4 years

Last night I came to a realization. I was looking through this blog of mine, for what I don't remember, but I was scanning through posts past. I came across one about the tornado book. I noted the date. It was 4 years ago!

I can't believe I started writing that back in 2011. That means I've not touched any other manuscript since then.

I'm absolutely melancholy over this. I mean, granted, I've been busy. Never Eighteen came out, then I released Dissected, but that was a year and a half ago!!!

So now I'm determined. I NEED to finish revisions on the football book and decide whether I'm going to query it out or self pub. I'd sure like to get another book  traditionally published, but my GOD, the process takes so long. I mean, either way takes a long time, but we're talking 2 years for traditional, whereas I could probably get it out by the end of the year *fingers crossed.*

Ugh. Where does the time go.?

I believe...

Eternal Clock by Robbert van der Steeg

• I believe Tweeting isn't easy.
• I believe my kids are allergic to the dishwasher, the garbage and dirty socks.
• I believe I need more hours in my day.
• I believe if we taught our children more things at home we wouldn't have so many people to blame.
• I believe the internet has a great and unfathomable power that somehow makes me forget blocks of time during my day.
• I believe in pleases and thank yous.
• I believe I don't care if I'm called self published, indie published or rogue.
• I believe sometimes the those who are supposed to care about children the most, treat them the worst.
• I believe words can't hurt you if you don't let them.
• I believe if I had a dinner party with 8 people real of fictional, alive or dead, I would choose Jesus Christ, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen Degeneris, Marilyn Monroe, Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, Atticus Finch, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Or not. That's actually a really hard choice.
• I believe I can't decide what my platform is.
• I believe the flowers on my kitchen table are dead.
• I believe I'm tired of hearing about the lives of celebrities. 
• I believe George Zimmerman thinking he would get any fans at a gun show
  
  are hysterical.
• I believe LOL Cats still crack me up.
• I believe running is the work of the devil.
• I believe my diatribe has ended.

Find a Mantra Make it Work

So yesterday I posted about the advice my BF gave me yesterday because I've been stressing a lot lately and sleeping bad. You know, Be, Do, Have. I really took it to heart.

Money is one worry, so I made out a budget and I showed it to my kids, and I'm really going to do my best to stick to it until I get some bills paid off.

He also gave me some advice on how to get caught up and stay in the black, which I'm definitely going to follow. (if I haven't mentioned it before, my BF is a pretty smart guy)

Another thing weighing on me was having enough time in the day to get things done, so I made out a schedule. I also showed that to my kids so they'd know exactly what I wanted to be doing when. I decided that writing time needed to be done anywhere but in the house. I just worry about too many other things when I'm home like dishes in the sink, weeds in the herb bed, or laundry in the basement.

One of the things I'm vowing to do is write every day. I'm putting aside and hour and a half. Now, that's my schedule, but I know sometimes things don't work out the way you want them too, so I'm going to carry a notebook in my car so if something comes up, I can still write I will say that last night I went to Forza and did 27 pages on my rewrite. And it felt good. And now I'm 107 pages into a 180 page book. I'm that much closer which is a big motivator to keep going.

Be. Do. Have.

I've figured out what I'm going to BE. That is a person with a budget and a schedule to get things done. And I will Do those things. Then I will HAVE the financial freedom and time to be and do whatever I want.

:)

Okay, now I'm accountable to you. Here it goes.

Super Special New Years Eve Blog Because I Have No Life

Dear 2011,

We’ve had some good times; we’ve had some bad times. You’ve given me a new car, new friends, and a new disorder (I could have done without that last one btw).

You’ve kept my daughters healthy, happy, and beautiful, however, 2012 and I are going to have a serious discussion about their grades. I got to see one daughter excel in music while the other one became a Duchess, and both still rock on the soccer field.

You’ve given me some awesome memories: Sundance with my mom, Forks with Heidi, ocean trips with friends and my girls, Arizona, surprising Gae in New York.

You’ve been good to me and my little book. Going through the process was like watching a child grow up. From first pass pages to ARCs to the finished product—what an amazing journey.

You’ve sparked new relationships in my life and ended others. You’ve shown me death and brought new life into my world.

Thank you 2011. For the most part, you’ve been good to me, but it’s time we part ways. Tell 2012 I'm looking forward to meeting him and to bring it. Whatever its plans for me, whether they be challenges, cataclysms, or celebrations, I’m ready, and I’ve got back up.

Goodbye 2011. It’s been swell.

Megan

F³A: Time

I don't have any anymore it seems. None that's free anyway.  I work.   Then I go home and work some more.  I don't think I could possibly have fathomed how much time and energy it takes to release a book.  You write it, get a book deal, and the rest just falls into place, right?  Um, no.

First there's swag.  If you don't know what swag is, it's pretty much a group of promotional items you give away.  Most people would hire someone to design these things for them, but since I have a bit of know-how (a small bit really, but enough not to pay to have it done) I'm designing them myself.  Time.  Yep.  I just ordered buttons yesterday.  I'm designing bookmarks.  I'll probably do some stickers, pencils, and hopefully come up with some other really brilliant ideas.

Once you have the swag, it's time to make connections.  You take them to your local bookstores and libraries and ask them to carry your book.  You give them to LA teachers and school librarians to give to their students.  You send them all over the country to any of your connections that will pass them out for you to their local bookstores and libraries. 

Then there's donation letters.  I'm reaching out to any company I mentioned in the book.  Ford, Starbucks, the Space Needle, etc, and ask if they will donate ANYTHING for giveaways.  I'm still working on this one.

I've booked one release gig.  But I'll need to do at least three or four to include everyone I want to.  And this will require me talking to my local indie store, which I as of now have no relationship whatsoever.

I'm trying to put some of these things in place now because I know the closer it gets to the release, the busier it's going to get.

There's way more than that too. AND I'm also working with the Class of 2k12 on basically the same stuff.  I love it, but it's exhausting.

That's all for today.  Getting sidetracked and feel poopy. Happy Friday and have a great holiday weekend.  Remember all those who gave their lives for your freedom.

I'll leave you with the Friday Nibbles.

Random Pandora Song: Break Even by the Script.  I freakin' love this song and it's so true.

Book of the week: I'm still reading Popular by Alissa Grosso, but let's throw Tension of Opposites in there too.  It's by Kristina McBride.  Just Facebook friended her and we have a mutual friend.

Netfix of the week: The Office Season Six.  Just finished it.  Hilarious

Quote of the week: "When love is not madness, it is not love."  ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Fragile

I'm feeling de ja vu as I'm pretty sure I've written about life's fragile moments pretty recently.

I have a friend going through a rough time (no doctor, I'm really talking about a friend, I'm not referring to myself). Just another reminder how short life can be and how we should make the best of every single minute we have of it.

Here are a few simple things to make life a little easier.

Spend time with people that make you happy.

Listen to your kids laugh, cheers me up every time.

Take time for yourself, even if it's only a few minutes.

Don't waste time on things that make you crazy.

Simplify and try to stay organized.

Enjoy the scenery.  

These seems like simple instructions to follow, don't they?  The fact of the matter is, they're not.  So many of us speed through life, doing things for everyone but ourselves, missing our kids childhood, making ourselves crazy over clutter and "things".

Slow down.  

 

In the words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 

Just something to think about.

Ciao,

Megan

Petition to God

I'm going to petition God to add five extra hours to my days. I cannot possibly get everything done in the 16 or 17 waking hours. This is my day, not necessarily in this order, but close.



1. Wake up, usually five or six am.

2. Drink coffee while playing on the computer for one to two hours catching up on two e-mail accounts, checking profiles on Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, Amazon, adding friends, adding music, update status, playing Mafia Wars (don't judge me, I'm a level 171 Master Underboss), checking blog for comments.

3. Get kids to school

4. Eat breakfast

5. Excercise

6. Shower, dress

7. Go to Starbucks

8. Query

9. Blog

10. Write

11. Film a review

12. Edit video, and create review

13. Post review

14. Eat lunch

15. Grocery shop

16. Check computer again for e-mails, Facebook

17. Plan and start dinner

18. Pick up kids from school, while waiting, read another entry to review

19. Continue to cook dinner while helping kids with homework (unless it's math, I don't do math)

20. Eat dinner

21. Hang out with husband on computer (computers play an important role in my life, obviously, maybe too big a role, is there a pill for that?)

22. Watch movie or tv with the family.

23. Collapse

So you see God, would it kill you to give me an extra five hours a day? With all I do, it would be nice to have time to take a bath, or a nap, or sit out in the sun and relax. It's not too much to ask, is it?

I recommend all of you to join me in this. Maybe if we get enough people to petition, God will come through. I mean, really, what would you do with five extra hours a day?