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NaNoWriMo - What I learned about myself when writing a novel in a month

2/13/2019

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NaNoWriMo
 = National Novel Writing Month. By the time you see this post, I will have committed to writing a novel in the month of November. While I didn’t fully commit on their site, or to finishing my draft completely, I did decide to challenge myself and make some changes in my writing habits. NaNoWriMo is a grueling process and is not for the faint of heart. Here is what I learned about myself during the process, and I have to say, a couple of them surprised me.
​
  • I CAN write every day! – This is something that I never thought possible, and only took a slight adjustment in my daily schedule. As a matter of habit, I was more of a binge writer. I wait for a free day, or evening and then hammer out my thoughts for hours, sometimes avoiding human interaction late into the night or over entire weekends. This type of writing wasn’t working for me, because I have a family and friends and by the time I finished up with the rest of what life threw at me on a daily basis, I was too tired to fit any writing time in. I desperately wanted to write more regularly, so committed to Write-Ins on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons, and while that helps, it still wasn’t enough to flesh out the first draft of a new project and still maintain my other obligations. For NaNoWriMo, I set my alarm a full 1.5 hours early and, starting November 1st, wrote in the mornings before I went to work. At the end of my 31-day challenge, there were only 7 days that I missed, and while I didn’t write every day, it was enough for me to finish draft #1 of my novella. The benefits of a daily writing habit for me? It puts my head in the right frame of mind first thing in the morning which often equates into a positive day all around. It also keeps my head in my story more effectively, since there are no longer days (or weeks) with no writing at all.
  • I AM a morning person! – This was what surprised me the most. Had you asked me if I was a morning person this past October, I would have said there was no way. However, part of my commitment to myself was to write every day and to write no less than 1,000 words a day average. In order to keep up with that pace, and still do all of the things I needed to get done in a day, I needed more time. The only way I was going to get it was by waking up earlier. The bonus is that my mind is fresh when I awake, so the creative part of me loves my AM sprints, and I save the other types of writing such as blog posts or social media interaction for the evenings when I am less perky. This has really changed my outlook and I am much more productive than I ever thought possible. Added bonus, I am sleeping way more soundly!
  • I CAN draft a book in a month! – I am thrilled that I challenged myself to do this since I managed to pull it off and now have a fleshed out story idea that I can work with. It still needs a lot of help, but it is something I can have ready for when the time comes to look for an agent or try my hand at querying. I needed to know I could write more than one book a year, and now I know I can! I highly recommend you do this, you need to know how long it will take you to produce a reasonably pulled together project if your feet were put to the fire. I also think it is good practice to draft blurbs and synopses for those projects since you never know who you might run into that will ask for it! Those types of documents will also help get your head back into your story after taking time to work on something else. Invaluable!
  • The Writing Community is AMAZING! – I already knew that, but it was so much more evident in November. I had no less than 30 writing friends working on novels, cheering each other on, hosting writing events or doing virtual writing sprints. I am so thankful that I have found this community of writers through various channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WordPress. Not to mention the amazing friends I’ve made through GDRWA and RWA! I have been blessed to have met such amazingly supportive and uber-talented folks! It would have been a more challenging journey without them!

Writing a 50,000 word novel in a month isn’t for everyone, and for the last few years, I fought against participating in NaNoWriMo because I felt the stress would be too high. I am happy to admit I was wrong, and that challenging myself to stick to a regular schedule, started me on a path of a wonderful new habit. I look forward to producing more books and continuing to keep my Muse happy in the future!

NaNoWriMo 2019…here I come! - DH (original post on www.saraybooksllc.com)
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Happy Book Birthday! - Sea of Dreams

2/12/2019

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Author: D.A. Henneman
Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance
First published: February 12, 2016
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Strange things are happening to Brooke Fisher that causes her to question her sanity. Her hot coffee freezes, her hair turns green; and that’s just the beginning. Is the handsome man who has walked into her life the evil Shadowman she’s dreamed of, or her heart’s desire? Her conflicting emotions confuse her reality, just as they did during her childhood.

Will Engel feels an instant attraction to the beautiful bookstore clerk he meets while on vacation. As the connection turns into something deeper, he finds that he and Brooke are far from strangers and that their pasts are intertwined in a way that defies all logic. Unsure of his path, and questioning his part in Brooke’s destiny, he struggles to make sense of what is happening.

​As the threat of the Shadowman grows stronger, Brooke realizes she must keep the mystical journal, which has found its way to her, away from him at all costs. What she finds in its pages not only confirms her destiny, but outlines a shift in power so great it will change her life, and Will’s…forever.
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Happy Book Birthday! - What to do with leftover Turkey!

10/29/2018

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Author: Dorothy Reese, Linda Grischy and Cheryl Rogers
Genre: Cookbook
​First Published: October 29, 2013

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Fun and entertaining, this little cookbook offers over 60 recipes. You'll find ways for using your leftover turkey as appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, casseroles and dinners. Learn tips on how to prepare, cook and store your leftover turkey. But wait! There's so much more! For example, what do they do with all those feathers??? Yes, the anecdotes alone will entertain the entire family! A perfect gift for a Thanksgiving hostess or for your own library---

​For more about the author, click here!

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Happy Book Birthday! - Carrying On

9/23/2018

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Author: Judy Bobrow
Genre: Memoir
Published: September 23, 2015
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This is a book about Carrying On. It tells the story of four families who Carried On through health, sickness, loss, upheaval, change and challenge. In their travels through life, the luggage they carried was filled with their genes, the things they had been taught, and their own unique experiences. Part of the same family tree, they lived their lives Carrying On the values of those who had come before them and, by example, taught them to those who followed.

To learn more about the author, click here!
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Procrastination

9/19/2018

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By: D.A. Henneman
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​Perhaps I shouldn't be so
Rough on myself and
Overly demanding of my time
Clearly I should be working on my book but the
Reality of it is ... I'm really not
Able to focus on one thing at a time.
Sometimes demands fight for my
Time and most often they win.
In those moments I throw my hands in defeat and do
NOTHING...AT...ALL!
As I sit with my own thoughts, staring at a blank sheet
The realization that I will need to work twice-as-hard later kicks in and
I am pained that I have wasted yet another afternoon
On menial tasks that keep me from working on the
Novel once again. I suppose there is always tomorrow.
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Book Review - Sex, Love, & Technicalities

8/1/2018

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By: Aila Stephens
Genre: Suspense/Romance
​Review by: D.A. Henneman - Stars: 4
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I absolutely loved Brie’s voice in this story, it grabbed me from the start. She comes across as being older and wiser, but we find out quickly that even strong and independent people can be victims of circumstance. After a fire at the restaurant where she works, resulting in the death of a co-worker, Brie is swept into a situation where her life changes fast. At the same time she is being offered a new job, she meets a handsome stranger who has everything a girl could want, expect a permanent address nearby.

We experience relationships through Brie’s lens, and I found myself really connecting to her sense of humor as she navigates through job offers and life choices. The chapters when she is left to deal with a horrifying reality, were written in a jarring and disjointed way. It allowed me to feel her confusion and avoidance and was just as it would be for someone going through something traumatic. I appreciated that as a reader.

This book kept me guessing to the very end, and the author has done a great job at building a story with characters that I feel I could very well meet. Wonderful job on a debut novel, I am anxious to read the continuation of this story! 
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Happy Book Birthday! - Now I See

7/6/2018

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Author: Madelyn March
Genre: Women's Fiction, Inspirational
​Publication Date: July 6, 2017
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What if circumstances beyond your control made you question everything you believed about yourself and your life? This is what happens to Amy Clark. Her structured ways and reclusive tendencies offer her no protection against the changes to come. Amy’s life begins to unravel after a fateful phone call. Her estranged father is dying. She returns to her childhood home in Northern Michigan to find that she can no longer control her life. Voices and hallucinations come uninvited and she is powerless to stop them. Even more terrifying, she experiences shocking visions about the lives of strangers that she encounters. These glimpses into other people’s lives convince Amy that her sanity is slipping away. She struggles to understand if there is any meaning in her visions before they destroy her. She questions her choices and her path. Did she make a mistake creating an isolated life? Does she have the courage, or time, to change?

For more about the author, click here!

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Happy Book Birthday! - Winds of Change

6/7/2018

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Author: D.A. Henneman
Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance
First published: June 7, 2017
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Amie Petridis isn’t looking for love when it breezes into her life. Her job as a full-time pilot leaves little time for dating. When a charming Air Marshall walks onto her plane and into her life, strange things start to happen. During a layover in England, Amie receives a tarot reading that changes her destiny.

U.S. Air Marshall Aleck Eyres has always taken his job seriously. So seriously, in fact, he hasn’t allowed himself to be tied down. His occupation allows for the freedom to travel and to visit his friends, but the day he helps a captivating pilot with her persistent ex-boyfriend – things change. Love finds him quickly and affects him deeply, but will it be enough to overcome the painful secret that has kept him from sharing his heart all this time?

The winds of change have blown Amie’s way and affect her and Aleck as well as the magical beings in a land called Wisteria. The appearance of winged creatures in Amie’s life is just the start. She will soon learn that she is meant to harness the element of Air and as she discovers her power, the gypsy’s warning has her questioning her path. Should she follow her head or her heart? And when she makes her choice, will it be the right one?

For more on the author, click here!

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Happy Book Birthday! - What Real Landlords Know

5/28/2018

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Author: Linda Grischy
Genre: How-to, Non-Fiction
​Published: May 28, 2014
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Are you currently a landlord or considering rental property for extra income? If so, you'll want to read this book -- Avoid making costly mistakes! Learn the easy way: through the mishaps of Real Landlords. This book is fun and entertaining yet packed with useful insight!

For more on the author, click here!

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Book Baby Launch Day! - Playing with Fire

5/25/2018

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​Author: D.A. Henneman
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance - 18+

Available in Print & Ebook:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

www.saraybooksllc.com



So excited to announce the day is finally here! Book 3, in the Power of Four series, Playing with Fire is available for your reading pleasure! Anyone who is interested in reading the first chapter can follow the link to D.A. Henneman's website. Here's an excerpt!

A frightening chain reaction begins during a four-alarm for firefighter Sera Cardoso. The tattoo decorating her chest warns her away from danger, but this time is different. Visions in the flames of a handsome stranger with whiskey-colored eyes haunt her. Later, when her punching bag smolders and the water in her shower turns to steam, Sera unwittingly breaches a divide between her world and a magical land called Wisteria.

Logan Blackwood is edgy and dangerously close to the end of his mating cycle. If he is unable to find his soul mate before three cycles of the moon, his life will be altered—forever. When the fiery Sera enters his life, he can hardly believe his luck. He’s waited a lifetime for her, but there’s a slight problem—she doesn’t seem to feel the same connection.

Sera is the element of Fire and is as hot and unpredictable as the flames she represents. Her decision to accept Logan into her life is the first of many she will need to face. With the help of the other elements, she is exposed to a world of magick and mystery. It will be up to Sera and her new friends to correct the imbalance in the elemental powers, before evil rules not only Wisteria, but earth itself.

Would love to hear what you think, so be sure to leave a review wherever you purchase it or on Goodreads! Appreciate the shares, likes and retweets! Enjoy! - DH


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  • Our Books
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  • About
    • D.A. Henneman
    • Leslie Barrett
    • Judy Bobrow
    • Linda Grischy
    • Kathy Wheeler
    • Sharon Quiroz
    • Madelyn March
  • Book Reviews
    • Find a Good Book >
      • Autobiography or Memoir
      • Fiction >
        • Old Fiction Reviews
      • Historical Fiction
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