Preparing to work on book two in the Reave Series. :)

After a bit of a hectic time (again, hectic for me), the past few days or so have been the opposite. Granted, that was my doing so I shouldn’t act like I’m surprised, but it’s always surprising for me anytime I’m not working my brain off (??) trying to get stuff done. (Figured ‘brain’ would be better suited to the point.)

I found out a few days ago that Monday (today) would be when I got a beta-read copy of book 2 in the Reave Series back. I think that only reinforced what I was talking about a couple posts back in Writing and Releasing. Working on the RS was getting ready to take precedence in my life once more, and receiving the news as to when seemed to mentally put the new series on hold.

I’m picturing skewering all those characters to trees by their clothing and saying, “Just hang out there for a little while. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Promise I’ll come back for you.” I don’t even want to get into the shouting that would ensue or all the nasty remarks I would have said back to me. Something or other about human idiocy, I’m sure. That would of course be followed by (nearly) all of them trying to get themselves down, failing because I put them there, and then more than one threat about how one or more will ‘get me back’ for this. I’m sure they’ll be trying to get themselves down during this time, and that all the struggling will periodically draw my attention back to them. That’s a good thing, as long as I can get everything else done that needs to be done.

I’ve written a little bit. By ‘little bit,’ I mean LITTLE BIT. Book 3 has been even more difficult to get out than the others. I’m crossing my fingers that it really is to do with situations and timing rather than my ability (or lack thereof) to get this story out in general. I suppose I’ll figure that out in a couple months or so.

I’ll be honest, what I’ve mostly been doing the past couple days is playing Skyrim. I hate the load screens in that game. And tell me why I can’t fast travel from inside buildings so that I don’t have to sit through multiple load screens back-to-back. It makes absolutely no sense to me. Sometimes I wonder why I’m even playing it, despite how amazing it is. Husband has had so many random glitches in his games that make it to where you can’t even finish quests after however many hours spent playing, so why take the risk? Because it’s amazing, and ridiculously addictive, I suppose.

Anyway, I’m glad to be getting book 2 to prevent me from getting sucked as hard back into that as I potentially could’ve been. Also, I’m just glad to be getting it back in general, to get it one step closer to being ready for release.

I’m really looking forward to it. I always look forward to starting another run-through of book 2, but it’s going to be interesting to get more feedback from it, to see if things are taken the way I intend them to be. So far seems to be working out that way, from what I’ve already heard. I reckon I’ll see a bit later today.

I probably won’t be on here much over the next few days while I’m going through this. I might be, but I might not. I know I haven’t been on here much in general lately, but at least I’m giving a bit of warning this time. I keep trying to tell myself that once I get more of these books off my plate and released, I’ll have more time for other things. I’m sure I won’t though. I’ll probably just find something else to work on. Who knows though? I just know I have to keep myself busy or else I go insane. I mean, even when playing Skyrim, I make lists and the like. That’s just how I am, and it works.

So yep, I’ll be really busy over the next few days, working on book 2. I know some people are really wanting to read it (and I’m really wanting it to be read), so I’ll be getting it another step closer to that happening. 🙂

I have a problem . . .

That problem is: Fable.

When taking my break, I played the first one a bit – for a few minutes here and there. The day after I returned from my break, I was sitting here in my shed and it was absolutely all I could think about. It was all I wanted to do. I’m pretty sure that was mostly because I hadn’t been able to sit down and actually PLAY it.

So . . . that’s what I’ve been doing. I beat the first one several days ago, then the second last night. Started the third.

Normally I’m a completionist when I game. I MUST get/do absolutely everything there is. I’m sure that could be explained away with many of my personality traits (nice name for them), but I won’t get into that. At the beginning of the first, I accepted that there was no way to do as much with Fable (unless I wanted to be ‘bad’ in the game, which I have issues with doing, as silly as that is). So it’s been more a race to the finish line with it rather than a journey.

I’ve had a lot of guilty feelings this week. Partially due to me declaring myself returned and whatnot. Partially because I wasn’t working at all, which just feels WRONG. But it was beneficial.

I somehow worked out a big portion of the plot of this newest WIP while not working on it (past thinking). And believe me when I say I’m not good at multitasking. I do one thing at a time and focus on it, so even being able to THINK about this new book – let alone work stuff out with it – was nothing short of miraculous to me. Several days into gaming, I realized I was essentially running through it just so I could beat them all and get back to work. It isn’t that I’m not enjoying them or the time spent (I am), but I love working.

I also did some thinking about my blogging schedule and whatnot. I liked doing the three posts a week, I really did. I just think that for now I won’t be able to do as much. I’m still not so exceptional at juggling all the work plates (does that make sense?), and I really don’t know that I need to make it worse than it needs to be. Maybe if I didn’t intentionally stack so many plates, I wouldn’t have such trouble juggling them, which would lead to me not wearing myself down and breaking them all.

So I think for now I’m going to post AT LEAST once a week. I’ll do more if I have the time without stressing myself out. It would probably (MOST ASSUREDLY) help if I stopped typing up posts and not actually . . . POSTING them. Yeah, that would probably be one of the best bets.

I guess I just kind of struggle with wondering what I SHOULD be doing. Should I spend more of my time working/writing or spend more of it on here and Twitter, etc.? It all seems important, which is why I was time-splitting equally for a few months there. Maybe it’s realizing I probably only have a few months left with my shed and that I need to utilize my time with it. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to write if I don’t have it anymore, or the equivalent of it. Will I ever HAVE the equivalent of it again? I’m not sure about that either. I’m not comfortable if my chair is moved a quarter of an inch one way or another, so I don’t know if I’ll find another ‘comfortable’ place again.

That’s all been stuff I’ve thought about the past week or so, and I HAVE thought about it before. Maybe I’m just thinking that people would rather have less updates about what I’m doing if it meant I could get more books out there. And maybe that’s just from seeing so many people say they can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I don’t know. But I feel for now that I need to be working. I don’t think that’s wrong. Doesn’t help in getting the word out there about anything, but we all know I suck at that anyway. XD

So I’m going to go inside, play Fable 3 until I beat it, then get back to work. That’s the plan.

Hope everybody has a really great week. 🙂

>.>

I’ve been telling myself that I needed to get on here and do stuff for the past couple of days. Mostly because I’ve done what can be done with my book up to this point (meaning THE PROOF IS ON THE WAY TO ME NOW O.o). But, well, I’m sick. I’m using that as an excuse for everything, but hey . . . I really am all achy and bleh and my head is just . . . well . . . not forming things as well as they could usually be formed.

I know I’m so horrible with the neglecting I do of pretty much everything, but I’ve kind of realized that’s just me. When I’m doing something, I put my head down and get it done. When it’s done, I let myself do other things. As healthy as it would be to balance things better, I’ve kind of given up the hope that I can do as much (at least anytime soon, but maybe one day . . .).

But the good news is that, here shortly, I’ll have time to do things. I have plans for other writing ‘projects’ in my head, but I’m temporarily putting them on hold so I can ‘live’ a little (at least for a ‘little’ while).

Anyway, I’ll be getting the proof this coming week. Also have one of my best friend’s weddings to attend (and hopefully get over my sickness and pray that I won’t have a red nose to match my red bridesmaid dress O.o), and then, of course, there’s getting to see GEOGRAPHER live.

I might try to do some catching up on here later, but I might put that off until tomorrow (or the next day, depending on) in the hopes that I’ll be feeling a bit better and might possibly be able to retain information. That would PROBABLY be best . . .

Hope everyone is doing well out there and all that, and that no one is sick. (One day I’ll figure out why I decided to switch my preference in temperatures/season changes. I AM questioning my judgment as of now.)

Non-Music Friday/NEWS.

Instead of doing my typical Friday Music post, I’m going to say that MY NEXT ENTRY WILL BE MY COVER/BLURB REVEAL.

Hardly anyone knows what my book is about. After my next entry . . . you all will. 🙂

I’d like to say that I’ll be on here more frequently after it, but I likely won’t be for a little while. I’m currently in the midst of an epic battle with my book. It’s putting up a good fight against my brain, but I will prevail. Once I come out victorious, I will get back to all the other things in life.

Be patient with me during the latter point of this entry, and be on the lookout for the former.

🙂

Yesterday.

If you missed out on my countdown to yesterday on here, and on Facebook (I think I spared my Twitter feed of it), then you wouldn’t know that the photo shoot for my cover is now over.

*clears throat*

THE PHOTO SHOOT FOR MY COVER HAS TAKEN PLACE!

Needless to say, my nocturnal sleep schedule is a little . . . off currently. I was (also, needless to say) extremely exited yesterday and stayed awake waiting to hear from the (uh-MAY-zing) photographer about how things had gone.

I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO ALREADY HAVE THE PROOFS!

I have them. 🙂

I’d been anticipating a 72-hour wait time – days spent alternating between fidgeting and my eye(s) twitching, and then attempting to calm myself. No days.

As of yesterday evening, I’d already chosen the image to be used.

I say that, but I feel that was sort of like the model and it wasn’t really me ‘choosing’. There was just one photo in particular that captured so many elements of the character. It was/is perfect. I was in a nearly constant state of Mind-Blown yesterday, and that (the photo) was the strawberry on top. (I don’t like cherries and, clearly, putting a cherry on top of something is a bad thing.)

I started working on some stuff with it all last night – stuff that I need to get done today. But I wanted to share this, and also give myself a little bit more time to wake up given that I’d been sitting here staring at my computer screen trying to force my brain to start making connections with things. (Failure)

So, busy(ish) day today, at least for the next few hours. Then . . . who knows?

I don’t even care. haha

Hope everyone is doing fantastically.

🙂

Facebook Author Page . . .

As of this morning . . . it is up. You can find it ~~> here.

I know I’m a week or so later with this than intended, but it is what it is!

Apparently it needs more ‘zazz’. There isn’t really much ‘zazz’ currently to be had. haha

And for anyone who is interested, questions have been asked about my shed. That is it on the second picture on the cover photo. And in case you didn’t know . . . I WRITE IN A SHED (oh, I love it – no sarcastic font).

Anyway, news will go up on there. Thinking about it that way, there doesn’t seem to be much point for anyone to ‘like’ it, as I also post news on here (though I’m shorter-winded on FB than I am on here XD). But like it if you’re interested and you want to!

Hope everyone is having a lovely Monday (I know it’s difficult sometimes . . .)

❤ 🙂

Updates and randomness.

I still haven’t been on here like I should. It took me . . . a very long time to get my sleep schedule back to the normal nocturnal (mission accomplished as of yesterday!). I’ve been startlingly busy, both with the appointments of last week and other things.

THE MODEL FOR MY COVER HAS BEEN FOUND! That is VERY exciting news, and it was very exciting news that came a week or so earlier than I was expecting it to. I received the shortlist of models from the photographer that works with the cover artist (have I mentioned that I love both of them yet??) Sunday night. I chose one (in a manner of speaking) and, as of Monday morning, a photo shoot has been scheduled for October 12th! Until then, it’s just preparations for that (on the photographer’s part) and waiting (on my part).

The model is lovely, seriously, and she looks so close to how I see the MC in my head that it baffled me. It STILL baffles me. I opened the first picture, my eyes went like this – O.O – and I thought, “There she is.”

It was an amazing thought to have.

It has been a remarkably fantastic, enjoyable, and ridiculously exciting experience thus far. It more than makes up for all the stress of everything else to do with preparation and the like (which is another thing I’ve been doing). I really can’t imagine going about this any other way than the way I’m doing it. Not that I haven’t imagined it; I’m just so glad.

I’m still unsure about the when, as there are so many separate moving pieces that it’s kind of hard to tell until those moving pieces all start coming together to form one cohesive moving piece. I’m still aiming for early December, but will update on here if that changes. I SO BADLY want to release it on November 12th (to get the date of 11/12/13 because I’m weird like that), but it’s highly unlikely. Possible, but I have to make sure everything is right.

I’m planning on catching up (or getting as close to that as I can) with reading on here tomorrow night. I actually tried to do that a few days ago, but for some reason WP wasn’t letting me leave comments which made me very angry.

I still haven’t got the pictures taken last week of me, but I got an email that they were to be sent in the mail on Monday so I’m expecting them either tomorrow or the following day.

It’s kind of weird and difficult to adjust to so many wheels turning when I’m so used to the only wheels being the singular one spinning in my head. It’s a definite adjustment and it will take me some time, but I’ll get it all figured out. Be patient with me while I do!

In other news – GEOGRAPHER IS FINALLY COMING CLOSER THAN SIX HOURS AWAY FROM MY LOCATION! I saw that a couple of hours ago and had a miniature freak-out. I missed them (AGAIN) when they were at that six-hour-away-place (due to circumstances at the time), but I WILL NOT miss them when they’re only two hours away. I wasn’t expecting that to happen any time soon, if ever. So that was an absolutely fantastic bit of news.

Next month, I will finally see them. It’s GOING to happen. I can’t justify missing them when they’re only two hours away. If circumstances try to get in the way again, I will borrow one of my cousin’s swords and slash those circumstances into ribbons. I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself if I didn’t go.

Now I’m imagining myself swinging a sword at nothing in the air and shouting curses at circumstances. Ha. Good little entertaining mental image.

Also, I have vowed to never touch a Zynga game ever again. I don’t care how fun they are. Zynga has killed something very dear to my heart (omgpop), and I shall never forgive them for it. I know it won’t make a difference to them, but a vow is a vow and I will hold to it.

That is all!

Stuff.

I’m really behind on here. I was doing good for a few days there. Prepare yourselves while I prepare my excuses.

I had to reverse my sleep schedule to days (due to appointments and the like). It’s impossible for me to be productive in any way during the daytime, as there is so much pushing and pulling in whichever direction to do other things (like . . . eating, and things of that nature. Who does that?! Just joking . . .). I’m not kidding; the temporary daytime schedule is mostly to blame for it. It’s part of the reason I prefer to be awake at night – no distractions, etc.

I had two appointments yesterday – one early in the morning, and one in the evening.

The first was to speak with a . . . um . . . tax . . . person . . . lady? I highly suggest everyone do that at some point or another, especially if – like me – you’re so clueless about that sort of thing that you don’t even know what to call them. Tax representative? Probably. Anyway, that was highly informative.

Yesterday evening, I had some head shots taken. Why is it that every time I say the words ‘head’ and ‘shot’ together in that order, I think of video games, or zombies, or things of that nature? Anywho, I think that went well. I should have them back from the photographer around the beginning of next week. Then, I can actually get an author page up on the good ol’ Facebook (>.<), and do all of that fun stuff. So . . . yaaaaay?

I’ll be spending the next several days attempting to get my sleep schedule back to normal so I can actually do the things that I do and can catch back up on here.

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday!

🙂