IWSG: Running like a rabbit . . .

I'm late. I'm late! Just like that rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, down the rabbit hole I go, working my way through a to-do list that's way too long! Including a special writers' Zoom meeting on Wednesday that I missed entirely. Sigh.

For February 5, the Insecure Writer's Support Group challenges writers to answer this question:

Is there a story or book you've written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

The short answer is no. I did have a story that I set aside to finish Unleashed Pursuit. That side trip into the world of a runaway female cop, chased by bad guys and good guys, popped out into the world early January, 2025. Telling this story was a lot of fun, and feedback from readers has been positive. Check it out . . . and as indie writers say, consider leaving a review?  Go HERE.

So, happily, I'm now back at work -- and writing! -- on Sandra and Neil's Honeymoon in Egypt, a follow-up art crime mystery to The Seventh Tapestry. Would you be surprised to learn that Sandra and Neil discover artifacts have been stolen from that brand new Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza? 

Typically, it takes me about 2-3 years to write a story. I'm trying to apply 1) outlining, 2) deadlines, and 3) a daily word count to finish Honeymoon (currently at 34K) by December 2025. Of course, it does help that we visited Egypt a few years back. I still remember touching the pyramids at Giza and walking underneath one of those pyramids.

May you have a good month, whether writing and/or reading! 

Despite continued snow and winter that's longer than it should be, we will persevere! Right?

Consider visiting the awesome co-hosts for the February 5 posting of the IWSG: Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson.  Say hello, leave a comment, and celebrate each day!

2025: Time to set those goals!

I'm filled with enthusiasm and a sense of thankfulness over the great receiption of Unleashed Pursuit, just released last week, already with 3 reviews! But, now it's time to set goals for 2025 -- a mix of writing and personal commitments. 

Here's my preliminary list, including deadlines (aargh!):

• Complete the first rough draft of Honeymoon in Egypt, an art crimes mystery, currently at 30K. Book 2 following The Seventh Tapestry, (now up to 149 reviews!) by June 2025.
• Continue blogging 2x/month.
• Send newsletter 1x/month.
• Read and review other authors 2x/month.
• Participate in writing groups (Zoom 4x/month, Spokane Authors 1x/month). Maybe resume working with the Internet Writing Workshop?

Am I being too ambitious? I truly don't know.

    Source: lolalambchops  

• OTHER:
• Go swimming and/or some other physical activity 3x/week.
• Continue making comfort quilts for those who need them, probably 1x/month.
• Come up with some way to make cooking easier (I really don't have a clue).
• Celebrate family commitments with activities 2x/week.
• Face down the MARKETING challenge (again, never sure what works or what I 'should' do to encourage new readers). 
• Do I offer a freebie for Valentine's Day? Hmmm. What do YOU think?

Ah, the truth is that I don't feel ready for 2025. Family illnesses are distracting, and I feel like each day brings a new and unexpected challenge. My favorite saying these days is that real life is much like fiction -- full of plot twists! I hope to support those who need me in the coming year -- and keep writing.

May 2025 be a good year for us all -- and, hopefully, a little less complicated!

 

Source:  Pinterest  

IWSG: Someone to admire . . .

2025 begins with many challenges. We'll need courage to face some of them down. Right now, the television news are focused on those horrific fires in Los Angeles. I can't help remembering the time I worked in LA's downtown financial district and lived in a small apartment off Wilshire Boulevard. Now a minimum of 80K people are evacuating what looks like four fires. I'm grateful to be living now in the snowy Inland Pacific Northwest, otherwise known as eastern Washington, even if we did get another inch of snow this morning.

The January 8 challenge question from the Insecure Writers' Support Group asks us to describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?

Whew! This question sent me down a rabbit hole, for my mother was a Hollywood starlet, beautiful, charismatic, and an alcoholic. I did not admire her. 

When my Aunt Liz offered me a chance to come live with her to go to college, I left and never went back.Yes, I admired and respected my aunt then, at 17, and now. Without her, I would not have begun that long journey to earn my degree and then a master's. I wouldn't have taught community college, with a special awareness of how education can change lives.

Liz was an artist and a beautiful person in her own right. Her paintings, more than 50 years later, still hang on my walls, inspiring me to be that person who sets goals and follows her heart. 

She overcame challenges as well, which truly began when she overheard her mother comparing her to Marion, my mother. "She's the leftovers," said my grandmother. I think sometimes that Liz spent the rest of her life, working to prove she was not the 'leftovers.' 

Her next challenge was becoming a recognized artist in a time when women were expected to be housewives. Once, she was shown a cupboard full of glasses, all in a tidy row. "This is what you should be doing. Not painting."

Yet she found time and resources to support me and my writing at a time when there was no one else. I will never forget her.

On the brighter side, I'm pretty excited to let you know that  Unleashed Pursuit is now available online. Click HERE to pick up your copy for half the price of a cup of coffee!

When newly appointed detective Cat Russo goes undercover at a shady nightclub in Seattle, she doesn’t expect her friend and partner, Sophie Morales, to be murdered. Threatening phone calls from strangers and a mandatory suspension push her to go on the run.

When she meets Officer Kevin McDonnell in a small town on the Oregon coast, Cat begins to believe she can solve Sophie’s murder. She’s determined to return to Seattle, despite everything that can go wrong.

Early readers have found Unleashed Pursuit a gripping read. As one reader said, “Just when you think that Cat is finally going to be safe, another heart-stopping twist occurs!”

A special thank you to Alex Cavannagh, the force behind IWSG, that online writers support group that allows us to catch up on what other writers are doing. And more thanks to this month's co-hosts -- Rebecca Douglass, Beth Camp (that's me!), Liza @ Middle Passages, and Natalie @ Literary Rambles! 

Why not explore what 95 other IWSG writers are doing on this monthly blog hop! Click HERE.  

We cannot change what is happening in this crazy beginning to 2025, but we can work to make our world a better place. For now, I'm hoping for better news from Southern California.