4 Down – 8 More To Go
Here’s my monthly recap for April 2012!
Let’s take a moment to go over my 2012 Goal List & see what I did or did not accomplish
My 12 in 2012 goal list :
Complete the 365 (366 technically cause 2012 is a leap year) Project by posting once a day on my blogOkay I may have missed a day or two but for the most part I have been keeping up with posting (or trying too) at least once a day!- Finish Affair of the Mind Part 1 ! Am I ever going to finish it? I have 8 more months to go … right? : ) It’ll happen!
Read 12 books in 2012I read 2 books this month! Go me!! I read SocialPunk and Divergent which were both awesome books!- Go vacation in a state I haven’t ever vacationed in before Still a work in progress … looking very doubtful this will happen this year.
- Lose at least 5lbs (10 is actually what I would prefer to lose but I am trying to keep this reasonable) by summer Well … I’m not doing a real good job on this goal! But I did start an exercise routine during the week. AM workouts Monday, Wednesday and Friday and night walks Tuesday and Thursday.
Finally launch my web design business site & get the business fully up and runningThe site isn’t FULLY up and running (still have the story section to do) but the web design part is!!Create 12 of my own unique food recipesI made my special Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf!! Yumm! It’s the first time making it and my first attempt at actually having meat loaf come out looking like a loaf! Ahh! Anyway 4 down and 8 more recipes to go!Enroll in some sort of continuing education by 2013, wither it be graduate school or another B.S. programI finished my FASFA and applied for MCC’s Webdesign Program!Build up our savings account to at least have $1500 in it by year endWe had $450 left over at the end of the month! Granted it’s roll over for this months expenses but still … !! We’re getting there!Interact more with the blogging communityI try to comment on blogs more! I am slowly getting there! : )
I finally have more red marks then not! Yeahhh! Looks like April was a productive month!
April 2012 In Review
- The month started off with Cory and I getting settled in to our new place! Things were slowly coming together a day at a time.
- We were able to hook up antennas to our TVs and get TV service for free! Well okay we pay $13 a month for Hulu and then Playon.
- I got a new bathing suit and Cory became Mr. Flower Man!
- Took Mem to Cali for a Dr. appointment the 2nd Monday of the month and got to see Leanne, Kevin and Keitan
- I became the new Treasurer of the LHRW’s club
- My new web design for the site was finally launched
- WE GOT A BOAT!! I think THAT is the biggest news of the month!!
- My parents got us a grill for our House Warming gift and Grandma got us carpet for our patio!
- Went the LGBT Western/Cowboy dance! It was fun times and good to see everyone again
- Went to our first concert in the park down at State Beach to see Mojo
- And we even attended our first Boat Show and WON a free vacation to the Havasu Springs Resort!
- I did my first Blog Tour for an amazing book called Socialpunk
- I wrote political blogs about SB1433 and our ignorant state legislatures
Overall April was one BUSY month!! It was fun though and looking back I must say I am very greatful for the people in my life who help out during hard times, to friends who are always there, to family who loves you no matter what, and to Shawna and Gary for being awesome people and letting us buy their boat! I <3 you all!
January 2012 Review can be read here!
February 2012 Review can be read here!
March 2012 Review can be read here!
Coke & Love – v.17
It’s Coke & Love time again. It’s based off of Wine and Love hosted by Nora! But because I really don’t like wine – I am calling it “Coke & Love” because I am addicted to Diet Coke. It’s where you share your weekly wines (or beer, liquor, soda- whatever your beverage preference is) and then your loves since last Thursday.
If you want to participate in Wine and Love (or whatever else you feel like calling it) you can link up to the series on Nora’s site.
Things Making Me Reach For My Bottle of Diet Coke …
I have a corn on my foot!! All was good and then my foot started hurting! I showed Cory and he said I have a corn on my foot! Grrr! It hurts! Luckily we had some little bandages made just for such a thing to put on my foot to give it couching.
Things That I’m Loving This Week …
We had ONE busy weekend!! Last Friday we went to the concert in the park with the parents, then to the boat show on Saturday afternoon and then on Saturday night we went to the LGBT Western Dance at the Quality Inn. Fun times were had!
So we entered this contest Saturday at the boat show to win an all expenses paid trip to a place of our choosing. Well WE WON!! We got the choice of going to spend the night at the Havasu Springs Resort for three nights or four nights camping out at some camp near San Diego. As fun as the San Diego one sounded we don’t have the money for that. They only reimburse you for some gas and some food – not the entire trip. But the Havasu Springs Resort is not that far and we have always wanted to spend the night there. So we got 3 nights, $50 gas card, $40 gift certificate for the restaurant, free golfing, etc. We are excited!! We were just sitting here wondering what we could do this summer that wouldn’t cost much. Due to deposits and all we are pretty tight on money. So this is the perfect answer! Wooo!
Anyway Grandma got us some new carpet for our patio. I keep forgetting to take a picture of it. Haha! I will this weekend!
So I started my exercises! Here is my exercise schedule:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday I get up at 515 and do my exercises. I either will do Wii Fit or I have been doing these walking tv show exercises I found on Hulu.
Tuesday and Thursday I go for night walks. I went for a walk tonight. Omg! We live on a hill!! So I need to remember that when I go DOWN the hill that I need to go back UP the hill! Ahhh! I survived though! So it’s okay.
I have also scheduled time every week to write a chapter of AOTM and the Riddler so I can get them FINISHED!! Grrr!! Maybe if I schedule to do these things then I’ll ACTUALLY do them! So we’ll see!
I finished this AMAZING book this week called Socialpunk!! Omg! It’s … amazing!!! Check out my review of it!
I also finished the book Divergent for my Twook Book Club this month. It was also a good read! Loved it! Can’t wait for the Twook Chat so I can do my review of the book. There are three books in the series and I went to find book two to read and it doesn’t come out until May 1st! Grrr! I have to read it though! Have to know what happens!
What are your wines and loves of the week?
SocialPunk – My Honest Review
I skipped last month’s Twook Club book because I didn’t have time to read the book while I was moving. So I said I’d eventually catch up on my 12 books in 2012 by reading an extra book one month. Well I didn’t realize April would be that month, but I am extremely glad it was. Here is my 3rd book so far that I have read in 2012′s book review. I have to say it is my FAVORITE so far and it’s going to take a lot for any other book this year to compare to it.
WARNING: This review contains spoilers!
SocialPunk Book Review
SocialPunk – An Interview with Author, Monica Leonelle
Today the author of SocialPunk, Monica Leonelle, is stopping by my blog to answer some questions about the book, her writing experience, and to give some advice to new writers.
Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).
1) What motivated you to write SocialPunk?
I was inspired by the city of Chicago, by social media issues in our current world, and by the cyberpunk genre. The book is a bit like the Terminator series and I reference that a couple times just for fun. James Cameron is basically my favorite director ever, and he really inspires me with his world-building and storytelling skills.
2) Who is your favorite character in Socialpunk and why?
I would have to say Ima, as she’s the main character and the book is told entirely from her point of view. What I love about her is how much she changes from the beginning of the book to the end. She feels very guilty and is constantly struggling with right vs. wrong. She’s probably one of my favorite characters out of all the ones I’ve written.
3) Are any of the characters personality and traits based off of real life people?
Nahum is based on a guy I had a crush on in 4th grade (right down to the name, even). Nasser is also exciting because he’s got such big ideas and he’s so damn reckless. He’s willing to completely derail his entire hash just to pursue a dream. I’m a bit like him at times, to be honest.
4) What is one piece of advice you’d give to anyone wanting to write their first novel?
Writers should inject their marketing directly into their manuscripts. Writers often think of marketing as this separate thing from writing, but it’s not at all. 80-90% of books are sold through word-of-mouth and most of the marketability of a book is right there in the manuscript. So even if you are going the traditional route, if you are serious about getting published you should hire an editor to go through your book and see how marketable it is. Traditional publishers are looking for marketable books. It’s a business and they need to make money.
Then, you launch your book by asking people to read it. If it’s any good you’ll start getting word-of-mouth for your book. My goal is to give away one thousand copies of the book during its launch. I’m maybe a fifth of the way there so far? It’s a lot of work, more than most people realize. I write about this stuff constantly on my Prose on Fire newsletter, so if these concepts interest you, you can check it out here: proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit
5) What other authors inspire your work?
C.S. Lewis has had a huge influence on my writing, especially for my Seven Halos series. The way he incorporates his Catholic religion into his children’s stories is interesting. I really enjoyed the Voyage of the Dawn Treader as well, and the concept will be the basis for a serialized fiction series I’m doing, tentatively titled The Seven Seas.
For the Socialpunk series, I was heavily influenced by Cory Doctorow, Chris Anderson, Seth Godin, and Kevin Kelly, who talk a lot about copyright and other social and tech-related topics.
6) When can we expect the second book in the trilogy to be released?
July 2012.
7) Where can people purchase Socialpunk?
Amazon: http://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkA
Barnes and Noble: http://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkB
Thanks to Monica for stopping by and doing an interview with me on her latest book!
SocialPunk – An Excerpt
I have not read a book in a while that has truly grasped my attention like Monica Leonelle’s “Socialpunk” did. I don’t even really know how to describe it. It’s one of those books that from the minute you start reading it you are hooked and cannot put the book down. It keeps your attention throughout the book and when the end comes you find yourself saying “what? That’s it? I want more!”
At the beginning of the month a lady named Monica Leonelle asked me to join her Blog Tour. All I had to do was read her book and write some posts on my website about it. I figured why not. I have never done a “Blog Tour” before. I am extremely glad I participated. Over the next couple of days I will be posting 2 more blogs pertaining to my review of SocialPunk.
Social Punk is a three part book which only Part 1 is released so far. I have to admit when I found out it was three parts I was relieved because I really did want more! Here is an expert of the book which I am sure by the time you are done reading you will want more too. Check out tomorrow’s posting for my Interview with the author, my personal review and for a chance to win a Kindle Fire or Ipad 3!
After playing God for six years with the world he created, he couldn’t control any of his subjects, none at all. Over the years, he had watched them evolve and become the sum of their own choices rather than the sum of his; and for that, he regretted ever giving them life.
A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn’t be published reputably, now or in the future.
Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake—and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder—crushed pills—but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.
He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn’t deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he’d thought. He’d meant for her to have it all—to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.
But he had only given her sadness so far. Instead of creating a strict father, he had given her an abusive one. Instead of creating a loving boyfriend, he had given her a friend who could never love her. And instead of creating a strong, proud mother, he had given her a meek one, who watched the whole thing unfold and did nothing about it.
He looked at his last and final creation sitting in the chair across from him—his own son, not awakened yet. The law forbade him to have any children of his own, so this boy would substitute.
But he had done the unthinkable with this creation—he had bestowed on it his own thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes. He’d given the boy his own mind, his own physical characteristics, his own wants and desires.
He had never done so with any of the others because of the dangers of investing too heavily in any one of his subjects. But who could he kid? He had not stayed objective thus far, watching some of his subjects more closely than others, wishing for the happiness of some at the expense of others. He had become an abomination, a monster of his own doing, who had created subjects only to watch them suffer.
He couldn’t forgive himself; not now, not ever. His eyes lingered on the vial that sat next to his breakfast smoothie, that he’d stowed away for the day when they destroyed all his work, his entire world. He would save it, tuck it away for now, for as long as he could protect them. When things spun out of his control, he would drink it and end himself the way he had ended them.
In the ancient stories, gods frequently gave their sons as gifts. Now, he would give his son as a gift to her, number 3281. So she could be happy in her last months on earth, before they destroyed her with the rest of them.
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