What Have You Been Up TO?

 

Just thought I'd tell you a little about what I've been doing for the last year. 

Life is NEVER boring here, in spite of the thundering herds haven gone their way. Even when the world is erupting in mischief, there are still things to do and be and know and learn.

Things I've done:

Wrote the short story LINGONS.

Made my own version of the cover for HEART OF THE ENEMY. We didn't use it. But it's pretty.

Started writing my JANE AUSTEN AND FRIENDS ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY (I'm pulling words from all her works plus her letters and some from contemporaries' works) and doing the illustrations for it.

Proofed SEABIRD.

Fixed up my den and labeled the bins in there.

Wrote MARKER ON MERROW, a sci fi book.

Started an outline for MERROW'S DAUGHTER.

Wrote several articles for the national chimney sweep magazine I write for.

Rewrote  A TERRIBLE MAJESTY (still not published because it has romance in it, but it's in the pipeline).

Went through all the bins in the house. Found lots of things hidden in various places including my husband's forbidden lair.

Wrote a story to go in the KISMET anthology that won the award for being first in (woo hoo).

Started putting our music on a jump drive. I got all the records and tapes done so far. I still have our CDs to add and all of a sudden I have all my Dad's and Grandma Pat's music to add. I plan to give jumps to all my kids and parents who want them.

Flew to Indiana to ride herd on the grand minions while my daughter and SOL went to Mexico for dental fun.

Published HEART OF THE ENEMY (finally after 3 long years of waiting and a crunchy 2 weeks of nonstop editing craziness).

Took loads of dog walks and played dog butler countless times per day.

Helped my mom take care of my dad, who has dementia or Alzheimer's.

Kept up my journal and made a new journal stencil.

Read LOADS of books (at least 2/week) including both the BOOK OF MORMON and the DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS.

What is hopefully ahead:

I've got to A. learn to market for myself or B. get a fantastic marketer on my team. I'm hoping to find both an agent and a marketer.

I'll probably write either MERROW'S DAUGHTER or A LILY FOR CHRISTIAN or THE JUMPER'S KID in November. Maybe in between one of the others and/or the short story THE MAY QUEEN.

I'm planning a trip to Hawaii with my sis and her family because I've never been to Hawaii.

Me and my husband are planning a trip to Duluth Minnesota (because he loves watching the shipping in the Great Lakes and I just love to travel and meet people and do crazy new things).

I want to get back into running and sword-fighting. So I need to do lots of knee work.

I want to self publish SEABIRD, then see how feasible to publish a bunch of other books I have backed up in the pipeline. 

I'd also LOVE to go back to Ireland, to Carrigafoyle Castle to do research for FORLORN HOPE, the prequel for HEART OF THE ENEMY. And of course play great music in loads of pubs there. 

I need more bodhran and tin whistle practice.

So that's a start.