Do You Have Goals Update

Many thanks to Misha and Beth for hosting this invigorating blog hop each month. 

Misha kindly hosted me for a guest post on "Starting Over" last week! 

Writing Goal: 25,000 words each month.

July: Finished 15,050 words (mostly after the 15th).

I had some serious doubts about my WIP Patient (unhappy marriage arrangements, kidnapping by dragon kin, magic, dragons, etc), wrote more short stories, and did some research for Great Glory (a foray into historical fiction and redeeming a historical villain). 

I had eight stories and poems published this month - hooray! (See links at end of post, if interested.) 

I also had one story acceptance and one poetry acceptance for future publications in August and November.

And, I had five rejections, which all rolled into my e-mail within four days of each other.

Seventeen stories/poems/articles are currently out on submission or re-submission. 

Exercise Goals: 

Walked: 40 (just about where I want to be)

Biked: 90 miles. Yes, this is getting back where I want to be.

Maybe Marketing:  

I decided to do something crazy and clean out the books I have in my basement by hosting:

Books for a Mission - an event this coming Saturday from Noon to 2 PM at the Subway on Point Fosdick Dr. NW, Gig Harbor (if you're local, please come). 

What this is: a donation to the One Hope Church Peru Mission Team = a signed paperback by me (while supplies last) and a Subway chocolate chip cookie (while supplies last).

All proceeds will go to the mission team. (I'm donating the books and hoping others will donate cash.)

The mission team is going to give away health kits and run an after-school program at several elementary schools in Peru. 

Spiritual Growth: sometimes this happens because I remember to read my Bible and pray, and sometimes God just throws stuff in my path so I get forced to grow. 

It's been a serious time of prayer these last few weeks. Beyond all the violence, I have had several reasons close to home to pray. Some friends have two teens who have been in the ICU in the last few weeks. (Two teens, same family, two different circumstances.) One of those teens is a living, walking miracle - he fell from a 350 foot waterfall and could actually walk 5 days later, athough his full recovery will take longer. The other teen was on a mission trip and collapsed, but is now recovering. 

At home, we discovered that my oldest daughter fractured her foot in two places, not just one, but the most recent x-rays showed good bone growth/healing. And, while my husband is healthy enough to ride 206 miles on an organized bicycle ride from Seattle to Portland in one day, he started to feel ill and was diagnosed with pneumonia a few days later. He's recovering quickly, but he doesn't like to rest.

My parents took their annual scooter trip and along the road they lost: my mom's hearing aids, my mom's glasses, one of my dad's teeth, and part of my dad's prosthetic leg. 

Thankfully, my dad carries spare parts and my mom's hearing aids were insured. I'm not sure 70+ is a good age to be riding the highways on a scooter with a sidecar, but they are happier when they travel. We definitely had some good laughs over all the missing gear and they haven't lost their sense of humor. (They are home safe now.)

Rest: in some moments, this happened. I'm hoping for more next month.

So, how are your goals coming along this month/year?

And, do you carry spare parts with you when you travel?

Short Stories Published This Month - if you have time to read:
"The Fence" at The Drabble. July 24th, 2016. (Beware: story content includes child abuse.)
"Good Enough" at The Drabble. July 17th, 2016. (Beware: this is a story commentary on rape culture.)

"Spikes" at Seven by Twenty. (Twitter fiction)
"Floppy Sunhat" at Seven by Twenty.  (Twitter fiction)
"From Heat to Final" at Seven by Twenty. (Twitter Fiction)
"Racing" at Seven by Twenty.  (Twitter fiction)
"Races End" at Seven by Twenty. (Twitter fiction)

"The Shimmer" at Between Worlds Zine. (Flash fiction. Beware: story content includes child abuse.)

My "happier" fiction just has been low on acceptances lately. Maybe I write depressing stuff better? 


I keep forgetting to mention this, but two of my books are 50% off at the Smashwords July Summer Sale. If you're looking to pick up Champion in Flight or Champion's Destiny, this is a good day to do it. :)

And, Check out the Wings' Edge Call of Submissions Here!