One Year Later...

I can't believe it.

A year ago this day I started this blog--don't believe me scroll back to my 2013 posts.

And it's CRAZY right?

A year ago I hadn't finished a novel, ever! Always wanted to, but never have. I mean unless you tally the word count of all my abandoned projects...

This June I finally accomplished that, and I'm currently through a second draft (but really another version) of that first novel. Nuts. Just absolutely certifiably cray-cray.

Some things have stayed the same of course. I still want to build a career from my writing, and that is an umbrella of on-going goals. I mean I really started the blog for that reason. I always hear editors and writers advise treating this like a job from the get-go even before you get a agent and/or contract.

 I want to be able to hold myself accountable. Kinda like graduating from plants to pets to children. I want to nurture my career and not just superglue my palms together and waste my days just praying. Doesn't God help those who help themselves?

Some things have changed, too.

I've learned to ask. Invite my family into my writing world and I pinch myself at my incredible luck in a group of people who are so supportive. My sisters will clear their desks when I ask for a place to sit, or they'll inquire about my writing,

I learned to use Twitter without looking like an idiot. And I'm participating more in the writing world. I've read more--I love to read, but i always put it on the back burner when school came around. (And you can imagine what a little time management and an agenda can do!)

Wrapping this post up because it isn't an update, I only hope that next year when my 2-year blogiversary rolls around I'll be able to actually have something to talk about like I did here!

Guess what? I'm actually writing! series (#2 - 50% mark)

Guess What?! (2):

50% here I am!

But man, oh man I really do suck with this commitment thing.

As you can see from the word count meter on the right of the screen, I hit 50% with my WIP 10K ago and I’ve been since remiss with this post.

My excuse is I’ve been dealing with a wonky schedule for the last 4-5 days. Family has been swinging through the house and as you all know by this series’ previous post I am desk less. And that could have worked out two ways: 1) I could have been a lazy bum and took some “time off” writing. Ha!

Or 2) I write something. Anything! 100 words as magic a number as 1000!

I went with option #2—though I deliberated on option #1 every time I sat down to actually do the writing. It’s easier to start off the day saying you’re going to write, but when writing time comes—oh boy. -shakes head-

A lot of mental bribery ensues, maybe material bribery ("100 words more and you can go play catch up with Big Brother").

I had to make sacrifices, too. So usually I borrow my sister’s desk during the morning and afternoon while she’s off at work, but during the weekends she’s using it and I retain my desk less status.

During these times I drag myself to my bed and write with the laptop on my legs or on the bed, you name the odd position.

Why is this a sacrifice? I hate to write on my bed! I don’t know how some writers do it—I just. I just CAN’T. Somebody call the posture police!

As for the writing itself, it’s going as swell as a pantsing project can go.

This WIP is not really so much a second draft of my first attempt at Bad-Blooded Billionaire. I thought it would be, but now that I’m well past the halfway mark (and that means a Guess What?! post 3 is in the works!) I can’t ignore the fact that this reads more like another story with only a few similar points (i.e. character names, some occupations stay the same)

I also can see more revisions in the near future for BBB.

I think the problem is I haven’t outlined enough. I mean I used to love outlining, and now I’m too scared to touch it for fear I’ll kill the drive to write the story.

I had no synopsis, no chapter outline, no frikkin’ blurb for this story—I just started writing on the start of this month and let my fingers do their thing.

Well, that isn’t going to happen next time. And since I don’t see myself stopping at this point until I hit ‘The End’, I decided to track these problems and will be transferring the points I’ve made from my noggin to a notebook.

But more on that laters, baby. (And no, my billionaire hero isn’t teaching the heroine any Japanese bondage art. ;D)

Guess what? I'm actually writing! series (#1 - 25% mark)

Guess What?! (1):

So I hit the 25% mark on my WIP. Yay!
6 days ago I would laugh at you if you came up and told me I'd be sitting here writing this post.

Hahaha.

And now that that's out of my system, I can celebrate...and as promised update on the process. I decided I'll do a weekly post, but there might be some hits and misses there on posting time.

Instead I'll organize the posts per a percentage system, at the very least. When I hit milestones like now at the 1/4 completion mark of the targeted word count, I'll post a recap of my writing days.

A little back story with this WIP. I actually started it back in July 24th after I decided there was a limit to my reading back-to-back. (I don't know how professional book reviewers do this!) I was running from my writing and that morning I sat in front of my computer for other reasons than mindless net surfing.

I wrote. And I wrote. I didn't want to write, but I wrote.
Day 2 came around on July 25th and I wrote again.

I was ~2000 words into the first attempt when I scrapped it all and picked up a couple of Harlequin Romances on my TBR shelf (check book reviews #28 and #29). And rather than writing that morning, I read. And I read.

It wasn't that I forgot to write, I just didn't want to write.
So I ran back to reading. The oh-so safe activity of reading. -strokes books and dies of paper cut bleeding-

In my defense at the time I was also studying for two finals so I wasn't exactly writing focused. Reading was easier and I figured that I needed some time to plot my hero and heroine's goals/motivations and the story's main conflict.

Done, and done. August 1st rolls around too quickly, but happily because...I AM FREE FROM SUMMER SCHOOL!

August 1st to 6th: I write every day at all odd hours as I experiment to find my comfort zone, because writing environment is important and I am desk less.

Or...

You choose how you imagine my being desk less.

But even in my desklessness--that is so not a word--I managed to pull off writing something. That something turned out to be a lot, but hey! That's still pretty cool and motivational, right? Right?

Of course I wasn't thinking motivational at all when I was in the process of writing (active) as opposed to the end of the day when I have written (passive). Take for example on the second morning I was borrowing my sister's desk while she was out and about and I looked over at her scanty bookshelf (ahaha, hopefully she'll never read this) where an old copy of Twilight and books 4-7 of HP sit alongside a bunch of textbooks from her school days (oh. and now I make her sound super-old. I'm dead). And then it hit me.

None of those authors quit. And if they had my sister wouldn't have their books sitting on their shelf.

It was the kick in the pants I needed that morning. Why? Because I want to personally make writing a career. And if I want it as a career I gotta to treat it like a job from the ground running. So when that day comes and I get a contract for my debut, I'll be as prepared at least in my fortitude.

The rest of publishing will still swamp me, but at least I'll know that I have to keep writing and that, more importantly, I can.

...

Oh and that copy of Twilight is mine, okay! There. I said it.

BOOK REVIEW (28): Storybook Dad

BOOK REVIEW:

Storybook Dad

So this past summer I’ve taken a family psych course and we briefly touched on single fatherhood among other modern family-related issues. I like to think single fatherhood always existed since we could…you know, procreate, but it’s transformed into a more acknowledged scenario in North America particularly.

Why am I blabbing about single fathers?

Well I’ve already read one book with a single father lead and I was able to dig around my monstrous TBR book shelf to find another romance touching on the subject of male, single parenthood and the difficulties associated with parenting in general (raising kids are hard, go figure).

That find was Laura Bradford’s Storybook Dad, and like the title suggests fairy tales and unfulfilled childhood dreams are a motif in the story.

Our lead this time around is more average. An accountant single dad raising his son, and of course because I assume accounting is boring (sorry mum and dad!) hero Mark Reynolds needs some action in his life. And what better way than to join heroine Emily’s entrepreneurial classes offering a range of daredevil hobbies, like rapids rafting, survival camping and rock climbing?

On a more serious note Mark is there for other personal reasoning. His wife died and he’s trying to regain something of equilibrium, and he joins Emily’s class because he wants to try something new.

In a similar conflict Emily started her company offering these classes because she wanted to prove something to herself. AND this isn’t a spoiler she’s been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That was a tough one to swallow for me as a reader. I’ve never read a book where the heroine was sick. I think there might have been one book where the heroine was on remission from cancer, but that was it.

I actually set the book aside for a couple hours before I convinced myself that it was a romance and something GOOD had to happen—I mean it’s Harlequin—and I wasn’t even setting myself up for a HEA, just cautious of making myself cry and wondering how I would cheer myself up if I did.

I didn’t cry. Okay, maybe once if you count getting misty-eyed. There is one scene that will make you definitely sniffle at the least, or smile, or react in some normal human way.

In her opening letter to readers the author discusses her own journey and the spark of inspiration for the cast and conflicts for the book after she was diagnosed with MS.

Of course there is a child involved, and like the only other romance with a child character, Mark’s preschool-aged son Seth Reynolds makes a splash and rocks the starting waves of a companionate-type love between the couple on top of the separate sexual attraction.

There is a sex scene that is moderately explicit, as in there are some details mentioned. But it’s more tender need than flip-your-hair, brandish-your-feather dusters steamy bedroom peeping.

I had no regrets reading the book. The dialogue surrounding the MS, and there was a lot because it was the main source of conflict, had me questioning my level of empathy. I think I came the closest to evoking empathy in the moments Emily openly discussed her MS.

Does that make me sound like a heartless monster?

I mean I got a bunch of sympathy, but the sympathy gave way and instead I just kind of started stepping into Emily’s shoes, rather than reading the book like an audience.

All right enough of my defending myself, and I just might be a heartless monster.

Anyways my rating is based on a couple of misses for me.

1)      No small-town community feeling. The other Harlequin American Romance had a vibe of more community than this book. There weren’t a lot of secondary characters introduced and none I felt a strong attachment and/or curiosity towards… Yeah. It’s more a personal flavouring, but I would have liked to see how the community as a whole reacted to Emily’s MS. Though it was made clear that Emily flied solo and only the handful of her close friends and family members knew of her condition. She also isn’t living near family, so all of that kinda made the “community feel” factor nearly impossible.

2)    Disconnect with hero’s logic. I felt that Mark was all over the place in his reasoning for holding up his conflict to keep Emily away. I mean I get that he doesn’t want to hurt his son and all, and you have to read the book to find out why he believes he wants to hurt his son, but come on! Emily’s rational spoke more volumes. I think he handled a lot of things very stupidly.

3)     Ending felt clichéd and rushed. My gawd that ending was pretty bland. Like I was reading a fairy tale, like those children’s book fairy tales sans the weird pedo and horror elements. I don’t know what I expected, but it was cheese. Another topic is brought up at the end of the novel, too. The decision of child-bearing and disease (in this case of the neurological variety), and Emily and Mark make a decision.

Now go read the book and find out what that decision is.

My verdict:

✮✮✮.5

(3.5 stars)

BOOK REVIEW (27): Immortal Hearts (Vampire Kisses #9)

BOOK REVIEW:

Immortal Hearts

This review was a long time coming. Frankly I didn’t think I’d be writing this until the end of the year, especially since I kinda went on a dry spell reading-wise last month.

But with CampNaNo revising going bust and picking up a reading challenge I managed to squeeze the final books of the Vampire Kisses series in my schedule. And voila, the conclusion to the series after nearly a decade with these books…

RECAP. In a former post I mentioned I stumbled across Ellen Screiber’s YA PNR series in 2005. Back then I didn’t know Twilight existed (that came at the close of 2007) and I got to that point in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series were I wanted to burn all the then-existing books (I think Micah was slated for a release then.)

I broke away from the VK series purely because I hate waiting. I’m not a patient person when it comes to the traditional book schedule of a year. I just can’t do it. So usually I’m a late band wagoner waiting until the final book in a series’ releases before I dive in and rush to catch up by that final publication date.

Case in point with Immortal Hearts: this 9^th and final installment of the Vampire Kisses series released in May 2012. Holy crud! More than 2 years ago, and I remember stalking Ms. Schreiber’s twitter to catch the title reveal. Also learned back then that there was to be a book 10 called Stormy Nights, but I think it was pulled and Immortal Hearts was announced to be the final book. Fun fact! Although there is no book 10 (and to be honest, I don’t even know whether to be sad or happy about this) Stormy Nights made it as a chapter title in Immortal Hearts.

So here we are with the review. What can I say after this long-ass journey?

Yay! First of all to me for getting through these books—

You see Immortal Hearts follows the same trajectory as every one of its eight predecessors. There’s a mini recap. Night life seems swell until Raven begins pestering Alexander to bite her AGAIN. Alexander—and we’re reminded he’s a gentleman vampire unlike that ruffian Jagger who’ll stick his fangs anywhere—denies his instinct for blood and mating (yeah…apparently he really wants to make Raven his vampire-mate which sounds like a sophisticated form of healthy teenage curiosity to me). Some family member (or acquaintance), in this case family, from Alexander’s world makes a cross-Atlantic trip to drop in on Dullsville, U.S.A. This visitor is Alexander’s little sister, Athena Sterling, also affectionately known as Stormy. Visitor causes indirect (and/or direct) problems to Raven and Alexander’s nocturnal love and there is a recapitalization of the series’ overarching internal conflict in which Raven doubts her wish to become a vampire and Alexander confesses his desire to bite Raven and make her wishes come true despite totally thinking he’s going to ruin her life as a human.

Now that doesn’t sound like I like this book? Well although that’s true, it’s kinda half true. Overall the series is like average. Decent. I didn’t come away thinking I wasted my time, but I sure as hell will never read these books again if I can help it.

What I liked:

1)      Athena “Stormy” Sterling – I’ve realized I like most of the visitors to Dullsville, because they give me a break from Raven + Alexander action. Athena makes it on both my lists, but right here I’ll mention what I did like about her. I liked that she wasn’t all over Raven immediately. And even when she was it wasn’t solely a Raven thing. She was friendly to everybody.

2)    The sibling scenes – there are more scenes with Raven and her little brother, Billy/Billy Boy/Nerd Boy. And I usually find the author does exceptionally well capturing the sibling rivalry. Also learned author had two brothers and that she might be drawing from her own experiences possibly? Mhm. That would be interesting to confirm. But Billy plays more of a role in this novel. His name pops up a lot and not just in casual mention. Like he’s there again since he kinda took a back seat after a large mention in book 4, Dance with a Vampire.

3)     Not everyone get a HEA! What? Why am I excited about that? Mostly because I was steeling myself to a really sickening happily-ever-after where all teen lovers in the book get together and spin yarn about how they’ll spend their mortality or immortality together.

What I disliked:

1)      Athena “Stormy” Sterling – told you she makes it on my other list. What I disliked about Stormy was how she came off. She’s a wish-washy character and, though she’s much stronger at the beginning, by the end she is a caricature. There’s a scene where she confronts Jagger and the rest of the Maxwell siblings about something (I won’t say what due to spoilers) and she manages to tidy up what appears to be an eternal feud between the Maxwell and Sterling dynasties. I mean, wth. She’s twelve. C’mon. Was I to believe that all it took was a wrist-slap for everyone to get along?

2)    The cheesy dialogue and constructed actions of the characters. I was jarred out of the story so much times. Particularly every time Raven says something I wouldn’t expect came out of the mouth of a seventeen-year-old. And then there’s the back-and-forth ping-pong debate about turning Raven into a vampire were excuses to inject the novel with thematic messages. Like they felt like lectures amounting into vast pages.

3)     Usually I’m not complaining about a book’s pace, but MAHGAH this book was fast. As in nothing-happened-but-everything-fell-into-place fast. I already mentioned the backstory to Immortal Hearts and the Vampire Kisses series and how there was to be a book 10, but I guess the contract came in for only one more book and not two. So this final installment also happens to be the longest book in the series at 58K. Books 1-7 averaged at 36-40K so there’s a pretty big word leap. My theory is, and this is because it felt like this reading the book, this story is an amalgam of a would-be other story in the series. Like books 9 and 10 were mashed up and the mash-up result is Immortal Hearts. I say this because there seems to be two plots going on. You have the Stormy-arriving and vampire-secret discovery thing and then the Raven-wanting-to-get-bitten plot.

Just read the book and you’ll understand what I mean. It feels very disjointed and comes off as a helter-skelter read.

Okay. So it’s obvious I’m pretty divided with the series’ concluding novel,  but also with the series as a whole. I started and continued reading the books because I enjoyed Ellen Schreiber’s humorous approach to the whole teen paranormal wangst. Which BTW was pre-Twilight folks!

But by the end I’m no longer seeing this as a comedy (maybe even a satire) on YA PNR and romantic comedy film genre. Like suddenly the author took herself way too seriously and got sucked in by the whole crappy romance.

Speaking of romantic comedies, there’s actually a rain scene, too.

You know the reunion scene after the black moment in romantic comedies. Lovers chase after each other in the rain and confess their wrongdoings and proclaim their eternal love for one another, hug and kiss in the rain yadda yadda blah bleck!

Yet I still can’t find that regret in me. I don’t hate the books, and I don’t love them. But I DO recommend them as a great summer/leisure read. They’re light-hearted at the very least and escapism when the plot gets good, which is rare… And if you’re not much of a YA PNR reader, use the Vampire Kisses series to test the waters as it will do either of two things: 1) have you running for the hills from all PNR things, or 2) ease you through to more mature writing—not to say the immaturity of these books were a bad thing. I enjoyed them whenever I enjoyed them.

And that's why with sincerity I say, thanks for the read, Vampire Kisses, I'll miss you.

My verdict:

✮✮✮

(3 stars)

BOOK REVIEW (26): The Billionaire's Baby SOS (The Larkville Legacy #8)

BOOK REVIEW:

The Billionaire's Baby SOS

I’ll preface this review by saying I’ve had an exciting month reading-wise. I’m expanding to test out what kind of romances I enjoy, so I’ve been reading a lot of romances outside the Vampire Kisses series, which is a YA PNR.

This next book is another Harlequin and another first read from a category romance series of theirs called Harlequin Romance. Fun fact! Harlequin Romance was the first series published by the romance publishing giant. Cool, huh?

If the title isn’t self-explanatory The Billionaire’s Baby SOS has a baby trope in it. And the blurb at the back of the book will also give away another trope, often closely associated with the babies, the nanny trope. Oh, yeah, and there’s also a billionaire. Yup. That’s what the title will surmise. Luckily this review isn’t a title review, so let’s go beyond the title shall we?

Before we dive into the review though, I’d like to give you the warning I wish I had. As far as I can see the hard cover version of The Billionaire’s Baby SOS does not state it is part of an 8-book series and with my crap luck this is the eighth and final story of that miniseries. Personally I don’t think that this book is a spoiler at all. The other characters from the 7 other stories are all mentioned and/or make appearances at the end of the book, but nothing is given away as to how the couples met or any major plot details shared from the rest of the series.

But if that kinda thing bothers you, there’s your warning. Cherish it! J

Okay, first I really found myself enjoying the baby thing! It’s a new thing for me. I know some people either A) have tried reading romances with babies, but hated it, or B) never bothered to try because it’s a turn off. In my case it was neither. I haven’t read one prior to this novel and it’s not my style to judge a book entirely by the cover. (All right. Sometimes I judge by the cover…and title, oddly enough.)

I’m glad I didn’t though. Baby Bella was adorable! And she wasn’t really either a prop or such a significant distraction from the story that I forgot it was a romance. Let me emphasize that. I never forgot it was a romance. Author Susan Meier doesn’t allow you with all the scenes wrought with sexual tension between heroine Claire and hero Matt.

Claire isn’t actually a nanny, but I’ll let you read and find out what I mean by that. What I liked about Claire is her interaction with Bella and Matt in the book, both together and separately. I realize I really I’m a sucker for these sorts of books were romance is tinged with family elements, so it’s not entirely the H/h in a bubble of their own, oblivious to the world around them. Not as romantic as it sounds when you’re actually reading 190+ pages.

Claire has her problems, too. Her backstory made me cry…well, almost cry. It definitely made me uncomfortable with sorrow. The gist of that story is she’s learned to hold onto the good/positivity in her life, and Matt and Bella are the upside in her life right now.

I didn’t like that her compassion came off fake. I mean she did a lot of over-and-beyond tasks for Matt that seemed unnatural considering they’re virtual strangers even with the lust. Then there was the conversations with her boss that came off really fake.

But for better or worse our story’s billionaire falls for this “little slip of a woman” (p.200)—which btw is the strangest saying and entirely out of context with this time period.

Yeah. So Matt falls for Claire hard, and first it’s just the usual physical attraction, but then that unnatural compassion of hers is what tugs and thaws this Wall Street Ice Man’s heart. I liked Matt, too. He had such a complex childhood and he isn’t alpha, like at all. And I think the nickname he’s given “the Ice Man” doesn’t’ do his character in action much justice.

He’s not an A-hole, and he isn’t cold-hearted and constantly shrugging off Claire. He doesn’t hover whenever she’s taking care of Bella either. I guess I’m coming off of reading some alpha males in romances and I’ve decided I’m thoroughly disenchanted by the magic of the weirdly possessive, controlling alpha hero.

And since the book is talking babies and it’s all about fatherhood and the challenges associated with this half of parenting, let’s talk Matt and his new status as daddy. IRL I find it funny when a guy (or girl for that matter) who isn’t really experienced with children is forced to interact with them. I don’t have wicked baby skills/experience myself, but I’m always ready to learn. (Yes. I do love infants.)

I was expecting a romanticized version of fatherhood, and I got it—like there was no messy poop stain smearing an expensive tie—but I only got half of it.

Unlike Claire’s freaky-sized compassion, Matt takes the fatherhood slowly and his progress is natural. I mean, near the end it’s rushed a bit, but he isn’t like SUPERDAD suddenly.

Same goes for Claire and Matt’s relationship. The story takes place over the course of, I think, one week. Or one week and a bit, but Claire and Matt jump in the bandwagon of love and rush into their relationship and “I love yous” much, much quicker. And I’m not an insta-love fan at all, but after spending a week caring for a child together with all that crazy sexual tension I totally get where they’re coming from. (Not entirely, but we’re all cool.) Also by sexual tension, I mean just that. Lots of hot and broody looks, awkward silences, lip biting and stroking, kissing and caressing. But no sex.

I wouldn't call the story a SWEET romance. But I would say that it is entirely devoid of a sex scene, closed door or open. Claire is adamant to hold onto her panties a little longer, and Matt is totally cool with that. It's hinted that there's plans for sex at the end of the book, but it isn't explored more than one line of a mention of roses and champagne awaiting their shared bedroom.

Anyways by the book’s closure I figured there would be some life hurdles awaiting Claire and Matt. And Bella too. You know besides the conflicts wrapped up in the story in the HEA.

Not a baby-romance fan? I’m not going to convert you, but I hope you’ll consider reading about this trio’s story.

My verdict:

✮✮✮✮.5

(4.5 stars)

This or That (Big Dreams Blog Update #10)

As this month closes another Update Day calls, so here it is. I answer.
What is Update Day you ask? Started by masterminds (or is that evil geniuses?) Misha Gericke and Beth Fred the Big Dreams blog hop follows the journey of 18 bloggers and their crazy, big dreams. And not all of those dreams are writing- or reading-related either. I've seen some crazy ones, like an ultra marathon of 100K or creating a new writing genre--check out these dreamers and cheer them on, or join us with your own whacky big dream! Click the icon above (w/ credit here to Shah Wharton).

Now I was glancing back at my last Update post for the previous month and I realize I made some lofty goals—especially in the writing area.

…actually just with the writing.

You see July is the second CampNaNo and my goal was to revise the first draft of my contemporary romance from June, but life and school (mostly school!) got in the way. SO after two days of little writing I figured something had to give. If I wasn’t going to write, I couldn’t well sit around on my butt and do nothing.

And that brings me to the flash topic of this post. Essentially I should call it “This or That: budgeting your time wisely” because something I’ve realized over the past year is how I tend to view my time.

A year ago my relationship with time was poor. I was always finding ways to “kill it” or “waste it” doing anything: playing video games, watching TV/movies, etc. I wasn’t really approaching it as a precious gift and when I really need it—like when I’m trying to cram finals or finish an essay the night before it’s due—I recognize just how important it is.

I’m babbling, but my point is I’ve learned that if I don’t want to do something and if I’m going to step away that I should find something else to do with my time. In this case I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to write, and I was afraid it would affect my studies if I forced my butt in the chair to write. So I did the next best thing: I set a goal instead to read.

I was a few books shy of the 75% mark of my reading/reviewing challenge and I thought it would be a great time to read and alleviate my mind from all the studying on the side.

So I read and read and read, and the last 3 weeks flew by. I just finished summer school and I can’t believe how nice it was balancing school with reading, especially when I often spent a lot of those nights curled up at the end of the day with a book in bed.

And this is the way I hit my goal. It snuck up on me really, kinda like how these Update posts sneak up at the end of the month, wondering where the time went—“I swear it was only the beginning of July yesterday, wasn’t it?”

Of course I have new goals to set for the coming month. With school out and the summer still oh-so young, I’m going to divvy my time up by exploring some local towns nearby with my family, continue reading and reviewing, and picking up where I left off with my writing/revising.

In order to ensure I don’t waste the 5 weeks I have left before school starts, I’ve decided to start a blog series of infrequent, but at least weekly check-ins on the how-goes-it of my revision process. I’m actually starting tomorrow, but I’ll probably not post until the end of the weekend or something.

To round it up, if you find you’re stuck doing one thing than broaden your scope and find something else to fulfill your time. Don’t want to write? Then read. Not in the mood for reading, you say, then exercise, draw, bake, clean, compose an interpretative dance and perform it for your family/friends—just do something else. Something fun and creative and exciting and keep moving forward.

That sums up my July.

Stay tuned for August.