April 8th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Good morning. It’s a rainy Tuesday here in central Jersey, but at least it isn’t too cold. As a matter of fact, we’re supposed to get up into the sixties by noon, and the sun should be poking through around the same time. Tomorrow is only supposed to get up to fifty-eight, but the rest of the week it’s going to be in the sixties. Hallelujah, Spring has finally decided to stick around.

So yesterday didn’t work out exactly as planned; I got to RV’s and she was surprised to see me. Her first words after hello were “Didn’t you get my message?” Yup, still not smart enough for my smart phone. She had called to let me know she had forgotten about a lunch date she had planned, and said I should just come on Tuesday.

Well, since I was there already, and we had an hour before her friend came, and I had brought some of the left over roast beef from Sunday, I got her dinner prepped for her, but then I left. I was home by quarter after twelve, but did I do something productive like write or finish straightening up after Sunday’s party? Nope. I took a nap.

I had stayed up chatting with my son and his girlfriend until almost midnight Sunday. Then, by the time I got to bed, it was almost one, and you know how early I get up in the mornings. I was actually a little worried I would be able to get all that running around done yesterday on less than four hours of sleep. So I guess I was lucky I didn’t have to find out.

I am going to get very little writing done today. I wrote one chapter (it was a dream sequence chapter, so it was short), and now this blog, but I doubt there will be much more. In a few minutes I have to stop and make lunches, and get Dani out the door. Then I’ll have forty five minutes to write before I have to hop in the shower and get ready for work.

So far, I have been able to keep up with the daily quotas for Camp NaNoWriMo, but I’m a little concerned, with working and all, if I will be able to stay on track. Yesterday I hit over 15K, which means I only have 35K to go and three weeks to do it. That translates to around 1,500 words a day. I’m not wigging out just yet, but since this is the third time you’ll be going through this with me, I think you know the freak out will inevitably surface.

Okay, I’m going to boogie. I hope y’all have a fabulous day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

You’re voicing your frustrations while you’re driving, and your GPS starts to answer you back.

“Argh! Where did you get your license, a box of Cracker Jacks? Traffic is backed up for over a mile. Where do you think you’re going to go? You’re just going to cause another accident, then we’ll all be screwed because you’re an IDIOT!”

Turn right in four tenths of a mile.

“You’ve said that already Sally. Soon as I can get ‘four tenths of a mile’ I’ll be sure to turn.”

I didn’t mean to offend you Donald, but you don’t yell at me the way you yell at the other drivers, and you were getting very upset, so I thought it would be a good time to speak.

“Who said that?”

Me, Sally. Well, actually my name is Susan, but I don’t mind you calling me ‘Sally’, Donald.

“Sally? Yeah right.” Since traffic was at a dead stop, Donald looked around his car frantically. He checked under the visors, in the glove box, in the back seat. “Am I being punked?”

‘Punk’d’ a television show which ran from 2003 until 2012 on MTV, created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg. Practical jokes were played on unsuspecting celebrities. No Donald, you are not being ‘Punk’d’. It’s just me, Susan.

“What? How? What?”

Caution Donald, I detect your blood pressure rising. You need to calm down.

Okay, that was fun. I could have kept going with that one. It makes up a little for yesterday’s terrible challenge.

Your Next Challenge is:

The Easter Bunny can’t get motivated this year…

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

February 24th

Hi, it’s Christina –

I did things in reverse order today because I knew I would run out of steam pretty quickly. So, instead of writing first, I did some work around the house. Since my husband was down to the dredges of his wardrobe, I did some laundry. I emptied all the wastebaskets and took out the garbage. I unloaded and reloaded the dishwashers, and I straightened up a little. There’s still A LOT to do, but I am just about out of energy, and I’m worried if I push it, I’ll get sick again.

It’s amazing how much the house can go to pot when Mom is out of the picture for a few days. Whatever, I’ll take the next three days to put things back to rights – just in time for me to leave for Vermont. Hopefully my little loves won’t trash the house too bad in thirty five hours.

This weekend is going to be busy, busy, busy. Saturday Lys will me making Max’s cake and I’ll be making food for the party. I also have to do the Costco run for the cheese cake Lys wants as her birthday cake and the makings for Caesar salad which everyone enjoys. I think the only other things I need to do is sausage and peppers and iced tea, but I’m going to have to check the list my sister-in-law emailed me to be sure. You think I’m bad with my lists? You should meet Cindy! LOL I don’t fault her though, she manages to keep three kids with VERY active schedules, various volunteer work and a part time job all running like clockwork. I’m pretty sure I could not handle the crazy pace she keeps without losing my mind.

Okay, it’s time to flip the laundry, take some more medicine, and then I’m going to take a nap because I still have a grocery run to do and dinner to make. I can’t believe how much a stupid cold has wiped me out. You’d think I was recovering from major surgery. UGH! What a wimp I’m turning into in my old age!

I hope y’all have a marvelous Monday, and happy writing!

December 26th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Happy Boxing Day! So have any of you actually received a gift from your employer today or has that tradition completely gone by the wayside? Since I’m from the US, we don’t celebrate Boxing Day. But because I write historical fiction, I’m pretty good on what went on two hundred years ago; however, I’m a little foggy on the modern traditions. If any of you would like to chime in on your Boxing Day traditions, I would love to hear about them.

Perhaps next year I should run my book promo through December 26^th. What do you think? Would a book be an appropriate gift to give/receive on Boxing Day? This year’s promo went well. There were over 400 people who took me up on my free book offer for Taking Chances, and seven of those folks also downloaded A Second Chance as well. Now if just 2% of them would post a review, I’d be over the moon.

My Twitter account is buzzing again. I have eighteen new followers in the past few days. I really wish I could figure out what causes these spikes in followers so I could continue to cause them, but I still haven’t a clue.

Although I am very happy I did not wake up at 4:30 again this morning, I was still up at 6:30, and after a second late night in a row, I am seriously dragging this morning. Since the girls are spending the day with their cousins, I think I will straighten up the kitchen, throw in a load of laundry, and then settle down for a long winter’s nap. I can tell I’m getting run down, so if I want to avoid getting sick, I think a day of rest is in good order.

On that note, I shall bid you a fond farewell until tomorrow. Wish you a glorious day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

Okay, I have been pondering this photo since I posted it as a challenge four days ago; and to be honest, I still have no clue what this creature is, but I have narrowed it down to three possibilities. Because of the nose and mouth, I thought it might be a cat, but then, although they are not really long, the ears made me think it could be some type of bunny. As an afterthought, I thought it could be a camera trick and the animal is not really as large as it appears, so maybe it is some type of guinea pig.

The intent of this challenge was to give you a photo of some real, but unusual, animal and for you to make up a story about a unique pet you have or gift you gave/received, something, and I was going to do the same; but I got so distracted by trying to figure out what this thing is, I can’t even think of a story to tell. So if any of you out there has a clue as to what this thing is, please enlighten me.

Your Next Challenge is:

 Write a story containing the following three words: brush, mirror, shadow.

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

August 4th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Good Morning! To say I was unproductive yesterday would be a gross understatement. I did NOTHING. At around eleven yesterday morning I was so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I went to bed, then proceeded to sleep for six hours. Now, I have been known to take naps. Because of a really bad back, I usually only sleep for a few hours during the night. It just becomes too uncomfortable to lie in bed, so I get up. (Hence the periodic four am posts you might see from me.) But when I take a nap, it is only for an hour, two tops. Yesterday however, I think my body just shut down, saying enough is enough.

I have been running at top speed for quite a while now, and I think I just needed the rest. Today I feel much better. I think I will start making my lists of all the things that need to be accomplished in the next few weeks as well as my “to pack” list for vacation. This way, as I check things off, I will feel I actually accomplished something, and I will also have less chance of getting distracted by shiny objects. Number one on the “to do” list, daily writing challenge, so let’s go.

  

Your Last Challenge was:

 I remember the first time I…

 

I remember the first time I saw a ghost. It was the day after Father’s Day and I was ten years old. It was around two in the morning and I awoke when my grandfather sat down on the edge of my bed. He brushed the hair out of my eye, like he did whenever he woke me up. I sat up and asked him if it was time for breakfast and he told me no, he just wanted to talk to me. He told me he was sorry that he wouldn’t be able to see me for a while, but for me to remember how much he loved me and how special I was to him. I told him I loved him too and I didn’t want him to go anywhere and I didn’t understand. He said I would understand real soon.

I heard the phone in the kitchen ring, my mother get up to answer it and a mumbled conversation through my closed bedroom door. My grandfather gave me a hug and a kiss on the forehead and said he had to go, and he was gone. I hugged my knees to my chest and started to cry. That was how my mother found me a few minutes later. She came into my room to tell me my grandfather had died, and I told her I already knew; he came to say goodbye.

 

True story, and since that night, let’s just say, I’ve had some interesting experiences in my life. My grandfather was my most favorite person in the world. Still, almost forty years later, I miss him terribly.

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

Write a story containing these three words: Light, Cave & Shell.

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.