Wishing For More Time!

There are not enough hours in the day! Somehow I am feeling overwhelmed today. I look at some other women and mothers that I know, heck, I even read about fellow authors and how they keep a strict writing regiment and I feel completely inadequate. I am lucky if I get a shower some days!

I sleep in too late most mornings because my husband and I stay up way too late watching 'Big Brother' or 'The Bachelorette' (yes, I sometimes make him watch it with me), and I stay in bed most mornings until I have four children screaming at me to feed them. I try to be the "Poster Mom" but seem to miserably fail on a daily basis. Each night I make up for it with a renewed ambition, and make promises of a clean slate and a new start as soon as the sun rises.

Unfortunately I didn't roll out of bed until eight thirty this morning. By then the kids had already decided to play with every single toy they have ever owned ... and I mean EVERY SINGLE TOY! I tried starting my son Stephen's weekly piano lesson, when my eighteen month old decided she was going to also play the piano and pound on all of the keys she could reach. It was either listening to the not-so-melodic composition of my toddler or listening to her scream as I tried to restrain her. At least my son was a good sport. It will be a miracle if he ever learns to play.

And those two are my easy ones. Don't even get me started on my five and three year old girls. My five year old, Taylor, was born difficult and I think I may have started coming to terms with it, though it doesn't give me any comfort. And my three year old, Payton, has catapulted herself into the "terrifying three's" (the terrible two's hold nothing on the terrifying three's ... new mom's BEWARE!)

Potty training is going horribly, so far this week we have had at least three accidents and had to throw away an unsalvageable pair of underwear (if you get my drift). I swear my older two weren't this difficult. Or maybe they were and I developed selective amnesia (phenomenons like that don't surprise me anymore after having kids).

I just don't have time to do it all ... my growing pins on my 'Things to Do' board on Pinterest is a testament to my lack of time. And on top of trying to survive my day with four kids I need to also find time to write more novels and market my finished book? Where did all of my time go?

My mom used to say how she would wish time could just freeze ... along with us six kids ... so she could actually get some things done.

I guess it's just payback. And right now her wish has never rang more true.

Just Another Party!

My book launch party on June 14th went so well that I decided to do another one! The opportunity came for me to visit my hometown of Henderson, Nevada over the fourth of July weekend. And it has been too long since I have ventured down south. I can't remember the last time I visited Henderson. All I know is that it was a few kids ago (sometimes the amount of children is the only was I can decipher time periods nowadays). 

I am really excited to get back and catch up with old friends and see people who have been an example to me growing up. And what better way to get together than to throw a book party! I am still trying to get over the nervousness and the more than slight awkwardness that I feel when I throw myself a party, but I will survive.

During my first Launch Party I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who came out to show their support. There were more people than I had expected, which was a pleasant surprise. And now that a handful of those people have finished my book, I am getting to hear their thoughts on Going Home, and it is surreal. I am grateful for those people's comments and feedback. It makes all the work this past year worthwhile.

I believe that this second party will be just as great as the first!

It's Almost Time!

My Book Launch Party is almost here. I don't have a lot of time until Friday, and I am super stressed. I think I have cried more these last few days than I have in a long time. I finally have all of my formats done and uploaded onto their sites. I am still waiting for my print version through Amazon to approve my cover page changes. My title was just 1/16 of an inch off! But it was too noticeable.

Once I finally got everything changed and ready, I was hit with the worst news yet. My books won't be shipped to me in enough time for my launch party. I will be receiving them some time next week. So I will be having a launch party without any books! I feel very incompetent and more that a little embarrassed right now. Even though most of the problem was completely out of my control, it still doesn't make me feel any better.

I feel bad for the people who do still come to my book-less party, because they are most likely coming out of pity. At least I will have some cookies to give them for their trouble.

I would change my party for another day, one where I can actually have my books, but June 14th is important. It is a very significant date in my novel and in my life actually. This Friday will be the sixth year anniversary of my baby boy's death. This book and this party is for him, so I feel like I can't change it. So we are carrying on, even if the situation is less than ideal. Here's to hoping everything works out!

Going Home

Going Home

The Craziness Is Almost Over!

Late last night I sent my manuscript off to my formatter. I can't believe that I am that much closer to actually holding a physical copy of my book. I will be getting Going Home formatted to the Kindle, Smashwords, and Createspace.

I swear that I have read more blogs, and information sites involving publishing your own novel than anyone on the planet! I am grateful for all of those smart people out there who are willing to share their vast knowledge to those who know little about publishing on their own. I hope that after this process, I will be able to help someone else fulfill their dream of writing and publishing their own book. It was extremely hard, but very worth it. And my journey is far from over!

I am now currently trying to get ready for my book launch party, which I am planning on having on June 14th. That date holds a certain significance in my novel, and in my life. The idea of throwing a party where people come to buy my book and talk to me kind of freaks me out! I like to think of myself as more of a reserved person, but it has to be done, I guess.

Hopefully, after the end of next week, things will start to slow down and the stress will ease slightly, so I can enjoy my summer. By then I will have my novel available in multiple places, and I will just have to wait and see if people like it. I get a little nervous every time I think of someone besides family reading my book, but I know I need to get over that, or at least pretend that I am not self-conscious.

Then after all the work is done ... I'll start writing my next novel. So much for a stress free summer. But I wouldn't have it any other way!

I'm Done! I'm Done!

That is...I am done with my first draft of the book. I still have a lot of editing to do, but I feel so relieved to have the entire story written out from start to finish. I have had it in my head for four years now and have been writing it for the last two years. It is so nice to get it out of my head and on paper now (or computer to be technically correct).

It was so surreal to  finally finish it. I typed the last sentence of my book and instantly felt a wave of emotion. I had done it! I have accomplished one of my life goals that I have had since I was twelve years old. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to finish. I'll just have to try to convince myself that my older age has made me wiser and given me more experiences in which I could relate to in my writing.

I need to start editing! What I probably will do is relish a few more moments of feeling accomplished before I dig in and cringe as I read grammatical errors and find small holes in my plot. Once again I will try to convince myself that with each proofreading of my story, the better I will be making it.

I Can Almost Taste It!

I am so close to being done, that it is driving me completely crazy!  I just need to keep myself motivated and hopefully if I can be disciplined enough, within the next three days or so I will be done with my first novel.  I am so excited I can barely stand it.  I joke with people that know about this endeavor of mine, that I have honestly written this entire book while either holding a baby or listening to one cry.  Let's just say I have gotten extremely talented at typing with one hand.

I do need to mention my embarrassing job of posting lately. It has been years, and I am ashamed.  Hopefully now I will be posting at least once a week. And hopefully my next post will be a celebratory one. Where I will be treating myself to something, I'm not sure what yet, great in honor of finishing this goal of mine. I would like to thank my husband, Steve. He has been pushing me to finish for these last few months. It has been nice having to answer to someone who at least cares that I finish, especially when I would get discouraged thinking that the end was nowhere in sight.

Now I can see the end clearly and it is taunting me! So I am going to keep pushing on. I only have three more chapters! So, instead of posting something too long, I will cut it short and hopefully use the time I saved to write another chapter. Wish me Luck.