ROW80 check-in #49 Perseverance

Posted on February 10, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

This week my schedule was totally out of control. Have you had one of those lately? You know, the day that starts one way and ends up being like something completely different. Normally, my work from home schedule allows me the flexibility to dip into my main interests, but this week everything that could pop up did. From extras for both kid’s schools, work, work, work, and, with the hubs out of town, I was left to deal with the snow filled driveway too. Ugh!

This week definitely pushed my buttons and almost pushed me over. Each day I told myself tomorrow would be better, but, when the next day arrived, something else came up until finally the black cloud of doubt rained down on me. Why am I doing this to myself. Ugh!

Frustration.

Did you watch American Idol this week? The boys went through Hollywood Week. It’s definitely one of those experiences that will push you, test you. Stress can take you to extremes and force you to face facts. Do you have what it takes to persevere?

I often wonder if I will ever get published. I’ll tell you one way to ensure I don’t: simply stop, give in…give up.

No, I can not. The thought starts an ache in my chest that shakes through me and leaves me nauseous. So, this week I’ve assigned myself one word: Perseverance. Google gave me this definition: Continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no indication of success. <–That’s it. That’s where I am, but I’ll keep going. I’ll persevere.

Thinking of my characters and their stories helped too, but so did these quotes from some simply brilliant folks.

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. -Harriet Beecher Stowe

***

It’s when things get rough and you don’t quit that success comes. -Unknown

***

Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting. -Napoleon Hill

The Goals – week-5 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- 1/2 done. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- 1/2 done. I almost finished the third Lecture in my Margie Packet. I wrote on only two days, but that is far better than none, and added 1238 words to the WIP. I ended the week on a high, by finishing the first draft of one of my WIPs. Wow, feeling a little better now. I didn’t make any progress in critiquing the latest WIP from my CP, a must do for this week. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- Almost DONE. I got in two workouts this week. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I did some practice teaching this week, but that’s about it. WEEK 6 PRIORITY
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Parent meeting and a dozens tiny things that interrupted my day, everyday. Ugh.
Organize something in the house each week- done. I made progress on updating my file storage. Each year I go through the papers collected, shred/recycle duplicates, and put needed items in longer term storage, i.e. banker boxes and ready the desk with room for the year to come. This process is another step in our tax preparation. We are getting closer to handing things over to the accountant. Wahoo.

What you might have missed here this week:

A Blog Takeover by Kharisma Rhayne author of Highlander Mine
Spotlight: Caressed By A Crimson Moon by Amanda J. Greene
Flash Fiction #37 Sounds of the Night

Sources: Google: Persevere search with definition; Proverbia.net: Perseverance Quotes

Flash Fiction #37 Sounds of the Night

Posted on February 8, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Sienna knew her traps kept most of the warriors away, but they kept trying and eventually one would get through. She stilled her body and listened to the sounds of the night, waiting for the supposed worthy one. The snap of a twig to her left startled her. She closed her eyes and felt nothing but her raucous heart until another crackle rang out. In an instant she was on her feet and ready to defend. Electricity tickled her spine, he hadn’t tripped a single trap.

“Sienna?”

“A few skills and my name gains you nothing.”

“I’ll earn the rest.”

Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Angelica Dawson: http://angelicadawson.blogspot.com/
Naomi Shaw: www.authornaomishaw.com
Sherri Hayes: http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/
Angi Crum: http://cherrydarling317.wordpress.com/

Sharing Only Six – No Blankets Required

Posted on February 3, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Welcome friends new and old. It’s Sunday, so I’m going to do what I always do and share six sentences from my WIP. You might have found me through Skye Warren’s linky or Weekend Writing Warriors, which is going to allow us up to eight-sentences. Next week for sure I’ll share a couple more, but for this week, in acknowledgement of the Six Sentence Sunday legacy, I give you just six.

I’ll continue where I left off last week from my current WIP, In the Blind (working title), and you can see the past four posts from this WIP here. The Logline: When a head hunter finds her dream lover in a night of pitch black unrestrained passion, she fears she’ll never find him again. Fate steps in and throws the two together, but they might never discover the truth and stay in the blind.

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen Jane remove her clothes, leave her bad memories behind, and prepare for a night she’ll never forget, at Club Blind. It’s the kind of place where they turn off all the lights, clothing is not an option, and they pair you up to… 😉 Rest assured, the club stands by the motto: safe, sane, and consensual. Last Week she got her first kiss. They’re there for the same reasons, and she’s all his for the evening. I’ve skipped only a line or two since last week.

She’d worried she’d get cold with no blankets to cover them. She understood now it was a needless worry. The heat running through her body reminded her of a hot summer day. The bed dipped slightly near her feet and instinctively she spread her legs. Large, warm hands caressed her body and her pulse leaped in an almost syncopated rhythm. Since there was absolutely no need to be quiet, she let a moan escape and reached for him.

Hope you enjoyed my six today. Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. Don’t forget to check out the other Weekend Warriors and Skye’s linky too, there is also Saturday Spankings. Between the three, you should be able to find almost all of your Six Sunday favorites.. I hope to see you again next Sunday.

ROW80 check-in #48 Slow and Steady

Posted on February 3, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I could call this week slow and steady, or simply consistent. It seems if I start the day with craft study, and then get into writing, the rest of the day falls into place. All that is wonderful, but I’ve been sacrificing my morning workouts to make everything work. Not good. But isn’t that the way. Once you figure one thing out then there is something new to work on. Life certainly isn’t boring that way.

A year and a half ago, when I stared my healthy journey, I got up consistently at the same time everyday and worked out. My body hummed with joy then, but now I’m running on empty. The thing is, life is different now, I have a very active three-year-old to wrangle and get to school twice a week and with an already impossible schedule, that change has flipped my morning routine into quandary.

No more excuses. I know what it takes and it’s time to recommit and just do it. I’ve corralled my mid morning routine and now I must conquer the early morning hour and get up after only hitting snooze once. Oy! 😀

The Goals – week-4 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. Finished the second Lecture in my Margie Packet and got about half why through the third. <–This makes me so happy. I wrote everyday but Monday this week and added 3344 words to the WIP. I spent my time well on the first goal this week and that contributed to filling in all my plot holes and the writing started to come together. I think I might actually finish the first draft of my WIP next week. Wahoo!! Permission to do a little everyday made this week work.
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- NOT DONE. We’ve already talked about that. WEEK 5 PRIORITY
Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- The daily thing did not happen, but the tip I got last week totally works. I waited until yesterday to try it out, but it works. Sometimes you really do just need to come at a task from a different angle. WEEK 5 PRIORITY
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Horrible busy week with bills, invoices, reporting and deposits.
Organize something in the house each week- done. Our house will be full of friends today. It’s our year to host the annual Super Bowl party. Organization this week wasn’t a little project, but giving the house the company shine. Glad that’s all done, so now I can enjoy.

What you might have missed here this week:

Review: A Man to Trust by Cheryl Yeko
A Conversation with Malia Mallory author of His Need, Her Desire
Flash Fiction #36 POW!

Flash Fiction #36 POW!

Posted on February 1, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Angel rubbed her hands on her knees, rolled her shoulders, and waited for the moment to make her move. The plan worked perfectly, her captors had no idea what they’d trapped. It’d been over a year since she’d seen her husband, but even with her eyes closed, she knew the moment John entered the room.

“Leave the new prisoner here, there’s room for both of them,” the guard said.

John sat beside her, together again, her heart flipped. She opened her eyes and waited. Tonight they’d be free. The guard stalled in front of her and she took her shot.

POW! I hope you felt her emotions as she knocked out the guard. Wish I could see her husband’s face, something tells me it holds a knowing grin. Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

Talulah Rose: http://tallulahrose.wordpress.com/
Gemma Parkes: http://gemmaparkes.blogspot.com/
J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Sherri Hayes: http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/

Six Sentence Sunday #51 A Little Taste

Posted on January 27, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

It’s the end of an era. I’m not sure how to say thank you to Sara Brookes, I hope to figure it out. Six Sunday is one of the first things I did when I started my blog a little over a year ago. My writing has come a long way over the last fourteen-months and I know my Six Sunday experiences are part of the reason. I’ve found some incredibly talented writers, my auto buy list has growing pains, and I have found some great friends here as well. It has been an honor to see my name mixed in with this group. Thank you to the whole Six Sunday family.

I’ll end my run with one more six from my current WIP, In the Blind (working title), and you can see the past three posts from this WIP here. The Logline: When a head hunter finds her dream lover in a night of pitch black unrestrained passion, she fears she’ll never find him again. Fate steps in and throws the two together, but they might never discover the truth and stay in the blind.

Over the past few weeks we’ve seen Jane remove her clothes, leave her bad memories behind, and prepare for a night she’ll never forget, at Club Blind. It’s the kind of place where they turn off all the lights, clothing is not an option, and they pair you up to… 😉 Rest assured, the club stands by the motto: safe, sane, and consensual. Last Week she was escorted to her room and her hand was placed in his. They’re there for the same reasons, and she’s all his for the evening. I’ve skipped only a line or two since last week.

His hand landed softly on her cheek, fingertips caressed her chin and her lips. Curiosity wore away her reserve and she let her tongue reach out and taste his fingers. One digit pushed into her mouth and she sucked lightly, enjoying the clean taste of him.

The finger left her mouth, a second of waiting, and then his mouth crushed down on hers. His lips were firm and demanding, feeding her hunger, and his warm, wet tongue swept through her mouth to dual with hers. The kiss ended just as abruptly as it started, leaving her wanting.

Hope you enjoyed my six today. Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. Don’t forget to check out the other Six Sunday authors. I hope to see you again next Sunday when I’ll be sharing something…

ROW80 check-in #47 Starting Fresh

Posted on January 27, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Three weeks into this round and I think I’ve already gone through a rainbow of emotions. Week-one I took it all on and accomplished so much and I expected a repeat in week-two. When week-two fell apart, as the evil day job demanded more of my time, I did as well. I accomplished a good bit last week and didn’t give myself credit for any of it, because I could only see what I didn’t get done. I totally forgot this journey is a marathon and not a sprint. I can not judge my effort or results based on any one day or any one hour.

This week I took a step back, a break really, and regrouped. If I’m going to survive on this road I need to be my own best friend. I got back to basics, the meat and bones of it all, and attempted to leave the gristle alone. It’s about time I celebrate what I am able to get done. Positive thoughts will encourage me and push me further than all the negative baloney. As a bonus, my in-laws came to town for three-days and yesterday my brother and oldest niece came to stay for the night. It’s a fabulous thing to have your family surround you when you’re trying to start fresh. I felt the love.

The Goals – week-3 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. I finished my current craft book and my CPs WIP. Love the active exchanges post critique, it makes me feel so helpful. Plus, I got back into my Margie packet and finished the first lecture. I restarted reading the packet since it had been so long since I’d read any of it. I only did a little bit of editing on the WIP this week and added 389-words. I haven’t figured out how I want the darkest point to unfold. I think I know how I want to wrap things up, so I’m going to fast draft that out. I’ll go back and fill in the hole, maybe with the end drafted, I’ll be able to see how it all comes together. We’ll see.
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- NOT DONE. This was a flustered week as I tried to pull myself back together and the workouts didn’t happened. It’s too bad too, because they sure would have helped. I’ll try again this week to just do it. WEEK 4 PRIORITY
Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I did nothing here this week, however I got a tip from a Nia mentor and I’m going to try it out this week WEEK 4 PRIORITY
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. I created/sent several invoices.
Organize something in the house each week- done. We donate a lot of stuff and this week we got rid of a bunch of things around the house, including a box with stuff from my pre-wedding days. It was marked garage sale, not sure if it ever got in one. Also, I was married almost 13-years ago. Yeah, it was time for the box to go. Feels good to free our home and hopefully help someone else.

What you might have missed here this week:

A Visit from Stormie Kent author of Battling Rapture
Flash Fiction #35 Clueless

Flash Fiction #35 Clueless

Posted on January 25, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

This is a Morguefile.Com Free Photo

Gina took one last look at the man still sound asleep in his bed and let herself wonder what if. A curl of hair licked at his tender brow and temptation tickled through her. The sun maybe up and ready for the day, but he was clueless. She hoped to sneak away before he rose and thought better of the time they’d spent together. Her heart ached, she’d never really get to know this man, this man that challenged her completely, but she had to be the one that left. She couldn’t bear him telling her she wasn’t good enough.

Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

Gemma Parkes: http://gemmaparkes.blogspot.com/
J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Sherri Hayes: http://sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/
Ray Sostre: http://theafterdarkworld.blogspot.com/
Angelica Dawson: http://angelicadawson.blogspot.com/

Six Sentence Sunday #50 Unending Black

Posted on January 20, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

This week I’ll give you another six from my current WIP, In the Blind (working title), and you can see the past two posts from this WIP here. The Logline: When a head hunter finds her dream lover in a night of pitch black unrestrained passion, she fears she’ll never find him again. Fate steps in and throws the two together, but they might never discover the truth and stay in the blind.

Two weeks ago, Jane striped her clothing. Last Week, she got in line and reminded herself why she’d come to the club. It’s the kind of place where they turn off all the lights, clothing is not an option, and they pair you up to… 😉 I’ve skipped a little bit more to find this week’s six. Jane has just taken the hand of her escort, the one with the night vision goggles, he’s taking her to the room and her date for the night.

Once the door closed behind them, Jane was surrounded by unending black. She looked around, but there was nothing, no end to the darkness. A nervous shiver danced up her spine, and thoughts of haunted houses filled her thoughts until her escort tugged her forward, bringing her back to the night’s purpose.

She was about to touch the man that would give her release.

They slowed, turned a corner, and after a couple more steps they stopped. Her heart raced with excited jitters. Her escort placed her hand into another.

Hope you enjoyed my six today. Remember, I’m the newbie, please share your advice. Thanks for stopping by today. Don’t forget to check out the other Six Sunday authors.Try to find a new favorite 6 today.

ROW80 check-in #46 Can I Get a Do Over?

Posted on January 20, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Last week I had a pretty good week and then this week, well, it was the opposite. I could so easily point the finger at the evil day job and my volunteer responsibilities, they both deserve the evil eye, but I’m convinced I could have done better. At this point in the analysis I cold stop and attempt to unhook the disappointment, but nope, I can’t, because I can and want to do more with my week. The test will come this week when I’m expecting much of the same from the evil day job. I’m going to take the feeling I’ve got itching in my fingers and barrel right into the coming week. Wish me luck, I’m probably going to need it.

The Goals – week-2 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. I did read three more sections in my current craft book, but I didn’t finish it. I did read two more chapters in my CPs WIP, but I didn’t finish that either. I did figure out some plot holes and I added almost 2k to the WIP.
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- NOT DONE. Ugh, I only worked out once this week. WEEK 3 PRIORITY
Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I did nothing here this week 😦 WEEK 3 PRIORITY
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. I finished several reports, paid many bills and got them all in the mail.
Organize something in the house each week- done. I organized paper this week. I sorted, I piled, I shredded, I recycled. When I was half way done, I had a big ole mess, but it made a huge difference and we’re one step closer to the tax accountant. Yeah!