Off Schedule

Those of you who keep up with my blog know that I usually post a few times a week, and I usually publish those posts early afternoon.  My schedule has been a little off this week because I’ve been waking up early to go take care of my god-pup.  Okay, technically, my friend hasn’t actually asked me to be his godmother, but I’ve decided that I am.  As you may or may not know, however, I am a night owl.  My natural bedtime is 3-4 AM.  That doesn’t change when I have to wake up four or five hours later.  This new routine has resulted in midday nap time for me, around the same time I’m usually writing my blog post.  So yeah.  Just thought I’d let y’all know that I am still a live and functional.  I’m just sleeping a lot in the middle of the day to make up for my lack of sleep at night.  I love taking care of Dorian, though.  I haven’t had a puppy since I was 2, so it’s a lot of fun taking him on walks and playing fetch with him.

In book related news, yesterday was the two-year anniversary of the first time I held the first copy of my first book in my hand.

It’s kind of surreal to think that it’s already been two years since Cemetery Tours became a reality.  In other ways, it feels like it was just yesterday.  Writing books, holding those books in my hand for the first time, or even the second, third, or thousandth, is still such a thrill.  I can’t wait to share the new Cemetery Tours book with you.  I’ll admit, I’m really pushing my time as far as revisions go, but I know it will be beautiful and professional and ready to go on October 6.  I have way too much pride to not let that happen.

All that being said, it’s time to go check on Dorian!  I’ll talk to y’all soon!  Happy Thursday!

Unexpected Happenings

Hello, friends.

I hope you all had the most pleasant of Easter/Passover weekends.  If you don’t celebrate either, I hope your weekend was just as pleasant.  My weekend, while weird in perhaps not the best possible way, still managed to be wonderful.

I spent Easter with three of my best friends.  Since none of us have kids, we hid treats for two of their dogs around their parents enormous backyard.  It was like a doggie EAster egg hunt.  I really didn’t expect to get so into it, but we all had so much fun trying to guide the puppies to treats.

Speaking of doggies, Lucas here really wants you to read Boy Band when it comes out in a few weeks!

Anyway, after that, we headed back to the apartment for an indoor spa session.  We filled the bathtub up with bubbles and soaked our feet.  Then we painted our nails and made s’mores with Nutella.  I now know what Heaven tastes like.

Finally, to end our night of Eastery festivities, we set up fish tanks so my friends could go buy some fish (because there are several other reasons why someone would bother setting up a fish tank).  Anyway, while we were emptying the bags and getting everything set up, we found this:

Someone thinks they are either very funny or very clever.  Either way, we got a good laugh.  So I guess they would be right.

So yeah, Easter was pretty fun in a very unconventional way.

But now that it’s Monday (almost Tuesday), it’s really time to get down to business (no, not to defeat the Huns).  I’ll be attending the North Texas Book Festival in Denton this Saturday.  I’m SO excited, not only because it sounds like an AWESOME festival, but because Boy Band will be pre-released!  Agh!!!

HOW COOL IS THAT!?!!?

I have a few more events lined up in the upcoming weeks and months, including, I found out just a few hours ago, a book signing at Half Price Books Flagship in Dallas!!!  It’s the same Half Price where I met Kathleen Kent and Anne Rice!  It’s my first ever personal book signing!  I’ll let you know more details as they unfold, but I am ecstatic.

Finally, in other career news, I find myself in the mindset of… rewriting Cemetery Tours 3. 

Don’t panic!  It’s still coming!  And I’m not deleting what I have.  I just find myself struggling along and trying to convince myself that I’m happy with where the characters and the story is going and I’m just… not.  I’ve been doing some brainstorming recently, though, and I’m thinking I know what I want to happen.  It’s more of a tweaking than an actual re-write.  But you know, sometimes as writers, if it’s not working, it’s not working.  And that’s okay.  I’ve discarded manuscripts and half-manuscripts before.  This is nothing new.  I just want, not only what is best for my characters, but what is best for my readers.  I want to write a book that they’ll enjoy, the kind they deserve to read.

And yes, I’m still going to write the rest of the character interviews.  Busy, busy, busy.  But in a good way!

I’ll talk to y’all soon.

Fascinating New Thing

Okay, so this piece has nothing to do with the song (if you know the song, ten points to you).  But there are a lot of new and exciting things happening.

First of all, I found out last night that a short story I wrote has been selected for publication in a new Anthology coming out in May!  The Anthology is called Lurking in the Deep and it features a collection of stories centered around water-based fears, i.e. sea monsters, mermaids, ghosts of those lost at sea, etc…  As soon as I found out about it, I knew I had to submit something.  I love the ocean, as you all know, and I love scary stories, again, which you all know.

Just for the record, the ocean in my story is a lot more sinister than Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Another bit of exciting news that I’d like to share is that my dear friend Paula has just published her first children’s book!  It’s called Jack Learns to Grill and it is so, so, so cute.  It’s the first in a series about her dingo, Jack, in which he learns new skills and lessons about life.  It is beautifully illustrated by Tana Jacks.  If you have children in your life or if you’re an animal lover, I hope you check it out!  It’s a darling book!

Paula’s Blog: https://paulawalkerbaker.wordpress.com

Jack Learns to Grill: http://www.amazon.com/Learns-Grill-Paula-Walker-Baker/dp/1508579210/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426194297&sr=1-1&keywords=jack+learns+to+grill

Finally, I think I’ve come up with a new idea for a few blog posts, but I’m going to have to work on them a little bit to see if it’s actually going to be something worth pursuing.  I’ll let you know!

Also, thank you to all who’ve sent me pictures of Cemetery Tours!  Keep ’em coming!

Have a great weekend, y’all!

Weekend Recap

Hi, friends!

I hope you had a splendid weekend and Valentine’s Day full of love. And if not love, then at least full of chocolate.  Since my boyfriend, Richard Armitage, is out of town shooting a movie or something, my mom and I had a Valentine’s Mother Daughter Date to the bowling alley!  It was great.

It also got me thinking that a bowling alley would be a REALLY cool place for a book release party!  I’m seriously considering it for the release of Boy Band.  But then, I also have a lot of cool ideas, decoration-wise, for the party, so it probably won’t happen in a bowling alley.  But still.

Sunday, I celebrated Galentine’s Day with my BFF, Jessica.  We went out to dinner and then went back to her place to watch a Disney movie and drink wine.  Unfortunately, she does not have very good wine openers so I ended up prying the cork out with steak knives.

The lesson to be learned here?  Nothing stands between an Episcopalian and wine. Nothing.

Yesterday was a blast.  My other BFF, Hannah, flew in from California to visit her parents and their new farmhouse.  I hopped in my car and drove the two hours to see them.  I love being out in the country.  It’s so free and open.  No traffic.  No big buildings.  Just Earth and sky and road.  Love!

Anyway, their land is amazing.  It reminded me of how much I want a getaway cabin one day.

I love Texas.  But you know what I love more than Texas?  This puppy.

His name is Krager and he is the cutest, sweetest, most lovable dog you will ever meet.  I wanted to steal him so bad.  Sadly, my kitty would NOT approve.  She likes being an only child and would probably try to banish me or something if I brought home a dog.  Otherwise, Krager would have been mine.  I would have found a way.

So, now that my weekend of adventures is over, it’s back to work.  And I do mean WORK.  I HAVE to get these revisions finished ASAP.  I’m also in the process of helping my friend Paula format her first children’s book, which will be released very soon.  You can keep up to date with her writings here: https://paulawalkerbaker.wordpress.com

Tomorrow is also the first day of Lent.  I’m aiming to make some big changes in my life.  We’ll see if that actually happens.  But I’m going to try!  But more on that tomorrow.

I hope you all have a fantastic Shrove Tuesday / Mardi Gras.  Go eat some pancakes!