Goals and Reading List 11/2/09

Last week, I got 3 out of the 4 writing goals completed. The first draft of Her Private Chef is now complete. It didn’t quite make 50,000 words, but it will in the revisions, without even trying. Maybe even 55,000. I should check the word count guidelines for Blaze again before I start revising. I can’t tell you how excited I am about that draft – it’s the first one I’ve ever written that, even though there are a bunch of revisions to be made, I know exactly where to take it and how to add what’s needed to make it a potentially salable story. A very heady feeling, to be sure! In any case, it’s set aside to “marinate” for the month while I work on my NaNo novel, Desert Heat. I’ll do revisions on HPC in December.

Last week I also planned out my short stories for the Holiday Lights collection, and did the beta reading/commented requested by a twitter buddy. Unfortunately, while I almost got one more complete chapter of Tempest done, that’s all I did for the serial. So there’s nothing else to do but just keep writing it week to week, I guess. It’s okay. I’ll make it happen.

Personal goals didn’t fare quite so well, though we did get the graveyard taken down yesterday, and started staging tubs for décor downstairs where I can inventory it as we put it back. It’s going to be a huge project, and I think I’m just going to have to be strict and devote a few hours per week to it. Hopefully it will go quicker than I think. And I still need to send my Grandma a birthday card – will get the letter written today and mail it tomorrow. Better late than never!

This week is going to be a crazy blizzard of activity – lots to do!

Weekly Goals

Writing
- 2000 words daily for NaNo. I may not hit that every day, but if that’s the goal, I’m more likely to get at least 1,667. It’s only double what I’ve been writing per day…
- Chapter 31 of Tempest
- Write one flash piece for my Holiday Lights collection

Personal
- Start the Halloween inventory process.
- Work out 20 min. per night (hubby and I are on another kick)
- Start planning out the calendar pages I’m designing for Christmas gifts.
- Put out the meager-by-comparison Thanksgiving decorations I have.

Weekly Reading List

Last Friday night I indulged in staying up ‘til the wee hours of the morning to finish The Bartered Bride by Erica Vetsch. It’s her debut novel, and in a couple of weeks I’ll be posting the first chapter here, followed by a guest post and contest to win a signed copy of her book. A historical inspirational romance, it’s the emotionally intense story of a business merger hinging on a marriage between two parties who are less than enthusiastic about it. For such a small book it’s stuffed with internal conflicts and the attempt to balance family loyalty with personal principles. Have I made you curious? Good! It comes out this month, and I highly recommend it. I plan on buying at least one copy for a gift.

I also managed to fit a Harlequin into my lunch hours last week – one of the free reads they released for their 60th anniversary this year. Stranded with a Spy by Merline Lovelace is a frightening story of a woman suspected of smuggling government secrets out of the country, after having lost a sexual harassment suit against a prominent politician. She’s been put through the ringer, and decides to get away for a vacation, but ends up with no money, no passport, and a man she eventually learns is a spy sent to catch the person she’s accused of passing secrets to. It’s a whirlwind of international intrigue and mystery – not to mention insanely hard to put down once it’s started! Excellent read, and free on the Harlequin site (at least it was…).

My monthly subscription reads are ready for download, so I see more good lunch reading in my future…

That’s it for me – how’s your week look? Read anything good lately?