Monday, January 1, 2024

Happy New Year! Welcome 2024!!!

 It's a brand new year!  How did I round out the end of 2023?

-Lose 5 lbs (start 138)
-Finish singer story Not yet...
-Finish Paranormal Preacher story added a few words....
-Get cover art for DYL Still waiting....
-Start saving for NYC trip; pay deposit $300 Check!
-Work enough hours to pay for ^ events, inventory, and build up savings Check, though savings is limping along....
-Bake cookies 
   -Thanksgiving:  5 Doz Choc Chip
   -12/9:  3.5 doz Oatmeal-Raisin, 4 doz Choc Chip
   -12/18: 6 doz chocolate chip
   -12/19: 8 Doz Oatmeal-Raisin
   -12/24: 4 Doz chocolate chip
   -12/26:  5.5 Doz M&M
-Buy/wrap gifts Check!
-Send Christmas Cards 12/20:  Addressed and sealed; just need stamped
-Celebrate K's birthday Check!  Texas Rdhouse on the 9th:)
-Enjoy MY birthday Check! Baked, ate at Texas Rdhouse; saw the X-mas lights
-Finish deep-cleaning MBA Not yet...
-Clean S and W's old bdrms Slated for Jan.  W moved home 12/18
-Buy Business Cards Not yet...
-Watch Grimm Watched final 5 episodes Christmas Day:)
-Convert 2 VHS to DVD ($44) Not yet....

Health:  Due to my two falls (Nov 10th and Dec 2nd), and my left knee and leg still swollen, made an appointment to have it looked at.  Unfortunately, was called to Jury Duty (ugh!) the same day as my appointment, so here's hoping I get another text saying 'thank you, we don't require your services', the way it happened in October! Received text; didn't need me!   Whoot!

Books Read:  Dec:  5          2023: 66     
           Print:  3                    20
       E-book:  2                    46
            DNF:                       2


2024 Events:

Jan 5th:  Writer's Roundup, Pantheon, 5-7pm Bleh....had to lead; meeting was over in an hour!

Feb 2nd:  Writer's Roundup, Pantheon, 5-7pm

March 16th??  Magic of Books, Columbus, In ($40-50) Might skip this one; have never heard from organizer.

March:  GSH 7-5

April 5-8th:  Eclipse???

April 27th:  SI-Con, Benton, Il (pd April 1st, 2023)

May 25-29th:  NYC Trip, Performing at CARNEGIE HALL!!!!!

June 7-9th:  Superman Celebration, Metropolis, Il ($100)

July:  Heroes For Kids (pd 2022) Might have to skip this one again....

July:  Imaginarium, Louisville, KY Pd 11/2023

August:  IABE, Terre Haute, IN ($85) Pd 12/1

September:  Cil-Con, Effingham, Il

October:  All Shook Up at Graceland, Oct 21st (full table, $225??)

November:  Indpls Christmas Gift And Hobby Show

December:  Kringle Market


January Goals:

-Lose 5 lbs

-Get cover art for CYBL

-Add words to any existing wips:  PP, Singer, TT

-Mail Christmas Cards Check!  Mailed 1/3:)

-Get knee looked at Check:) Getting MRI 1/14; showed no tears. Therapy exercises assigned 1/29

-Get hair cut

-Cut carpet out of S's old room

-Pay next installment for NYC trip ($600) 1/12:  Pd $300; 1/26, pd $100

-Work enough hours to pay^^^^^

-Upload digital copies to Patreon

-Fix mistakes in CYBL Check:)

-/Begin short story due in June

-Finish short story for BKM

-Convert 2 VHS to DVD ($44)

-Finish watching Outlander

-Read more in evenings


2024 Goals:

Apparently, I didn't even make goals in 2023, other than say I was going to do the same ones as 2022....but never followed through.  So to rectify that, here are the goals for this BRAND NEW YEAR!

-Publish Choosing Your Best Life

-Pull ALL my books (except Kindle ones) and go wide with D2D

-Make my e-books available on Patreon

-Put a shelf above my bed

-Put a shelf in the MBA

-Evict items from Brown House

-Evict items from basement

-Rip out carpets in Daughter's room

-Empty Mom's storage unit

-Work enough hours to pay for NYC trip

-ENJOY NYC TRIP

-Get my voice back 1/11:  Sang karaoke successfully!!!

-Finish any of the following: 

    -Paranormal Preacher

    -Singer Story

    -Aiden Kross antho

    -Heart Song

   -Short story for Antho

   -Short story for BKM antho

-Sell 200 books

-Promote Patreon page and get more sponsers

-Sign up for Venmo and Cash App, for cashless/non-CC readers

-Be a vendor at the following events:

    -First Fridays

    -March:  GSH Vendor Fair

    -April:  Kokomo Can, E'ville Craft Fair; Eclipse event???

    -May:  SI Con

    -June:  Superman

    -July:  InConJunction, Imaginarium

    -Aug:  IABE, Geek Con

    -Sept:  Cil-Con

    -Oct:  Graceland

    Nov:  Christmas Show, GSH, Kringle Market

-Carve out more reading time

-December, put out the Nativity and Morty


I think that's a long enough list, ha ha!

-

January Reading Schedule:

Print:

Let The Drum Speak-Linda Lay Shuler Good story!  I remembered enough of the 1st one that I wasn't confused as to the characters.

Christmas In The Movies  Very informative, and now I'd like to see some from the 40s!

42 Years In The Classroom-Joseph Ruhl Very good!  Would be good to pass onto future teachers, for encouragement:)

The Wedding Veil-Kristy Woodson Harvey DRR!!!  Really enjoyed this story, and now I want to visit the Biltmore Estate, and see or at least google the artwork of Karl Bittnor (boy stealing geese and the one in Central Park).  Was thrilled to see friend Kristin Harmel mentioned in the acknowledgments, and need to google Friends and Fiction.

The Lost Five-K.L. Wilboorn Good story!
The Whispers From Beyond -KL Wilborn DNR....just wasn't invested in the story.
The Other Queen-Philippa Gregory Good story, though EXTREMELY repetitive in parts.
That Certain Spark-Cathy Marie Hake Good story:)
Stars of Fortune-Nora Roberts Interesting story!  Would like to find the other two in this series...
The American Way-Helene Stapinski/Bonnie Siegler DRR!  LOVED this!
The Faerie of Central Park-Bruce McGraw Cute story! Took this to work and enjoyed it..
Dino Horrors-Matt Schorr Cute story!


E-book:
Boyfriend-Sarina Bowen Good story!  Made me forget I was reading 1st PP Pov:)
One Way Back To Me-Carrie Ann Ryan Good story!!  Might have to investigate the rest of this series....
Love You Right-Julia Kent RR!  Slightly long, but excellent dialogue (though the caps got to me after a while), and loved the twists and turns it took for Rachel and Kell to finally COMMUNICATE with each other, build trust, and find their HEA.
One For The Money-Skye Warren Good story:)
Kissing Tolstoy-Penny Reid DRR!  Could NOT put this down!  Excellent:)

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