What will you create today?

Today’s Thoughts on Writing

2014… so what’s new?

The first three weeks of this year have been like a runaway train: out of control, picking up speed, full of breathless moments.

So… what is new?

I’ve decided that this year I’m going to do a weekly book review, usually a romance novel but not exclusively. Looking to make it a Friday event, letting readers find something new for the weekend.

I plan to continue the weekly movie review and the weekly art spot, plus my posts about gratitude.

What do I need to know? Which movies you might want be to include, the romantic movies I’ve overlooked. The artists or artworks you think I’ve missed. The romantic novels I might need to review for you. Bring ’em on, readers!

2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 30,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 11 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

What a week!

MARRYING MARI was released in paperback, which is pretty exciting (e-version still available!).

Going to the recognition ceremony to receive the mentoring award from my school (including check). Giving a small speech (very small).

Going on a three-day weekend retreat with colleagues/friends where I hope to hammer out a new idea for a writing project… as well as enjoy some good girl-talk, some grilling, and a view of a lake…

Meeting a new colleague to discuss a shared project for our creative writing students.

Happy Publication Day!

Today is the day MARRYING MARI is published by Samhain in a paperback edition. Whoo-hoo!

Want the softcover edition? You can order here from Samhain and here from Amazon and here from Barnes & Noble.

Want the e-book? You can order here from Samhain/e-book, here from Amazon/Kindle and here from Barnes & Noble/Nook… the e-version is still available.

Hey! I won an award!

Yesterday I found out that I will be receiving a mentoring award because I got the best reviews from my students and because I successfully mentored the largest number of students in a certain program.

And the award has a significant financial component!

Happy Friday Surprise!

Gratitude, Week #34

This week I am so grateful for:

1. Air-conditioning
2. Editing documents on computers (instead of typewriters, the way I did in college!)
3. Pinot noir
4. My new smart phone
5. My friends, former students, and colleagues who help me figure out new-fangled social media stuff for the benefit of my classes-to-be

We’re three days away from the start of the fall semester, and I wouldn’t be surviving without all of the above.

Apollo

The Apollo Fountain in the gardens at Versailles.

August = Romance

Apparently, August 2013 is both National Romance Awareness Month and National Read a Romance Month… which is sadly news to me today, August 12.

Clearly, all of us need to a/ be more romantic and b/ read more romances. I wonder if B is easier than A? or if B would lead to better A?

I’ll be celebrating my dual month of romance by writing more pages of my work-in-progress. How about you?