Doing Just What I Want . . . Sort Of



The other day someone asked me how I liked retirement. In 2009, I decided to retire a bit early and enjoy life. That didn’t mean lounging on Waikiki Beach in the shadow of Diamond Head every day reading my fill of mystery novels; it meant researching, writing, and publishing mystery novels. It also meant paying closer attention to my blogs and participating in writers’ groups. But I do enjoy plenty of leisure time because I do just what I want . . . sort of. 

 

That means that although my goals are set and my projects outlined, deadlines are not carved in stone. If there is a deadline, I can begin the project far in advance so as not to be rushed. This year my goals include completing and publishing a novel; posting interviews with the 13 authors involved in the mystery anthology MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense; and participating in Arlee Bird’s April 2014 A to Z Blog Challenge

by writing and posting twenty-six articles with topics ranging from A to Z.

 

Marketing is an area where I need to improve, another goal. My focus for 2014 includes the novel WITH FIERY VENGEANCE published in December 2013. As the third book in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series, and set in Hawaii, I am having fun discussing the settings featured in the story. 

Yesterday I spent time at Paˋina Café for the monthly local NaNoWriMo group gathering. I had been in a quandary about my WIP because of indecision over the story line. Scenarios had been swimming around in my mind since I completed the first draft last November. As I typed out my thoughts at the cafe, everything fell into place. Doing just what I want, letting my thoughts simmer until the time was right for a solution to develop, worked better than trying to force a decision. 

That’s what I like about my retirement state-of-mind: Doing Just What I Want . . . Sort Of. While I must still take the steps necessary to move a project toward its goal, I have the freedom to do just what I want at any given time. This is my idea of stress-free time management, an enviable luxury. 

How do you manage your time?

SETTING AND ACCOMPLISHING GOALS

November was a busy month for me. I participated in NaNoWriMo2013 and am a WINNER; co-published an anthology of stories by 13 authors; and put the finishing touches on the novel I started during last year's NaNoWriMo and will publish at the end of this week, December 7, which is my protagonist’s birth date.

Accomplishing that many projects took some interesting juggling of time. Each morning I was up and writing before six o'clock to get in my quota of words for the NaNoWriMo manuscript. I didn’t always reach my goal, but there was always the Saturday write-ins at Ward Warehouse’s Paina Cafe in Honolulu. The camaraderie, and pasta at The Spaghetti Factory during break, helped me move the story forward and reach my word count of 50,000 words on November 29th.

Several hours each day were spent on editing, revising, and formatting my third novel in the Pepper Bibeau mystery series, WITH FIERY VENGEANCE Anger Burns Deep. With assistance and encouragement from critters, beta readers, and editor, I was able to mold the NaNoWriMo2012 manuscript into an exciting story that I am proud to publish.

The anthology, MYSTERY IN PARADISE 13 Tales of Suspense, was a group project with local writers. The short stories are mysteries set in Hawaii:  

From cozy mystery to classic crime, from gumshoe to urban noir, MYSTERY IN PARADISE is a collection of twisted, heart-pumping tales of suspense in all its guises. These 13 utterly unforgettable stories by 13 of the hottest authors to hit Hawai`i’s literary scene are sure to leave you with chicken skin as they take you on a ride through the seamier side of Paradise.

The e-Book is available NOW on Amazon,

and the trade book is coming soon!

http://amzn.to/1hjXOxo

 

 

Is this mynah bird to die for?

Special thanks go out to contributing author, Laurie Hanan,

for photographing the scenes and designing the cover for

MYSTERY IN PARADISE

13 Tales of Suspense