May accountability & the last contest clues!

Today I’m a featured author at the Barnes & Noble Nook Mystery forum! Come visit & comment!

After a huge month in April, May tried its darnedest to outdo its predecessor. Hard to beat having a baby (on my birthday!) in April, but May did see me presenting and having my first booksigning at the LDStorymakers Conference, prepping for my book’s launch and coordinating some coming events—and buying a new house for our growing family.

Have you ever seen those stress tests where they’re like “have you done any of the following big life events in the last year?”? Yeah, I’m pretty sure just about all those are high on the list. My heart’s probably at risk right now, LOL.

May accountability

So, last month I set goals to:

  • Practice for and give my LDStorymakers presentation. Check! Very happy with how it went.
  • GET. THOSE. WORDS. DONE. For real, finish this novel. Ugh. I did make progress, but launching this book and moving had to take precedence. 10,000 words to go.
  • Business: finish the last couple steps for the publication side of I, Spy. Check!
  • Plan & prep for launch party (more on this as it gets closer!) Check! It’s tomorrow at the Orem Public Library!
  • Finish edits on novella. Check!
  • Prep the first part of my novel for critique Check! Sending this to my critique group today, then I’m attacking that last little bit to finish this novel.
  • Read! There’s always something on the TBR! Check!

Wow. I thought it would be a lot more depressing than that with everything that’s going on. I also added another specific goal:

  • Contact 100 book bloggers about I, Spy. Check!

It’s funny—if I don’t get my words, I feel like I’ve failed, no matter what other stuff I’ve done. (Like, I don’t know, move my entire life into another city last weekend?)

June goals

All right—I’m publicly setting some goals for June and I’ll report back on the first Friday in July. Thanks for being my accountability!

  • Launch party tomorrow!
  • FINISH THIS BOOK. I wanted to finish it in March, folks. I’ve written books in the time that’s passed since my deadline. I’ve written three books in that amount of time!
  • Edit two more sections for critique
  • Read.
  • Plan and prepare for upcoming events (don’t worry—I’ll keep you posted!)
  • Unpack, eh?

Wait, did I just put a manageable and realistic writing-related to-do list up there? Whaaaat?

And of course . . .

Today’s clues

We have the final stops on our launch tour today—and the final clues in our inspiration song contest!

Emily Gray ClawsonMr. Nice Spy (Also: figuring out whodunnit)

Lindzee ArmstrongI, Spy (Also: using your spy skills while in labor!)

Andrea PearsonMr. Nice Spy

Christy DorrityI, Spy

What are your goals for June?? Have you come to say hey at the Nook forums yet?