Ready for November?

Colder days predicted here on the west coast with La Nina headed our way. More snow. An election to recover from or celebrate. Yet much to be grateful for. We drove down to Redmond, Oregon, for a good visit with friends. Finally recovered from that foot surgery (that was not easy). Yes, I can drive again! Running errands feels like dating!  

Meanwhile, here's my progress report for November: 

• The Lost Sarcophagus: Wrote only 1.5 words (goal 3K), but feeling back on track with NaNoWriMo ahead. 
• Family history: Wrote only 500 words (goal 1K). Would love to have one major section done before year end. 
• Other Writing: Wrote a Halloween short story, Hunter's Moon, for Write-Edit-Publish's October Challenge. Just a side note: Found out that people with rabies may suffer from face spasms and bare their teeth with a bloody froth  -- maybe leading to fears of vampires!
• Vella. Amazon credited me $10 so I'm back to adding a few more episodes to Mothers Don't Die, after deciding 'no go' last month. I'd love for you to check this out and let me know what you think of my story AND of the Vella program!
• Reviews: Wrote just one: Really enjoyed Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro's The Ride Along!, a thoughtful exploration of that tension between what being a police officer entails and the passionate support to end police brutality.  
• Marketing: Ran a Fussy Librarian campaign just last week for Standing Stones to reach new readers and perhaps add a few reviews. Gave away 1,089 e-book copies. 
• Blogging: Met my goal of posting every Wednesday. My guest post on visiting Stirling Castle to see the tapestries there appeared on Lois Winston's blog, Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers. I'll never forget exploring Stirling Castle, discovering more of the history of James V, and seeing the weavers work on large looms. All this led to my first art crime mystery, The Seventh Tapestry! 
• Quilting: Finished all 12 blocks of Jacob Yenter quilt! 

What's ahead in November: NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) begins November 1, a perfect writing challenge for writers to focus their writing by writing 50,000 words in one month! I do not aspire quite so high. Here are my goals:

• Writing: The Lost Sarcophagus: write 25K.
• Family history: write 2K.
• Blog: Post every Weds. Recruit 'Meet the Author' x2. 
• Reviews: write 2 reviews. 
• Marketing: Develop list of potential reviewers. 
• Quilt: Design border for Jacob Yenter quilt. Make 1 comfort quilt.

Something about the coming of winter, the unpacking of sweaters, and being away for a week and now home, sets me to organizing. I found the beginnings of a poem stuck in my travel journal about a night spent in Edinburgh. Here's the poem! 

Last night we climbed five flights of stairs 

to sleep under the eaves of this old stone building. 

We lay awake under pale blue and green quilts 

as summer lightning skittered across the sky,

Thor's hammer cracking in some ancient battle.

Hot and humid booms split the night open,

and I fell all the way to childhood,

comforted at last by the rain,

you next to me,

and then quiet.

Stirling Castle, Scotland (2009)

Stairs to Blair Street apartment, 

Edinburgh (2009)

May November be very good for you!