bit farther along with revisions, since I haven’t been able to concentrate yet as well as I like. Things keep happening out there in the Real World to throw me off my stride (most recently, anonymous secret police picking up protesters in Portland) and that just makes it so hard to focus on writing! But I’m trying, I’m trying!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 13,058 with 360 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 3,633,825 with 141,107 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin thinking about advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of July 11

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I’ve missed a few weeks of doing my writing plan, and mostly of writing to. I have to admit it. I’ve been suffering from depression these past few weeks and haven’t really done much of anything except lose myself in reading old favorites over again (Dick Francis, Kristine Greyson, Christine Feehan) and just tuning out the really horrible world. However, the last couple of days I’ve been coming out of it, mostly due to my daughter making it clear she and her husband wanted me to come live with them when they move next year (somebody wants me! I almost burst into tears). When she said their moving was going to be hard on the other grandparents, as they were getting older and might not want to move with them, I was like, hey! I’m older, and I don’t have any problem moving! And *sniffles* she wrote this:

You are not a tree that plants its roots… You are the blossoms that float off of the branches and into the wind

I mean, who could be depressed after THAT???!!!!

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 11,172 with 337 deaths (probably lots more deaths than this, as we’re now sending patients out of the county and even out of state, so more could be dying far from home)
    • US = 3,207,180 with 136,283 deaths

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of June 20

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Things were exciting (not necessarily in a good way, we had some OOC drama with a RL stalker of one of my best roleplayers, which resulted in him having to leave SL) in my SecondLife roleplay sim this week. Also, I decided to change the overall look of the city. I’d made the main city walls and shop based on medieval Europe, and something one of my Djinn said in group chat got me thinking… we’re not medieval Europe, we’re medieval Middle East, and instead of stone and gothic arches, we should be sandstone and pointed and horseshoe arches. So I hauled out my texture organizers and got to work.  And I’d just hated the grey stone staircases I had for the city walls, so I hauled out more texture organizers and played around until I got the staircases to blend in with the new walls, and the overall look now is much better, all pulled together for the single theme, with the palace rising up above the city. Lovely! (if I do say so myself….)

So, moving on! I’m still working hard on revisions. Chapter 8 was the toughest, with the most feedback from beta readers and lots of things to think about and figure out how to implement. I’m hoping to be able to move forward much faster now, and in fact, I’m going to begin seeking beta readers for the next round of feedback.

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 4,682 with 235 deaths (5.019% mortality rate)
    • US = 2,217,647 with 120,332 deaths (5.38%)

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Begin advertising for beta readers for A Cat for Troy.
  3. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of June 13

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I’ve been able to push past my previous inability to focus and am back to being hard at work on A Cat for Troy. I’d gotten to chapter 10 in the revisions from beta reader feedback, but something about chapter 8 kept bugging me, so I went back to it and spent most of this last week on it. The tricky part was figuring out what about it was bothering me, which I never did exactly figure out, but I kept working at it until suddenly it *felt* right. So now, moving on!  Sixteen chapters to go! Then… it’ll be ready for one final (hopefully) round of beta reading.

I’ve gotten the book trailer of Castles in the Sand from Eeva Lancaster. This is the last of my published novels, so now I have all of them! I’ve posted it on YouTube:

I’ve also created a playlist for all my book trailers on YouTube.

This week I also received the last of my animated book covers from Morgan Wright, for Truck Stop. It’s so gorgeous!

I’ve also (naturally) created a playlist for all my animated book covers on YouTube.

In Other, Non-Writing-Related News……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening, in fact, it continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 3,628 with 218 deaths (6.009% mortality rate)
    • US = 22,056,454 with 116,157 deaths (5.65%)

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Keep staying home and safe.

 

Animated Book Covers for ALL my books!

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I’ve now got animated book covers from Morgan Wright for all five of my published novels! I’m soooo very thrilled with them!!!

I put them into a playlist, so you can watch them all without having to go find each one:

I’ll also have a playlist for book trailers, too, I’m just waiting on the trailer for my last book, Castles in the Sand, which should be coming along in the next day or two.

Enjoy!

♥Alllie♥

My Writing Plan: Week of May 30

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Current events are a little too horrifying to be able to really focus on writing… there’s so much anger and no place to put it, when I read the reports and see the pictures (I have not been able to watch the video itself… I just can’t bring myself to do that…) and I swear to the gods, I feel like lighting some fires myself. I’m not of course, but that doesn’t make the outrage burn less. Okay, on the brighter side!!!

I’ve gotten the book trailer of SwanSong from Eeva Lancaster, it’s so exciting! I’ve posted it on youtube:

 

This week I received more animated book covers from Morgan Wright, she does such an amazing job!! Now I have the animated covers for everything but Truck Stop, and I sent that off to her this morning. I’ve created a playlist to play through all the animated book covers (which are about 13 seconds length each):

IN OTHER NEWS……

  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve is definitely not flattening at this time, and the mortality *rate* continues to rise.
    • Tucson: 2,167 with 186 deaths (8.58% mortality rate)
    • US = 1,746,407 with 102,977 deaths (5.88%)

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Keep staying home and safe.

 

What If… this does not end?

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I don’t see this really being discussed anywhere, but I can’t be the only one wondering about the what-if’s:

  • What if the COVID-19 is really here to stay.
  • What if the curve does not flatten?
  • What if, instead of getting better, things continue to get worse? Like, massively worse?
  • What if this really is our new “normal?”

 

I’m not a medical professional, or medical anything. I’m an average person with average intelligence and a good healthy dose of common sense, and the above scenario continues to tug at my mind.

Consider, please, the (few) facts as we know them so far:

  • There is no cure. “Treatment” consists of treating the symptoms.
  • There is no vaccine yet, and it may be months and months before one is available… if one ever is.
  • Becoming infected and surviving, does not make you immune to getting it again.
  • Someone can be infected and contagious for up to 2 weeks before symptoms show up (if they do! some people appear to remain asymptomatic).
  • There seem to be newly emerging symptoms so someone may appear to have something else but in fact, have COVID.
  • COVID is highly contagious. It is airborne, and lingers not only in the air but on surfaces for up to hours.

 

How can the curve flatten, when there is nothing that stops coronavirus? No matter how many people are locked down safely, there are always tons of people who cannot isolate because their jobs are too crucial… for whatever reason… and thus these people are at risk no matter how cautious they are; not to mention the tons of people who refuse to isolate. What’s more, new (and worse!) medical information about the virus is emerging constantly.

So what WILL make the curve flatten, what will make this virus suddenly stop spreading? So far the answer appears to be “nothing” … and that being so… how can anyone even begin to consider there is an end in sight? Unless they are talking about the far-distant possibility of vaccine?

I’ve been thinking this for awhile, and just ran across this article in the New Yorker, What We Don’t Know About the Coronavirus, that seemed to validate my unspoken concern, and nudged me into writing this post.

My Writing Plan: Week of May 10

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I got totally caught up on the first 10 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles, so suddenly, gosh, I have LOTS more spare time! Go figure? LOL. I actually have several more shows that I have several seasons of that I’d missed, but I think I binge-watched myself out for now. So when I’m not in roleplay in my #SecondLife sim, I’m actually… ack… working on my WIP??? amaaaaaaaazing! I’m still working on A Cat for Troy, pouring over the feedback from my beta readers.

IN OTHER NEWS……

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Keep staying home and safe.

 

My Writing Plan: Week of May 2

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This week wasn’t too bad. I got some work done on A Cat for Troy, watched some more NCIS: Los Angeles episodes, bought a tower fan for my living room to help keep the strain off the a/c as the temps are topping 100, and traded in my old Kindle for a new one.

IN OTHER NEWS……

  • I’m in mourning, because I’ve had to get rid of all my beautiful Pfaltzgraf Tea Rose stoneware dishes, and my Pyrex mixing bowl set, and replace them with Corelleware dinnerware and stainless steel mixing bowls. About 2 months ago, I woke up one morning with my left hand and wrist hurting really badly. I thought I’d sprained it, but after an xray it turns out I have osteoarthritis in it. Which means it is not going away. I can hardly use the hand at all, except for typing. I definitely can’t hold anything heavy in my left hand, and I can’t turn/twist at the wrist without excruciating pain; for instance, I can’t hold my cell phone in my left hand and turn it face-up to type on the surface. I can’t hold a glass in my left hand to pour from a pitcher with the write. I can’t hold a plate with the left to serve food on it with my right hand because 1) the plate’s too heavy to hold even without food on it, and 2) I can’t twist the wrist to hold the plate flat; and I can’t hold a plate in my right hand and serve with the left because, again, I can’t twist the wrist. Needless to say, I’m not a happy camper. But, at least I can still type. And the doc gave me a big heavy wrist brace with metal plates in it to keep me from hurting my hand more by turning/twisting it (especially at night).
  • Coronavirus, of course. I’ve been in self-imposed #stayhome since March 15th, when I read this article by a journalist in Italy. I’m also tracking the coronavirus in Tucson, where I live. The curve still isn’t flattening at this time.
    • Tucson: 1,267 with 80 deaths (6.45% mortality rate)
    • US = 1,116,018 with 65,782 deaths (5.89% mortality rate)

 

The Books

  1. Truck Stop
  2. Wishes in a Bottle (Wishes & Dreams #1)
  3. A Gift of Jacinth (Wishes & Dreams #2)
  4. SwanSong (Sons of the Desert #1)
  5. Castles in the Sand (Sons of the Desert #2)

 

The Manuscripts

  1. Finished Manuscripts, major revisions in progress prior to 2nd wave of beta reading:
    1. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS (201,775 words, as follows:)
      1. Book 1: The Palace (61,150)
      2. Book 2: The Dark Lord (90,500)
      3. Book 3: The Prophecy (39,400)
    2. A CAT FOR TROY, Wishes & Dreams #3
  2. In-Progress Manuscripts:
    1. MICHAEL’S QUEST, Sons of the Desert #3
    2. SHADOW CAT, Wishes & Dreams #4
  3. To Be Written Partial Manuscripts:
    1. BEHIND THE CLOUDS, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    2. INTO THE STORM, spin-off of Sons of the Desert
    3. Short Story: Amanda & Julian, spin-off of Wishes in a Bottle
  4. Planned Manuscripts:
    1. HATED MATE, Wishes & Dreams #5
    2. UNNAMED, Wishes & Dreams #6

 

THIS WEEK’S WRITING PLAN

(Not in any particular order except as indicated)

  1. Keep revising A Cat for Troy!
  2. Keep staying home and safe.