Annual Camping Trip Pt. 2
Posted: May 9, 2015 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: camping trip, fishing, fun, traveling., writing Leave a commentTuesday was better, it was warmer and the wind blew, not enough to be miserable but enough to help the roads dry out some. There were a few sleet storms in the afternoon,but nothing accumulating.
Wednesday was pretty dry, the wind blew enough to dry out the roads a little more. The old man took the kidlets fishing, and they brought back a few, not a huge catch but respectable. We built a fire, cooked had s’mores and it was a good day. I got a lot of work done.
Thursday we decided to head home. The old man got up and took the brats fishing.. I packed up most of camp, got some writing and more editing done… packed up more of camp… They came back with the family record of fish..he was 19.5” long trout (rainbow I think but don’t quote me..here’s a pic.)
We didn’t have a scale to weigh it before it was cleaned and beheaded… but without a head and guts it weighted 2lbs exactly. We figure pre-cleaning it was at least 3lbs. The 9yo was thrilled… the 40 was over the moon. The 13yo was tickled (officially the 9yo caught it, it was his pole, but he couldn’t reel fast enough to land it, his dad had to help.)
So we headed down off the mountain and I went to Tucson. I had to pick up the older girls and work on Saturday… So we spent part of Friday in the pool, it was a great way to kick back and relax. Saturday evening I came home. I was glad to sleep in my own bed. I needed it.
What I’m up to.
Posted: April 22, 2015 Filed under: Choosing Happiness, Odds and Ends, writing, | Tags: Anne of Green Gables, camping, Choosing Happiness, Jonathan Crombie, reading Leave a commentI’ve spent the last three days franticly trying to get ready for a week long camping trip. I had nothing done when Hubby decided on Sunday night that we need to leave Thursday afternoon.
I’m mostly done now, with a list firmly completed for the things I’ve not yet managed to complete… In my free moments during the day I’ve been working on the final revision of Choosing Happiness (which is now available for Pre order, check your favorite retailer!) and in the evenings I’ve been slowly working my way through Anne of the Island. (I was driven to re-read them by word of the death of Jonathan Crombie, who played Gilbert in all the mini-series. He was my first real crush and I still love him in so many ways. Anyway, I started in the beginning with Anne of Green Gables on Friday, finished it the same day, read Anne of Avonlea on Saturday… then panic struck.) I’ll take the rest of them with me so I can finish them while we’re gone… I’m also working a little at a time on my two projects… I’m really liking the stuck on one switch to the other method.
I’ll try to make a trip to town and update you all on how things are going… Meanwhile, what’s up in your world?
Longest Short Week EVER…
Posted: April 4, 2015 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: family, funeral, Melissa Stevens, road trip, spring break 1 CommentSo, I didn’t get home from last weekend until Tuesday morning. I’m used to coming in on Sunday night but due to the previously mentioned death in the family, I spent Sunday night in Tucson so I could travel 3 hours in the opposite direction from home and attend the funeral. It wasn’t all that late when I got back to Tucson, not even 7pm, but I was emotionally exhausted so I stayed one more night and headed home the next morning.
The kids were on spring break, I had no reason I needed to be home before 1pm on Tuesday for writing group… It was fine… Well, that spring break thing is what kicked my butt.
I cruised along, everything fine… then on Thursday I realized it was Thursday, not Sunday or Monday (the old man was working but the kids were home and I had none of the usual routine to kick my butt in gear.) I hit a mild state of panic trying to get everything done, Easter shopping and making sure the family has food for the time I’ll be gone this weekend (just Friday evening and Saturday this week, no racing on Easter Sunday.)
So what made it feel so long? Partly the funeral. There was a LOT of time in the car, which is both good and bad, I tend to find myself thinking about characters and story, sometimes to the point that I realize all of a sudden I have no memory of the last 50 miles.
The funeral itself was draining. All of them are, but more so when the deceased in young. My cousin was only 22 when he was taken from us suddenly. This only leads to more.
Then there was that panic of trying to make sure everything that had to get done before my weekend was done so I can do what I need to do without worrying about the rest of the family.
Either way, it’s the weekend now and I’ve settled in. I’ll be hitting the racetrack in a couple hours. I love the track, there are so many characters to watch and draw from.
How was your week?
Tough week.
Posted: March 27, 2015 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: death, family, kids, Melissa Stevens, sports, tough week Leave a commentSports practice x 2 teams and 4 kids… normal household stuff, meetings, appointments, etc. Add into that a tragic death in the (extended) family and I’m exhausted. I’m headed to Tucson for the weekend to work my horse races, then from there I’ll be headed back to my home town for a funeral. I hate that it takes a funeral to bring my family from all the corners of the earth but I’ll enjoy seeing them again.
How was your week?
Tucson Festival of Books 2015 recap.
Posted: March 17, 2015 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: Catherine Coulter, TFOB, Tucson Festival of Books Leave a commentI went, I saw, I conquered.
Well, not quite, but close. I planned things very carefully. I went over the schedule and chose the sessions I wanted to attend. Nearly all had to do with improving my writing.. but I will admit I went to the first one, with Catherine Coulter, simply because I’ve read her since I was a teen and loved her… Not that the topic wasn’t relevant to what I write, it was Thriller and Suspense Heroes. And while I may not (so far) have much thriller or suspense, I do have what I consider heroes.
I learned about writing better, marketing, writing faster and many other things that I’m going to have to share with the people I know.
Did you go? Do you have something similar in your area?
Book number 8
Posted: January 29, 2015 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: book 8, Melissa Stevens, name, odds and ends, rewrites, romance Leave a commentit’s off to my beta readers…. They are some really good friends. good enough to be honest about what’s missing and what sucks. They’ll also help me name it… I don’t have one yet. Usually the name comes to me somewhere about half way through, but this time I’ve got nothing. When I know what I’m gonna name it, and figure out a release date, I’ll let you all know.
The Devil’s in the Details…
Posted: January 23, 2015 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: Melissa Stevens, revision, rewrites 1 CommentAll of them. I’m sure you know I’ve been working on revisions (I’ve certainly not made any secret of it.) In revisions or rewriting you play with a lot of details, make sure some of them are consistent and others vary. It takes time and sometimes it can be tedious, but it always pays off in the end. Personally I go over every manuscript at least five times, sometimes more, before I let anyone else read it.
Am I the only one this obsessive?
And the Ants go Marching One by One
Posted: January 13, 2015 Filed under: Odds and Ends | Tags: Melissa Stevens, odds and ends, secret project, tired Leave a commentHurrah, Hurrah. Nothing really thrilling here, other than working hard at my second revision. It’s going well. I’ve finished about 80 pages in three days, not a bad showing. I’m totally exhausted so I’m going to crash soon. I was up way too late last night working. That didn’t keep me from having to get up and take kids to school. I tried to nap twice today, neither worked out. It’s probably going to take about 2.7 seconds for me to fall asleep tonight.
How are things over your way?
