Celebrate the Small Things - until next week!

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

Here's hoping that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

After stuffing my stomach full with wonderfully delicious foods, a sudden decision was made to head on a big road trip (820 miles one way) to northern Minnesota for the baptism of my new nephews, an adorable set of twin boys. 

We're only going for 2-3 days, so this will be quite the drive.

Hoping to share pictures next week.

Until then, have a wonderful week and don't forget to celebrate all those small things.

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) Wedding anniversary! It's our 22nd today. My how time flies. I won't see my husband but maybe for a few minutes (explanation following) today, which is fine. I'm sure we'll have many more days and years to come.

2) Hunting season! This is why my husband is going to be out and about today. It started last weekend. And while he enjoyed romping through the forest and scouting deer with my brother last weekend, he wasn't very successful. So he's going to give it another go. Honestly, he's not a big hunter but does it more for the time outside and to spend quality time with my youngest brother. Luckily, he doesn't have to be successful either. My freezer is already set since my other brother was kind enough to give us one of his bucks earlier this week. (something important since I really do count on the meat).

3) Lots of writing time! Life has been calmer. . .always is this time of year on our farm. . .so I've been revising away. I'm treating it as my Nano contribution, which obviously makes for an impossible word count. But I figure the MS is just about 50,000 words and by the time I get done revising it (it's an in-depth revision, not a light one), that's got to count for the 50,000.

Also. . .

. . .blogger buddy, D.A. Cairns, has brought out a new book this week!

 (I need a book birthday song or gif or something for these)

Anyway, here it is. . . .

*drum roll*

Which you can find

here

Angus has battled an obsession with sex throughout his adult life. Although outwardly a model husband and father with a respectable life and a well-paying job, he has a shameful secret life which he has become highly skilled at hiding.

Cassy is married to Angus and has no idea about his secret life. In fact, with her own worries she has been pulling away from him, emotionally and physically which is making his behaviour worse. Although she does not know it, Cassy is fanning the flames of an inferno which threatens to destroy their marriage.

Lovesickness: the eternal bane of humanity, the inescapable affliction which we simultaneously crave and fear. For Angus and Cassy, already in the thirteenth year of their marriage, the painful journey to true happiness has only just began.

Love Sick Love is a brutally honest and confronting story of love, sexual obsession and hope.

So, what about you? What put a smile on your face this last week?

Find a pair of woolly gloves? Meet someone kind on the street? Did something small catch your eye for just a second, something which made you smile?

What are you celebrating???

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

This week, I'm celebrating. . .

1) Wood burning! We had two piles of branches, debris and such from fence cleaning, flood cleaning and the such, and now, they're gone! It took my son and  myself 15 trailer trips and tons of fire watching, but we got it done. And I didn't even find one snake under the piles...a very happy surprise.

2) My husband is home from Germany! That brings more life into the house, and lots of treats too. He had a great time (his cheeks glow in every picture he's in). And I'm not complaining about the whiskey he bought for me in the duty free shop either. Not one little bit.

3) More writing time! This comes thanks to that time change. I'm not a huge fan of the time change (who is?), but this is one aspect I love. It gets dark early, which means that the farm life slows down. No light. No work. The kids are also more ready to relax and calm down. In other words, life is now quieter and with it, more time in the evening for me to type away.

What about you? What put a smile on your face this last week? Did you see any pretty autumn trees (ours shed within a few days, so not much here)? Did you find a pretty pen or notebook? Did someone give you an unexpected compliment? 

What are you celebrating this week?

Celebrate the Small Things

This weekly blog hop is sponsored by the amazing Lexa Cain,  and co-hosted by L.G. Keltner from Writing Off the Edge and myself. 

What exactly are we celebrating?

Every week, wonderful things happen, tiny things, which make us smile. But as time grabs us up, we forget all about these moments as if they never existed at all. This is the chance for us to reflect back on those and remember that there are tons of things worth celebrating.

Last week, I was lame and didn't get to visit everyone. Honestly, life just went crazy for a few days and I'm just now catching up. But I plan to make up for it this weekend.

This week, I'm celebrating. . . 

1) IWSG! It's always great to see so many words of encouragement out there and so many amazing writers. 

2) Full Dark came out Monday! I've been shouting this out quite a bit lately, so I might as do it one more time. 

What happens in the dark will come to light. Full Dark is a collection of eleven short works with impressive depth and range. Twisted tales of ghosts, villains, and the paranormal await you—mystery, heinous fantasy, and pure suspense. Acclaimed and award-winning authors as well as a few talented newcomers have joined forces to be your guide. Venture into the dark if you dare. Just A Matter Of Timeby Loni Townsend Forerunner by David Powers King Taking Care Of You by Carrie Butler The Apartmentby Lisa Buie-Collard The Caricature by Nick Wilford Shifting Sands by Elizabeth Seckman Shadows Falling On Rainbows by Celeste Holloway Meringue, Murder or Marzipan by Tonja Drecker Haunted Lake by Michelle Athy Soul Coin by Laura Rich Retribution by Melissa Maygrove FULL DARK is a benefit anthology. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that does many wonderful things for our country's active military, its veterans, and the countless first responders who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.
ON Amazon here


3) Husband off to Germany! He hasn't been back for over 3 years, so it was time. He's having a great time visiting family, and I have a little more free time here. A win/win if you ask me!

4) Halloween and Trick or Treating! This was the first time my kids went trick-or-treating and they loved it. They even gave me a couple of their candies. Yay!


And what about you? What put a smile on your face this last week? Carve a pumpkin? See a lovely bird? Receive something nice in the mail?

What are you celebrating?



OH!!! One more thing. I'm running a giveaway over on my review blog ...well, there's always giveaways, but this one is really through me. . .

This picture book is up for grabs, and what a funny one it is. Especially great for those kids with siblings who love to tease them about monsters.

Anyway, go on over here. All you have to do is leave a comment! (Think low entry because these really always are.)

It's time for IWSG

IWSG (the Insecure Writer's Support Group) is a wonderful group of writers, who come together to share, encourage and support each other. As writers, we sometimes need a shoulder to lean on or are ready to assist others on their writing journey.

We post on the first Wednesday of every month and talk about our doubts, fears, or triumphs with fellow writers. To find out more about how it works, head on over here.

Special thanks goes to the never relenting, always amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh (this is his brainchild) and to the other co-hosts this month:  Diane Burton, MJ Fifield, and Rebecca Douglass!

You can also find us on Twitter at @TheIWSG and hashtag #IWSG

********

This month, I learned something new. 

I rolled up my sleeves, and dug into the world of crime and mystery only to discover that it is much more difficult to write than I expected. This is not my usual genre. So, it was another plunge outside of the comfort zone. And what a plunge it was!

I was surprised how difficult it is to weave in small clues here and there without ever letting them seem overly obvious. Little things like emotions, reactions or even a single word in the dialogue can make or break the entire mystery. It felt like building a puzzle and having to rearrange the pieces over and over again to make them fit just right. I've never paid that much attention to detail before, and to watch everything so closely was a real eye-opener for me—and a great exercise.

Now, to see if I can take that lesson and remember to use it in my next project. . .why is that always the hardest part?.

And to this month's question:

Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

Some years, I join in on NaNo. Some years, I don't. Since most of my writing is intended for middle graders or falls into the short story category, the 50,000+ words doesn't fit what I'm looking for. Sometimes, I've finished my projects. Sometimes, I haven't. It's not something I really worry about but use more as an extra push in those years that I feel like I've hit a slump.

But I love to cheer all NaNoers on and hope they reach their word count goals!!!

Are you joining in on NaNo?