The Grove Blog Tour!

So in celebration of the release of The Grove, I’m going on a Blog Tour!

Between September 26th and October 21st, I will be doing interviews, guest posts, and other fun stuff. At different stops, you can win prizes such as a copy of my Official The Grove Coloring Book: Pacific Coast Oddities Museum Wildlife Coloring Book! I hope you check out some of the blog stops.

September 26 – Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours – Kick Off

September 27 – Books, Dreams, Life – Excerpt

September 28 – A Life Through Books – Interview

September 29 – Steamy Side – Excerpt

September 30 – Novel News Network – Excerpt

October 1 – Chosen By You Book Club – Excerpt

October 2 – Satin’s Bookish Corner – Excerpt

October 3 – My Reading Addiction – Interview

October 4 – Mello and June – Guest Post

October 5 – Silver Dagger Scriptorium – Review

October 6 – Jazzy’s Book Reviews – Excerpt

October 7 – Evermore Books – Guest Post

October 8 – Mary’s Cup of Tea – Review

October 10 – On a Reading Bender – Excerpt

October 11 – Authors That Rock – Review

October 12 – Just Us Book Blog – Excerpt

October 13 – Texas Book Nook – Review

October 17 – J Bronder Book Reviews – Review

October 18 – The Indie Express – Review

October 21 – RABT Reviews – Wrap Up

Five Time Management Tools for Writers

Some days, you might ask yourself, “Why do I still feel like I can’t get everything done?” Or “Why can’t I get any writing done?”

I’m going to make the assumption that everyone who reads this blog post is on Earth. That means we all have 24 hours a day. Those hours are broken into minutes, those minutes are broken into seconds.

While I am not debating the realities of time dilation, we  like to think time is relative. It’s not. We say time flies when you are having fun or drags when you’re not, but the truth is we all have 24 hours a day. And since I have become an adult, all time is moving too fast. Even Virgil agrees: 

I lose chunks of time during the day. I have a house to keep, dogs to walk, and meals to cook. I have a curriculum and the accompanying handouts to write for my summer art courses. I have artwork and novels to create. While no one, not even me, cannot eliminate interruptions, we get a say on how much time we spend on them.

Here is how I keep myself productive:

1) Every Sunday night, I write weekly to do lists broken down by project.  

If I don’t get something done by the end of the week, it gets moved to the top of next week’s list.  And you will notice two items for the coming week. Last week’s list looked like:

To do: 1/19 – 1/24 

Other Systems Universe

TLSotM Reedit

• Mon: Chap 26
• Tues: Chap 27
• Wed: Chap 28
• Thur: Chap 29
• Fri: Chap 30 – 31
• Friday: Print out TLSotM manuscript (I’ve jury duty this week)

Short Stories

The PeaceKeeper

• Add ghost of commander
• Name dead soldier
• Add screaming victim about the False King

Other

• Dentist Wednesday Jan 21 @ 12
• Page 2 Books – pick up cosigned books and check
• Inventory
• State and City Taxes

Websites/Social Media

• Twitter Goal: 10,000 followers
• Blog Post for Mon 1/26

2) Alarm! Alarm! Alarm!
When I am writing, I set an alarm on my phone so I remember to pick up my husband from work or run timed errands such as my dentist appointment.

3) Meal Plans

I keep a weekly meal plan on the kitchen calendar so cooking is easy. 

B: PancakesL: Hotdogs w Chips D: Steak Kabobs

B: Quiche & Cros. L: Work D: Orange Chick w Rice

B: Ham Scramble L: Work D: French Dips

B: Sand w/ham L: Work D: Tacos

B: Eggs & BaconL: Work D: Quinoa Salad

B: Sand w/baconL: Work D: Spaghetti & Meatballs

B: Biscuits & Gravy L: Orzo Salad D: Enchiladas

4) Scheduled Chores

I keep a schedule with weekly, monthly, and quarterly rotational chores. Monday is laundry, Tuesday is vacuuming, etc. 

5) Deadlines!
I use major conventions to act as deadlines both for writing and marketing projects.

So that’s how I get projects done, how do you do it?

Other Systems Making Connections Blog Tour

Other Systems will be shown on all these awesome blogs this week May 19th – May 25th. Check out every blog for your chance to win some great prizes! US/CANADA – signed 8×10 Act break prints from Act 3; INTERNATIONAL – eBooks plus 5 space wallpapers!

May 19th: 1st stop:
Michael Sci Fan – Interview

2nd stop:
Evening eBook – Review 

May 20th:
Beanie Brain Reader – Review

May 21st:

Giovanni Valentino – Interview

May 22nd

Judith Leger – Promo

 

US/Canada Readers: Want to win this print? Check out each stop on the blog tour!

May 24th

A Readers Review – Promo 

May 25th:
Making Connections Blog – Interview

2013 Schedule!

Here is my upcoming convention, blog tours, and releases schedule for 2013

Rusty-con
Reading from Other Systems and Panels
January 18-20, 2013
Seatac Marriot Hotel Seatac, WA

ZB’s BLOG of AWESOMENESS is a stop on the INFERNAL EIGHTEEN BLOG TOUR
February 5th
Interview with author Don A. Martinez about his series the Phantom Squadron: a contemporary fantasy which follows a team of four supernatural agents has been assembled for a Black Ops team unlike any other. Infernal Eighteen is the fourth book in the series.

RELEASE OF Faminelands #3
March 1 (Pre-orders will ship February 26th)

The Faminelands Trilogy follows Lark as she endeavors to return her brother Orin to the Path of Valor which he abandoned decades before. In Mareton’s Curse, a shared vision puts Lark, Orin, and their kinsman on a path to search for the lost prince of Mareton.
 As the famine worsens, each must make decisions regarding the future of their House and their own happiness.

Emerald City Comicon
Exhibiting Under Elizabeth Guizzetti
March 1-3, 2013
Washington Convention Center, Seattle, WA

RELEASE of Out for Souls&Cookies #4 (The Christmas Special)
October 1 (Pre-orders will ship September 29th)

Jet City Comic Book Show
Exhibiting under ZB Publications
November 2, 2013
Tacoma Convention and Trade Center
Tacoma, WA

Bellingham Comicon (Tentative)
2013
Ferndale Events Center
Ferndale, WA

More to be Announced! 

TBA
Other Systems is coming to print!

My Writing Routine

Slowly over the last five years, I have becoming a full time author and artist. This is my weekday routing. Weekends are quite different as are “business days.”

I get up around 7:30, I try to do exercise first thing every morning. My waistline is proof that some days I do better than others. However now that I am edging towards 36 winters, my shoulders need me to exercise at least 3 or 4 times a week.

Rosie is unimpressed with my writing schedule. She thinks  more time should be spent cuddling.

Once I get my husband out of bed and drive him to work. I generally get a vanilla latte from the French Bakery near his office. Now if I have other errands, than I do those things. Otherwise I go into my closet and work for an hour or two. I love it the days I get those extra few hours–it feels like I get so much done when I have those two hours!

I still walk dogs so then I do that including walking my own dogs, Rosie and Tycho. Afterwards we eat lunch.

If I am in the middle of a graphic novel, I head into my closet and work on comics until 4 ish or my right shoulder gives out. I still draw and ink them by hand. I use a Wacom Cintique to color them with Photoshop or letter them with Illustrator.

If I am in the middle of a written novel, I either go sit on my couch or head in my closet for writing or rewriting.

Then I come out of the closet and work on dinner, then my husband comes home and we have dinner. We spend a bit of time together then he goes to his video games while I go back to writing/drawing for another four to six hours. I go to bed around 11:30.

Then I sleep and get up and do it all again.

What about you?