Thought for the Week

 Really does make your think...

2015 Reading Goals

First and foremost, I'm a reader. A voracious reader. When I started writing, the amount of time I had to read decreased. Thank heavens for audiobooks!

In 2013, I took Goodreads Reading Challenge. I thought, if nothing else, it's a great way to keep track of the books I've read over the course of the year.

Since I've done so well, I've upped my challenge for 2015. I'm going to read (listen to) 75 books this year.

Here's what I've finished so far in January. Kind of a nice variety.

Yeah, I'm trying to beat Medeia Sharif. That woman is a reading machine! And a prolific writer as well.

And speaking of Medeia, she's got a blog tour going on right now for her newest release, 52 Likes. *shivers* I've only had a chance to read the very beginning--just to tease myself. It's a chilling premise.

Today's the last day to sign up for her giveaway, too. So drop by and congratulate her and check out the books she's read.

After a brutal rape and near-murder, Valerie wants to get past feelings of victimhood from both the assault and her history of being bullied. She’s plagued by not knowing the identity of her rapist and by the nasty rumors in school about that night. Valerie follows clues from ghostly entities, past victims of the rapist-murderer, contacting her through a social media site—why do all of their eerie photos have 52 likes under them? Their messages are leading her to the mystery man, although he’ll put up a fight to remain hidden.

Do you have any plans for the weekend?

What Do You Do?

Urban Fantasy--Details

Urban Fantasy--Details

I promised myself that when I finished my NaNo project early that I would take a break from writing and editing, enjoy the holiday time with family and catch on my reading.

So, I've been doing that. Have a lovely Thanksgiving and managed to see or talk to via Skype most of the kids and grandkids. My brother called and I chatted with him and his wife for a bit. Went to see Red Dawn (loved it--much better than the original though it's still a story about war and people die in war) though what we wanted to see was the new James Bond film. Also saw Breaking Dawn 2.

Regency Romance--Details

Time Travel Regency Romance--Details

I've read two books and am three quarters of the way through a third. I'm getting ready to start on a fourth ebook. I have plans to go to two local book signings tomorrow and a dinner gathering of local authors.

Did way more than I have in the last several years by decorating the house for Christmas. I hate doing that alone, and this year I managed to get the hubby involved. It was fun again.

I have a confession to make. I'm getting antsy to edit. I find myself going to sleep or waking up with ideas. But I've got another WEEK.

I love being able to spend so much more time reading. But it's usually a guilty pleasure, and I can't quite shake that feeling I should be doing something else.

How do you handle the adjustment to a forced vacation from writing?

"Everneath"

I'm seriously dying today. I received an ARC of Brodi Ashton's book Everneath, when I got home from work yesterday. I started it after listening to the  Authors' Advisory Conference Call last night, which is hosted by Robin Weeks. It's because of Robin that I had this opportunity to read the book.

I read until a reasonable hour, though I kept thinking about the story. When I woke at 2 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep (because I was thinking about the story), I tried to go back to sleep. But I kept thinking about the dang story, so I finally gave up and got up.

I loved it. I won't say more now, but I've got to have my own copy. Why is January so far away?

I am going to be so worthless at work today.

Grammar - Missing the Obvious

In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice.

Then he made proof-readers." 

~~Mark Twain

I'm going to touch on a big grammar issue today--the human brain. Ever get frustrated that you've read your dang manuscript a bazillion times and still miss some mistakes? Some of my problem is I can't NOT edit, which just makes new typos.

When it comes to language, our clever human brains can be our antagonists. The following is my case in point:

Can you read this?

Olny srmat poelpe can.

cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

In one training I attended, we were told to read through the project three times looking for different things. An important key is giving it a break because reading something over and over can result in missing the obvious. If you go do something else or put it down for the night and come back to it fresh the next morning, stuff can jump right out at you that you'd have missed the day before. Checking for specific things, such as facts, numbers, dates, etc. rather than reading the entire project will often catch problems otherwise missed. I like reading it aloud. My hubby likes to be read to, so he's a great guinea pig and patient when I suddenly stop to fix something.

So are you one of people who can proof things flawlessly? Do you have any tricks that makes it easier?