I'm excited to share that my second novel, Rescue Me, Maybe, won a Gold Medal award in the Readers' Favorite 2014 contest in the Fiction - Animals category!Rita looks way cuter in the medal than I do, so she'll model it. (As you can see, she was not super thrilled about the modeling gig. She would rather have a treat than a stupid medal any day! And just so you know... she did get a treat too, of course!)
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| "Momma, this is lame." |
In Other News...
Since the year is now 3/4 over, I thought I'd revisit my New Year's resolutions that I shared on January 2 on the blog.
Rita resolved to help me move my
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| "Well, don't just sit there, Momma. Grab the leash!" |
To be more specific, I had 3 resolutions. So here's how I'm doing on each:
1) Get an average of 10,000 steps per day. I'm on pace! I keep my phone with me all the time, with my Accupedo pedometer app on it. It tells you your average steps for the month and year, and I'm at 10170 steps/day average as of today. Just a few more months to keep it up!
2) Be better about doing my exercises for my back. I haven't been great about doing these, but I've been "better" than I was last year. So, check! ;) (Okay, guess I should be more specific. Maybe I should say I'll try to do them at least twice a week.)
3) Try my darndest to finish and publish my third book this year. In January, I said that "may mean less blogging, so I may...just post on M,W, F." Well, you may have noticed I pretty much only blog on M & W now, but at least the book is done! (Or done-ish.) If I was self-pubbing it, I'd be in the home stretch now, getting it ready to publish in October, but I shared a while back that I'm giving the traditional publishing route one more try. So, the manuscript is with my agent at the moment. She already read it once, and asked me to do some "modest tweaking" to the first half. I agreed with her suggestions, so added about 4000 words and sent it back. Hopefully she'll think it's ready to pitch to publishers soon!
This is pretty much the only time I've been this successful (so far!) at keeping my resolutions. Most years I don't make it through January!
As for Rita, her resolution - besides moving her mutt-butt - was to finish Obedience II. Unfortunately we've been a bit thwarted there. We finished half the class in April, but then the hubs and I had to go to Canada to be with his mom, so Rita and I missed the last 3 classes. The trainer said we could make them up, but so far every time the class has been offered, the classes we need to make up end up being at a time when we're not around or have other commitments. At this point, I guess I should just resolve to work with her on reinforcing the things we learned in the first half of the class.
How about you? Do you make resolutions? Are you keeping them?
Unlike last week, I'm back to my wordy ways... Sorry!
Thanks to Blogpaws for hosting Wordless Wednesday!
Well done keeping resolutions. Mum is not good at those. Do the back things - they will help! and Get that book finished! You may have readers waiting - remember JK Rowling? Man, you don't want to be her..... (OK the money would be nice but...)
ReplyDeleteHarvey, Miranda and Silver
Yes, it would be nice to have JK's income! :)
DeleteCongratulations on your award! Good job with your resolutions!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and well done you. Well deserved. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
Congratulations on that award. Well done! No resolutions here, but sounds like you're doing very well keeping yours.
ReplyDeleteThose are some great resolutions! Congrats on your award!
ReplyDeleteCongrats with the award on the book, you know I loved that book! I can't wait to read your next one. As for resolutions, I never make them, so never break them.
ReplyDeleteYou're smart! I usually make them - but sometimes I make a ton of very vague ones, which means I'll for sure be breaking them within the week!
DeleteCongrats! It's a great book.
ReplyDeleteGrats! Most people can't stick to one resolution, much less three! Go you!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your award. You definitely deserve it! I am not nearly as far along on my resolutions as you are. Shame on me.
ReplyDeleteI usually never last this long with the resolutions! The only time I did before was one year I resolved to try one new recipe a week - that was the only year where I kept it up the whole year!
DeleteWow, congrats on winning an award for your book. A job well done. Good job, Rita, on helping your Human stay on track with her resolutions!
ReplyDeleteGood job modeling Rita! And to your mom, don't slack off on the back exercises, my mom knows! But the rest is good! Love Dolly
ReplyDeleteI know! I really need to be better about doing them! I did a few of them last night. Going to do some more today too. (probably...)
DeleteYou are doing very well! Yaaaay! I am lacking a bit in my resolutions. I need to get going! You have inspired me!
ReplyDeleteJackie that is wonderful news... Congratulations on your award. What an accomplishment. I am already impressed because I can't even locate my resolutions let alone remember what I said I would do. I think you're way ahead of the game. You go girl.
ReplyDeleteI think it helped that I did a blog post about them. Don't think I've ever put them out there so publicly before!
DeleteWhat a good idea to revisit our Resolutions...always a risky business.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award for your book.
Well, we're excited about your award even though Rita doesn't look like she is! LOL
ReplyDeleteYou are doing so great on your resolutions! I'm afraid to look back at ours....though it's probably time to.
Congratulations on your medal...very exciting. Hopefully the muses will be with you for your next one.
ReplyDeleteHopefully! It's really about time to get started on book #4!
DeleteCongratulations! Rita looks lovely wearing it too!
ReplyDeleteWell, I am living a healthier lifestyle than I was at the beginning of the year. I use a FitBit to track my steps and I average around 12K a day, but some days are higher or lower than others. Bunny and I got her TDI test taken, passed and are soon to be officially certified there, so that's another big goal off the list. Flattery hasn't learned to sit yet, but she has learned to down, take a bow, spin left and spin right on command, so I think we're doing well there, too!
ReplyDeleteThe hubs has a FitBit too. But I like just having my pedometer on my phone, since I always have it around anyway. And I like that I can edit the step count - cuz sometimes we'll go on a walk and he'll realize his FitBit isn't working, or I'll realize my Accupedo isn't - but I can go in and edit my step count (to help keep my yearly avg correct), but he can't. Muhahahahah.
DeleteVery good job with you, living healthier and Bunny and Flattery doing so well with the training!
Congrats! Rita looks like she would prefer a bacon medal.
ReplyDeleteShe would ALWAYS prefer a bacon medal. :)
DeleteCongrats on your award! Oh those pesky resolutions. I wanted to do more on social media with the blog this year. I just never have the time. :)
ReplyDeleteI know - so many social media options. So little time!
DeleteI love pedometers. I walk to and from the train for work and I work on the fifth floor no elevator so I do 10000 without dog walks about. With dog walsk we get to 15000 or so for awhile I aimed for 20000 but it was really hard to find the time. Walking is a great exercise and dogs are certainly great for encouraging us to move
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award
retro rover
That's great that you get so much walking in. Holy cow - 20K a day is a lot! Even when we were on our vacation and hiking/walking a lot, I think we only hit 20K one day.
DeleteSince I have a very sedentary job and my commute consists of walking 20 feet down the hall, I have to really work at it to get those steps in!
haha does not look impressed with the medal. walking 10,000 a day is a great feat indeed
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to you! Since you are so fantastic, I've nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I've posted all about it!
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you! I'll come over and check it out!
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by our blog, it is great to meet you! Congratulations on your 2nd Book and your award for it...that is so fantastic! Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteWhen you win your NEXT fiction award, you should ask for a medal made of cookies. Rita will thank you for it.
ReplyDeleteGood for you on sticking with your resolutions. You're really kicking a$$.
Congrats on the metal for your book!
ReplyDeletehello pooch smooches its dennis the vizsla dog hay kongratchoolayshuns on yore gold medal!!! and did i see sumthing up their abowt a bacon medal??? i wood like wun of those pleez!!! ok bye
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award! I bet your agent finds the perfect publishing house for your newest novel!. I'm glad you're trying to the traditional route...your work is definitely "big publisher" worthy. :-)
ReplyDelete