Carol Moncado

Seeker sightings yesterday at Wal-Mart.  Was inordinately excited ;).

[Scroll down to see historical pics of my family]

Mary Connealy’s Sharpshooter in Petticoats. It’s why I went to the store =D.

But while I was there…

I came across Tina Radcliffe’s The Rancher’s Reunion so I had to pick it up too ;).

Read Sharpshooter yesterday. Wish the 9 book series [well, 3 series of 3 books each that intertwine by the end] wasn’t over :(. Maybe Mary can incorporate some of the characters into later books…

But now I have work to do before Andrea kicks my tush =D.

Was hoping to post several pictures, but here’s one for now.  Was at Walmart and saw this:

Deeanne Gist’s Trouble with Brides in three separate spots.  Thought that was cool :).  You can also see Mary Connealy’s Sharpshooter in Petticoats there on the second shelf on the left.  I have a better picture of it and it’s one I’ll post later for Seekerville stuff – like if I can find the bucket with the pictures of my ancestors [like my GGrandma] that I can’t find and needed so I could scan a pic for Seekerville’s historical party…  🙁

Will keep looking tonight and if I find it will post them then.

Some of this week’s goals I did well on, some not so much…  Let’s take a look…

Goals for Week 1 [Jan. 2-8]:

1.     Do Bible Study at least twice – Yeah, not so much.
2.    Blog – including at least one Julie review – Blogged, but not the Julie review
3.    Lose 2 lbs – Yeah, not so much.
4.    Exercise at least 2 days – Yeah, not so much.
5.    Finish edits on Unbreak Her Heart – YAY!!!! Got this one done!!!!
6.    Email to editor who requested it – YAY!!!! Got it emailed out!
7.    Finish Bliss, read Mary Connealy’s next one – Did better on this one ;).  Finished reading Bliss and have just about finished off Mary [see her?  Over there.  She’s the one wheezing ;).]  Seriously, I have one book left and it’s her new one.  My sister hasn’t finished it yet, so I may have to swing by WalMart on my way to the doc in the morning so I can read it in the waiting room.

Things done that weren’t on the list:

1.      Hang out with a really cool 3yo – Thursday during ‘naptime’ I was Fiona, he was Shrek [dressed as Mr. Incredible] and we were riding the Polar Express on our way to the North Pole.  We had to stop to pick up Handy Manny and the tools as well as Mickey, Minnie and a handy helper to help with repairs.  But then the train ran out of wood and we had to stop at the North Pole Walmart for more…
2.      Doc appointment I’d forgotten about.  Fun.
3.      Made cookies to take to my doc/nurse and our PNP who works in the same building [and ended up having a doc appointment at the same time so I saw her there…]

Goals for Week 2 [Jan. 9-15]:

1.      Do Bible Study at least twice
2.      Blog – including those Julie reviews
3.      Work on Pentalk blog
4.      Exercise at least 2 days
5.      Doc appointment tomorrow
6.      15,000 words for NovelTrack
7.      Read at least 2 books
8.      Lose 2 lbs
9.      Get ready for next semester [first day of class is 1/18]
10.  Clean the house

There you have it.  We’ll see how this week goes…

Yesterday was crazy.  So here I am today :).  Andrea had said 3 but I was hanging out with a really cool 3 year old at the time so… 😉  I really need to post the ‘game’ we played on Thursday.

[I tried to find a picture and couldn’t.  And it’s late.  And I’m tired.  And I can’t find a picture of Christopher from his third birthday either…  Oy… Edit: Found one two minutes later…]

Without further ado…

She was standing way too close. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to kiss her and take her down the hall to his room or her room and lock the security guys out.

He wouldn’t.

He couldn’t

But he wanted to.

Instead he moved away from his fiancé – he’d never really thought that he’d be engaged – and towards his son.

“Nicky, do you want to open your last present?” Debbie moved to the side of the living room where the presents had been stacked. Most of them had already been opened, but one remained. Nick’s.

Both Rick and Rick’s dad had sent gifts, probably the only ones that Nicky would ever get from them.  Nicky ripped the paper, his face absolutely lighting up when he saw what was there.

“Woo’y! Buzz Ligh’year!” He held up the two stuffed toys before hugging them to him, one in each arm.  “My wuv dem!”

Debbie laughed and winked at Nick. Nick smiled back. Debbie had given him the best idea of all. She had given Nicky a Lightning McQueen shake and go car that he’d smiled and laughed over, but his face lit up most when he saw the two characters from three of his favorite movies.

By the time the thoughts flew through his head, Nicky was running around the living room, a cowboy in one hand and a spaceman in the other.

Just a quick flyby to:

A. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  Mary Connealy was here!!!!!! WOOHOO!  And as Andrea pointed out, she ‘finishes off’ people all the time…

B. It’s been a long couple of days and I don’t have A Passion Denied‘s review finished yet.

C. I have written outlines of what I have of both Unbreak Her Heart‘s sequel and the Nano one and filled in the chapter blanks [more or less], plus the rough draft of a guest blog post.  So I haven’t been completely unproductive…

Thank you for your understanding :).  Do look for Flash Fiction Friday in a couple of days.

Current Facebook Status: is glad Matt took today off :). Now to get some work done…

Currently Playing In the Background: Donkey Kong Wii

Yeah, I still don’t really like the ‘nutiness’ part of that title, but go with it…

And I don’t have much to post today.  Matt took today off instead of Friday which is nice.  I need to finish Word edits on my manuscript today.  Reread it tomorrow and email it off.

I also need to do laundry and assorted clean up, etc.

Today is also the first day that Andrea and I are doing our accountability partner thing.  Hopefully, that will go well :).  And since the holidays are about over, I’m hoping to chat with Jan more again.  I’ve talked to her like twice in the last several weeks :(.  I hate that.  Ready for life to calm down and get back to ‘normal’.

School starts tomorrow for the kiddos.  I’m sure getting up early will help with feeling like ‘normal’ ;).

Current Facebook Status: and so Day 2 begins like Day 1 and Day 365 did. Up with a 3yo who refuses to go back to sleep /sigh/. This time he was asleep until the smoke alarm went off from the fireplace. /more sighs/ On the upside, lunch with Chris, Laura and Sarah tomorrow! Er, today.

Currently Playing in the Background: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally [but the 3yo is now asleep so maybe it’s time to change it…]

I’m a winner!  I’m a winner!  I won a 5 page critique over at Seekerville.  I think they may be one of the top five fabulous things to happen to me last year – would be higher, but I got diamonds and sapphires for Christmas, got to see my BFF for the first time in 8 years and Christopher survived a potentially life threatening incident.  So top 5 it is.  I have emailed my first 5 pages off to the lovely ladies and I’m told I should have it back no later than next Saturday. =D

And I got to see old friends today.  I haven’t seen Chris in probably 7 years or so but have known her since I was a kid.  Her daughters are about the same age as me and my sister so we were friends when we went to church together.  She knew my mom.  After Matt met her the first time, she’ll forever be known as ‘the woman who hugged Matt at the mall’ ;).

But on to the point of today’s post:

Goals for Week 1 [Jan. 2-8]:

1.     Do Bible Study at least twice
2.    Blog – including at least one Julie review
3.    Lose 2 lbs
4.    Exercise at least 2 days
5.    Finish edits on Unbreak Her Heart
6.    Email to editor who requested it
7.    Finish Bliss, read Mary Connealy’s next one

Current Facebook Status: rang in the New Year by playing Quiddler – after a rousing game of Mexican Train ;). The company made it worthwhile though =D. Now to figure out what goals she wants to reach this month…

Currently Playing in the Background: Polar Express on the TV and some sort of Buster Bunny [from Arthur] game on the computer…

January Goals

So part of this whole goal thing is to break them down into manageable chunks.  The plan is this: each month I will look at each of the goals I set for the year and set monthly goals.  Not all of the annual goals will have a corresponding monthly goal to go with it and that’s okay.

For January, my goals are the following:

1. Do my Bible study every day by the end of the year.
– Twice a week this month.  Hopefully better, but we’ll see…

2. Blog.  Three times a week.  Every week.  Or at least a note why I won’t be blogging that day.
– Start by writing those Julie Lessman reviews :p.  And Erynn Mangum…

3.    Lose 125lbs by 3/2012 [yes, I know that’s more than a year .  There’s a reason for that goal =D.  No, I’m not saying specifically why.]
a.    Lose 20lbs by 3/11
–      Will start with 8lbs this month…

4. Exercise daily – that means at least 6 days a week – also, RUN a 5K
– Will start with 2xs a week this month…

5. Develop and make habitual house cleaning/other routines
– Write out routines and zone cleaning stuff, print, create notebook to keep it all in

6. More fun stuff as a family – game night at least twice a month; Wii Fit/Resort Fun Night the other two weeks
– Would like to do this completely this month – all 4 times

7.    Finish first drafts of at least five manuscripts
a.    Liz [already at 53K]
b.    Nick/Debbie [already over 50K]
–      This is Novel Track month over at ACFW.  My goal is to finish both of those rough drafts this month as a part of that.  I think it’ll be about 50K…

8. Contests – enter them
– Get Genesis entries ready this month [Unbreak Her Heart and Nick/Debbie – gotta come up with a title for it too…]

9. Complete/finished/”final” draft of 3 manuscripts
– Well, technically, I guess it’s going to be FOUR manuscripts since I didn’t quite get UHH done this week.  Need to finish it ASAP.

10. Read 4 books a month.  For research.  Yep.  That’s it.  Plus one non-fiction or craft book.
– Oy.  Only four?!  I’d like to finish off Mary Connealy [I have 7 of hers to read] and I have 3 from another author checked out of the library. Maybe I can take them to work with me if I don’t have grading etc to do.  I also need to finish Bliss…

11. Query
– It’s not really a query, but I had a request for a full manuscript of UHH and I need to send it off as soon as it’s done.  Like ASAP.  Like this week.

So there we have it… Sunday or Monday, I’ll post this week’s goals as well as an update on Novel Track [with each post].  Off to edit…

Current Facebook Status: has a 3yo Superman currently dressed up as Ironman. He was Wolverine earlier. Gotta ♥ a box of superhero dress up clothes!

Currently Playing in the Background: Hannah Montana in the other room

Well, it is that time of year again.  Time to set resolutions for the next year.  I haven’t really set resolutions – not specific, measureable ones – in years.  Like Mary Connealy, I know myself and know that next year I’ll look back and be like ‘oh. Right.  I wanted to do that…’  How do I know Mary Connealy said that?  She mentioned it in the comments on Seekerville.  Because this is the topic of Seekerville‘s blog today as well.

But things are different now.  I have a blog!  And about six readers who will keep me accountable ;).  By the end of the year, maybe I’ll have that doubled to twelve.  Hey, you never know!

So this year, I’m making resolutions and setting clear, measureable goals.  They go together.  Many of them revolve around developing a career as an author, but not all do.  Some are goals in and of themselves, some have sub-goals.  My plan is this: to set annual goals, each month break them down into monthly goals and from there, each week.

So what are they?

1.    Do my Bible study every day by the end of the year.
–      Just jumping into it and saying ‘every day! This week!’ is unrealistic.  I’ll start with a goal of say 2 days a week and grow it from there.

2.    Blog.  Three times a week.  Every week.  Or at least a note why I won’t be blogging that day. The three weekly topics:
a.    Monday Musings: News, Notes and Nuttiness [yes, the third alliteration needs work ;)].  It’s what it sounds like – any news or random thoughts I had in the week prior as well as my goals for the current week [based on these annual goals].
b.    What I read Wednesday – just what it sounds like ;).  Book reviews =D.
c.    Flash Fiction Friday – continue with the FFF with Jan and Andrea

3.    Go to ACFW‘s conference in St. Louis this September.  Meet people.  Meet Julie Lessman.  Because we all know I ♥ Julie ;).

4.    Date night – at least every other month with my honey.

 

 

5.    Lose 125lbs by 3/2012 [yes, I know that’s more than a year ;).  There’s a reason for that goal =D.  No, I’m not saying specifically why.]
a.    Lose 20lbs by 3/11
b.    Lose 40lbs by 6/11
c.    Lose 60 lbs by 9/11 [and ACFW!]
d.    Lose 100 lbs by 12/31/11

6.    Exercise daily – that means at least 6 days a week – also, RUN a 5K

7.    Develop and make habitual house cleaning/other routines

8.    More fun stuff as a family – game night at least twice a month; Wii Fit/Resort Fun Night the other two weeks

The rest are more writing related…

9.    Finish first drafts of at least five manuscripts
a.    Liz [already at 53K]
b.    Nick/Debbie [already over 50K]
c.    Nate
d.    Two Jasmine novels [one is nearly 50K]
e.    Something completely new for NaNoWriMo

10.  Complete/finished/”final” draft of 3 manuscripts
a.    Liz
b.    Nick/Debbie
c.    Nate – or maybe one of the Jasmines

11.  Contests – enter them 😉
a.    Enter two manuscripts in Genesis – Unbreak Her Heart and Nick/Debbie [and give it a title :p]
b.    Join RWA
c.    Enter RWA contests 😉
d.    Enter at least one MS in RWA’s Golden Heart
e.    Enter Great Expectations again [entering the first time this week]
f.    Try to enter at least one contest at least every other month [those above are the biggie annual ones – at least the ones I know of]

12.  Read 4 books a month.  For research.  Yep.  That’s it.  Plus one non-fiction or craft book.

13.  Query
a.    Research agents, editors/houses who accept unsolicited manuscripts
b.    Query those agents with UHH
c.    Query those agents with Nick/Debbie

14.  Always remember Why I Do What I Do:
So there you have it.  Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen clear, measureable goals.  Note that I didn’t put ‘find an agent’ or ‘get published’.  Why not?  Because, to a degree, those things are out of my control.  I can polish and send all the manuscripts in the world to Jeff Gerke, but odds are, he’s not going to publish me.  Why?  Because I don’t write stuff he’d be interested in.  All I can do is find out which agents/editors/houses/etc. would suit me and my manuscripts and submit to them.  From there it’s out of my hands.

Note that ‘potty training Christopher’ also isn’t on there :p.  That one is also completely out of my hands…

Now, goals for today/this week:

1.     Finish getting Great Expectations entry ready
2.    Finish polishing Unbreak Her Heart and submit to the editor who requested it at HACWN
3.    Clean house, finish getting Christmas decorations put up
4.    Get ready for Narnia marathon tonight
5.    New Year’s Eve shindig at our house
6.    Laundry – done AND put up

Right now… This is calling my name…

Current Facebook Status: Made it through Toys R US, Gordman’s, Sam’s and Walmart, but most of the Christmas shopping was done online and will be arriving via UPS! Thank goodness!

Currently Playing in the Background: Imagination Movers because the 3yo WILL NOT go to sleep :p

So… No Book Review Wed.  Look for TWO Julie Lessman reviews next week!  Just got two of my Erynn Mangum books back from my sister so I should be able to review them the week after.  Or that’s the plan ;).

Everything is coming together for Christmas.  Almost everything is bought.  Nothing is wrapped.  UPS will be busy here on Tuesday!  Can’t wait!

And now… Here’s Flash Fiction Friday.  Jan and Andrea posted theirs too :).

He leaned forward in his chair, raised a crooked finger to Debbie’s face and said, “Your husband killed my son.  Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you and his son.”

Debbie just looked him in the eye.  She couldn’t have spoken anyway – not with the gag in her mouth, but she didn’t know what answer she would give him anyway.  She was ready to go, in a sense.  She knew her relationship with God was solid.  Nicky was young enough that he hadn’t reached that magical age of accountability.  But Nick… What would it do to Nick if Tricky Tio killed the two of them?  Would he turn away from the beliefs he was starting to embrace?  Would he understand that, for whatever reason, it was their time to go?  Or would he run away, forever, never giving God another chance?  Blaming him for the loss of his wife?  Of his two children?

That’s what Debbie was afraid of.  More than she was afraid of dying, she was afraid of what it would do to Nick, to his soul.  She closed her eyes and prayed.  She prayed for strength.  She prayed Nicky would sleep through the whole thing like he had last time.  She prayed that Nick would find them.  She prayed for Nick’s soul.  She prayed that, somehow, through all of this, he would find his faith.

“I won’t kill him, you know.  Not for a while.  Not until he’s had a chance to mourn you both.  To know what it’s like to live without you, like I’ve had to live without my son.”

Debbie wished she could point out that it was his own fault.  Sure, Nick had pulled the trigger, but Tio was the one who had ordered she and Nicky be kidnapped.  If he hadn’t, Nick would have had no reason to shoot his son.  He only did what he had to do to protect her and Nicky from Tio’s men.  That kind of thing wouldn’t mean anything to a mobster, though.  It was Nick’s fault.  That’s all there was to it.

“So, the question then is… Do I kill you fast?  Or do I kill you slow?  Do I kill you first?  Or your son?  Do I make you watch your son die a slow death?  Then kill you?  Or let you both bleed out at the same time?”  He was pure evil.   “I don’t think fast is the answer.  I think I’ll go with slow.  Let the kid die a bit, then start on you.”

He moved towards Nicky, knife in hand.