Wed. June 25, 2014: Deadline Pressure & Focus

Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Mercury Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Day Before Dark Moon
Sunny and pleasant

Busy day yesterday. Worked flat out, focusing on the revisions for the Big Script Project, and the galleys of “Severance”. Nipped over to Wheldon Library in the late morning to come up for air for a few minutes, connect to the internet, sort out a few things, and send off the finished products.

Then, it was back home and more writing. Also wrote about 750 words in longhand on something I hope is a novella, but I suspect may be longer. AND I figured out how I can tie one of the new ideas I outlined over the weekend to the world in which “Severance” is set.

Also discovered three new possible publishers for the Sophie Batchelder mystery series. I think I’ll re-read the first book and the proposal over the weekend, see if it needs any more tweaks, and then send it out next week, when Mercury goes direct.

I am so ready for Mercury to go direct!

Reading Rachel Aaron’s Eli Monpress series, which I thoroughly enjoy. The first book reminded me, in tone, of Robert Asparin’s first few M.Y.T.H. books, which I loved, and the second book went deeper in a good way. Looking forward to the third.

Working on the materials I’m taking to the Author Palooza event this weekend. I’ve got the copies of ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT, HEX BREAKER, and OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK. Fingers crossed the print copies of TRACKING MEDUSA are arrive on time, but hey, it’s Mercury Retrograde, so I’m not counting on anything.

Busy day today at the library — training session, getting as much work as I can, and then meetings at 4 PM, 5 PM, 6 PM. I’m supposed to read at Cotuit Center of the Art’s Salon of Shorts tonight, too, but I wonder if I’ll have enough in the tank after three back-to-back meetings to do it. Then home, starting the food I’m bringing to tomorrow night’s party, and more revisions. And this, being the day before the Dark Moon, is my lowest energy day of the month. Tomorrow morning, when I get up, I have to finish prepping the devilled eggs while working on more revisions.

And here, I thought my schedule would slow down. Silly me!

But it’s all good busy, and I’m grateful.

Have a great day!

Devon

Thurs. Oct. 18, 2012: Intense Day

This is why I live here

Thursday, October 18, 2012
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Sunny and cold

It’s going to take me about a week to recover from yesterday. I busted my ass most of the day on the non-fiction book proposal. I finally got the sample chapter where I wanted it, tweaked, proofed, and hit “send” at 3:49 in the afternoon.

During this, of course, I’d been making the devilled eggs.

Once I hit “send”, I was ready to puke and then take a nap, neither of which was on the agenda. I had all of 15 minutes to get out of sweat pants and pull myself together appropriately for a cocktail party at the National Marine Life Center.

I got there on time. The space was set up beautifully — just gorgeous! It’s amazing what someone with an eye for decorative detail can do with things that were in the space, and it looked beautiful. I had to untangle some of the eggs — a perky lil’ teenage blonde had wandered into the road 1/2 mile from the center, nearly causing a three car accident (good thing I had new brakes) — her eye on the guys in the pickup trucks that were the other two cars! But the devilled eggs survived, even if they’d rearranged themselves a bit, and people loved them.

The cocktail party was to celebrate the fact that we’re now open to accept seals, and we have our first one — Townsend. Who is such a little cutie! But it was a time to bring together those who’ve worked so hard to bring this to fruition and those who are just learning about the Center and what we do.

It was a lovely evening. I got to catch up with people I knew and get acquainted with some terrific and interesting people that I didn’t know before.

Came home, ate, checked email — found out that the person to whom I sent the proposal already read it and likes it. We have a phone conversation tomorrow for tweaks, and I’ll rewrite this weekend, and . . .we’re off. Considering how far out of my usual wheelhouse this is, I’m happy for the positive response. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, though.

I have a TON of work today, especially when it comes to the classes I’m taking, and the final prep on the course I’m teaching on Saturday.

Yoga was great, but I have a migraine to beat the band.

Onward.

Devon

Wed. Oct. 17, 2012: Earthquake & Book Proposal

I love this photo. I took it on the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard last month

Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Sunny and cold

Intense day yesterday, part of which culminated in an earthquake in the evening. Yup, an earthquake in New England. No wonder the cats were restless and upset all day, and I was ready to turn inside out. The quake was centered in Maine, but felt all the way into Rhode Island.

For me? Cats were upset, but I wondered why a garbage truck was on our little street after dark!

Sounds silly, but it did feel like that bubble of tension that was building all day inside me was relieved once the quake actually happened.

The worst was the local ABC affiliate news, WCVB — they cut into programming to announce it. Okay, fine, makes sense. Then, they ramble on and on and on, repeating the same three sentences over and over and putting people on TV who said things like, “my couch moved a few inches” or “my bedroom door popped open.” Um, and this is news because. . .? There weren’t injuries or fires or power outages. Tell us that and go back to programming. The anchors, who usually give the impression of being a few beats the music behind anyway, looked like utter morons. Totally left out to dry by their EP. Embarrassing. They kept the crawl under the programs all night — the same three sentences. If you don’t have something valuable to say, shut up and don’t waste our time.

I spent time with my tarot students yesterday, but the bulk of the day was spent on the non-fiction book proposal and the query letter. I’m finally happy with both. It was a huge challenge, well out of my comfort zone, but also incredibly exciting. If the proposal sells, it’ll be a great experience to write. What I’m not satisfied with yet is my sample chapter. So I’ll do some more work on that today, and then . . .of it goes.

I have a lot of work to get through today, since I spent so much time on the proposal yesterday, AND I have to make two dozen devilled eggs — we’re having a cocktail party at the National Marine Life Center this afternoon.

Also, time to turn some attention towards the school work. I’m excited about the mythology paper and turning over ideas for the world history paper. I THINK I have one final paper to write in the Sustainability class, too. Plus, I have to review my peers’ projects.

Back to the page.

Devon

Don’t forget to sign up for the First Three Pages:Dynamic Openings, this Sunday, Oct. 20. Take your book or story’s opening, and make it the strongest it can be.

Have you read DEATH SPARKLES yet? This anthology’s got nine vivid, exciting stories about death and diamonds — and is a top 100 Amazon seller! Proceeds go to literacy charity.