Alive and Kicking!

Hey everyone!

Long time no speak. This post is for who asked if I was leaving LJ/DW for good and I told her I wasn't and that I would post soon...so here I am, posting.



What's been going on:

Health - I had my bilateral mastectomy back in January. They did find breast cancer (stage 0/stage 1) in BOTH breasts, so having them do both sides was obviously a good decision. I go in for my final reconstruction surgery at the end of July. Based on the size and staging of the tumors and a lengthy discussion with the oncologist we decided simply taking Tamoxifen was the best course of action. I'll be on it for 5-10 years. The only 'side effect' I've experienced so far has been fatigue, and frankly most of that can be attributed to the significant iron deficiency I developed post surgery. So now I'm on iron pills LOL.

Work - One of the nurses I work with left for another job closer to her house and I was given the opportunity to absorb her hours into my schedule. It's not much money but it IS money coming and I'm happy, hubby is happy that I'M happy so any search for a new job has been temporarily suspended. Which also makes me happy :D

Family - School is over, it turned out to be an AMAZING year so we're happy about that. My in-laws are taking the entire family (us & my sister-in law's family & my MIL's sister) to the UK for two weeks - we'll spend time in London, Scotland, Wales (YES I'M GOING TO IANTO'S SHRINE!!!!!) and then back through other parts of England. After that trip the kid will be going to spend some time with my parents while the hubs and I go back to work.

Writing - I have not written anything significant. There have been a few spurts here and there, but nothing concentrated. HOWEVER - With Lillian Francis' encouragement, I've started making plans to self-publish ALL my old short stories in two single-author anthologies. It will be quite a while before they come out seeing as how I'm just now in the planning stages, but it is in the works. And again thanks to her encouragement along with LJ Hamlin I am FINALLY back into editing one of my completed novels. I'm making NO estimates as to when I might be submitting it, I'm still trying to find my footing, but at least I'm working on it. So there's that.

It feels really good to be writing/editing again. I feared it would never come back. I'm still only editing, but I'm hopeful that eventually I will be actively writing again. I went through my WIP folder and there are so many WIPs that I'm hopeful once I get my feet wet with this editing that something will inspire me.

And finally - I want to thank all of you for your prayers, your well wishes, your thoughts, and your support. This has been a really hard time for the Thrace family and I wouldn't have made it through without my friends. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I'll check back in probably in August after my surgery.



Have a great summer!

<3333
Katherine H (Thrace)

Sales and Freebies!

Just popped in to let you all know of some sales and some FREEBIES!

First, ARE is having a MASSIVE October Giveaway! They are giving away loads of books, swag, gift certificates, etc, to random customers at check out. I am an official sponsor and donated several copies of Cast The First Stone and Fixing The Hole. So run over to http://allromanceebooks.com/ buy some books and see if you are one of the lucky winners!

I'm supposed to link via the picture, but I don't know how to do that, so I'll post the picture at the bottom LOL.

Also, starting October 15 and running until the end of the month, All Romance Ebooks will be offering a special 25% rebate for all Torquere titles! I got my start with them, you can get several short stories and of course my novella, Cast The First Stone! So run over there! You might win something and you'll save some money!

Now for non-promo stuff...writing is going VERY SLOWLY /o\ I almost have no energy most days, it's so weird. Maybe I'm pushing too hard at the gym, who knows, but I'm trying. A few hundred words at a time. RL is keeping me SUPER busy so there's that too.

Hope all is well.

Now go buy and SAVE!

<3333 Katherine

Fun Friday...so to speak

Hey everyone,

Just a brief update.

I have finally started writing again. Attempting a short to submit for Dreamspinner. It's kind of a hot mess right now and I'm not even sure how to end it so hopefully Button can work some magic just like always. Hot mess aside, at least I wrote something, mostly, hopefully if I just keep plugging away the hot messiness will go away LOL.

Hubs is back from his two week TAD, so that's good. Everyone is thrilled. The dog wouldn't leave him alone and the kid never stopped talking LOL.

School has started and mini-minion is loving it so that is a relief.

House is still in need of repair but we are optimistic. And I'm still looking for a job and still optimistic about that as well.

And that is the state of Thrace and family.

Hope all is well with you. Have a great weekend!

<333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

Gonna be brief today - sorry long time no post, but baseball, parents, deadlines OI!

Two deadlines this Friday - one for the GoodReads thing and another for both the edits and the marketing info for Life Happens for Torquere.

That will pretty much be what I'm working on all week. If I have time, I'll try to write on the next Torquere project or get back into editing my novels /o\

Hope everyone is doing well!

<333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

It's been tough getting back into the writing thing, I'm not going to lie about that. Seems studying and the stress of that exam kinda chilled my mojo /o\ I'm slowly getting back into the groove.

Keeping that in mind, I'm going to keep the goals reasonable. 1K a day along with some editing. With the thought process of increasing it to 1.5K a day next week and 2K the week after that (which would put me back up to speed).

My top priority right now is the GoodReads Love Is An Open Road - which reminds me OMG I have to have a title by April 1st O__O titles are ALWAYS super hard for me to come up with and usually the LAST thing I do. Great, something else to stress over LOL. I'm just over 5K and the two most crucial scenes are written, along with 1.5 more. So I need to get on it and get it done.

Second priority is my planned submission for the Torquere's First Timer's Anthology.

Editing priorities - the sequel to A Watched Demon and my NaNo from 2008.

And that's what I'm working on :D

Hope you all have a good week.

<333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

Hi everyone! *waves*

I'M BACK!!!!!

And wow, it feels good!!! First things first, obviously, I passed my certification exam so that is a HUGE load off my shoulders \0/ WOOOO HOOOOOO

Second, I sent off "Life Happens" a short story for the Torquere Family Time Anthology *fingers crossed* they accept it.

So what am I working on? HA HA HA HA HA My plate is so full /o\ I signed up for the GoodReads Love Is An Open Road Event - you can find the prompt I chose here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2236841-dear-author-ruthie#comment_form Obviously, it is top priority right now seeing as how the deadline is May 1, 2015 O__O

Next up is a submission for the Torquere First Times Anthology - still very much a work in progress.

Still continuing to edit my Navy NP/Ortho Doc novel from NaNo way back when. Also editing, A Pinch Of Salt - the sequel to A Watched Demon Always Boils. When those two finish I'm thinking about pulling out the NaNo I did AFTER the Navy NP/Ortho Doc and edit it and see about subbing it someplace.

Then along with all of that, I'm contemplating something for the Torquere Exchange of Power Anthology, the Sleigh Ride Dreamspinner Advent Calendar, and the Torquere Love in Uniform Anthology.

I'm still working on a sequel to Cast The First Stone and I'm starting to have thoughts about a sequel to Fixing The Hole. And yes, that het novel is still poking at me...

So there you have it, all that I'm working on O__O. If you have anything you'd like to see in either the sequel to Cast The First Stone or Fixing The Hole - drop me a comment, I cannot make ANY guarantees, but it's always nice to hear what people want.

Until Wednesday, have a great couple of days!

<333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

Hello Monday...we meet again. *sigh*

The kid finally went back to school \0/ - not as much complaining as I thought there would be. I'm going to attempt to be productive today, but DAMN my workout on Friday kicked my ASS and I was still feeling it a little bit this morning when I went to workout - so I expect a nap will be happening sometime this afternoon.

Not much got done last week, almost zero editing and only 2.5K - because the kid had not one, not two but FOUR snow days. So the kid has not been in school for TEN DAYS in a row O__O. Needless to say, what little free time I had, I had to use to focus on studying. So there you go.

With that in mind, my exam is in one week, so I'm dialing everything down except for studying. I'm dropping my writing goal to 10K by Friday 6 March. My editing goal (to do a little bit each day) will remain the same. I won't be posting anymore until after the exam either, so my next post will not be until Friday 6 March. Then you'll get a Fun Friday :D

Hope everyone has a great two weeks!

<333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

Here it is again, Monday. And I realize I have been a fail for two weeks in a row now, skipping both What I'm Reading Wednesday and Fun Friday posts /o\ In my defense, something I haven't told all of you, I'm studying to retake a certification exam so that has taken up a considerable amount of time and will continue to do so until the first week of March when I'll actually take the exam (and hope I pass). I will try *fingers crossed* to get both of those posts up this week.

I did manage to meet my word goal of 10K last week, even though the last 600 I had to write on Saturday. I also managed to edit four out of the five weekdays, including some yesterday, so I count that as a win as well.

Goals for this week: I'm going to be realistic - there was no school today and with the snowmaggeddon we've got coming I highly doubt there will be school tomorrow. Which means...writing will be difficult at best /o\ So I'm going to say 6K at a minimum with 10K being the ultimate goal still. I won't beat myself up though as long as I cross the 6K mark :D

Also, editing - will continue to keep the goal at some editing everyday (obviously not today or tomorrow /o\) - I did manage to FINISH the first editing past of the short story for Torquere's Family Time Anthology and get it off to my first pre-reader - so YAY ME :D

So what I'll be working on:
Edit my Doctor/Naval Officer story from my first NaNo
Edit the sequel to the Demon story from THIS year's NaNo
Write more on the sequel to Cast The First Stone
Write short story for Torquere's First Timer's Anthology
And of course: Get back into writing what my hubby calls "The rescue story" a HET *gasp* story! (This one is actually still in the brainstorming stages so I'm not actively writing it per se - but I'm planning it...)

That's all for now.

Have a great week!

<333
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

Here is is, Monday again. It keeps turning up...like a bad penny. Kid again said "I wish it was still the weekend." You and me both, kid, you and me both LOL.

So, what did I get done last week?

Well, I did manage to meet my writing goal. I had set a goal of 1K on each story and I made it, writing 10K last week - well a bit over 10K because I never actually stopped right at 1000 words. With that in mind, I"m going to keep that same goal for this week - 1K on each story - altho the short story for Torquere's Family Time Anthology will probably wrap up so I'll have to shift its words to something else, either way, 2K a day is the goal.

Editing - not so good there (which is why I'm not shifting the writing goal) My goal was to edit 10 pages on each piece every day. I only managed about half that over the course of the week. So I'm changing that goal - now it's to do some significant editing each day. Either a scene, or a chapter, or something, as long as I get SOME done every day.

So what I'll be working on - ha ha same as week:

Edit my Doctor/Naval Officer story from my first NaNo
Edit the sequel to the Demon story from THIS year's NaNo
Write more on the sequel to Cast The First Stone
Continue writing on a short story I started for Torquere's Family Time Anthology (when this one finishes I will either shift the words to the CTFS sequel OR a different short story)
Get back into writing what my hubby calls "The rescue story" a HET *gasp* story! (This one is actually still in the brainstorming stages so I'm not actively writing it per se - but I'm planning it...)

And that's it for this week.

What are your goals for this week?

Have a good one!

<33
Katherine

Just Another Manic Monday

HA yup, the Bangles, that song was my jam like in junior high. It's how I felt about EVERY MONDAY and still do tbh. My kid crawled into bed with me this morning and said, "I don't like Mondays. I'm not ready to go back to school." And I couldn't agree with him more.

But here it is Monday and here's what's on tap for this week:

Edit my Doctor/Navy Officer story from my first NaNo
Edit the sequel to the Demon story from THIS year's NaNo
Write more on the sequel to Cast The First Stone
Continue writing on a short story I started for Torquere's Family Time Anthology
Get back into writing what my hubby calls "The rescue story" a HET *gasp* story!

Goals? 20 pages of editing total each day. Approx. 10 pages on each story.
I'd like to get my writing goal back up to 2K a day or more if possible, split between the three stories. We'll see how that goes.

And that's what I'm working on for this week. I'm putting it out there in hopes that the accountability of sharing my goals with all of you will actually help me achieve them. I'll try to keep track of my word count and let you all know how I fared next week.

Have a great Monday!

<33
Katherine