Writing and Dave Ramsey

Well, it's happened. After a really good writing streak, I'm losing interest in my Christmas book. I don't actually have time to do this if I want it published by December. I admit that I've been preoccupied with Dave Ramsey's program and WW recipes and losing weight. I'm hoping and praying that I get my writing mojo back.

Juan came home yesterday with a Dogwood tree and hopefully, the thing likes our front yard and will grow up nice and strong. My grandmother had one in her front yard and would always send pictures of it when it bloomed. I'm talking about film pictures here. I'll post the little tree's progress as we go along.

But, back to Dave Ramsey...oh and homesteading. I can't forget that part. In 2017 we purchased a used single-wide mobile home with plans to make it over. This process has been slow going because the husband is a little difficult to get motivated. But finally, he has begun to trim out the windows. I hate the storm windows that come with mobile homes so the plan was to take them all off, throw them out and trim up the windows with wood. So far, half of the work is done on ONE window. Okay, two windows if you consider that they are in the living room side by side. But, still.

Our other plan is to add on to the home and create a spare bedroom/sewing room, mudroom, and new living room allowing the existing living room to become part of the kitchen. We (or I) want to gut both bathrooms and redo them as well. Oh, and the mudroom would sport a half-bath. We also need a half-bath out by the pool and the decking finished in the back yard.

Next spring we want to begin to plant vegetables and use a lot of our property for gardening. And also, we need a place to gather for all of our nine children and their families. And, we need Covid to go away. Please and thank you.

So we've been watching a lot of YouTube except for the break we took last night to watch the "new" Maleficent movie thanks to my husband's begging. That is behind us now. We can get back to Dave and homesteading. And I guess I need to figure out a way to make a new batch of soap this week as well. If Christmas Ginger makes it, it will be a miracle for sure.

Something Hidden

As I wrote yesterday, I'm working on Christmas Ginger in the hopes that I can release it on December 12, 2020. What I forgot to mention is that when one of the characters meets a man in the bookstore, he has a tween book picked out for his nieces that perfectly describes my first published book, The Sonshine Girls. I thought it would be fun to describe the cover.

“As I told you before, my nieces read a lot.” Jeff peeked in his bag and pulled out a book with four girls on the cover looking at an old photo album. “I hope they like this one.” He handed it to Annie.

I was able to write chapter two this morning and will move on to chapter three tomorrow. It's moving along nicely. I've decided to wait on my other books until this one is published. Then, maybe I'll spin the bottle and see which one I work on next!

Christmas Ginger

Back in 2012, I began a book that should have been finished by now. It's called Christmas Ginger and it's about two women who became good friends. Ginger is younger than Annie because Annie had been her lifeline in high school. They met at their apartment complex and Annie encouraged Ginger through her high school years and helped her through rough times when she had been bullied. The main story takes place five years later when Ginger has graduated from nursing school. She and her mother have moved from the complex but Annie is still there, still stuck.

I should take a moment to point out that I'm a discovery writer. I never know what will happen as I write. Characters show up and step into the story at any moment they choose. Paths change, memories happen and their worlds become more and more real to me. It's fun being a writer.

I think one thing that I hear often from other writers is the word PROCRASTINATION. And I understand this completely. I can find 9,412 other things to do before I open Word. I've had to create a morning habit in order to get through the procrastination stage. Every morning I open up Word and open my current WIP (Work in Progress). I make sure I write at least once chapter a day. I try to make my chapters at least 4,000 words long.

Another problem that I have is that I'm excited when I go to bed at night. I can't wait to get up in the morning and write! And then, the morning comes and the procrastinating starts. I've found that by opening Word first and starting to type that I am pulled into the story before I know it. And because of this habit I've created, I now am able to write a chapter a day in addition to making sure that previous chapters line up! Hey, it's working!

So back to Christmas Ginger. As you can tell, it's a Christmas story and I've set a goal to have this one published in time for Christmas this year. Let me tell you, I've never published my own books! I'm going to have to learn the typesetting and cover design. I've done covers and know how to do the layout but the design just seems better to me when done by someone else. So, I'm putting my trust in God that this will all get done at the perfect time. I also need someone that wants to read my books from beginning to end that won't quit on me. And, of course, the most important of all, an editor.

So, I'll take any and all prayers you've got to offer! I would like to see Christmas Ginger released by December 12, 2020.

Yet Another Hot Weekend

Another weekend looms before me. I don't know why I still get excited on Friday mornings. We really don't do very much. The husband and I love to spend time at the lake. I, however, have issues with sweating properly which causes me to react badly to heat. Because of this, I spend a lot of time in the air conditioning. I would rather be at home to do this than cooped up in our RV though it is quite spacious. If I'm at the campground, I want to be outside! So, I'm not sure what this weekend will look like. I'm definitely looking forward to the cooler fall weather that will happen for me sometime in mid-October.

Also, because today is Friday, that means that I had to climb on the scale at exactly 10:30 am for a weigh-in. Another pound down. I'm following WW on the blue plan and loving it. I could honestly do this for the rest of my life. It's that easy. I want to finally get to a healthy weight and stay there. I did Keto for about a year, gained my weight back, and then tried again. I just can't even handle the thought of almond flour ever again. No, please.

I feel that I'm being lazy today. I've been reading about odd deaths and haunting suicides. The people behind the stories fascinate me. And yet, I write Christian fiction. Go figure. I've also been talking to my daughter about WW and how it can be used for a lifetime. I really need to go start the dishwasher but I don't want to. But I have to. Our office/craft room is a building outside of our home. So I have to walk all the way inside to start the dishwasher and fold the laundry. Okay, no more procrastinating. I'm headed inside. BRB

Okay, so that took longer than expected though I'm sure you didn't notice. I must also confess that I took the day off from writing. Am I the only one that gets numerous ideas at night when I'm supposed to be sleeping? "Oh! I'll do that in the morning!" But then when the morning comes, I find myself doing anything but opening Word in order to work on one of my six already-started books. Yes, six...wait, there might be more.

Let me explain. Dead Butterflies is complete but in desperate need of a few people to read through it and then editing. I've also been working on a teen adventure called Five Strange Things. In addition to those, I'm also working on a stand-alone called For Molly. And then there's my new Garrett Family series that could be or should be at least ten books. The first is called Unbroken. And then there is Uncertain which is half complete. And I can't forget my Christmas story called Christmas Ginger.

So, as you can see, I have quite a bit I could be working on. I tend to write a chapter a day in addition to editing other chapters from various books. Each chapter is about 4,000 words. That is what I'm supposed to be doing. As I type, my husband is on the phone rambling about this and that. Another problem I have is if I'm distracted, all writing for the day goes out the window. I'm hoping to use this blog as an exercise to stay on track. I hope to have at least one of my books published by the end of this year. Dead Butterflies is my plan.

I'll also be self-publishing all of my books and my publishing "company" name will be Miracle Cove. If anyone is out there, prayers are gladly accepted!

Here's hoping to have a fun weekend. Grammarly is telling me that my blog sounds gloomy. I don't mean for it to be gloomy. Anyway, I hope that if anyone is reading this blog that you'll have a fantastic weekend! Stay safe!

Welcome to my new blog...

Years ago I had a blog called Cheaper By the Half Dozen. I blogged about family and kids...mainly kids. I don't know why I ever took it down. You see, having six kids gave me plenty to blog about. And now? It's all gone. All of the silly and clever things they did on a daily basis is at the mercy of the memories of those involved.

For several years now, I've tried to start a new blog. But the magic just wasn't there. I could never duplicate my successful blog. And, I will never get back the readers that followed me. What is one to do? Well, I can either lament the blog forever or, start a new one. Since the days of my Cheaper By the Half Dozen blog, I've published a book and written many more. The published book could be bought for ten years but my publisher fizzled out on me and quit.

So I've decided that I will just keep writing. I love my books and stories, but I also want a blog. My blog allows me to quickly jot down memories as they are happening in real life. This blog, God willing, will be here until Blogger rots away. Let's hope that never happens.

Since my old blogging days, I have acquired five grandkids that I lovingly call "taters." We have a pool and so I always picture them in their various floats bobbing up and down in the pool like little potatoes in a pretty pot of stew. And you should also know that they call me Pooka. Well, it's supposed to be Pooka but it varies from Pocka to Kooka. Maybe Kooka is a better name for me.

Anyway, this is supposed to be an intro post. So, my name is Rene' and I have a husband and nine kids. Six of my own and three of his. I write Christian fiction and will tell you a bit more about that here and there as I post. I hope to get to know you, my readers (or reader) in the coming years.

So, welcome to my blog!