Reading, Editing & Life

We will be traveling to North Carolina today, so I won't be participating in this week's typical post. Here's a general update. 

Life was hectic this week, but filled with many fun memories as we spent our final days with the Lil' Princess before she returns to college this week. We also celebrated the Lil' Diva's birthday. I completed the editing project I had been working on, as well as the reading project that was overdue. I've also identified two potential publishers for my completed and edited 2023 NaNoWriMo project. The query letter is finalized, so hope to have that submitted by the end of the month. 

Here is an update on my reading world. 

Read a bit from this one. Look for my review on August 22.

My review is scheduled to appear on August 23. It is already on Goodreads. You can check that out here.

My first chapter review of this contemporary romance appeared last week. You can read it here.

My review of this organic cooking book appeared at the blog last week. You can find it here. 

My review of this one will appear here today.

My post for this one is scheduled for August 14.

I have a couple more hours of listening to this Audible book left. 

This was a new arrival for an upcoming review.

Upcoming events:

• The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra - August (Review)
• Affiliate Marketing for Beginners by Audrey K. Andado - August 12 (First Chapter Review)
• Dishing Love Daily by Susanne Clark - August 14 (Book Blast)
• Knowing by Mark Cox - August 22 (Review)
• Death in St. George's by M. A. Monnin - August 23 (Review)
• Hollywood Underworld by Lindy S. Hudis - August 30 (Review)

You can read the latest Christmas news at the Christmas Year Round blog. Click here!

Hope you have a great week!

NaNoWriMo 2023 Winner!

 

Thrilled to announce that I joined the NaNoWriMo 2023 Winner's Circle in the wee hours of the morning. More than 50,000 words in my Christmas small town romance were written in 28 days. 

Congratulations to all those who dedicated time to write this month. You have the power to make your dreams come true!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Nov 27

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.   

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.     

Welcome back! Here we are at the last Monday in November. It is Sunday as I am writing this, and I passed 46,000 words for my NaNoWriMo project. This is actually going to be a crazy work week, so I am doing my best to stay focused and hopefully finish on time. 

Hope those who celebrate had a nice Thanksgiving. We had more people than expected, and the weather was good. We are blessed. Here are a few photos.

We had a few desserts

Table set

Theo resting after a long day of company

Flowers from our sister-in-law

Despite coming close to surgery, Dwight has not learned he shouldn't ingest plastic

Posted on the blog last week:

Review & Gift Card Giveaway for Resparking Creativity by Fatemah Mizra & Sumayyah Rafiq

Review of The Twelve Months of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Since we had a trip to take the Lil' Princess back to the airport over the weekend, I read this one in the car, which bumped my NetGalley feedback ratio to 93%. My review appears here. 

I will get back to these in December. 

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• The King Who Lost His Colors by Glen Liset - November 27 (review at TC&TBC)
• One Upon a Christmas Castle by Virginia Barlow - November 30 (spotlight)
• Scrapper's Christmas Story by Maria J. Andrade - December 4 (review at TC&TBC)
• Christmas Cove by Sarah Dresser - December 4 (First chapter review)
• The Location Shoot by Patricia Leavy - January 31 (interview)  

At Christmas Year Round last week:

• Relieving Stress During the Holidays
• Christmas Errors, Flubs & Fails: Awkward Photos
• Children's Holiday Little House Stories: A Little House Christmas Treasury by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Christmas on TV: Little House on the Prairie, Season 8: A Christmas They Never Forgot
• Holiday Book Giveaway with Glenys Nellist & Cheryl C. Malandrinos (Enter to win four holiday children's books)

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I ordered this book with a gift card that I had. This novella collection was released last October.

In this glittering and heartwarming collection, three of today’s bestselling sweet romance novelists offer up the gift of cheer for the winter holiday season.

A Christmas Do-Over by Sheila Roberts

Darby doesn’t want to go home for the holidays, but a career fail sends her slinking back to the small town she always wanted to escape. No one there is especially glad to see the former mean girl—especially not her sister, Erica, or childhood best friend, Gregory. Darby is working hard to be a better person, but has she eaten enough humble pie to make amends?

Dashing Through the Snow by Melissa Ferguson

When Willow’s boyfriend of seven years dumps her on the eve of a romantic getaway, she decides to take the two-week train trip on The Christmas Express alone. Hurt as she feels, she can’t anticipate how the hilarious rebound ride with conductor Oliver, elf Ian, and aging world adventurer Clarence will heal her heart—and renew her sense of worth.

A Perfectly Splendid Christmas by Amy Clipston

Kacey adores the metropolitan life, but when she gets away to help her sister during a family crisis and run her bakery, she falls in love with former classmate Drew. The problem: he’s a small-town man, and she’s a big-city woman. Is their love big enough to overcome such a major difference?

Curl up with your favorite holiday drink and sink into three worlds where dreams once thought long-gone are still within reach.

“Filled with Christmas spirit, and a little chaos, too, all three stories left my heart filled with joy . . . Five stars overall! ” —Nancy Naigle, bestselling author

That's it from me. Might take me some time to visit your blogs today, but I will definitely check them out. 

NaNoWriMo Project Announcement: Home for the Heart by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

 

NaNoWriMo starts today. This is the first time in years that I've even attempted it. I've never enjoyed the pressure; I write too slowly; it usually takes me years to finish a 50,000 word project due to my other commitments. So, why tackle it now? 

I've missed writing. Though I have a picture book under contract, I have only written one new story this year. 

All three children are now adults. One has lived on his own for 18 years. One of them is gone four days a week. The other one lives in North Carolina nine months out of the year. 

The last few years have brought a ton of transition and change into my life. We lost three close family members, the kids don't need me as much, and real estate has changed in so many ways since the pandemic that have made my schedule a bit more manageable despite being busier and producing more than I ever have. 

This year, I hit my mid-50s and decided that I want more enjoyment out of life. I want to cook and bake more. I want to walk more regularly. I want less stuff and more experiences, like weekend trips with my other half. 

So, I am giving NaNoWriMo a shot. If I don't win, I'll survive. It won't be the worst thing that happens. I am, however, much more prepared than in years past and writing in a genre I love.

Here is my project:

Title: Home for Heart

Genre: Seasonal romance

Blurb: Chloe Bennett inherits her childhood home and returns to Cedarville after her mother’s death. She has to work with her high school sweetheart, Blake Anderson, the town's real estate broker, despite not having seen him since college.

Blake never understood why Chloe ended their relationship. But life in Cedarville has been good to him. He manages Cedarville’s growing tourism business and the real estate brokerage passed down from Chloe’s late father.

When a fire breaks out at the Cedarville Inn, Chloe opens her historical home to the inn’s owners and their guests. Trying to manage a Boston waterfront hotel from afar, she also wrestles with memories of past Christmases. Then a major plumbing issue brings Blake back to the house.

As Chloe’s heart warms to Cedarville, old feelings between Blake and her resurface. With Christmas approaching, Chloe must choose between returning to her Boston career or making a home with Blake in Cedarville.

Because I am a visual person, I put together a Pinterest board for this project. You can find it here if you want to take a peek. I also have a Spotify playlist here.

Wishing everyone participating in NaNoWriMo or any other writing endeavor in November the best of luck and the greatest success!

NaNoWriMo Anyone?

 

It is possible I am crazy. I'm not a NaNoWriMo person. I've tried a couple of times to spend November, one of the busiest months in my world, writing a 50,000 word novel. It never works. That's why I started participating in Picture Book Idea Month, now known as STORYSTORM. Way easier to come up with 30 picture book ideas than write 50,000 words. Yet, I decided out of the blue on Sunday that 2023 would be a NaNoWriMo year. 

One must ask herself why. I mean, this will be the best year for me in real estate since I started. I'm looking to expand my real estate business in 2024. Rarely do I take a day off and, even when I'm on vacation, I'm working. So, why now? 

Maybe mortality hits you in the face every once in a while. You look up to find you have gray hair and haven't checked much off your bucket list. Not that life hasn't been great, but sometimes you wonder if more exists for you out there. And if it does, isn't it your job to make it happen? Who else cares about it more than you? Who else can you rely on? 

So, maybe I am crazy. Maybe I'll burn out in a week. Who knows? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

Wondering if any of my loyal readers are also participating in NaNoWriMo this year. Please let me know in the comments. I would love to follow your progress. Here's to NaNoWriMo and all the writers out there willing to plunge right in!