On: New Year, New Goals, New Plans

Everyone seems to make resolutions at the beginning of each new year. I've never been good with resolutions.

I'm much better with the word goals. Goals seem to be something solid. Something you can make legitimate plans for.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm happiest when there is a plan of action in place.

Gone are the days when flying by the seat of my pants was the way to go. Anymore, the thought of that makes me a little queasy and ready to run for the hills.

I think I'm getting old.

Being pregnant doesn't help that either, especially when I have to hit the restroom every 45 minutes without fail. My bladder has shrunk to the size of a pea. Possibly a dehydrated baby pea.

Anyway, onto the Goals for the 2013 year.

• Blog at least once every week, on Fridays.
• Become more active in promoting my blog, and connecting with others through social media.
• Write one piece of Flash Fiction each month.
• Self-publish two more works. Either novels or short stories.
• Give birth to a happy and healthy baby.
• Return to my everyday yoga practice.
• Finish my yoga instructor training (the one that got postponed due to pregnancy)
• Keep positive reminders around me, so when I feel down or dark I can remember the good.
• Snuggle with my children as often as possible.
• Take time for myself.
• Make time for at least one date night a month (when the Marine is home).
• Be the best version of me I can be.

  Make 2013 your year. I know I will.

 What are your goals and plans for the New Year? I'd love to hear. 

R.S.

On the Release of Murphy's Law

Today is the day!

That's right, my newest fictional baby is officially available, and I couldn't be happier. So, take a few minutes and make an author very, very happy.  :)

Buy me here!

Alexis MacGuire is just like other college students. She goes to class, eats pizza, and holds down a job. The difference is, her job could get her killed.
As the unluckiest member of a family of elite assassins, she spends her spare time jetting from one country to another neutralizing scum the government doesn’t want to be attached to--often in unconventional and unplanned ways.
When she receives an email exposing the secrets of her last job she enters into a game of cat and mouse with someone known only as the Hunter. With the help of her brother, her best friend, and an FBI agent who makes her heart skip beats, she must find the Hunter before he destroys everything and everyone she loves.


R.S.              

On Cover Reveal: Murphy's Law

It's finally finished! What do you think?


The novel itself is coming soon to where ever ebooks are sold. :)

SQUEE!!

On the Editing Cave

I finally did it. I made myself finish the corrections from the first round edits of my novel. Since it was the first novel I ever wrote, but never got around to editing, there were a lot of corrections to be made. I'd done half of it a while back, but then lost the motivation to continue on with it.

Change was needed.

So, I packed up my car and headed off to the beautiful Welk's Resort in San Diego, where I spent the next 48 hours alone with my novel. It was a dirty job, but someone (and that would be me, since nobody else wanted to do it) had to do it.

My editing cave was beautiful, and spacious, and a little too quite. I haven't been truly alone in almost five years. It's amazing how the exclusion of the Munchkin was such a huge thing. There were times I thought about going home, and other times I thought about running off to play in the pool, or go to a wine tasting, or walk in lavender fields, but I didn't.

At 0800 on Saturday, the final (first) corrections were made.

A weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I was glad I'd skipped out on going home or wasted time doing something else.

I'd given myself a deadline--to get it to the editor before the Marine returned from deployment, and I made it. Barely.

As long as everything goes okay, and my editor doesn't tell me the novel is complete and total crap, expect to see it available this summer.

What did you do this weekend? I'd love to hear about it. The person with the funniest comment will win awesome 'swag' available only from the online shop, Sprites Cubed.  I'll post pictures of those awesome gifts soon.

R.S.

On Insert Witty Title Here...

You know it's going to be one of those posts when I can't even think of a title.

I'm feeling jumbled today. Horribly jumbled in my head.

I've got a million things I need/want to do, and yet, I'm sitting here--for the most part--staring at the screen. There might have been drool involved a few times.

In the non-writing world--the day job world, the world where I'm also a mother of Wonder Woman proportions--I've got a ton on my plate. I've got to find out about all the legalities for the current venture I'm working on. I've got a ton of beautiful jewelry to make, photos to take, and like I said--legalities to learn and understand. Not to mention give as much time as possible to my little girl.

In the writing world I'm nose deep in editing a short, prepping to begin edits on a novel, and about half way through the current WIP novel.

I need to learn time management.

Something I used to be really good about.

Until the Marine left for deployment again.

This deployment seems much more difficult than any of the previous deployments. It could be that because for the second year in a row he's missing our anniversary (in two days), as well as all the milestones the Munchkin is making.

I'd really like to share them with him, without having to take a picture, video, or send an email.

I'd really like to sleep.

What do you do when you feel jumbled inside?

R.S.

On Welcome to the Year 2012

It's the first day of 2012, and it's going to be a crazy, awesome, insane, year.

I woke up this morning and wondered where the last year had gone. I went to sleep in 2011 and woke up in 2012 (yes, I act like I'm far older than I really am and go to bed way before midnight).

The last year seemed to have just flown by. I remember the years that seemed to drag, the 365 days that felt twice as long. 2011 wasn't one of those years. So many things happened last year, and you can read about it here. 

Although, today is really no different than yesterday was, the first day of a new year is always filled with optimism. The first of January signifies new beginnings, a chance to fulfill goals (both insane and realistic), and a belief that the errors and misjudgments, the hurts and let downs from the previous year can be wiped clean.

I don't believe in creating New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I create goals.

For instance, in 2012 I've got a few goals.

1. 90 day yoga challenge (I began this first thing this morning).
2. Start running (have I mentioned how much I hate running, so this my fall under insane goals)
3. Edit and publish the short story I wrote in 2011
4. Edit and publish my YA novel.
5. Write and publish the six new short stories currently floating around in my head.

Sure, it's not a huge list, but it's mine, and it will get me through the next year.

What are your goals or resolutions? I'd love to hear.

Happy New Year.

R.S.