Robin Takes The Scenic Route

March Writing Challenges Week 3 & Some Big News!

3/20/2020

So glad to see you here! Thanks once again for keeping up with my progress on this writing journey. I hope I never get to the point where I eventually ended up with my artwork. I just kind of wound down and my creative well ran dry after a while. I still have ideas but just no energy or ambition to devote to them. I haven't dropped it completely because I'm still creating art for my books. But it's no secret to anyone who knows me well I have a tendency to drop things if I feel they've become more of a burden than a joy.
Writing's always been easier for me than art, so that's a point in its favor. I hope writing never gets to the point of being a burden for me. I want to continue to enjoy writing. I'd sacrifice this blog before giving up on my novels, but I hope I don't allow myself to get to the point where that becomes necessary.
If y'all pray, please continue to lift me up. Writing has been a struggle since last year I decided to push Over Land & Under Stone into the number 3 slot for the Children of Y'Dahnndrya series. That was not an easy decision since I talked it up so much as book two. But I know in the long run, it'll be better for the series as a whole and the readers, I believe, will be more satisfied.
Moving on to the challenges! And don't forget to read to the end so you don't miss my big news!

#1WordPromptChallenge Week 3: Days 13 - 19

Here's the list of prompts for the past week:

Day 13 - Distribute - I didn't have a line to share for this prompt. I thought I did, but I couldn't find it in time. So I shared a picture of Sir Olly Oxnfri Toebeanz instead. You can see it here on IG.
Day 14 - Barren - This painting is in progress. It's a bit #barren now, but if it turns out even close to good, it might have a chance to be a book map.🤔 It's OK if you're skeptical.😌 I am, too. 😅 I haven't painted in such a long time. It's tough for me, too, definitely not something I'm gifted in. 🤷‍♀️ But I do enjoy trying different painting techniques and using mixed media. Another plus, there are two more canvas boards if I mess this up. Acrylics and ink are not so forgiving.
Day 15 - Productive - I know this looks like the opposite of #productive but believe me, it definitely fits today's #1wordpromptchallenge. We had the first practice of our cantata (which is probably going to be postponed until May or after) and it went really well. I'm excited to work with this small group of volunteers who are accepting me as a choir director even though I've never done that before. I think we're going to have a lot of fun. I hope so, anyway! This is a pile of discarded song lyrics. Sometimes, you just have to change things up a bit in order to produce results.
Day 16 - Fun - Finally! I have a story snippet to share with you! Check it out below.
Day 17 - Boring - Some days, I feel like I'm a very slow worker, like I can't find the shortcuts to get things done more efficiently. Today was one of those days. Sometimes, a cup of tea is just the thing to ease my mind.
I took this photo a couple of days ago. It's boring black tea, made less boring with half-and-half and a dash of cinnamon. That combo wasn't as tasty as I expected, though. I'll try peppermint tea next time. Today was plain raspberry leaf tea. I think that one is my current favorite. I hope the photo will be a cheerful spot of non-boring color in your life.
Day 18 - Write - I feel like all I've been doing is writing lately and not on my story. Blog prep is hard work for very little return. Still, I do enjoy sharing with whoever wants to take the time to read. I did find a snippet from The Tale of Outh'n Durr to share with you. Check it out below!
Day 19 - Read - I'm giving my blog readers a much larger section than I gave my IG followers. It pays to check blogs... And yes, there's a snippet from Surge for this prompt. Check it out below! :)

Day 16 - Fun
"...I’d remember that, if I were you.” He snarled and bared his fangs. “Now, you should run. Fast and sly, because I’m the top hunter in this game.”
Ya’el believed him. Taking three backward steps, she spun on her heels.
He was on her in moments, pounding paws scattering leaves and twigs as he closed in on his prey. “You’re no fun, M’Neshunnayan! Come on!..."

Day 18 - Write
The scratch of the stiil went on for much longer than Outh’n would’ve thought it necessary. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, the question inside him suddenly filled the room, sounding far more forceful than he’d planned. “How long does it take to jot down a simple warning?”

Day 19 - Read
How long had it been since she’d simply read for pleasure? How long since she picked up a stiil to draw? No one seemed to be in the small space, lit by pretty, luminescent flowers which gave off a green-gold glow. Scanning the nooks, she located the scroll she wanted a closer look at. It spoke of the Omdein and how each of the shifts could protect and support Edrea and her colony. She pored over it twice, but nothing stood out, nothing to tell her how to achieve vesat’mot. She nestled it back in place and pulled out another. Either there was no specific method and she was doomed to keep pushing herself to the breaking point every day until it happened or there was something she was missing. She sighed in disgust as she stored the second scroll and stomped over to the opposite side of the room where the more fanciful stories were stored.

#MindfulnessMarch: 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge Days 13 - 19

Remember, if you want to see these in action, you'll have to check out my IG account and watch my stories each day. They'll only be up for 24 hours. Here were the prompts for the past week:

Day 13 - A Person - There are lots of spaces for us to share the different people in our lives we're grateful for. I'm glad because I have a pretty large family. I already shared about my youngest daughter. This week I got to share about three more family members. Today gave me the opportunity to let my husband know once again that I'm grateful for his presence in my life.
Day 14 - Something You're Looking Forward To - Creating cover art is always a fun project for me. Or at least, it has been for a while. I just feel like I'm so pressed for time now that it's losing it's appeal. :( And since I refuse to settle for a bland 'free cover' or 'bargain generic cover', and I can't afford to hire someone, I still have to do it. But I did find some bits and pieces I'm looking forward to working with.
Day 15 - A Life Lesson - My son is a walking life lesson. He has no formal training but can pick up the tune of most pieces of music and give them his own twist. One morning in church, he was playing his usual round of songs as the people found their seats and I hear him playing "A Morning of the Slag Ravine" which is a harsh-sounding title for such a happy little tune. Fitting, though, if you've ever seen the movie.
Day 16 - A Person You Look Up To - My grandmother is someone I look up to. She's not the only one but she's probably made one of the biggest impacts in my life beside my parents. She taught me all the books of the Bible one summer. And she never yelled at us when my cousins and me would get into trouble. She would sit us on our knees, each of us in one corner, and then after a while she would gather us together and talk to us about what happened. She's probably the person who was most responsible for teaching me how to not be bored when the electricity is out. Board games, card games, music, circle games...they are all your friends when you can't do anything else. And just to clarify, she taught us that while the electricity was on. I don't think I ever remember being at Grandma's when the electricity went out.
Day 17 - A Personality Trait of Yours - I'm determined, or ornery, but either way you look at it, I'm grateful for it. If you can convince me of the validity of your project, I'm in 'til the end once I commit to it.
Day 18 - An item You Use Every Day - Coffee. Yep. I definitely use coffee every day and am very grateful for it.
Day 19 - Something About Work - I'm grateful that my work keeps my mind occupied. It's so much better to be busy than idle. I love that I can be creative in my work and still dabble in artistic pursuits from time to time.

#SelfEditingProgress Week 3

Editing continues but the pace is still slow. I hope I can pick it up a little more next week!

OK! Time for the big news! It's a Sale!!

For the first time ever, I'm offering the first installment of my Children of Y'Dahnndrya series for a reduced price. With people having to stay home because of the nasty virus going around, I thought I'd join the large number of authors who are lowering the price on their ebooks during this time. So from today (March 20, 2020) until the end of April (April 30, 2020), you can get the ebook format of Ripples (Children of Y'Dahnndrya book 1) for only $0.99! That's right, I've hacked $2.00 off the price for a limited time.
If you've been seeing the snippets from Surge and thought you'd enjoy reading that book, you'll want to read Ripples first. Now's the time to buy! Click on the book cover at the left or click here to choose your favorite ebook store. (Note: If your store of choice hasn't updated the price yet, give them a day or so to get on board. Just keep checking the site as Draft2Digital warns some stores take a little longer to adjust the price.)
What are you waiting for? The adventure begins inside!
PS - Do you already have a copy? Did you love it and maybe want to share it with a friend? It would make a great gift, too. And feel free to spread the word on your favorite social media site. I'd appreciate that so much!

If you like what you see here and want to keep up with my challenge responses, then please check back next Friday to see the new round. If you'd rather keep up with my reviews and the books I'm adding to my shelves, then check back on Wednesdays to see book reviews, what I'm currently reading, and what I'm adding to my TBR list.
Thanks again for stopping by!

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