j. rose allister: Mild-Mannered Mondays

Showing posts with label Mild-Mannered Mondays. Show all posts

Monday, May 14, 2018

Gotta Move, Writer vs Juggler

On one Monday of the month, I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Figured it was high time to post an update. Sometimes there's nothing going worth talking about, while others there's so much that I can't find the time. That's pretty much the deal right now.

Gotta Move

At my last update, I mentioned some financial goals and how I'd been tackling them. What I didn't say was that we've been looking for a house. That's right, we're ready to leave apartment life behind! After some turned-down offers and interesting adventures (like unplanned off-roading while house hunting), we are officially in escrow. Cue confetti toss!

For the past few months, literally every spare moment has been spent on the house dream, but I was so afraid of jinxing things that I wasn't even talking about it. At this point, while there are still more hoops to jump, we're far enough into escrow that I'm daring to hope this might actually happen. Cross your fingers!

Writer vs Juggler

Juggling my normal routine is a carefully honed act, and tossing even one more ball in the air can throw it off. So Life Stuff like the above can definitely alter my production schedule. I'm anxious to get working on the second in the Kiss of the Dragon series, but it will have to wait a short spell. First, I'm finishing up a Janell Michaels book, Always the Bride. And yep, that whole moving thing. And there's something else I'm excited to mention too. I had rights returned to me on an older title that I'm looking forward to polishing up and re-issuing in the coming months. Which one? To Be Announced...

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than thirty books under three pen names, primarily romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Cash Envelopes and Cover Reveal

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On one Monday of the month, I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

What's up this month? I'm a little late getting out this update, because I wanted to share my new cover but I needed to send that out to my mailing list people first.

I've got some book news I'm excited to share. And besides hustling to complete my next book, I've been busy overhauling our finances by going back to basics.

Cash Envelopes

Each year, I like to have writing goals and personal goals. This year's personal mission is a budget makeover. I spent time in January rolling out our new spending plan...using cash envelopes.

This is something I started doing way back with my first "by myself" apartment. I was a single mom with no clue how to manage a budget. Having envelopes earmarked for each of my expenses saved my bacon then (and several times since). Fast forward to the age of plastic/debit/credit and autopayments, and what am I doing? Putting us back on a cash system. Already, one month on the new plan, plus slashing some expenses, has completely turned things around. (If you're interested in how a cash envelope system works, check out this post.)

Cover Reveal

Drum roll please...

Kiss of the Dragon is in the hands of my awesome ARC team, and the release date is planned for March 6!

I love this cover, which was done by Oliviaprodesign. And the book was so fun to write! A firefighter throws all his training out the window to rescue a woman using extraordinary means...and that's just the beginning of Derek's new and bizarre behavior. Meeting Claire has unleashed something inside of him that he can't control, and it isn't just passion for the woman he barely met.

This is the first of three planned books in this series.

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, January 15, 2018

Puppy Meme and Editing Kung Fu

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On a Monday of the month, I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Happy 2018! I dove into the new year with full-speed-ahead purpose for my writing, finances, and household organization. A tall order, to be true!

Puppy Meme

So Tina the wonder pup won't sit still for photos, and we get some rather crazy snapshots as a result. This one's the latest, which aside from the "constant motion" blurriness just begs to be a meme. What's a good caption?

Editing Kung Fu!

I'm kicking some editing booty this month!

My editing Kung Fu is strong! For NaNoWriMo 2017, I finished the draft of Kiss of the Dragon, book 1 of a new dragon shifter series. After taking December off to let the manuscript sit and think about what it had done, I'm hard at work this month editing and revising. A cover reveal and release news will be coming soon, hopefully next month.

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, October 16, 2017

Rescue pUpdate, NaNo Prep, and Giveaway!

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On the first Monday of the month, I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Fall is here! It's funny, but I sort of consider this change in season as the start of my writer year. I tend to start looking at my schedule and planning upcoming book projects. And after my recent annual reader survey, I've got a brand new book in development that I'm really excited about. Stay tuned!

Rescue (p)Update

Tina curled up with blankie and her favorite stuffed bunny.

I haven't posted about our rescue puppy for a while, so I thought I should offer up a photo and pupdate. Tina's doing well. She's 9 months old now, a dachshund/beagle mix. She's rather spoiled by having All The Toys and sleeping with Mommy. (The photo was taken of her on my lap.) And she had her first play date with another dog, my son's new rescue Ellie. (He was inspired after spending time with Tina.) This was a big deal since Ms. Tina came to us as a poorly socialized pup who'd clearly had bad experiences during her time being lost in the streets and at the shelter. After some initial fireworks and posturing, Tina did quite well letting her cousin-dog hang out while my son visited.

NaNo Prep!

It's that time again when I'm about to launch into November's National Novel Writing Challenge (NaNoWriMo, or NaNo). This will be my 11th time participating, and I hope my 11th "win." (To win, I have to write 50,000 words in 30 days. The prize: pride in a job well done...and a book for you!)

I've been hard at work prepping this year's book, which will be the first in a planned 3-book paranormal series. And as I've done for some of my previous years I do believe I'll be posting daily updates here on the blog along with my favorite lines written each day. Stay tuned!
s near, she can't convince him to talk about the real world. When reality pulls them back, she must either work to discover the truth or resign herself to seeing the man she loves...only once every spring.

Giveaway

I'm participating in a big giveaway featuring Kindles and ebooks. Sign up for your chance to win! Now until Oct. 31. CLICK HERE FOR THE GIVEAWAY

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, September 11, 2017

"Fall" vs Autumn, a Preorder, and Box Set News

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

"Fall" vs Autumn

In the last update, I wrote about the ups and downs during writing retreat vacation. Well, the ups and downs continued...literally. I fell and landed on my knee at work, so the rest of my summer has been spent on restricted activity and hobbling around with a splint and cane. Just had an MRI the other day, and I'm crossing my fingers that the results don't turn up anything exciting.

That said, the word "fall" is a rather touchy one for me at the moment, so I've decided to officially refer to the new season as "autumn." Heh. But on the plus side, my "work restrictions" haven't interfered with writing, so I've got a lot on deck. And yeah, autumn means pumpkin everything, and hopefully the local temperatures will stop topping the triple-digit mark.

a Preorder

My "alter ego," Janell Michaels, is kicking off autumn by releasing a book about spring! Why not, right? My Janell Michaels titles are primarily contemporary and are a tad sweeter and more mainstream. But they are still packed with heartthrob heroes and plenty of romance!

*Preorder ebook for 99 cents (limited time launch price)
*FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
*Also available in paperback
Get it Now

About Once Every Spring:

Together in a land all their own...until reality pulls them back to separate worlds.

Dana's about to write off her birthday when she finds herself in a world she can't believe is real. She meets Adam, a man she apparently dreamed up as her guide to an unsettlingly real hallucination. Or is it?

Alone together in paradise, she can't stop herself from falling for the man she believes exists only in her imagination. Unless, of course, he's somehow real. But perfect as Adam seems, he's keeping secrets from her...secrets about his life on the other side.

As the day they must part draws near, she can't convince him to talk about the real world. When reality pulls them back, she must either work to discover the truth or resign herself to seeing the man she loves...only once every spring.

Box Set News!

For you Sons of Herne/urban fantasy fans, I'm excited to announce that I'll be releasing the box set of Sons of Herne! The Sons of Herne Collection will include all eight books PLUS a bonus ninth book never previously released. In addition, there's some added bonus content: playlists featuring inspirational music I used to create the series, as well as background ambiance to listen to while reading the books. The box set is due to release on October 1, and it will be launched at a super 99 cent discount!

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Post

Monday, August 7, 2017

Writing Retreat Wrap Up, Dog Days of Summer, Book Stuff in the Works

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On the first Monday of the month, I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Summer is already winding down. How does this happen? My writing retreat is a fond memory, a new school year for my daughter is peeking over the horizon, and plenty of author busywork has seen me through the long, hot summer days.

Writing Retreat Wrap-Up

One view from a writing spot.

The writing retreat for 2017 had its ups and downs.

In the plus column: I got plenty of writing done, a book trailer finished, and enjoyed the nice cabin with lovely views and nearby lake breezes.

On the minus side: I had some heat exhaustion and a nervous puppy to deal with. The A/C in the cabin wasn't as expected, and the A/C in the car gave up completely. Good timing while temps at our house are above 100 degrees daily (85-ish at the cabin, still too hot for my delicate constitution. Why do I live in a semi-desert locale again?)

All in all, the trip was still amazing. The family didn't ever want to come home (except for the dog).

Dog Days of Summer

Tina helping pack-first her toy, then herself.

Miss Tina the wonder pup wasn't as enamored with the cabin as the rest of us.

First of all, when you have tiny little puppy legs and the self-appointed role as 24/7 Family Protector, constantly patrolling a large tri-level, 2-deck cabin is a bit much.

And the smells! While us humans went on and on about lake breezes and the scent of pine trees, she was more concerned about the wild things in the woods. And night walks were curtailed altogether after she growled at something in the dark...and the bushes growled back. Gotta love the mountains.

Book Stuff in the Works

I've got quite a few writing projects being juggled at once. Summer saw the near completion of my first all-new book under the new pen name, along with some work on long overdue book trailers and a redux of an alternate reality romance title. I've also completed and edited a special exclusive bonus book for the Sons of Herne box set, which will be going out to the ARC team shortly (along with the alternate reality book). Whew! I think I'll need a vacation to recover from my writing retreat vacation.

via GIPHY

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than twenty-five books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night.

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, June 5, 2017

Vacation Dreams, New Books, Life is Good

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On the first Monday of the month, I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Summer is here! A writing retreat vacation is just around the corner, just in time after some very busy spring months. Time to make packing and to-do lists!

Vacation Dreams

A view from the cabin deck last summer

Last summer, I took my daughter along on a writing retreat in the mountains. (My husband was away speaking on panels at San Diego Comic-Con.) We loved it so much that we vowed to return. So I've just booked another mountain cabin, this time big enough for the whole family (including one of my grown sons and Tina the wonder dog). I can already picture early mornings spent out on the deck, working on my book while sipping coffee among the forest splendor. Squee! I can't wait.

New Books

I finished the exclusive bonus book that will be offered as part of the Sons of Herne box set! Final edits and cover art are in progress, and then the bundle will be readied for release.

Meanwhile, I'm excited to announce the upcoming re-release of my bounty hunter title Nature's Bounty! And what do you think of the smokin' hot cover?

Expect to see this out in the next month.

Life is Good

Books and stories have been whipping out, the dog is getting bigger by the day, and we're all looking forward to that trip to the mountains! As cray-cray busy as things have been, including a brief health issue for my husband involving multiple trips to ER/Urgent care (he's fine now, thankfully), life has been great. Here's the latest photo of Tina, who fell asleep in my daughter's arms. I've dubbed this "dog day afternoon."

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, May 1, 2017

Movie Binges, Sticky Plots, and Puppy Power

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On (usually) the first Monday of the month I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Happy May! The past month has been about overhauling my schedule and feeling exhausted. Luckily, I did make some progress on projects I have in the works, plus I took some time off to have a bit of downtime R and R.

Movie Binges

Speaking of R and R, I caught up with some movies I'd been wanting to see. Partly this is because two of my prime April TV shows are starting late this year (Game of Thrones and Fear the Walking Dead). Harumph. So Logan, Kong: Skull Island, Beauty & the Beast (2017), and the film version of The Girl on the Train were some of my recent binges. All of these were entertaining and worth a view. I did have a few mixed feelings about Beauty and the Beast. It was one of those things where I didn't want them to deviate too far from the animated version, but it was so close to it that I felt it was "copying" the original almost to extreme. It's a tough thing to pull off. That said, I greatly enjoyed the musical numbers, most of the performances, and the interpretations of characters like Lumiere and songs like Be Our Guest.

Sticky Plots

The good news is, I made some serious progress on the (sooper sekrit) exclusive bonus novella to my Sons of Herne series. Not so much on Almost the Bride, my Janell Michaels contemporary romance. I came screeching to a halt when I realized I was missing a key bit of motivation to advance the romance storyline. Sometimes, writing gets "stuck" like this, and I can't seem to get around it. I've tried scowling at the manuscript, sitting deep in thought, walking away for a while (hence the movie marathons), and even-gasp-bringing it up. I don't usually talk much about my works in progress, but I'm so puzzled over why the heroine is going to do The Thing she's about to do that I very nearly surveyed a group of coworkers the other day. I do believe the answer is...she's not actually going to do The Thing, at least not at first. Hm. Still plugging along at this.

Puppy Power

Saying hello to her new toy

News of our latest addition to the family, Tina the wonder dog, was met with an outpouring of email from readers offering well wishes and much-needed puppy care tips. I was put under strict orders to offer up more photos and updates about her, so here's a cute one we snapped of her. She is just so CUTE! ...and I'm still wiped out from all that energy. If only I could harness it! She is still in the process of being housebroken, leash trained, and all that jazz, but I'm pleased to report we're making progress. She also eats better than I do. Heh.

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, April 3, 2017

New Books, New Puppy, TV Endings

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On (usually) the first Monday of the month I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

April is here! April Fools, Easter, taxes...April tends to be a hoppin' busy month, and I feel like I got a running start on that during March. Lots of things going on!

New Books

I've got not one but two new releases. Even better, both are free! For urban fantasy fans, I've re-released Their Secret Paradise, a little-known spinoff title to my Immortal Paradise series. Written for a tiny digital press, this is the book that inspired a series set on an exclusive resort island whose guests aren't always human.

Also, under my new contemporary romance pen, I released a special 10th anniversary expanded edition of my first novel ever, Visions. This is the book that Barnes and Noble accidentally listed as having been written by Dr. Seuss! Imagine that happening to a new author with her very first book launch, heh.

New Puppy

Naptime is when I can write!

In last month's update, I mentioned I was suffering from a lack of time. Well, if there's one thing that can bring any carefully crafting writing schedule to a screeching halt, it's becoming the proud owner of a four-month-old furball of energy. But after a long time of waiting and wanting to add a canine companion to our family, we finally went to a nearby rescue shelter and came home with Tina, a beagle-daschund mix. Life is full of puppy kisses, walks, long naps (for her, not me), and for now, keeping her "cone" on and her stitches intact following her spay surgery. But I'm pleased to say I'm still getting *some* writing done in the meantime. Some. Usually during naptime.

TV Ending

The shows I watch have been wrapping up, some for now, some forever. The Walking Dead is done until fall, Grimm and Bones forever. Sigh. Then Game of Thrones won't be starting until July, so I'm getting impatient. At least Fear the Walking Dead starts up soon. I binged Vikings so fast that I'm already out of episodes, drat. At least there's still a few more of Reign, but I was bummed to hear that's ending too. All good things, I suppose.

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, March 6, 2017

Luck o' the Irish, Lots of Books, and Lack of Time

J 12:00 AM 0 Comments

On (usually) the first Monday of the month I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Happy March! The past month has been so weird, with me feeling like I'm constantly behind in my work even though I got a lot done. I did decide to slow my roll just a little to take some extra time for R&R, yet my TBR is piling up high again. (One of my "R's" for March should stand for "Reading!")

Luck of the Irish

So here's wishing all of you a happy Valentine's Day, because without all of us devouring books and sharing our favorite reads, I wouldn't likely be here blogging about writing plans, the weather, and my latest recipes.

Lots of Books

The main reason I'm behind on my TBR is that I spent a large portion of the month reading over not one but three of my own manuscripts. I've been prepping Their Secret Paradise (the spinoff title to my Immortal Paradise series) for re-release as a free read. I also completed a special edition rewrite of Visions, my first novel which will be re-released free under my romance pen name. And I'm re-reading what I wrote for my November NaNo project, Always the Bride (also for the romance pen name). When I leave a project behind for a while, I find it helpful to give it a quick read before trying to dive back in.

Lack of Time

It may be time to revisit my Schedule You Need Right Now, because I'm at a point when I spend more days than not feeling as though I'm not accomplishing everything I should. It seems like I don't get enough writing done, the housework is behind, I need to touch up the roots on my dye job, and I haven't caught up with a TV show since I Love Lucy was in its first run.

That all said, I HAVE been keeping up with one of my guilty pleasures-The Walking Dead. I'm not a fan of posting spoilers, so I'll just say this season has been quite a ride thus far. Negan keeps me on the edge of my seat, and even characters that normally aren't my favorites have had some moments.

Until next time...

~*~*~*~

On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

# Mild-Mannered Mondays # Monday Musings

Monday, May 14, 2018

Gotta Move, Writer vs Juggler

Monday, February 12, 2018

Cash Envelopes and Cover Reveal

Monday, January 15, 2018

Puppy Meme and Editing Kung Fu

Monday, October 16, 2017

Rescue pUpdate, NaNo Prep, and Giveaway!

Monday, September 11, 2017

"Fall" vs Autumn, a Preorder, and Box Set News

Monday, August 7, 2017

Writing Retreat Wrap Up, Dog Days of Summer, Book Stuff in the Works

Monday, June 5, 2017

Vacation Dreams, New Books, Life is Good

Monday, May 1, 2017

Movie Binges, Sticky Plots, and Puppy Power

Monday, April 3, 2017

New Books, New Puppy, TV Endings

Monday, March 6, 2017

Luck o' the Irish, Lots of Books, and Lack of Time

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