Random Post about Random Stuff

I have about a million and four things to do, the most important of which is working on my next book. So, naturally, I spent the last hour mindlessly browsing past posts on my blog. I was sort of surprised to learn (remember?) I used to blog pretty regularly.

It makes me kind of sad that I’ve gotten away from that. So here we go! I’m writing a random blog post about random things. I’d like to say it’s the first of a series of random blog posts, but let’s be honest. These days, I’m lucky if I remember to empty the dishwasher.

Things I’m loving:

• Asian Dramas. (I started one, and then one of my author friends had a bunch of suggestions, and I’m basically hooked. Jake gets GREAT joy tormenting me about my new obsession.)
• It’s almost fall, so I’ve been craving tea. I have no idea why I do this, but it’s a thing. Bigelow’s Constant Comment is my new favorite, and I picked up a Pumpkin Spice I refuse to open until September. #bestrong
• Happy Planners. This isn’t a new love, but I don’t think I’ve ever talked about it on here. Basically, it’s a just a planner. And stickers. SO MANY STICKER OPTIONS. We’re talking about books and books and books of glorious, sticky stickers. (As I write this, I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m secretly nine at heart. I love stickers and I make up stories for a living.)
• I downloaded two apps in the last month, and I love them both. Plan to Eat lets you plan a menu using your own recipes, and then it makes you a grocery list. It’s so awesome, I can’t even tell you. I hate meal planning and grocery-list-making. The other one is Word Keeper. It basically keeps track of my writing progress. Now that I’ve switched from Scrivener to Word, it’s nice to have somewhere to chart my days. (You might be wondering why I made the switch. Well, long story short, Word’s online save feature makes it easy to go between both of my computers and the Word app on my phone. Scrivener’s sync feature using Dropbox didn’t end up working for me.)

What’s going on:

• I have a fantasy series that has sunk its evil little talons in my brain, and I can’t shake it. Do I have room in my schedule to start a new fantasy? Nope, I sure don’t. Is it going to happen? Yeah, most likely. This means I’ll be pushing Greybrow Brothers back. Don’t worry, I’m still working on Crest of the Thanes. I will finish that book if it kills me.
• Speaking of death by books, my author friends and I have been talking about burnout lately. Just about everyone I know who self-publishes as a full-time career gets to a point where they’ve run themselves ragged. I think it’s common when you love your job. Currently, I’m looking into ways to “recharge my batteries.” We used to be very active as a family, so I have a feeling that’s probably what it’s going to take. We bought inflatable kayaks this summer (crazy fun), and we’re going to start biking more. I’m feeling inexplicably drawn to trail jogging as well, though help me, I’m a turtle. Anyway, wish me luck.

I think that’s all I have for today! I hope you have a lovely week. If you haven’t had a chance to pre-order 27 Ways to Mend His Broken Heart, you can do that now for only $2.99. (The price will go up to $3.99 after the release.) The book is scheduled for the middle of September…but we’re moving it up! I don’t have the exact date yet, but I’m hoping for Thursday or Friday.

Wishing you the best,

Shari

CLICK HERE to pre-order your copy from Amazon