I’m sipping coffee and listening to the Stones’ “Mothers Little Helper.” Here goes…

It’s been a while, but my daughter and I hit the local flea market! Had to snap the flea market mascot, Catrick Swayze. He’s the barely domesticated, loves to nip, and gripes with every meow. You can see his meanness in his face, can’t you? My kind of cat.

And here’s my haul…

Not so impressive, I know. The microwave candy is for the girls, not me. Blech. My daughter found the pineapple for me. We’ve been looking for a solution to hold my coffee K-cups in the art room—and voilà! She also found the pretty tin. I collect them and have dreams of cutting them up into pretty shapes to make jewelry with them. She winces when she spots a pretty tin because she can picture the carnage. The cardboard box beside everything…? Someone bought up a bunch of those Amazon mystery boxes and offered them individually. We bought one! It’s so much fun to get them home, open them, and see whether you have treasure or dreck. We had a mixed box. Bento boxes. Christmas decorations. Pillow covers. Finger chopsticks. Maybe 70 small Christmas-themed notebooks. And six decibels-measuring devices…? (I will have to figure out how to unload those!) Yeah, treasure and dreck. But so much fun unboxing.

Report Card

Last week…

• I worked on two editing jobs for other authors; I should finish one of them today.
• I resolved my issues with the Kindle platform, and all four books in the Delta Fire series, which is the follow-on to the Delta Heat series, are loaded and ready for pre-order, including the last book in the series, which has not previously been published, Ignition. I’ll share all the covers this week—they are so hot!
• I am working on editing the Secret Identities short stories for the anthology.
• The biggest bummer of the week is that our pool is still “un-swimmable” for now. We were having fits, dumping tons of chemicals and never getting the water perfectly crystal clear, so we decided to replace the sand. When my SIL replaced it and put the filter back together, it leaked. We replaced seals and a collar on the filter, then when we got everything put back together, we had another leak on the Polaris hose. We got a part in yesterday, so I’m crossing my fingers that’s the problem. It will be a few days before the pool is clear enough to swim in. My dd says there’s another snake in there, but it’s too cloudy to fish the critter out. *sigh*
• Okay, so maybe that’s not the biggest bummer. I went to the doctor at the VA this week, and she says I’m diabetic now. Barely, but she’s putting me on meds. I have got to drop some pounds!

This next week…

• I will work on two editing projects for other authors, finishing two, I hope!
• I’ll continue editing stories in the Secret Identities anthology. Plus, I’ll work with the authors to organize a promo schedule.
• I have a lung and bone density test coming up, so we’ll have another trip to the big city.
• I will finish creating small art daily for #The100DayProject. I’m almost there!
• The pool situation will be settled this week!!!!!
• I’m adding one more goal to get a plan in place to tackle the weight. I’m going to research what foods I can eat and those I can avoid, and then create a meal plan. Realistic exercise goals will be set, too. I tend to have better success when I follow a plan…

Open Contests

1. Word Search: Inside SECRET IDENTITIES (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Gabbi Grey: Are we allowed to have favorites? (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Story Cubes — Tell me a story (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Saturday Puzzle Contest: On this day…Ghostbusters released! — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Melanie Jayne: My Nightly Conundrum—To DNF or Not (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — Win a signed book and hand-painted goodies!
7. Another Puzzle Day: What is he hunting? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Happy Sewing Machine Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
9. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Shark Movies are Summertime Fun! — Win an Amazon gift card!

Last week…

• I worked on two editing jobs for other authors; I finished one.
• I finished revising, formatting, and uploading Once is Never Enough (the last story in the Delta Heat series),which releases Tuesday, June 11th.
• I uploaded the stories in the follow-on series, Delta Fire, including finding art and uploading the pre-order for the last book in the series, which has not previously been published, Ignition. Amazon’s KDP has been a PITA so far as loading books 2 & 3 of the series. I’m getting worried they won’t get their act together in time for the planned releases in July-September. We’ll see.
• I didn’t write a word of the next MBH release, Cyrus, which is scheduled to release June 25th. I have so much on my plate to do with my side gig (editing), the revisions of the Delta Fire stories, and the editing of the stories for the Secret Identities anthology, that I need to push out that publication date. I really don’t want the added stress right now. Yes, I do have limits!
• I created the Secret Identities webpage on the Collections site! Go take a look!
• The biggest bummer of the week is that our pool isn’t “swimmable” for now. We were having fits, dumping tons of chemicals and never getting the water perfectly crystal clear, so we decided to replace the sand. When my SIL replaced it and put the filter back together, it leaked. We’re waiting on seals and a collar for the filter, which won’t arrive until Wednesday. I’m crossing my fingers that’s the problem. Otherwise, I’ll be paying a ton of money to have a pool place come out to the boonies to repair the thing. Ugh! All I want to do is swim!

This next week…

• I’ll celebrate the release of the last of the refurbed/recovered Delta Heat series!
• I will work on three editing projects for other authors, finishing two, I hope!
• I’ll be editing stories in the Secret Identities anthology. Plus, I’ll work with the authors to organize a promo schedule.
• I’ll put out a call to authors who might want to blog on this website, July through September.
• I’ll continue wrangling with KDP to get my pre-orders up for the Delta Fire series.
• I’m going to have to re-order my publication schedule, moving the release date of Cyrus because I have to find time to finish the book in my stacked schedule.
• I have a doctor’s appointment at the VA in Little Rock. I’ll be taking the family with me for a chance to catch a meal and do some shopping in the “big city.”
• I will resume creating small art daily for #The100DayProject. I fell behind finishing up the last pieces, but I will get to 100!
• The pool situation will be settled this week!!!!!

That sounds like enough, right? Does it seem like my little report card lists are getting longer and longer? 

Open Contests

1. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — This ends on Tuesday! Win a FREE signed book (with hand painted—by me—bookmark and postcard!)!
2. May into June (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: An Imaginary Friend — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Cover Reveal & Contest! — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Word Search: Inside SECRET IDENTITIES (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Gabbi Grey: Are we allowed to have favorites? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Story Cubes — Tell me a story (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Saturday Puzzle Contest: On this day…Ghostbusters released! — Win an Amazon gift card!

Last week…

• I finished one editing job for another author; plus, I began work on three other projects.
• I finished revising, formatting, and uploading Twice the Bang, which releases Tuesday, June 4th.
• I found art and had covers made for Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology and the Delta Fire series
• I resumed writing my next MBH release, Cyrus, which is scheduled to release June 25th.
• I attended a papermaking workshop!

This next week…

• I will work on three editing projects for other authors, finishing one!
• Plus, I’ll work on the Secret Identities webpage on the Collections site.
• I will begin editing the stories in Secret Identities.
• I will complete revising the last story in the Delta Heat kink series, Once is Never Enough then I’ll format and set it to publish on June 11th.
• I will continue writing my next Montana Bounty Hunter story, the first in the West Yellowstone office, Cyrus.
• I will resume creating small art daily for #The100DayProject.

I will find pool time!

Open Contests

1. Word Search Puzzle: Summer Beach Reads (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Saturday Puzzle-Contest — Thunderstorms for days… — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Mary Jane Patterson — First African American Woman to Receive a B.A. (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — Win a signed book!
5. May into June (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: An Imaginary Friend — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Natalie!
*~*~*

May

 

Work-related:

1. I revised four of my Delta Heat series stories and published three of them: Five Ways ‘Til Sunday, Fournicopia, A Perfect Trifecta.
2. I began writing Cyrus, which is presently scheduled for release on June 25!
3. I completed 6 editing projects for other authors in May.
4. I found art for my upcoming, soon-to-be-revised Delta Fire series, as well as art for Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, coming at the end of July.

Health-related:

1. I saw my doctor for a checkup. The bloodwork came back with many improvements! My blood pressure is under control. I still have areas requiring attention.
2. I spent half of the month with my knee still causing me problems, but it appears to have healed. Just in time for the pool!
3. I am paying more attention to what I put in my mouth. (That doesn’t mean I’m making better decisions!)

Happiness-related: 

1. The kids are out of school, and we’ve already put dates on the calendar for activities. The 10-year-old is learning to crochet this summer and has archery classes. The 15-year-old will be taking guitar lessons. We took the entire family to see If in the theaters.
2. I continued working on the #the100dayproject art challenge but more sporadically as my day job (writing/editing) got more hectic.
3. I attended a two-day papermaking workshop!
4. Here are some examples of art projects I completed in May:

June

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete writing Cyrus, the first of my new MBH in Yellowstone series, and which is scheduled for release June 25th.
2. To complete 5 editing projects in June!
3. To set up the pre-order and edit the stories in the upcoming collection—Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology!
4. To finish revising and prepare for publication the last books in my erotic romance series, Delta Heat. I’ll republish two of the stories in June: Twice the Bang and Once is Never Enough.
5. To find cover art and set up pre-orders for my Delta Fire series. Three books will be revised for republication and the fourth will be written in July!

For health related, I plan:

1. To swim in my pool every day! (Weather permitting!) Exercise on my recumbent bike when I can’t swim.
2. To start back on my Weight Watchers diet, because it’s time to get serious!
3. To reduce salt and processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas) and my liver (apple cider vinegar, flax seeds, sunflower seeds).
4. To take my BP every day and log it!
5. To have follow-up medical appointments, routine/annual things.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To finish #the100daychallenge. Just 10 pieces to go!
2. To spend time with the family—movies and pool—now that school is out!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or tell me what you plan to read in June…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

First, to all the mothers out there! Happy Mother’s Day!

This was part of my gift from my daughter! She knows I’m a Star Trek girl and had an artist do this up of me with my cat, Tess, Lower Decks style. She had one image framed for my office wall and had a coffee cup made with the image wrapped around it. Such a lovely, thoughtful gift for a nerdy girl like me! The 19-year-old added a funny squeeze-toy/stress ball with an alien that pops out of a spaceship and a small tray with a spaceship hovering over a farm field, sucking up a cow. Yes, they do know me well.

Report Card

Last week…

• I finished one editing job for another author, plus, I worked on three others.
• I finished revising, formatting, and uploading Five Ways ‘Til Sunday, which releases Tuesday. I began revising the next in the Delta Heat series, Fournicopia.
• I worked on art for #The100DayProject.
• My knee is nearly healed, but I have to stop myself from moving full-steam-ahead, because every time I do, I reinjure it. It’s such a pain in the ass.
• So, yeah, I’m light on accomplishments this week. 🙁

This next week…

• I will work on four editing projects for other authors, finishing three!
• I will try to find art for the next anthology, Secret Identities. Plus, I’ll work on the webpage on the Collections site, adding loglines for each author’s story. (This is a repeat from last week, because I didn’t make much progress.)
• I will complete revising the second and third stories in the kink series I’m republishing and get them uploaded.
• I will begin writing my next Montana Bounty Hunter story, the first in the West Yellowstone office, Cyrus. (This is carried over, too. I made NO progress.)
• I will continue creating small art daily for #The100DayProject.
• I’ll work on a gazillion administrative and cleanup duties I need to catch up on. My office is a disaster at the moment.

I really need a vacation…

Open Contests

1. April into May (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Word Search: Happy Batman Day! (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win a beadable pen!
3. Remember when…? (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Why did the black bear cross the road? — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Who should Cyrus’s love interest be? (Poll & Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Word Search: Family Summertime Activities (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Books for PRE-ORDER! See what’s coming soon! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Melanie Jayne: Spending Time with Old Friends (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
9. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? — Win an Amazon gift card!

Last week…

• I finished one editing job for another author.
• I found the art for the cover for my next We Are Dead Horse book, Built Like Mack, got the cover made, and the pre-order set up in Amazon.
• I had covers made for a series I’m republishing and created the pre-orders in KDP. Those links aren’t available because KDP wants to make sure I’m republishing my own books first.
• I began lightly revising the first of the series I’m republishing, which I hope to have out on May 14th. If you like kink, be watching for it!
• I worked on art for #The100DayProject—nearly catching up with the schedule.
• I’m still recovering very slowly from an injury to my knee. At first, I got around with a limp, then I used a knee brace, then a cane. I’m off the cane, but not 100% just yet!

This next week…

• I will work on two editing projects for other authors, finishing one!
• I will try to find art for the next anthology, Secret Identities. Plus, I’ll work on the webpage on the Collections site, adding loglines for each author’s story.
• I will complete editing the first and the second stories in the kink series I’m republishing and get them uploaded for pre-order.
• I will begin writing my next Montana Bounty Hunter story, the first in the West Yellowstone office, Cyrus.
• I will continue creating small art daily for #The100DayProject.
• I’ll work on a gazillion administrative things I need to catch up on.

And here I was hoping I could take a bit of a break…

Open Contests

1. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: The Time Tunnel (Contest) — This one ends tomorrow! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Hold on to Memories (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. April into May (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Word Search: Happy Batman Day! (Contest) — Win a beaded pen!
5. Remember when…? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Happy Paranormal Day! (Giveaway!) — This offer ends soon! Get your FREE book while this offer lasts!
7. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Why did the black bear cross the road? — Win an Amazon gift card!

Last week…

• I finished Tyson’s Mission which releases on April 23rd!
• I fell behind schedule on my editing gigs due to family and TM.
• I found the art work, had the cover made (thanks, sis), and set up the pre-order for my next MBH, Cyrus.
• I’ve fell behind on creating art for #The100DayProject.
• I enjoyed watching the eclipse with all of my siblings!
• I’m trying to recover from injuring my knee. At first, I got around with a limp, then I used a knee brace, now I’m on a cane. It’s getting better now, but slowly!

This next week…

• I will work on three editing projects for other authors, hopefully finishing two!
• I HAVE TO finish reading the rest of the stories for my next anthology, Secret Identities.
• I will begin editing one of five stories I previously published, so I can republish them soon.
• I will continue creating small art daily for #The100DayProject.

I still need a vacation.

Open Contests

1. Happy Tell a Lie Day! (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. First Contact Day (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Eclipse Fantasy — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. The Eclipse! Just Wow! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. The End! (Of TYSON’S MISSION, that is) (Contest + Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Sliding Puzzle: Mayan City (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. The Montana Bounty Hunters are opening a new office in West Yellowstone! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Will you enter? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!