One Helluva January

Winter in Minnesota is supposed to be slow. Quiet.

Bor-ing.

But in the past month, I spent a miserable week trying to fight off a virus only to finally succumb and spend two days in bed. My kids got sick and being the mom, that meant I had some nights with very little sleep.

I ordered a keyboard (the musical kind!) and went into the music studio to record backup vocals for the Mark Cameron band.

I took extra taiko drumming classes because I thought I'd have the time.

I joined the Romance Writers Association and attended my first local meeting, where I was invited to join a critique group - something I have wanted and needed for a while.

The final 10 days in January found me writing intensely and purposefully every free minute I had. I worked on a new section of True Surrender - a section I added after getting feedback from several of my readers. The real fire under me was (big surprise) a deadline: the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award opened for submissions on January 24 and would accept "only" 5000 entries before it closed. I wanted True Surrender to be one of those entries! On February 1, I met that goal.

I didn't have time to celebrate, because I had a new product launch event for work on February 4 - and timing was so tight, I was picking up the final parts that morning.

And now a new adventure: the first live band gig I've done in EIGHTEEN YEARS. Yep, I'm singing with the band on February 19 (Rafters Bar in Stillwater). My kids are starting to sing along since I've been "studying" whilst driving them to/from school etc. Next week we'll rehearse and try to wrap up the recording work.

And then ... I think I'll need a 3-day nap!