Third Drafts and The Business

I took last week off from blogging and finally got through the third draft of my WIP. Which is no longer a WIP but is now complete and with my publisher. In the third draft, I found a good-sized plot hole. I don't know how I missed it when I was doing the second draft. Glad I found it and fixed it.

I put my tax stuff together a week ago also. It's ready to go for whenever we decide to torture ourselves and do it. If you're a numbers person and want to see if any writers were making money last year, here is an earnings report. It's complicated, but it does point out something that is often overlooked. If you look at print sales in general, the earnings are skewed by the sale of academic books. Textbooks costs are outrageous as any college student knows. If you look at fiction book sales, you notice that eBooks command a great percentage of earnings.

In good book news, I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday, and it was as packed as ever. I wish my are had independent stores that sell new books. All our independents sell mostly used books and only have new books when they have an author signing.

The outlining and world-building for my next fantasy series has started. Already have about twenty pages in a spiral notebook. It's going well.

I'm reading a lot and spent some time updating my Goodreads. I've really let it fall behind and that is not a good thing. Did some work for one of my writing groups. I also scheduled two appearances at local libraries. One in February and one in April.

"The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library." Albert Einstein

Speaking of the library, my granddaughter broke her first heart last week. A very cute and sweet little boy named Liam invaded her personal space. She pushed him away. Actually, she knocked him down and made him cry. Her dad, her grandfather, and four uncles were all very proud of her for standing up for herself.

I heard the rumor that Game of Thrones will return in April of 2019. Torture. But here are some funny Twitter moments from last season to make you smile while we agonize. Haven't heard any speculation on when Stranger Things might return in 2019.

Wednesday is a Blue Moon. A Blue moon is when a month has two full moons occur. There are actually two this year. This month and in March. Also, this Friday is Groundhog Day. If you don't know what that is, you're not missing a thing. It's really silly.

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe." Albert Einstein

I won't be posting next Monday but will be back next Wednesday for IWSG day. Do you keep your Goodreads account updated? Do you know what Groundhog day is? Do you think my granddaughter is being a bully at 10 months old?

Winter Is Not Coming...It's Here

I live in Pennsylvania, home of the completely ridiculous tradition of Groundhog Day. The celebration has been around since 1887 so maybe I shouldn't scoff at it. They have their own website a and a group of supporters. You can be an actual member of Groundhog Day but you need a top hat and tuxedo. There are lots of events planned if you're looking for a unique vacation destination for next year. Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, emerges from his den after sunrise. The tradition states that if Phil sees his shadow, we're in for six more brutal weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, we're going to be blessed with an early spring. I'm sure you'll hear it on the news somewhere today. Winter storm is moving through Pennsylvania today so likely no shadow.

February is named after the ancient Roman festival of Februalia, a time for purification and atonement. Is that why I say TV coverage of people doing those plunges into icy rivers and lakes? Shoveling snow is a cold enough purification for me.

Tomorrow is the Full Snow Moon so prepared for a cold night. As I started in January, I plan to share the Chinese Zodiac animal signs with you so you can see how you fit in. These years of birth are the Year of the Ox, or sometimes called the Year of the Buffalo. 1925, 1937.1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009. You are a bright, patient, and cheerful leader. Does this sound like you or perhaps someone you know like your children?

Sign ups for the Blogging A to Z Challenge are flying along. As one of the worker bees behind the scenes this year, I need a few assistants to help me keep track of my section of the challenge list. It's not difficult. I merely ask you to visit a small section of the list and let me know if a particular blog isn't participating or is an advertising entity. We also make adjustments if there is inappropriate content or unlabeled Adult Content. Please email me or leave a note in comments for me.

Don't forget to visit IWSG for today's helpful blog. And Wednesday is our monthly posting day so have all your insecurities ready to share. Hope this latest snow storm missed you.

Do you believe in Punxsutawney Phil? Did you ever do one of the icy plunges in the winter? Are you a buffalo? Wanna be a minion for Susan Says?