#IWSG: Regrets

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the January 5 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken!

Happy New Year!

How is your new year starting? Hubs & I stayed up to watch the ball drop in NYC then promptly went to bed. We're not as young as we used to be when we went out with friends or had friends come to our house. This year, we even stayed up later than my younger sisters. 😀

My first goal for 2022 is a larger presence online, especially with my woefully neglected blog. Sure, every month I posted with this wonderful group, and I fulfilled my commitment to post monthly on the Paranormal Romantics blog. But, here on my own blog, I haven't done much.

That's changing. I rejoined the Weekend Writing Warriors on January 1st. Two days ago, I resurrected my "Monday Morning Musing." Plus, I'm going to be more active recruiting guests--as evidenced yesterday by my friend (and fellow IWSG'er) J.Q. Rose as she celebrates a book birthday. So, here's an open invitation to you all. I love guests. Normally, Thursdays will be my guest day. Contact me if you'd like to visit by emailing me at dmburton72@gmail.com. Remind me that you're an IWSG'er.

Now for this month's optional question. BTW, I love these questions.

What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?

I regret not starting sooner. I've been seriously writing for publication since 1993. My kids were about to head off for college. Time for me, instead of my life revolving around their activities and my volunteering, especially with Girl Scouts. I don't regret that time, but I wish I'd started writing sooner. Unless I turn back time, LOL, I can't overcome that. 

Also, I regret not finding this group sooner. When I joined in September, 2013, I was number 300-something. My point being 300+ people knew about this group before I did. Many have dropped out since then (I'm number 30 now), but I'm glad I stuck around. You all have encouraged me, sympathized and supported me through life's challenges.

Good luck as we all work our way through another year. This one has to be better than 2020 or 2021. And if it isn't, we carry on.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

Happy Writing!

A New Year and a New Start

 image credit: poetryclubs.com

Monday Morning Musing

I love this graphic. Leaving 2021 behind and leaping into 2022. That appeals to me as I leave all the worries of the past year and look forward to a better one.

For the past two years, I've neglected my blog. I showed up once a month for Insecure Writers Support Group day (1st Wednesday of the month) and hosted authors with new books. Anything else was too much effort as we dealt with the covid pandemic and my husband's illness. As a full-time caregiver, my energies were challenged. I'm sure anyone who has been a caregiver knows what I'm talking about. But now that Hubs is better, I can focus on my writing.

I started the new year by rejoining Weekend Writing Warrior blog hop, where writers post snippets of their work. I shared the beginning of my latest Alex O'Hara PI mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. It begins with Alex and Nick's wedding. Such a happy and exciting time. From the title, you know something awful is going to happen. If you're interested, go to the previous post and read the snippet.

On New Year's Day, or thereabouts, it's tradition to set goals, make resolutions, or plan what to do for the year. Since I have two works-in-progress (full length novels) and a couple of novellas in the works, I plan to finish at least two this year. That means buckling down, BIC-HOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard).

It also means being more active here. Today, I resurrected Monday Morning Musing. Tomorrow, I'm celebrating a friend's book birthday. I hope you'll come back and see what it is.

Starting out with plans is great. Following through is tough. I'll let you know how I'm doing next Monday. See you then.

 

#IWSG: Achieving Goals

Happy Insecure Writers Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. 

Thanks to this month's awesome hosts:  Raimey Gallant, Natalie Aguirre, CV Grehan, and Michelle Wallace!

Last month, I talked about goal setting. I'm happy to report I accomplished two small goals leading to one big one. I prepared my Middle Grade science fiction adventure story for my editor and sent it off to her. The second goal was contracting for the cover. Here it is:

Blurb:

Her father is gone! Taken by the Queen of Compara’s agents. Mara has to rescue him before the Queen tortures and kills him.

Instead of the kind, loving father she’s always known, he’s become demanding, critical, with impossible expectations—not just as Father but also as the only teacher in their frontier outpost. Mara would rather scoop zircan poop than listen to another boring lecture about governments on Central Planets. Give her a starship engine to take apart or, better yet, fly, and she’s happy. Now, he's gone.

Never mind, they’ve had a rocky road lately. 

Never mind, Father promised she could go off planet to Tech Institute next month when she turns fifteen, where she’ll learn to fly starships.

Never mind, she ran away because she’s furious with him because he reneged on that promise. Father is her only parent. She has to save him.

Along with her best friend, eleven-year-old Jako, and his brother 15-year-old Lukus, Mara sets off to find her father. An old spaceport mechanic and her mentor seems to know why the Queen captured Father. In fact, he seems to know her father well. But, does he tell her everything? Of course not. He dribbles out info like a mush-eating baby. Worse, he indicates he’ll be leaving then soon. And Lukus can’t wait to get off our planet. Mara’s afraid they will all leave her, and she’ll be on her own. Despite her fears, she has to rescue her father.

Optional question: Besides writing what other creative outlets do you have?

Many of my creative outlets have dropped by the wayside as writing has taken over. For years, I did needlework--counted cross-stitch, needlepoint, candlewick, embroidery, and quilting. Photography has stuck around. I use pictures to record our vacations and our family. Hubs and I both have good cameras, those that take film and digital ones. He could start a museum with his cameras. 😊

So what camera do we use the most? The one on our phones. Currently, we're on vacation on the gulf coast. Our son "ordered" us to send pictures. He's going to regret that. LOL I set up an iCloud album, invited our immediate family and have been sending pictures each day. That will teach him!

The ease with which we can take pictures makes it so handy. So, I think that's one creative outlet that won't drop away.

A while ago, I shared the contest for the next IWSG anthology! Here's the cover!

Masquerade: Oddly Suited…

Masquerade: Oddly Suited
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
Release date – April 30, 2019
Young Adult Fiction: Romance - General/Paranormal/Contemporary
Print ISBN 9781939844644
EBook ISBN 9781939844651

Find love at the ball…

Can a fake dating game show lead to love? Will a missing key free a clock-bound prince? Can a softball pitcher and a baseball catcher work together? Is there a vampire living in Paradise, Newfoundland? What’s more important—a virtual Traveler or a virtual date to the ball? 

Ten authors explore young love in all its facets, from heartbreak to budding passion. Featuring the talents of L.G. Keltner, Jennifer Lane, C.D. Gallant-King, Elizabeth Mueller, Angela Brown, Myles Christensen, Deborah Solice, Carrie-Anne Brownian, Anstice Brown, and Chelsea Marie Ballard. 

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will mystify and surprise even as they touch your heart. Don your mask and join the party…

Congratulations to all the winners. Happy Writing. See you next month.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

Updates: Writing, Reading, Babies, and Movies

Is it just me or are the days flying? We're already beginning the fourth week in January. And a very productive three weeks it's been. As I wrote in my Insecure Writers' Support Group post on January 3rd, my goal for 2018 is to release three full-length novels: a brand new Alex O'Hara mystery (the 4th and as yet untitled), The Spy: An Outer Rim Novel (a science fiction romance), and Unpredictable Nature (a romantic suspense)--the last two had been started but never completed.

As you can see by the little progress widgets (on the right), I've made quite a bit of progress on the Alex O'Hara PI mystery. My intent had been to start with Unpredictable Nature, since it was the farthest along, but the words just flowed for the mystery. In fact, I didn't want to stop. That is such a good feeling. Like when a runner hits her stride. (I have to guess on the feeling, since I've never been a runner.) Then, my free-lance editor offered a bargain (a deal I couldn't refuse). To take advantage, I selected the romantic suspense, again because it was the closest to being done. 

The funny thing about the romantic suspense is that I began that story in 2003. In those days, I saved my work on 3.25 floppy discs. Remember those? Well, that was two desktop computers and three laptops ago. That was the first (and only) story I've ever written out of order. Normally, I write from beginning to end. Not this one. I wrote scenes as they hit me. Never again! Trying to make sense of where the scenes went took a chunk out of last week. But--ta da--I think I found everything and put them in some semblance of order. Now comes the "fun" part. Revising and editing, making transitions, filling in the holes. And . . . adding 32,000 words (about 64 single-spaced pages). That's all. LOL 

The idea for Unpredictable Nature started with a Girl Scout camping trip. I never enjoyed camping, probably because I don't have good memories of family camping trips we took when I was a young teen. Dad thought it would be great fun to drive north past the Soo (Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan) into the wilds of Canada. We tent camped along a deserted lake--sleeping bags, cookstove, the whole shebang. Talk about primitive. In fact, before we could enter the wilderness, Dad had to sign in with the rangers (I assume). Twenty-some years later, I was a Girl Scout leader and had to take my troop camping. Despite my aversion to camping (I really hate bugs and dirt), I learned the basics and ended up enjoying many outdoor experiences. At least, we had pit toilets (outhouses) and cots in platform tents. 

So I thought wouldn't it be fun to write a story about a man who hates the outdoors (except for golf courses and swimming pools) and has to help chaperone his daughter's camping trip. Even worse, primitive camping. I knew exactly how he felt when he learned he had to "go" in the bushes. "What do you mean no toilets?"

Starting in February, I'll start posting snippets from Unpredictable Nature for Weekend Writing Warriors (WeWriWa). That means one last snippet from Romance Rekindled next weekend.

One the homefront: the twins are growing like crazy. Both boys have gained three pounds in three months. Daughter-in-law went back to work after the new year, and we've been helping out by babysitting once a week. I'm not sure how DIL keeps up. You get one baby fed, and the other is demanding his turn. One sleeps, and the other is awake. It's constant. I thought because my two were a year apart it was like having twins. No way! Nothing is like having twins. After a day of taking care of the twins and Toddler Girl, I need a nap. A Rip Van Winkle nap. Almost.

We're trying out Netflix. After a few years of Amazon Prime, I'm ready to switch. It was so disappointing to find shows/movies I wanted to watch only to find out that they're available but at a cost. So, we'll see how Netflix goes. I've already binge-watched Father Brown (love that show) and just discovered Shetland, a Scottish detective series set in the Shetland Islands. I'm fascinated by the scenery and, of course, the twists and surprises in solving mysteries. I consider it research. LOL

Reading: I'm hooked on Anna Hackett's Phoenix series, science fiction romances featuring brothers and cousins named Phoenix. Adventure and Romance. Right up my alley. I read before bed. Too many nights, I've read well into the wee hours.



That's it for this Monday. I hope you have a great week. Tomorrow, I'll be on Connie Bretes' blog sharing a funny incident.

A New Year

First an apology. When I started this blog, I faithfully blogged every Monday--musing about current events, either personal or world-wise. In 2017, I dropped the ball, especially the past few months. As happens with many of us, "life" happened. In a good way. The main reason I haven't blogged is I was having too much fun to write about it. Fun, in the form of family. If you've read my blog, you know about my immediate family (children and grandchildren) finally living close by. This Christmas was chaotic and fun. I loved it.

2017 is gone. 2018 is here. I love that January 1 is the start of a new year, but it's also a chance to begin again. So we didn't keep all the resolutions we made last year. We can start over. I didn't accomplish as much as I wanted to in 2017, but . . . Here's the disclaimer. I competed and published two books and wrote two short stories. For me, that was a big deal. I'm proud of that. I didn't expect to accomplish that much. Last year, I was invited to join another group blog (Pandora's Box Gazette--an online magazine) where I have a monthly column on Family Life. Added to Paranormal Romantics (where I blog once a month) and The Roses of Prose (where now I'll be blogging twice a month), and my own Weekend Writing Warrior contributions, I blog between 10-12 times a month. And I enjoy that.

My main job is writing books. While I enjoy blogging, that isn't adding to my stories. So I needed to examine what I want to accomplish in 2018. As I wrote for Insecure Writers Support Group last week, my goal is to finish three books. Two are already started, one new--a total of about 170,000 words. I nearly stopped before I got started. That's a lot of words. So, I broke that down into a more manageable goal, a minimum of 500 words per day (about one page single-spaced). Easy peasy. The harder part was choosing which book to go with first. 

The Spy (4th in my Outer Rim series): I'd already written almost 11k words. 

Unpredictable Nature (a romantic suspense): I wrote this book several years ago, and I finished it. I think. I just can't find all of it. I know that must sound weird. That story was written on two desktop computers ago. Back in those days, I kept copies of my work on 3.5" floppy disks. I'm still looking through those floppies, trying to find that story.

Untitled (4th in the Alex O'Hara PI mystery series): as of Jan. 1, not started but thought about a lot.

It makes sense to finish the book that's closest to being done. Right? Hah! That Alex O'Hara story just won't let me go. So, last week, I started writing. I've already 6700 words. I love when the words flow, as they've been doing for almost a week.

On the right side of this blog, you'll see my progress graphic for each book. Having declared my intentions, you can hold me to it. LOL I won't be offended if you ask about my progress (or lack of).

Have a great week. Come back next Sunday for Weekend Writing Warrior where I post 8-10 sentence snippets from my new release Romance Rekindled.  

If you're interested, here's my blogging schedule:

Each weekend: Weekend Writing Warrior, here

Each Monday: here

1st Wednesday: Insecure Writers Support Group, here

3rd Wednesday: Pandora's Box Gazette

13th of the month: Paranormal Romantics 

16th & 30th of the month: The Roses of Prose 

   

  

#IWSG and Chrys Fey's Flaming Crimes Blogfest

It's the 1st Wednesday of 2018. Happy First Insecure Writers Support Group Day of the year. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts:  Tyrean Martinson, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Megan Morgan, Jennifer Lane, and Rachna Chhabria!

January is named after the Roman god Janus. Note that he has two faces, one for looking back and one to look forward. Isn't that what we do at this time of year? We look back at what we've accomplished and look forward to what we want to do this year. 

In 2017, I wrote two novels and two short stories. The novels were published, one in April (The Case of the Meddling Mama) and the other in early December (Romance Rekindled). One short story became my entry into The Rose of Prose Holiday Collection. The other is a free gift for subscribers to my newsletter. Considering I had houseguests (Son & his family) for two months, I'm proud of what I accomplished.

So what about 2018? My plan is to finish a romantic suspense (needs 20k words) and write two more novels (together 150k). That is such a daunting goal. Then I broke it down to the number of words I needed to write per day. Thanks to my handy-dandy calculator, 170k words divided by 360 days (I figured I'd need a few days off) means I need to write 475 words per day. Now that doesn't sound daunting at all. Yesterday, I wrote 779 words. I'm ahead of my goal already. (I didn't write on Jan. 1; one of my free days.)

This month's optional question: What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

I just told you part of my plan, writing at least 475 words/day. That is as far as I've gotten in my plan. I need to set up the months I want to have each story completed so I can line up my editor and cover designer. I also need to get Romance Rekindled into print, something left over from last year. 

How about you? Have you set forth your plan for 2018?

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 

And now the 2nd part of today's post. Chrys Fey is one of our members and I'm happy to participate in her Flaming Crimes Blogfest. 

Prompt: What is something ridiculous you would save if there was a fire?

Chrys said what I write about shouldn't be something that everyone would save--family photos, passport and other documents, etc. It should be something that means something to me but that others would think ridiculous. I've had over a month to think about this. Did I? Nope. As I look around my living room/dining room/kitchen, I see my nutcracker collection on top of bookcases, the china cabinet, curio cabinet, and the kitchen cabinets. With over a hundred, I have a lot to choose from. My eyes keep going to the ugliest nutcracker I've ever gotten. My decision is made.

So why would I take that? Every year, Hubs works hard to find an unusual nutcracker, one I don't have in a thirty-plus year collection. Last year, he found the wolf. (I think it's a wolf.) I would take that one because it represents not just my collection, but it represents all Hubs' efforts to find that different nutcracker each year.

.  

Series: Disaster Crimes #4
Page Count: 304 
Digital Price: 4.99 
Print Price: 16.99

Rating: Spicy (PG13) 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

The Wild Rose Press

BLURB: Beth and Donovan are now happily married, and what Beth wants more than anything is a baby. Her dream of starting a family is put on hold as fires burn dangerously close and Donovan becomes a victim of sabotage.

Donovan escapes what could've been a deadly wreck. Their past enemies have been eliminated, so who is cutting brake lines and leaving bloody messages? He vows to find out, for the sake of the woman he loves and the life they're trying to build.

Amidst a criminal mind game, a fire ignites next to their home. They battle the flames and fight to keep their house safe from the blaze pressing in on all sides, but neither of them expects to confront a psychotic adversary in the middle of the inferno.

Their lives may just go up in flames…

About the Author: Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. She’s partnered with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and runs their Goodreads book club. She’s also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press.

Author Links:

Website / Blog / Goodreads

Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

Diane's note: I've read all of Chrys' Disaster Crimes books. They are riveting. Beth and Donovan have survived so many disasters. Each time, I'm on the edge of my seat hoping they'll make it. I can't wait to read this one.

Here's a list of others who are participating in Chrys Fey's Flaming Crimes Blogfest:

Happy New Year

2017 is going to be a great year. Why? Attitude. It will be great because I want it to be. Oh, I know it’s not as simple as that. I can have the most positive attitude and something drastic, something beyond my control can happen. Even so, I believe that people who expect the worst will find it, and people who expect good will find that, too.

Each January is like being given a do-over. An opportunity to put the past behind us and restart. So we didn’t accomplish all we planned last year. We get a chance to try again, to do it right this time. For the past couple of years, I planned to release two novels and one novella. In 2015, I released two novels, but no novella. Last year, I released a novella, Mission to New Earth, but no novels. If I considered that a trend—a downward one, at that—I wouldn’t release any book this year. Gotta fix that. The question is how?

I need an action plan. Too many times I let projects that seem overwhelming get me down. Instead of breaking down the project into manageable tasks, I do nothing. Not this year. My first task of the new year is to write a business plan. What do I want to accomplish and how am I going to do it. I will set SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Realistic, Time-based.

In an online chat group with other writers, we recently talked about how we plan our business year. One writer said she maps backward. She sets the task, figures out how long each step will take then plans what she needs to accomplish each week leading up to the completion. That seems reasonable to me. 

If writing were the only thing I needed to do, career-wise, I’d be fine. But pesky things like marketing and bookkeeping also need to be done. So I need to factor in those chores in my plan. Social media, while fun, is also a source of information. I need to plan time for that. Not too much time, mind you.  J

Then there’s my family. I’ve written often about the grandkiddies, how when they come over (or we go to their house) my writing stops. Not because I can’t work with them around. I don’t want to. I treasure that time with them. Too soon they’ll be so busy with their own activities they won’t have time to hang out with us.

What about time with the Hubs? Too often he gets short shrift. It’s sad to think I need to plan time with him, besides watching TV together. We do go out to the movies but not as frequently as we’d like. Travel. I need to follow Nike’s ad and “just do it.” Plan a trip each month. Anything from a mini-trip to a nearby town to explore (not just to shop) to a major trip that takes a week or longer.

Writing down what I want to accomplish helps. Hence, the business plan. Maybe I need to make a “family” plan, too.

Being held accountable increases the likelihood of accomplishing goals. Next week, I’ll let you know how I did on the business plan.

May you accomplish all you want to in 2017.

Speaking of things beyond my control . . . If you purchased books at All Romance eBooks, you know they closed their doors (website) December 31st. I only had my books there since August. If you bought any of my books and didn't have a chance to download them, send me proof of purchase and I will replace them. While they aren't paying the authors for 4th quarter, readers shouldn't be punished, too. Email me at: dmburton72@gmail.com, include a copy of your receipt, and let me know what format you want.

#IWSG: Resolutions

It's the first Wednesday of a new year.  It's time for the Insecure Writers Support Group, whose mission is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts: L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace!

Prior to Lent, many people choose to give up things. A sacrifice, so to speak. At the beginning of the new year, we make plans to do things and/or do them more. Like . . .

Read more. Since I started writing, reading has taken a back seat. Last year’s Goodreads Challenge was an eye-opener. I thought I’d read more books than that. Maybe I didn’t list all that I’d read. Anyway, I need to read more outside the genres I write. My book club should ensure that.

Walk more. With a bad back, walking is difficult. You know that commercial about being more active helps arthritis but arthritis makes it hard to be active. I agree with that! Still, I have to walk more than just through stores.

Write more. Or faster. I have so many ideas running around in my mind that I’ll need another lifetime to write them all. Buckling down each morning and getting those words on the screen will definitely aid the progress of the next book.

Promote better. Hubs (who was in business) asked how I could tell if my efforts at promotion were successful. Good question. I need to figure out if I’m spending my time efficiently and my money wisely.

Enjoy time with my family more. I’m not saying I don’t already enjoy them. I have to not think about what needs to be done while I’m enjoying the grandkids, our kids, and Hubs. Maybe I need to “stop and smell the roses” or “live in the moment.” Whatever cliché works.

I know all about making SMART goals, and mine aren’t SMART. I’ll save them for my 2016 Business Plan.

Do you make resolutions each January? Or do you just go with the flow? What works best for you?

 Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.