ellenmillion | Entries tagged with not-a-book

I finished my book on Sunday, after putting nose to grindstone and adding nearly 4000 words. There's always a bit of a hangover after that - I'm still sort of staggering around in a daze.

Yesterday was President's Day, and we went to Guppy's parent-student conference - she showed us the work she's been doing and we saw all the various places she goes and she led us through some of her routine and then melted down and did hysterical laps of the Kindergarten room giggling and trying to run away while I was telling her to put her socks and boots on.

Because parenting is one big bucket of non-stop awesome, you guys.

Today, we gutted her room. Or started to. I did half the closet and the game dresser thoroughly and a rough 'everything into a box, I don't even care' clean up of the rest. We generated several bags and boxes of things to donate... and you can hardly tell! We'll tackle it again after quiet time.

Client work is teeth-gnashingly frustrating, with key systems going down at the WORST possible times.

The most recently published not-a-book is noodling along nicely - ranging between the top 300 and top 500. Each book in the series has done successively better, and each time, series sales REALLY make the difference - the new book is only about a quarter of my total sales right now.

I did get my next cover mocked up today, as well.

Now, I'm going to have a cup of tea and try to be zen about all the many things I can't control.

...Like the snow storm with high winds and possibly RAIN that is galloping down on us.

Crossposts: https://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1639105.html

Just over 1000 words written yesterday, and a sketch for a client. Also transferred hosting for another client, and had the serviceman in to look at my non-working burner-on indicator light. This is perhaps the first time EVER I've been able to use an extended warranty that I purchased. (It was a burnt out indicator light, something the serviceman had never actually seen in 24 years of servicing ranges. Part is on order.)

This weekend, I want to FINISH my not-a-book. I'm in the middle of the big showdown, then a little wrap up and a sweet epilogue.

Book is still in the top 500! It even briefly hit #2 in a few categories.

Writing now. Nose, meet grindstone.

Crossposts: https://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1638693.html

I went to the gym today and did half of my much neglected physical therapy routine. Next week, I hope to go TWICE and do it all.

After working out and showering, I sat in the cafe and wrote for a while - until the power went out and I sat around in the dark for a little while (technically, I was still able to work, but it was kind of... creepy) and then went and got sushi takeout to eat with Jake at the end of town that still had power. We've gotten quite a lot of snow the past few days it's been very warm, heavy snow.

The end of this not-a-book is in sight. I've got the big show-down and resolution just started, and a sweet epilogue to write, then I think there's a half-written scene to go back and finish, and I want to shoe-horn in a dance-lesson scene somewhere. I'm almost at 35k, so this is already longer than the last two books. (That's excellent - longer books mean more kindle read pages!)

The last published not-a-book is strolling along towards the top 1000 Kindle books right now, with a staggered promotional release - the largest bump will come tomorrow. It should fall after that, and, fingers crossed, then rebound higher as it gets into also-boughts and features in the magic of Amazon algorithms.

I'm so behind on emails and replies, sorry - this is the end of book slog and I'm slowly getting caught up on some of the other to-do items, so those will happen, too.

Happy Valentine's Day! Whatever kind of love you choose to celebrate, may your heart be full.

Crossposts: https://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1638349.html

I did taxes! (waves a little flag)

We also did home improvements, finally installing a handtowel rack in the bathroom because up until now people have to bring their drippy hands into the kitchen to dry them off, which is... seriously not a good hostess move. We also replaced the crooked toilet paper holder, installed a door hook, and fixed the door so it actually closes without wrestling it into place.

Aaaaand, I launched a new not-a-book. The usual rules apply - if you'd like to read it, swear to secrecy and I'll PM you information.

This week I plan to:

Write 500 words/day (1251 today so far)
Edit the next not-a-book
Draw 4 coloring book pages for a client
Promotion for new not-a-book
Obsessively refresh stats for not-a-book
Party planning

Crossposts: https://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1638038.html

So, that happened. I wrote a book in a month! I was using NaNoWriMo as a vague excuse to make this my goal, but I was aiming towards 'finished book' much more than '50k words.' And I did it! The book is 33k, but it's remarkably polished for a first draft - there are no gaps, no placeholders, no dangling bits I made notes to go back and fix. It's DONE. And I sort of love it. It has lots of my favorite tropes, and it's ridiculous and romantic and fun and funny. It's the sixth book I've written, and the second in three months.

YAY KINDERGARTEN.

I also finished this artwork, now available at my Etsy shop as a coloring page download.

Now I have to monitor homework, and there's a playdate pending, and I still have to post at Torn World and send an email...

Crossposts: https://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1634849.html

Kindergarten is the most splendid invention in the history of child-kind. I was worried that drop-offs would be like they were in pre-school, but it has been like whipped cream. I have to ask for a hug before she goes running off to find her friends in the morning. They have outdoor 'precess' that we drop them off at, and she's either merrily playing with other children, or hunting for them across the playground by the time I leave, all without so much as a backwards glance.

Not-a-book has been doing just fine: it was in the top 500 for a while, and has 20 five-star reviews already (and 1 4 star). If it goes as the others did historically, it will slip a bit, then may rock back up nicely in a few days as people who've downloaded it start reading it. The other books in the series are doing smashing as new readers catch up. I've got some advertising coming out next week to hopefully boost it, too.

I got the story for the anthology revised, and out to the anthology editor and also the Torn World board for a last continuity check. I added about 1500 words to it, and it's a much stronger story now. I hope all the editors like the changes I made. :)

In health, Guppy has been a little snuffy and coughing, and I have a tickle in the back of my throat this morning that I am hitting hard with Emergen-C and tea.

In grief, I continue to be sideswiped by unexpected pockets of painfully missing Norway, often while vacuuming. I still haven't been able to go through all the nice comments.

My mom knitted us matching scarves, aren't they fabulous? Winter is coming...

Off to do work!

Crossposts: https://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1629893.html

Operation Grow-Out-The-Bangs continues. I am less hateful of it than I have been, and the bangs are long enough now to pull back in a comb. I am going to continue the experiment until it tucks back behind my ears, and to help me get there, I'd like to treat myself to pretty combs. Anyone have suggestions of shiny, possibly geeky hair combs on Etsy or similar?

Kindergarten continues to be awesome. Guppy loves it, and I love having a piece of my life back. I love her dearly, but her desire for constant interaction conflicts with my desire to get stuff done.

My fourth not-a-book has launched! This week will be promotion efforts (some are done, some just need go-buttons pushed, some need minor edits, some need ground-up design). I also have a short story that needs revisions for an anthology. My goal is to have those done by Thursday - it will require a little writing, as the editors requested a little more background to work with, and a better resolution. Can do! I also have Patreon rewards to roll out.

I have about three ideas for the spicy story, and expect that to go quickly, the rest of the rewards basically just need sent. I've also made my first goal with Patreon and will be livestreaming some sketching tomorrow (Tuesday!) morning, about 9:30 Alaska time. This will happen at my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EllenMillionArtistrix/

(This is, btw, a really opportune time to sign up as a $5+ patron, as I will be sending the physical rewards this month, even if you are a new supporter, or international.)

Lunch and trash and orders need to happen now, so off I go.

Crossposts: http://ellenmillion.livejournal.com/1629612.html

My first not-a-book is free this weekend. If you'd like a link, just swear yourself to secrecy and I will point you (privately) in the right direction. (And don't expect high literature, of course. It is smutty and silly and not to be taken seriously.)