musings

#NaNoWriMo #amwriting what was I thinking?

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So, I meant to post that I’m writing in NaNoWriMo this year before starting on the first. I intended to bog about my progress every day. I wanted to have a good flow of words and at least get around the average daily word count.

Not exactly how things went.

Started on the 3rd instead of the 1st. Never got around to that initial blog post. I’m sitting at 3120 words instead of about 6600. I have no motivation to get up to go to my computer. I could pull out my iPad but I really need a table or desk so my keyboard typing on it doesn’t cause the whole thing to drop. I’ve already cracked my screen (thanks cat) and had to replace the screen. There are other things but I’m not going to bore you with my problems. You’re welcome. 🙂

 It’s gotten to the point when I want someone to pee for me… Not physically possible but nice to dream about. 😀

Reviewing had been almost non-existent. Here or on RGR. Although, we have discussed a meet-up at some point. Tentatively planned for next year. I’ll post more once we finalize it. That’s part of the reason, I’m trying to write something to publish. Get some mad money in and try to pay for these conventions I want to go to.

I do continue to read and likely will review regularly again. If I could get the full time job to slow down, I’ll be happier. If you want to connect on NaNoWriMo.org, look for my name and the pic below.

I’m going to sign off now and read some more.

It’s been a surreal day, week, month, year…

-Eloreen

#Musings

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The title says it all.

I’ve been musing on my life as work consumes me despite something I enjoyed. Notice the past tense. I enjoy working in the technology field but recent events with work has put me into a musing perspective. Having just past a birthday helped too.

I noticed that I haven’t written much on my WIPs or other stories I have floating in my head. I have a couple of sequels I would like to do, some stuff I started years ago, and an #Evernote notebook of ideas. *grin* I have every intention of publishing something this year but things conspired against me early on. I’ve been reviewing more here and on RGR recently (for those that haven’t been following me long, Rainbow Gold Reviews Review Blog I helped start 2 years ago although I’ve been reviewing for longer than that).  More so on RGR. November of 2012 I started to write these crazy ideas inspired by many of the MM Romances and other mainstream and genre stories I’ve read over the too many years to count encouraged by many people including those at RGR. I want to write more but it seems like I’m stuck and the voices in my head are quiet. Not gone, just quiet. Waiting. It didn’t help that it was a volatile time then and in some ways it’s a little crazy now.

It’s great to see other authors take the plunge and write full time. Some have been doing it for awhile, some had to take a break for a bit to regroup, and some are just getting started. It’s encouraging to see this and it sparks ideas.

Well, you know what ideas and authors do…

What if I jump in the deep end an retire from my current career and start a new one?

Writing.

Well, damn. That’s a big musing. I’m actually on my 2nd career right now. Started in IT, got burned out in the help desk arena and went to legal technology. I enjoy it but I’m not growing anymore. Training in my field has been hard to come by. But being able to work from home is a trade off. I still can with writing, probably more so as I will have greater say over my time. However, I haven’t published anything so I have no idea if it will even support me.

I normally don’t put a lot out there on the web. I’m a private person. There are many reasons I write and review under a pen name. I just finished setting up a review/blog tour for RGR this evening and it got me to thinking. I’ve been thinking a lot recently. I don’t really want to retire from working yet. It makes good money and I like doing things with it. It does spark the idea that I might have a goal to work towards though. And that is something I haven’t really had for awhile.

The age old question of “What do you want to do when you grow up?”

I don’t wanna grow up… this Adulting thing is krap.

Sigh. I see thinking on this idea will take some time. I need to see if people like my work enough to buy it. Maybe then I can get enough data to see if I should leap into the abyss and take on writing full time. When it all boils down, I am a data-driven person.

Now to make the time to write. It will be hard but I think I can do it. These are just bumps in the road. They can be overcome. I have a story that I can probably get really close to finishing. Then to figure out to find an editor and self-publish or find a publisher for it. I waffle… a lot. I guess I will need to finish it and then figure it out. Trying to figure it out before it’s done didn’t do well. Live and learn.

And now that has been put to “paper,” I feel a little better. Sometimes, writing it down helps. I’m just letting people see it too. 🙂

Signing off for now. I have this technology thing I need to beat into submission. It’s called my desktop computer. The life and times of a technologist.

-Eloreen

All the things…Where did the time go? #Musings #May17IDAHOT #Amwriting

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MAY17IDAHTB

So, I’ve signed up for this year’s Hop for Visibility, Awareness, and Equality formerly known as Hop Against Homophobia and to celebrate International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia. This will be my third year participating. It’s great fun and a great way to meet new and interesting people. Stay tuned for May 17th for my blog post on the subject. There will be a contest. 🙂

 

As I was signing up (and setting up my sidebar for the badge) I realized it’s been over two months since I last posted something. Two Months! Oh holy crap, Batman. Work, Vacation, and doing weekly reviews on Rainbow Gold Reviews has eaten up my time. Never mind family. I planned on writing during #CampNaNoWriMo. That didn’t happen. At least, not in the way I expected.

I did submit a story for the Queer Sci Fi 3rd Annual Flash Fiction Contest. They will announce the winners and those that will get into this year’s anthology soon. I hope I get in the anthology. Well, I would love to win something but I’m not expecting it to. It’s a little different than normal prose and I’ll just leave it at that. Stay tuned for more on that later. While I didn’t win anything last year, I did get my story published in their Discovery: QSF’s Second Annual Flash Fiction Contest publication. Which reminds me of something I need to do… I digress. This year’s theme is Flight. I liked it so much, I wrote it, edited it, and sent to beta read within a day… Granted, it was less than 300 words so that helped. 🙂 Definitely not the 10k I signed up for to finish a story I’ve been trying to finish for three years now, going on four. I’ll get there someday.

discoverybooks

 

What else? Work has been taking over my life for the most part. It was especially bad in February which is why I was incommunicado then. It hasn’t helped that I’ve had computer issues (two hard drives died within six months) and then my work laptop last week. Jeez. What’s going on here? Oh yeah. Mercury in Retrograde. Well, I can blame it on that anyway.

I’ve decided to go on a cruise in February of 2017. I haven’t been on a cruise in… well, too many years that I want to mention (high school graduation). Maybe I’ll have something published by then to promote by then. Maybe not. Not sure at this point. I’m hoping to publish something other than freebies this year. As soon as I get my act together. We’ll have to see.

There was something else I thought of to mention in this post. I can’t think of it now. I think I need to sleep. Off to be with family!

 

-Eloreen

Musings from the Moon

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Or how it got to be almost a month since I had done a post.

Oops.

I’ll blame it on work. That’s what most of February went to. Working on not having to work so much. Slow process.

Well, you are not here to listen to my real life experiences. Well, maybe you are… After all writers, bloggers, and other people are human too.

Writing… Not so much this year. Started editing early Jan and then it fizzled because work. We’re back to that again. 🙂

Really, I’m not trying to make this a post about not enough time because of work. Except that I am. Sigh. I really need to get off my own soapbox.

I posted a review for Rhys since this is release day for Dirty Heart. Click here to see it. If you haven’t read the Cole McGinnis series, you should.

Currently typing on my Nook as I’m about to read to relax before bed. Going to be doing more reviews at RGR and here on MoA. It’s been two years at the end of this month since I started reviewing there. Here’s to another two years. Hopefully, I’ll add more books and stories to that mix that I’ve written. *smile*

–Eloreen

200 posts and counting… It’s February 2016! #Contest

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It’s already February in a new year… Beginning of February. Well, five days in. 🙂

Wow. 200 likes. Keep it up. 🙂 Maybe I should do a contest. Would everyone like that? Read on and see what you need to do…

Been working, mostly. The last week has been especially brutal. I have been editing a story for one submission call. I may or may not make it’s deadline, depending upon if I have time to finish it before the end of the month. If not, I will see about other places. Lots of publishing places out there… I found a couple more submission calls that my story might fit. That is nice. 🙂  Baby steps. Breathe. (I can never remember which spelling is which… I swear I sat here and deleted and added that last ‘e’ like 3 times. I’m a writer not a speller…)

Because of work, I haven’t done much with blog tours, reviewing, and other sundry stuff. Reading has fallen by the way side as well. I’m kind of unhappy about that…

Oh, if you like a bunch 300-word of shorts in the M/M Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Paranormal world, checkout my guest post for Romance A-Z and contest for Discovery with SJD Peterson’s Blog. It’s a paperback and contains my Platypus story I wrote for the QSP contest, so US only entries please.

Thank you for those that have visited and liked my blog, social media, etc recently. I try to post something once a week but I work full time and she’s a demanding diva. Someday, I’ll be as brave as TJ Klune and write full time. 🙂

And now… for bed. And turn around to work more tomorrow…today. Story of my life.

-Eloreen

Oh, I mentioned a contest for getting 200 likes. Hrm. Sure. $10 Gift Certificate to the eRetailer of your choice (ARe, Amazon, B&N, BookStrand, Dreamspinners, Riptide, wherever GC are sold… I almost sound like a commercial or something. *grin*). Comment on this post with what you would like to do to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Even if you don’t celebrate, post a comment. Contest ends 2/15/2016 at 11:59 PM EST. I’ll announce the winner here and email within a couple of days. Random.org will choose the winner.

NOW I’m really done… (Note: I’ve extended the deadline because I forgot to sticky the post… Oops. BTW, ARe has a 50% off rebate sale going on now…)

#amediting and #amwriting Attempt for publication of a WIP #musings

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*taps the microphone*

*nervously starts*

I’m considering submitting to a publisher a story I had been writing off and on (mostly off) since 2012 as story falls within the Special Submission story request they want for 2016. That’s kind of cool. My story was inspired by a different submission call but I didn’t finish it in time. Maybe they will accept it, maybe the won’t. But it would be fun to try. If I get it in early enough, maybe they will publish in January… nah, I’m not going to be that lucky. 🙂

Sigh. #panicbeginsnow

It just got real. Now I have to research contracts, guidelines, and edit my story so it fits the maximum word count. And maybe email questions, like can it be slightly over the maximum… *head thunk on desk*

Never done this before so this will be a learning experience. I had been waffling on self publishing versus going with a publishing house for awhile now. Then I saw a tweet on this particular publishing house call and it struck a cord in me. Probably will self publish some stories but if it fits, or I get inspired by a submission call, yeah, going to try. The worse that they can do is say no, right? Then it might be polished enough to send to another publishing house. It will be painful if they reject it, but then I can say I tried and then try again. Maybe I can finish a couple of others I’ve got kicking around…

I read the particulars on the special call, and then went back to my story to see if it would fit the theme. Pretty good, I think so. Holy crap, I already had the maximum word count. When did I do that? Oh, last modified date: July 2015… I  must have had an inspiration moment because I thought I had last worked on it in Feb.  🙂 Tells you how much I remembered writing an extra 3k words this summer…

So, I started editing it today to try to scrunch it down a bit without loosing the story. Ending had to be redone since it wasn’t really an ending… and then I made it longer. Back to the beginning and go through it with a fine tooth comb. And finish my gift exchange secret santa purchasing…and research a bit. And I have to have a blurb, and a summary, and an editor.  That’s probably too many and’s. Ugh. I have some beta readers I’m going to send to. Should be interesting what they say. I’ll keep everyone posted.

I’m going to start back on other works in progress too. Not sure when, or how they will get finished. But my (early) New Year’s resolution will be to write more. If I get published, all the better. If this doesn’t work, I’ll at least have experience. And maybe another story will. 🙂 Wish me luck everyone.

Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, Happy Channakah, and Happy Holidays everyone.

*squeals a bit as she turns off the microphone* Darn things.

-Eloreen

**edited note: I love finding random characters because my cat is laying his head on the keyboard AFTER I publish. Sorry about that.*

#musings Contest winner will be here soon…

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I suck. I haven’t chosen a winner yet for my double contests from last month. And I don’t have an Admin yet. I really need to look into that someday…

Unfortunately, there was not a 2nd $10 GC as there were less than 10 comments. 🙂

So, I will pick the first one here tomorrow, I hope. It’s been a crazy month (and it’s only the 3rd of December…)

-Eloreen

#musings: 200 posts later… #Contest #Giveaway

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Not a big milestone (RGR is over 1,000 posts now), but pretty spectacular for me. The idea of a blog to books, reading, reviews, and writing has continued to grow. Thank you for helping me along.

I have a contest going for #NaNoWriMo (not that I’ve done much writing there either, oh well) until the end of November here. Submit your comments there for a chance to win a $10 GC at a eRetailer of your choice (see post).  If I can get more than 10 unique people to comment for the giveaway there, then I’ll add another $10 GC in honor of today’s achievement of 200 posts on Moonbeams over Atlanta. 🙂 Must comment by the end of it’s deadline to qualify for the 2nd $10 giveaway.

I started writing about this same time 3 years ago so this is an extra anniversary for me. 🙂

celebrate-ecard

Here’s hoping for another 3 years, published works, and another 200 posts.

-Eloreen

#amwriting Really, I am. #NaNoWriMo 2015 #contest #giveaway

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So NaNoWriMo is back again and I’m working on a sequel for Coil Me Up with Adan DePiaz. Don’t know if we’ll get to 50k words or not, but it’s nice to try. *smile* Day Three (because I was sick Day 1 and worked Day 2, but I did get some writing in) is going and I might write some tonight. Adan is working on the Prologue from one MC’s point of view, and I’m working from the other MC’s point of view. Should be interesting where the scenes will fit. Not unusual for me to write out of order. Heck Coil Me Up’s ending started first.

Interestingly, someone commented on one of my blog posts last week asking about a sequel to Charon’s Dilemma, the DRitC event story from 2014. I did respond that I considered doing a sequel for that story but probably not immediately. Have to get through the month of November, and probably December before I can think of other stories. I’m multitasking on too many things as it is now. Writing is actually something creative I can do to counteract some studying I need to do before the end of the month. So, yeah. It’s pretty packed since I also host posts for authors and promotional book tours, review (for two blogs no less), and still read for fun.

And that doesn’t even count the things I do with family, especially weekends. Did I mention I work remotely with my full-time job? Best. Thing. Ever.

While I’m off being creative, and in the spirit of publishing, I would like to propose a contest. Comment on this post for a $10 Gift Certificate to the eretailer of your choice (B&N, ARe, Bookstrand, Amazon) and answer the following question.  Would you like to read a sequel for Charon’s Dilemma, Platypus (from Discovery) and/or Coil Me Up?

And yeah, eventually I’ll get back to my blog story Elf Magic too. 🙂

Signing off.

Eloreen

 

EDIT: I should really put a time limit on these contests…. It will be chosen by Random.org and you have until the end of November (11/30/2015 11:59 PM EST)

#amwriting editing … and ordered author copies of newly published work

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Lots of stuff going on, despite talking about it.

I’m not a talker in general, it’s that whole introvert thing. 🙂

Turned in my Love is an Open Road story with the lovely Adan DePiaz and have an editor assigned. Just waiting on the first round of editing to come back. I think it will be a really good story. Not sure how others will take on my snake shifters but it will be fun even if you don’t like snakes in general. Have a cover and will post here when it releases over at the M/M Romance group discussion page on Goodreads.com.

Doing the #CampNaNoWriMo writing event with marginal success. The Druid’s Bond is coming along and I hope to finish it. Just saw @Dreamspinner send out a tweet yesterday about submissions. Considering this particular story was inspired by a call for submission for holiday stories 3 years ago, I might submit it–if I can write the rest and edit/proof it. 😉

I’ve ordered a few copies of the QueerSciFi 2nd Annual FlashFiction anthology print book at a special rate for the authors in the anthology. When released to the public, it will be $9.99 plus shipping, I think. I’ll post more info and the link to order when I get it.

Work… is still work. There’s a lot of it. Family is family too. Lot’s of stuff to do tomorrow and then they are back in school in a couple of weeks. Time is going fast. Not too long and I’ll have my one year anniversay with the job. Yay! I survived another year!

Getting sleepy, finally. Another day, another dollar.