Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Recovery and Moving Forward

Sometimes the A to Z Challenge feels like such a big project that when you're done you feel like you need some time off. No one can blame you if you do. But I'm not taking any down time. I'm busy working on some of the things I talked about during the challenge to promote my writing and it's working. My sales have been pretty good, actually better than ever for Heir of Futhark and the other books in The Futhark Chronicles Series. Very happy with that.

I also dove right into the second book in my Intergalactic Recon Marines. This is the second book in the series following The Marine's Queen. That book is sitting at #70 in the Kindle Store in its category of romance. Best I've every done.  I'm at about 6K in the first week of writing and I know where it's going so hopefully this first draft will go pretty good. I also anticipate a little more writing time now that A to Z is over. 

All the things I mentioned in my A to Z posts and the wonderful comments I received have really fired me up to get my writing career rolling. As I wrote my posts and read the comments, I started thinking. Why am I waiting until June 7th to get started on so many of these ideas and plans when I could be doing some of them right now.

I'm busy updating a few things and this weekend I'm going to catch up on some reviews for some friends on Goodreads and Amazon. Thanks to all my friends who have given me reviews and the other readers who took the time to write and rate.

I'm trying to use my time wisely on facebook and Pinterest, the only two social sites I visit nearly every day. I don't spend hours on them, usually on a few minutes, but I'm aiming for more short visits. 

In May we do have a few more blog fests coming up. Are you signed up for more blog promotion events? What are you working on right now? Do you have a goal for the upcoming month? Have your spring yard work done yet?

19 comments:

shelly said...

I visit the social media on the days I work by using my Iphone. I post about my book on my days off since I don't want to bug anyone about it.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I do that, too - I say I'll wait until _____ and then start. Sometimes that's necessary depending on schedules etc but other times, not so much. :)

momto8 said...

exciting!!! good luck with your book!!

Cate Masters said...

Very cool - congrats on the excellent sales rank!

Mark Means said...

Congrats on your book standing and good luck with the next installment.

I have two (and -only- two) bloghops scheduled for this month. I'm mainly trying to get back into the swing of my usual schedule and may switch it up a bit...who knows? :)

Maria Zannini said...

I picked up some more cover design work, but everything is on hold until the floor restorers are finished.


Every so often I look at my poor file for my latest novel, waiting to get finished.

At this rate, I may never write again. ;-)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congratulations on your publishing successes. I love hearing about them. Number 70 is completely AWESOME!

Unknown said...

I limit the amount of fests and hops I'm in for various reasons, but I'm looking forward to the one Alex is promoting about health, towards the end of the month. Congrats on your book doing so well.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Number seventy is great!
Not writing, but I do have a busy May with guests and blogfests.

Robin said...

Good for you keeping that momentum going.

LD Masterson said...

I'm glad things are going well with your books. My goal for this month is to get my WIP out to my betas but the editing is going slow and we have a vacation coming up the last week so I don't know if it's gonna happen.

Unknown said...

Number 70 is brilliant! As is getting started now and not waiting until June. Every little thing you can fit in around life now is one you don't have to do later.

I'm not participating in any more blog hops this month, but I have set up a schedule of posts and topics, and started collecting ideas for next month. I'm also working on contacting book bloggers/reviewers etc this month.

Rinelle Grey

Unknown said...

Number 70 is brilliant! As is getting started now and not waiting until June. Every little thing you can fit in around life now is one you don't have to do later.

I'm not participating in any more blog hops this month, but I have set up a schedule of posts and topics, and started collecting ideas for next month. I'm also working on contacting book bloggers/reviewers etc this month.

Rinelle Grey

Unknown said...

Number 70 is brilliant! As is getting started now and not waiting until June. Every little thing you can fit in around life now is one you don't have to do later.

I'm not participating in any more blog hops this month, but I have set up a schedule of posts and topics, and started collecting ideas for next month. I'm also working on contacting book bloggers/reviewers etc this month.

Rinelle Grey

Unknown said...

I'm working on revisions on the third book of The Newstead Trilogy, hope to get that done by the end of this month, but I did make myself break away for a couple days to get the soil ready for my garden; can't forget about that!

Lynn Proctor said...

i keep thinking we are gonna get to start that yard work--but it seems like the weekends are either too busy or rainy--hope your yard is coming along--congrats on the renewed interest to write, susan!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

It's so motivating to read your comments and I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble keeping up with the yard work.

Christine Rains said...

I'm signed up for a couple of blogfests. And yes, we've already mowed twice and planted seedlings. Lots of rain coming tonight and tomorrow. I remember last year at this time, we already had our son's pool out. I prefer warm and rainy to humid and hot.

The Happy Whisk said...

Woohoo to being fired up.