There was an opportunity for some Dog Shaming this week.
I didn’t do a whole lot this week besides the usual work and home stuff, and finished looking over my galleys for Time’s Dilemma. It should come out next week, and it’s great to see the work finally pay off.
My husband got a major payoff this week, too. For the past four years, he’s been working on a total restoration of the ’79 TransAm he bought right out of high school. As in, he took every single bolt off that car, completely rebuilt the engine (and modified it quite a bit), and restored and repainted the entire body. The only thing he didn’t touch was the upholstery, which is original but still in amazingly good shape.
This weekend he went to the Pontiac Nationals in Bowling Green, KY and raced it for the first time. He knew there would be a lot of tuning to do and possibly more work in tweaking things. He did do a bit of that, and finished in time for the main racing events on Saturday. He didn’t expect to make the finals, even though he knew his car was good. He just didn’t know how good, or how well he knew the car (which is really key). He didn’t just make the finals–he won runner up in his class! So proud of him. Four years of work finally paid off, and he had a great time too.
Restoring a car as a hobby isn’t unlike writing. It takes many hours of work that may never pay off. I’m fortunate in that I’ve completed now eight novels, and four are published, soon to be five, which is what I worked toward this week. It’s a great feeling. Even though Time’s Dilemma is 1/3 the length of my other Saturn Society novels, it was still a lot of work. Here’s the scoop:
A Saturn Society Short Novel Never Tell Time traveler Florie LeBeau follows the laws of the Saturn Society that protect people with her gift, but the handsome stranger who arrives at her Cumberland Gap farmhouse from the eighteenth century defies every one. From his very presence, two hundred years past his time, to the things he knows about her, everything about Zeke Allen breaks the rules–the rules of time travel, and the rules protecting Florie’s heart. Never Change the Past Florence might not know Zeke Allen, but he knows her… loves her… and knows she’ll play a key part in the war that will soon involve her United States. But her four-years-older self swore him to secrecy, for Zeke revealing his knowledge could change things—with devastating consequences. And Never, Ever Fall in Love Though drawn to the captivating frontiersman, Florie denies her longing for him, as the Society forbids involvement with those from other times. But Zeke pushes her boundaries, determined to win her love, for he must ensure her visit to his time four years hence, or else it could cost her country their war, Florie her future, and both of their hearts. Gain entry into the Saturn Society and meet the men and women who can cross time itself to follow their hearts into thrilling adventure and sensual romance today! Available in ebook at major retailers – print coming soon!
Want a free copy in advance? My publisher has given me ten ebooks to send out to anyone who agrees to post an honest review on release (I’ll email you when that time comes). And yes, by honest, I mean it’s totally OK to say this book sucked like bucket of ticks if that’s your honest opinion (but hopefully you won’t think that). Just Contact Me and let me know whether you’d like a Kindle book, or an epub that can be read on Nook, Apple devices, and most other e-readers.
What I’ve been reading: Smith’s Monthly #19 by Dean Wesley Smith. Now I’m only a year behind in these LOL. The novel in this issue is Heaven Painted as a Free Meal, a Ghost of a Chance story. I love these, about an organization of ghosts who help people and occasionally save the world. Some really unique worldbuilding, how the ghost world works in these, like the ghosts still eat, sleep, and do other life-like things but with “ghost” copies that aren’t missed by the living. And there is a lot of good humor in them, and some romance. Definitely recommended if you enjoy paranormal!
ROW80 Update: My main goal was to complete my galleys for Time’s Dilemma, and that’s done. I also wanted to finish my re-read of what I have so far on the next book–finished that last night. This week’s goal is to outline the rest of the next book, since what I have needs a lot of work.
What about you–what have you put a lot of work into recently, and have you seen results? Have you read any good books lately? How are you doing on whatever goals you may have, whether writing or otherwise? Please share in the comments–I’d love to hear from you!
Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.