Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Here's To 2019! #HappyNewYear

Welcome to a brand new year!  How did I do on last year's goals?
-Write #5 of The Chosen  Not even close.  DID write a time-travel and start 2 more stories in this series!
-Promote Whispers Anthology Yes!
-Limit my craft fairs and set up only at:  Doesn't look as though I 'limited' very much, ha ha!
     -Author's Fair in April (sold 4!), in addition to a local event (cancelled), Dale Library (0)
     -May:  1st Friday (sold 8!) AND Opening weekend of Farmer's Market (sold 6!)
     -June:  1st Friday (sold 2?), PrideFest (sold 4!), Celebration On Main ( 4) and Corning Irish Festival (5)
     -July:  1st Friday Went to InConJunction instead, with publisher (8)  Also did Lafayette Mosey (9) and Gallery Walk (6)
     -Aug:  Watermelon Festival (2) and GenCon (IF we get approved) Nope.  Did the Mosey (2)
     -Sept:  1st Friday (rain out) maybe Paletine's event nope; ISUCon (8), Eminence Harvest Festival (4), and the Evansville Fairgrounds event.(9)
     -Oct:  Imaginarium (1), plus Collections Carnival Craft Fair (7)
     -Nov:  Indy Christmas Show (16), maybe the Christmas Stroll No; opted for Rivet Craft Show (15!)  This year, I was exhausted and skipped it.
     -Dec:  WCC Craft Fair (8) and Art Walk (4)
Gah....did I really do 23 events this year?  No WONDER sales were good!  (See below)
-Finish Heart Song Not even close
-Set up a few local signings at our coffee shop/brewery Nope
-Get our Green House torn down (not yet), and the Brown House emptied (getting closer!).  I've decided to move my office into the Brown House (provided the spouse approves!).
-Continue participation in the MFRW Blog Challenge 2018.  Kenzie had a good time, so maybe I'll do it this year??  Or switch off every week?  Month?? Moved it to the Wordpress site, so I didn't have to keep logging in and out!
-Lose 5 lbs each month.  If I succeed, I'll be down to 200 lbs by this time next year.  Starting weight:  232 Went the wrong way....240.  I blame the many weeks with the parents!

How About Those December Goals?
Do well at Washington Christian Center Holiday Vendor Fair  Sold 8:)
Do well at 1st Friday Art Walk  Sold 4, bringing my monthly total to 12, and the yearly one to....145!  WOW!
Lose 5 lbs (starting 241) Managed to lose ONE pound!  Even after the holidays!
Bake cookies
     12/3:  4.5 Doz Choc. Chip. 3 doz Winter Chip, 4.5 M&M
     12/4:  3.5 Doz Oatmeal Raisin, 3 doz Maple Chip
Bake cookies at Mom's Nope; plans changed.
Send packages to Japan and Canada 12/20:  Got some put together!
Get my mother up and walking each day I'm there Nope; plans changed
Celebrate K's 27th birthday (check!  Fixed him a large T-bone steak!) and my 53rd (check!  Dad took me to Red Lobster, and watched the Survivor finale LIVE!)
Finish buying Christmas Gifts Daughter took care of this, though there is still one more gift to be bought!
Write Holiday letter (Check!) and send out Christmas Cards Had Mom's ready to send out on the 24th!
Get closer, if not finish, Hair Affair Added a few hundred words...
Mail packages to Harlie and JDC Not yet
Have a wonderful Christmas (Check!) and New Year's Eve (check!)

New Year, New Goals:
-Write RiKar's Redemption (The Chosen #5)
-Finish/add words to Heart Song
-Finish/submit Time Travel Trilogy
-Finish Paranormal Preacher
-Write new Bad Decisions story
-Mail Christmas cards and packages
-Hand-sell 150 Books (last year's record 145)
-Pull titles from KU and learn D2D, plus maybe Audible?
-Buy Inventory and vertical banner
-Pay cover artist for CR
-Promote Catered Romance and have successful launch
-Set up at:
   -April:  Kentuckiana Book Fair, Dale Library; attend writer's conference in Nashville, In
   -May:  Art Walk, Farmer's Market
   -June:  Art Walk, Celebration On Main, Corning Irish Festival, PrideFest
   -July:  InConJunction or Art Walk, Mosey Down Main, Gallery Walk
   -Aug:  Watermelon Fest, Royal Readers at Mall of America (17th) Pd!, ISUCon or Palestine
   -Sept:  ISUCon, Eminence Harvest Fest, Art Walk, Cil-Con,Vanderburgh FG, Saints and Sinners Indy Author Fair (Pd last year??)
   -Oct:  Imaginarium, Carnivals Crafters Fair
   -Nov:  ICGAHS ($100 deposit pd), Rivet, Art Walk,
   -Dec:  WCC, Art Walk
-Put new roof on the house 1/24:  Day 1 (Left side); 1/25 :  Day 2 (Right side); 1/29:  Day 3 (shingles going up!)
-Enjoy 35th Class Reunion
-Finish cleaning out Green House and get it torn down
-Finish clearing out Brown House front room and start rearranging.  Also, turn on electricity.
-Participation In MFRW Blog Challenge Check:)
-Lose 5 pounds per month (Starting weight:  240)
-Get Mom back on her feet and finish decluttering house
-Set up signing at local coffee shop/brewery/library??
-Watch SE 7 of GOT, plus keep up with shows online
-Reading Goal:  200 books, including all of the GOT titles.
-Karaoke Goal:  Thurs:  Get through the W titles.  
                                 Sat:  Get through the R titles

January Reading Schedule
Print:
Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good-Jan Karon Good!
Yours To Love-Cathy Jackson DNF
A Dance With Dragons-GRRM Good!
The Biggest Lie In Christianity-Matthew Kelly Rather a 'duh' moment...common sense.
Crazy Rich Asians-Kevin Kwan DRR!  LOVED this, and want to see the movie plus read the other two in this awesome series!
The Best Advice I Ever Heard (Chix SFTS)-Various authors, even Susan Walker! Excellent!  DRR!  Some the stories moved me to tears; Hit By Lightening and Type Casting.
The Last Disciple (play)-Tracy Rosa Good!
Dr. Poo (comic book:  Spoof of Dr. Who)-John Graham Cute!
First Comes Love-Emily Giffin Not my favorite of her books, but still good.  Loved the dynamics between the sisters!
Small Great Things-Jodi Picoult  This was a hard book to read, since it forced me to confront the hidden racism in myself.  In Ruth's POV, I realized I have a subtle issue.  In Turk's POV, some of the things expressed were really tough to read, since I disagree with the majority of what he stands for, yet realize some of those same sentiments in my spouse and older kids.  I saw a lot of myself in Kennedy, and one of her final chapters was a huge eye-opener.  RR, but only for the very brave.

E-books:
Sealed With A Kiss-Mysti Parker Loved this!  DRR!
Her Snow White Christmas-Cara Marsi Fun read!  Thinking I want to read the other two now:)
The Party Plan-Melanie Jayne DNF I think reading two books with 'Avery' as the heroine threw me off.
The Plunge-Edward Schneider  DNF  Not sure where I got this, but it was too confusing with all the inner dialogue, plus how the heroine 'speaks' to her microchip AI??
Skater's Waltz-Peggy Jaegger  RR!  I figured out who the villain was, but not the other one!  Very good story!
Sabrina's Vampire-AK Michaels Interesting story; not sure what prompted me to buy it, unless it was a free download.  Started skimming around Ch. 4.
The Apothacary's Assistant-Sandra Sookoo DNF
Hockey Holidays-Jean Joachim, VL Locey, et al
      -A Second Shot (Shannon Stacey) Okay; skimmed most of it
      -Christmas Crosscheck (Jaymee Jacobs) Good story!  Wasn't happy about the 'surprise' at the end
      -Wolfe Brothers Christmas (Jami Davenport) Very good!
      -The Playboy (Stephanie Julian) Good:)
      -Dmitri's Christmas Angel (Kat Mizera) Skimmed...
      -A Star-Crossed Christmas (V.L. Locey) Skipped
      -Red-Hot Trouble (Lily Harlem)  Skimmed
      -Dallas Christmas (RJ Scott) Skipped
      -Icing Isn't Only For Cookies (Melody Heck-Gatto) Good
      -The Final Slapshot (Jean Joachim) Wonderful!!  DRR!
      -Christmas Interference (Lisa B Kamps)Skimmed
      -Holding On Tight (Susan Scott Shelley) Skipped
      -His Christmas Cinderella (Kate Willoughby) Good story!  RR!
      -All I Want (Stephanie Kay) Skimmed
      -Lucky Holiday (Jennifer Lazaris) Loved this story!  DRR!
      -Her Best Worst Boyfriend (Melanie Ting)  Really enjoyed this one!  DRR!
      -The Devoted Father and the Introvert (Mary Smith)  Very good!  DRR!
      -How We Fell In Love (Toni Aleo) Skipped; don't like 1st person-present POV

Karaoke List:
Thurs:
Wishin and Hopin-Dusty Springfield Nailed it:)
Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You-Glenn Mederios Ugh....too low!
Wishing Well-Terance Trent Darby WAAY too low!
Witch Doctor-David Seville Wasn't too awful, but still....probably only time I'll do this one!
Now and Forever-Air Supply Did well!  Was very surprised he had it!
Witchcraft-Frank Sinatra Bleh....was all over the place, key/pitch-wise.
Close My Eyes Forever-Ozzy Osborn/Lita Ford We did fairly well:)
Witchy Woman-Eagles Did well:)
Nowhere To Go-Melissa Etheridge Nailed it, even though it left out the 2nd verse
Breakaway-Kelly Clarkson Voice was a little scratchy, but otherwise good:)
Call Me When You're Sober-Evanescence Crowd pleaser!
With a little luck-Wings Did well:)
On The Turning Away-Pink Floyd I think it sounded okay; I couldn't hear myself.
Crazy For You-Madonna By request; nailed it!
With Arms Wide Open-Creed Thought it was low and gravely, but two people told me it sounded good!  So????
Calling All Angels-Train  Nailed it!
Not a Dry Eye In The House-Meatloaf Surprised the hell out of me that he had this!  Did well, even though I had to switch octaves at times.  Two people hi-fived me afterward!

Sat:
Discovered Bottom's Up is only hosting karaoke every other week from now on, unless otherwise notified....my entire table of friends is NOT happy!
Rhinestone Cowboy-Glenn Campbell Not too bad, even though I kept switching octaves...
Rhythm of the Night-Debarge Again, not too bad...
Ride Like the Wind-Christopher Cross Did well!  Probably best of the night!
Right Down The Line-Gerry Rafferty  Made it through, even though it was slightly low.
Right Here, Right Now-Jesus Jones Verses were rough, but nailed the chorus!
Right Here Waiting-Richard Marxx  Nailed it!
Right Time of the Night-Jennifer Warnes Did well:)
Rikki Don't Lose that Number-Steely Dan DNH
Remember Me This Way-Jordan Hill Finally sang it well!




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