Sunday Summary: Lost Hour
Gotta love the time change for Daylight Savings Time. Or not. Totally not. Although “springing forward” means my kids might actually almost sleep in. đ Actually, they’re both still up before 7, which yesterday would have been before 6. So, not much on the sleeping in thing.
I had a pretty good week, progress-wise. Met all my writing goals, got all my reading done, started a new short story I plan to submit for this year’s World Unknown Review(it’s the second one I’ve started toward that, hopefully this one fares better). Today our church is doing a 1st responder’s appreciation thing so we’ll be going to that. Then, we’re going down to meet my family for lunch for my grandpa’s birthday. So, that will be a big chunk of my Sunday. Hoping I can still get stuff done around it.
Plotting:
- Primary: Heart of Christmas(BC Security 3.5) â write back stories, plot summary, and complete Story Toolkit â 1496 words on
Alainaâs back storyfor this month, 1069 since last Sunday and finished it. Will be starting Caelen’s back story this week - Secondary: Still Burning(Hunter Family #4) â Brainstorm â
Writing:
- Primary: Stay a Little Longer â add 45000 words/finish 38 scenes â 20363 words/45000, 18/42 scenes for the month. 13790 words/12 scenes since Sunday
- Still, Jess had made promises to herself. That she was done with men. That she wouldnât bring another into her kidsâ lives. That she had to put them first. The last was the only one that truly mattered, though. And she was so tired. Tired of acting like she was doing more than keeping her mouth and nose above water. Tired of doing it all on her own. Tired of sleeping alone. Just tired.
So she didnât listen to Terrallâs warning. This didnât have to mean anything more than two lonely people coming together. âIâm not asking you for forever,â she said, sliding her hands up his stomach under his shirt. âMy boys are at my parentsâ tonight, and Alex is still at her dadâs. And I donât want to be alone.â
- Still, Jess had made promises to herself. That she was done with men. That she wouldnât bring another into her kidsâ lives. That she had to put them first. The last was the only one that truly mattered, though. And she was so tired. Tired of acting like she was doing more than keeping her mouth and nose above water. Tired of doing it all on her own. Tired of sleeping alone. Just tired.
- Secondary: Side Projects â 5000 words, edit Chapter 1 of Patrick & Sarah & Chapter 1 of Tavin & Haiwee, read through 9 chapters of Snow White Twist(there’s actually 10, but I read through chapter 1 in February) â 2335/5000 words so far this month. 1225 words since Sunday. 56/63 comments applied to Patrick & Sarah. 26/51 comments applied to Tavin & Haiwee, have read through 5/9 in Snow White Twist(2 this week)
- Midas’ Daughter – 161 words – âYou even think about hitting me, boy, and you will find yourself out of a job, a roof, a family, faster than you can blink.â
He did just thatâblinkâas he stared up at his boss. âI-Iâm sorry, sir,â he finally managed to stammer. âI didnât know it was you. You startled me.â - Patrick & Sarah – 87-ish words – Her face was still drawn in hard lines, but he thought her eyes had softened withâŚconfusion, maybe. Just how had people been treating her in the years since her husband had died? But, something about these two pulled at him. He couldnât explain it.Patrick had fought in the war, too, and had seen too many men fall. Men who had left widows and possibly even orphans. Heâd never worried about helping any of them before.
- Tavin & Haiwee – -12 words – Tavin couldnât help but smile over at her. He could hear the affection and pride in her voice when she spoke of her brother. In his mind, that meant he had to be a good guy. *some of the few new words I wrote(32, then I cut 44)
- Roman – 143 words – âIâm sorry,â he said, even though she hadnât even spoken yet. He started unbuttoning his shirt as he walked across the room. âI didnât realize it had gotten so late. I got caught up in my work.â He dropped the shirt in the hamper then started to remove his slacks. âI didnât think youâd wait up for me.â
- Dougal & Shae – 111 words – Maybe his dad could help him figure out what to do about the woman he couldnât get out of his head.
- Mason & Lila – 120 words – âNeed a quick tutoring session?â Brian asked.Mason banged his head against the locker. âMaybe if I thought that was actually going to do any good. I swear he knows the problems that give me the most trouble and makes sure theyâre all thatâs on quizzes and tests.â *oh, poor Mason. And all he did was want to date the man’s daughter.
- Jacob & Matthew – 186 words – Matthew leaned back into Jacobâs touch. âI always said I wouldnât go back there. After Ma died, nothing was right. Then, he married her, and they had [xx], and it was like I stopped existing. The few times Iâve visited, we have done nothing but fight. What reason do I have for returning to that?â
- Hang On – 153 words – âI said I was coming,â I told him as I finally yanked the door open. The man on the porch shook his head, nearly white-blond hair falling into his face. âNo. I certainly would remember if youâd given me that much information. You said hang on, but I canât do that in public.â *Haven’t even named this character yet, but I like his sense of humor.
- Midas’ Daughter – 161 words – âYou even think about hitting me, boy, and you will find yourself out of a job, a roof, a family, faster than you can blink.â
Editing:
- Primary: Stained Blood â 10 new scenes & apply CP edits to 40 scenes â 2/10 new scenes finished this month. 2/40 scenes edited. 1558 words added this month. 1100 since Sunday
- The truth was he was a coward. A damn yellow-bellied coyote. Seeing her made him want so much. And he wasnât sure he deserved any of it.
- Secondary: Flames of Renewal(if I get back from CP) â complete CP edits
- In the Moonlight â start revisions
Blogging:
- A-Z posts â draft 24 posts â 2/24 for the month. 508 words on D post, 361 since last check-in. Finished D. 160 words on E post. I may not finish drafting all of these this month, but hopefully will at least have a good start.
- A-Z posts â edit & format 26 posts
Reading:
- Listen: 8 books â 3/8 for the month, 2 since last Sunday
In Her Sights(Robin Perini)â enjoyed this one.Need You for Keeps(Marina Adair)â finished this one last night. Really enjoyed it(and listened to the end as a break from the emotional rollercoaster I was reading).- Kingâs Cage(Victoria Aveyard)Â â just started this one Wednesday morning. On Chapter 15.
- Read: 31 books â 11/31 for the month, 9 since last Sunday
Hope Burns(Jaci Burton)â enjoyed this one, though the resolution seemed a little too, I donât know, rushed I guess.Gone to Die(Stacy Green)â I had some issues with this one. Some of it felt out of character. And I just went âof course, the sadistic killer was raised by her killer truck driver father. Because truck drivers are always criminals.â That portrayal bothers me. My husband was driving truck when I met him, and I justâŚugh, it irritates me.- Crimson Stain(Jim Fisher) â this is a true crime story about an Amish man who killed his wife not very far from where we live(It happened when I was about 8 years old). Reading this when I finish the rest of the books on my weekly list. On page: 23/314(not counting all the end notes & index)
Lucky Break(Carly Phillips)â I liked this one okay. Probably wouldnât have finished the trilogy, though, if I hadnât had all three books. Still, it was a light read.History is All You Left Me(Adam Silvera)â Finished this Wednesday afternoon. Just, so, so good.  This had me crying within 50 pages. And a couple pages later, I was laughing again. I actually had to take a break and listen to the end of a romance. This was breaking my heart so bad. There are some downsides to being such an emotional reader.Suffer Love(Ashley Herring Blake)– On page 12/344. Started this while waiting for the kids’ bus Wednesday afternoon, though it was kind of windy to read a physical book outside. Finished it Wednesday night. It was a nice, fairly light and quick read. Really enjoyed it. And needed it after the emotional roller coaster of the last book.Burning Bright(various)– this was a collection of love stories set around Hanukkah. I couldn’t get into the first three, but read the last one(by an author I’ve read before) and enjoyed that one.Against the Odds(Kat Martin)– started this one Thursday morning. Finished it Friday. Have an issue with a side character. Saying she has to force her daughter(5 years old, I think) into wearing dresses and playing with “girl” things. No, no, no. Just don’t. I’m hoping that attitude will be challenged in the book. And it’s not like it’s an older book. It was published in 2013. Update on the mini rant: She did finally realize she was being stupid about this, at least. And other than that issue, I mostly enjoyed the book.Red Zone(Mari Carr)– Started this one Friday night. Finished it yesterday. Really enjoyed it.Dangerous(R.G. Alexander)– read this one yesterday. enjoyed it, too.- Hammer of the Gods(Christina Ochs) – this is book 3 in her Desolate Empire series. I got the boxed set, but I’ve already read the first 2 separately, so I jumped right to this one on my phone. I’ll read it in the between moments.
Crafting:
- Knit: Georgian Lace Cap â started this on Monday. Have 4/4 rounds knitted for the brim. 16/40 rounds knitted for cap lace section.
- Crochet: Cross-over Long DC Hat â
Loom: Ambrosia Love Scarf& Last Minute Slouchy Hat â I finished the scarf on Sunday.