Tuesday Book Talk

Open Thread for Readers:

• Got a book you want to talk about?
• Frustrated with a book or series?
• In love with a new one?
• Found a buried treasure?
• An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading?
• Just want to chat about stuff in general?
• Post away…

Sunday Summary & #ROW80

Not a lot to report this week. It’s been one of adjusting to me leaving before, and getting home after, the wee beasties. It’s been one of coordinating progress meetings for 2 of the 4 boys as we near the end of school. It’s been one where Beastie Girl is rather put out with me for taking her to that nasty place for her Bordetella boaster. She’s weighing in at 71 pounds! The little pig. Yet she’s far from being overweight. And it’s been one of me catching up on my DVR recordings

On to the ROW80 part of this program.

Writing/Editing:

• Morning Pages for a minimum of 250 words or half hour, whichever comes first, every day. Yeah, not a word.
• Fiction, either 250 new words (new or existing WIP) or 1 hour of editing each week. Not yet.
• Post three times a week here on the blog. Yep. We had Whew…What a Week on Sunday, our mouths drooled a bit on Tuesday with Staging For the Day Job, and we meet the Ten of Earth (Pentacles) on Thursday.
• Finish Margie Lawson’s Deep EDITS lesson packets. Not yet. In fact, I’m going to remove this for the balance of the Round. I just don’t see it happening with all my brain power focused elsewhere.

Reading:

• A minimum of 8 books to stay on track for 100 books this year. I actually got Bloodfire (Blood Destiny 1) by Helen Harper and Irish Eyes by Annie Jones in this week. Hey, I’ve got a lunch hour…
• Update Goodreads at least every other week. Yep.

Support/Social Media:

• Visit and comment on 5 blogs, at least three times per week, for a total of 15 blogs each week. 12 this week.
• One non-blog related post per week on Facebook and Twitter. Nope.
• One share, re-tweet, whatnot per week on Facebook and Twitter. Nope.

Non-Writery Stuff:

• Exercise three times per week. Nope. I over extended or irritated an old knee injury last weekend and spent most of the week hoping my knee wouldn’t give out from under me.
• Complete The 30-day Diabetes Cure in April. I’m feeling really good about my progress with this. I’m calling it a win for the month even though I’ll be wrapping it up next week.
• Family day, no working and time with family, one day per week. Yep.

How was your week?

You can find and support other ROWers HERE.

Whew…What a Week

A tired Bugs Bunny after his first hop using his new harness and leash.

I promise NOT to bore you to tears with my whole job situation but I have to share this…

I arrived Monday for my first day

to

FLOWERS and a welcome aboard card.

Coolness, or what?!

I can relate to Bugs this week.

For obvious reasons, the ROW80 part of this post is rather red. I’ve been learning new programs, new terminology, new processes. The mind is fairly spinning with information.

On to the ROW80 part of this program.

Writing/Editing:

• Morning Pages for a minimum of 250 words or half hour, whichever comes first, every day. Yeah, not a word.
  
• Fiction, either 250 new words (new or existing WIP) or 1 hour of editing each week. Not yet.
• Post three times a week here on the blog. Yep. There was What a Difference a Week Can Make on Sunday, Hiking with Beastie Girl — the ham — on Tuesday, and Ten of Water (Cups) on Thursday.
• Finish Margie Lawson’s Deep EDITS lesson packets. Not yet.

Reading:

• A minimum of 8 books to stay on track for 100 books this year. Not this week.
• Update Goodreads at least every other week. Not this week, but I did say every other week.
  

Support/Social Media:

• Visit and comment on 5 blogs, at least three times per week, for a total of 15 blogs each week. 14 this week.
• One non-blog related post per week on Facebook and Twitter. Nope.
• One share, re-tweet, whatnot per week on Facebook and Twitter. Nope.

Non-Writery Stuff:

• Exercise three times per week. Yep, I got out with Beastie Girl three times.
• Complete The 30-day Diabetes Cure in April. I’m up to day 15, still a little behind, but am feeling really good about it.
  
• Family day, no working and time with family, one day per week. Yep.

How was your week?

You can find and support other ROWers HERE.

What a Difference a Week Can Make

Not wanting to lose the interview momentum of last week, I sent out a new round of resumes Monday. It netted an application packet being sent to me for one position and an interview on Tuesday for another position.

I never got around to returning the application packet.

Because.

The company that called me in for a second interview last week, called me in for testing (writing :snicker: and personality). I was informed they’d would be calling my references.

Had a bit of drama when I found out my main reference was no longer with the company I’d worked for. Some scrambling ensued. But I found a second, then a third contact at the company.

No longer am I sans job.

Yes, much squealing and Snoopy dancing commenced.

On to the ROW80 part of this program.

Writing/Editing:

• Morning Pages for a minimum of 250 words or half hour, whichever comes first, every day. 1915 words and all but Saturday (at least at the time of scheduling this post.)
• Fiction, either 250 new words (new or existing WIP) or 1 hour of editing each week. Not yet.
• Post three times a week here on the blog. Yep. There was Holy Interviews Batman on Sunday, Tuesday Book Talk on Tuesday, and Ten of Fire (Wands) on Thursday.
• Finish Margie Lawson’s Deep EDITS lesson packets. Not yet.

Reading:

• A minimum of 8 books to stay on track for 100 books this year. Yep. Crazy for Cowboy by Roxy Boroughs, Her Immortal Love by Diana Castle, and Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin, Book 4) by Jennifer Estep (I know, a bit of a contradiction to my Tuesday post but I had to read this baby as soon as it arrived in the mail) read this week.
• Update Goodreads at least every other week. Yep, did this yesterday, even fixed the widget here on the blog.

Support/Social Media:

• Visit and comment on 5 blogs, at least three times per week, for a total of 15 blogs each week. Only 10 this week but I’m giving it the green because it’s more than half.
• One non-blog related post per week on Facebook and Twitter. Yep, on both Facebook and Twitter this week.
• One share, re-tweet, whatnot per week on Facebook and Twitter. Yep, on Facebook. No, on Twitter.

Non-Writery Stuff:

• Exercise three times per week. Yep, I got out with Beastie Girl twice and did yoga once.
• Complete The 30-day Diabetes Cure in April. I’m up to day 10, a little behind, but am feeling really good about it, except for those darn fast carbs.
  
• Family day, no working and time with family, one day per week. Yep.

Pets the GREEN.

How was your week?

You can find and support other ROWers HERE.

Tuesday Book Talk

Let’s talk books!

Just Read

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Why I picked it up: That Man brought this home for me. I have the rest of the series, have read and loved the majority of the series, but hadn’t been in a rush to pick this one up.

What I liked: The quirkiness of Sookie is always fun. There’s the expected danger and love and paranormal drama. Once I sat down with it, I flew through the pages.

What I disliked: It’s feeling tired. Perhaps Ms. Harris should have ended the series a few books ago. The thing that got me were the inconsistencies, continuity issues. However, someone just coming to the series, or reading this as a stand alone, wouldn’t pick up on them.

Reading

The Enchanter by Christina Hamlett

Why I picked it up: Someone, quite awhile ago now, raved about this book. It’s out of print now, so I’ve been searching for it off and on since hearing about it. I managed to land a retired library copy a few months ago.

What I like: We’ve got Merlin in “present” day (book was published in 1990) as the illusionist Kyle Falconer. We have Catherine, a reporter, who’s strangely drawn to Falconer. And wrapped around their story is the Arthurian myth. I’m enjoying Catherine. I’m not far enough into the story to see if we have Falconer’s POV.

What I dislike: There’s a bit of an omnipresence to the narration and it occasionally pulls me from the story.

Will Read

Phantom by Susan Kay

Why I picked this up: Um…I’m involved in a love affair with the Phantom of the Opera. And I have no intentions of giving it up!

What I expect to like: “None of us can choose where we will love.” ~ Erik. The Phantom’s POV! It appears the entire story is told in first person. The book is broken down into parts and we open with Erik’s mother’s POV.

What I expect to dislike: I’m not sure. I’ve never read anything by Ms. Kay before so don’t know what to expect.

What are you reading and loving at the moment?

Tuesday Book Talk

Open Thread for Readers:

• Got a book you want to talk about?
• Frustrated with a book or series?
• In love with a new one?
• Found a buried treasure?
• An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading?
• Just want to chat about stuff in general?
• Post away…

Reading Week

I don’t know if any other school districts do this or not. I certainly don’t remember it from my school days.

Here in Nevada, or at least southern Nevada, the week of Dr Seuss’ birthday is Nevada Reading Week. The wee beasties’ elementary school goes all out.

All this week, teachers will be calling trying to catch students reading. I, personally, will be enjoying the silence of three of the four wee beasties reading between 7 and 7:30 pm, guaranteed every night, all week

Plus there are activities at school this. Yesterday, was a book picnic. Today, is a contest to see which student has the most words on their shirt. Tomorrow, is dressing up like a favorite book character. Thursday is the family literacy night which will include watching The Lorax. And Friday is hat day, as in The Cat in the Hat, hat day.

We have fun challenges for home, too. Family game night. Read to a family member night. Turn off the TV (and video games) night. The wee beasties turn in tickets for each activity and are entered to win books.

Have you ever heard of Reading Week?

If you could dress up as your favorite book character tomorrow, who would you be?

I’m leaning toward Mary Poppins myself

Tuesday Book Talk

Let’s talk books!

Just Read

Marking Time (the first of the Immortal Descendants series) by April White

Why I picked it up: I’m not sure where I first saw mention of this book but a week or so ago I saw it listed for free on Amazon. Bonus, it’s a time-travel story.

What I liked: Everything. LOL, seriously, I don’t give books 5 stars often or easily but this one definitely deserves it. The main character, Saira, is fully developed and engaging. The world and the historical elements are well done, even gripping. We follow Saira as she searches for her mother and learn about Saira’s past as she learns it. Billed as young adult, MC is 17, this tale is packed with paranormal, urban fantasy, time-travel, and suspense.

What I disliked: The next book isn’t out yet, LOL.

Run, don’t walk, and pick this one up. At 2.99 for the Kindle version, this 400+ page story is a page turner you won’t regret picking up.

Reading

Healing the Highlander by Melissa Mayhue

Why I picked it up: I love Melissa Mayhue’s Daughters of the Glen series. I’d fallen behind in picking up the books, this is a hard copy series for me, because I’ve been caught up in e-books lately.

What I like: I really enjoy Mayhue’s voice. I like the world and characters and the Fae elements. And Scotland doesn’t hurt. A lot of the books in this series involve time-travel (a favorite of mine) and this one has that feel, though I’m not far enough into it to be sure it actually is a time-travel tale.

What I dislike: Nada. Mayhue is a must buy author for me.

Will Read

Kushiel’s Dart (the first book in the Kushiel’s Legacy series) by Jacqueline Carey

Why I picked this up: This author was brought to my attention during Coyote Con, perhaps even this particular series, and I was able to get the first three books at a second-hand store. Score. (Book 2: Kushiel’s Chosen & Book 3: Kushiel’s Avatar)

What I expect to like: These are deliciously thick books, 600-900 page paperbacks, so I expect an epic tale. I also expect I’ll be reading these awhile, LOL.

What I expect to dislike: This is a completely new author for me so I have no idea at this point, unless the length of these books ends up working against the story.

You may have noticed I had this down last time. I found it hard to start, so have read other books, but can’t say whether that’s due to the story or not.

• And I’m looking forward to Melanie Macek’s When Love Waits which actually released January 19th but I just picked up.

UPDATE: Check out this fun character post with the hero from When Love Waits!

What are you reading and loving at the moment?

Video I Love: The Hero’s Journey (Tarot Major Arcana)

2013 in a Word

source

One of the things on my goal/to-do list I haven’t put on my ROW80 goals post, at least not yet, is to get back into reading blogs. That poor Google Reader is just stuffed to the brim.

I managed to get a bit of reading in over the weekend. Shock, I know. Especially if you’d been a fly on a wall in our house, assuming you escaped death and destruction from the four wee beasties. Anyway, a theme, if you will, kept popping up.

Resolutions…bah!

The name of the game is to select a word for the year. A word to strive for in your day-to-day life, not just one area of said life.

I LIKE IT.

It got me thinking, as I didn’t have anything planned for today’s post anyway, “What would be my word for the year?”

I need to juggle my work and personal life better. Not just my writing work but my EDJ work with the family, friends, and hobbies personal life. And not feel guilty about me-time.

My word for 2013 is

BALANCE

Have you heard of this before? Do you have a word for the year?