JB Lynn

Hijinks, Hilarity and Heart

JB Lynn

Week 2 of 2020 recap

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I’ve been contending with a cold for the last week or so, and that slowed down progress on some of my projects, but I’m starting to feel better and soon it’ll be full steam ahead again.

But it’s not like I got nothing done. I made progress on Hitwoman 23 and Psychic Consignment Mysteries 2 and 3. (Don’t forget to preorder your copy of GENTLY USED, STILL WORKS so that it can magically appear for your reading pleasure on the release date.). Gently Used is going to the proofreader next week AND the third book in the series is going to my story editor. Every step in the process makes them feel a little more real.

Speaking of real, we’ve finalized the cover for the third Psychic Consignment Mystery. I just love it and can’t wait to share it with you next month.

I’ve also written the flash fiction story for my next newsletter which is going out on the 24th of January. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter so that you get to read it. I’m also sharing the latest recipe I tried. Yum!

Also, I’ve been working on developing the new trilogy I’m about to start writing. I’m having so much fun with it…I hope that comes across on the page once it’s in book form!

Okay, time for me to go down yet another cup of tea in an attempt to control this annoying cough I’ve developed. I hope that 2020 is going well for you and that you’re moving in the direction of your dreams/goals/best life.

Word of the Year

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That’s the word I’ve chosen to focus on in 2020. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you already have an idea of some of the things I’m hoping to accomplish.

Today, most of my creative energy has been spent working on Gently Used, Still Works which is available for pre-order. I’m so excited that everyone will be reading the Concordia sisters’ next adventure in the Psychic Consignment Mystery series in February!

What about YOU have you chosen a word for the year?

Week 1 of 2020 recap

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My writing year is off to a busy start.

I’ve been working on edits for GENTLY USED, STILL WORKS, the second of the Psychic Consignment Mystery series.

At the same time I’ve been going back-and-forth with the cover designer about the cover for Book 3. ( I just love it!!)

I’m also plugging away at the manuscript of Hitwoman 23 and having sooo much fun with it!

I’m also working with the cover designer to develop the logo for a new series…more information about that coming soon.

AND I’m working on my passion project book (which is separate from all of the above, lol).

Unfortunately, because I’ve been working so much, I’ve slacked off on one of my life goals for the year, which is to develop a hobby.

Did you set any goals for the year? How are you doing with them?

New to me

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One of my goals for 2020 is to try at least 24 “new to me” recipes.

To find out more about what else I have planned (including upcoming books!) make sure to sign up for my newsletter.

BAKED FETA AND GREENS WITH LEMONY YOGURT was my first attempt of the year.

I must confess that I don’t love kale, but it was good in this dish.

That said, next time I’ll sub in spinach or bok choy and just cook it on the stovetop since I didn’t think the feta added much and I’ll be taking that out.

If you want to find the recipe, you can find it here.

What new things are YOU trying this month? Do you have any recipes you think I MUST try?

The pleasure of unexpected detours

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I LOVE Fall.

While there’s lots to like about living in Sarasota, FL, I really dislike that no leaves change color in autumn. (And it’s still HOT, with temps in the mid to high 80s.)

So last month I went to the mountains of North Carolina to get away from the heat and enjoy nature’s art show.

On the way, I made a totally impulsive stop at a state park in Georgia. It was a beautiful day, I saw the sign, and I decided to make the last-minute detour. (This is the beauty of a solo road trip…I can stop wherever, whenever, and for however long I want to.)  I had no plan. I knew nothing about it and took me thirty minutes out of my way, but I felt compelled to visit.

It was a truly wonderful way to start a vacation. I got to see my first changing leaves, tromp through some fallen ones, and hike a beautiful trail.

I even found a picnic table with a great view to have lunch at!

 

Plus the unexpected stop gave both myself and my traveling companion a much-needed break from the long ride.

 

 

 

A new release means it’s time for a….

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Writers can be a superstitious lot and I’m no different.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be running out to the nearest Panera Bread to pick up a spinach and artichoke soufflé.

Why? Because that’s my release day ritual for the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and book 21 THE HITWOMAN AND THE FALLEN ANGEL will be out.

I eat a soufflé from Panera because years ago I was eating one when my dear friend, Cyndi said, “You should write with that voice” because I’d said something snarky. Now it’s my equivalent of a baseball player wearing lucky socks.

I’ve enjoyed writing each and every adventure. There are moments when I laugh, others when I cry, and I’m constantly surprised by the twists and turns Maggie’s life has taken.

Most of all, I’m grateful to the readers who’ve gone on this wild ride with me. Thank you!!

 

!Cover of The Hitwoman and the Fallen Angel by JB Lynn

 

Even a good man makes mistakes…

In Maggie Lee’s topsy-turvy world, Angel Delveccio is one of the good guys, but now it seems he’s gotten himself into some trouble. Can she get him out of it?

It’s not like she doesn’t have enough problems of her own. She’s struggling to pacify both the people and pets of her household — all of whom aren’t shy about voicing their litany of complaints and demands about their new home.

Stretched thin, Maggie attempts to broker familial peace while simultaneously contending with an external threat that revolves around a human skull.

And let’s not forget that a certain mobster has tasked her with keeping his nephew out of hot water.

Can Maggie protect Angel while keeping her family safe and together, or will someone be lost?

 

On this writer’s desk, October 2, 2019

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This is how the desk, where I do the bulk of my creative work, looks today.

(Natural light only, which is why the picture is so dark.).

Today my focus is on the first draft of the second Psychic Consignment Shop Mystery. It’s about a third done and housed in the purple “in progress” notebook.

And there’s my trusty recorder for dictation!

And these are the tiny notebooks I use to track my current projects. Right now in addition to the Consignment Mystery, I’m working on the 21st and 22nd books in the CONFESSIONS OF A SLIGHTLY NEUROTIC HITWOMAN series.

 

I took this picture in the lull between my morning and afternoon pots of coffee. Hence, no coffee mug, lol.

Writing as a passion AND a job

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The other day I took a midmorning break and met a friend at a park (Red Bug Slough if you’ve read One Woman’s Junk) so that we could walk our dogs together.

Toward the end of our visit she asked, “What will you do for the rest of the day?”

And I answered, “I should finish the first draft of Hitwoman 22.” (for the record, I came close, but didn’t finish it until the following morning)

“How do you know?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked, totally confused.

“How do you know you’ll finish it? How do you know when it will end?”

“Because I’m scheduled to do the last few chapters,” I explained.

“You know how it will end?” Her disbelief was evident.

“I don’t start a book until I know how it ends,” I told her. “And I’m scheduled to finish it today.”

I then had to launch into a whole explanation about how writing is my passion, but it’s also my job and I treat MOST of my projects as such. (That said, I’ll freely admit that I’m usually working on one or two “passion” projects that I don’t really expect to ever sell. They’re my “fun” stuff. My reward for doing the work.)

So in case you’re wondering, as of today, I’m currently working on the story edits for the 21st  Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman book, the second Psychic Consignment Mystery and a couple of passion projects. Make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date on my new releases.

And check out this great pic my friend took at the park of my tree-climbing dog  🙂

 

 

When you work from home

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Tell people you work from home and they inevitably have one of two reactions.

  1. Aren’t you lucky?!?!
  2. I could never do that. I don’t have that kind of discipline.

They’re both pretty accurate assessments.

Yes, I AM lucky.  I pretty much get to set my own work schedule. (Except for those pesky deadline times when I’ve inevitably estimated incorrectly how long something is going to take me OR I’ve come up with a new, “brilliant” idea that I must incorporate into a work that was all but finished.) I’ve got no commute. Not only can I light as many candles as I want, I can  refill my coffee as much as I desire without being judged. Not to mention, it’s perfectly acceptable, and way more comfortable, to not have to wear a bra or pants. 😉

If you follow my instagram, you know that I’m big on getting outside in the middle of the day (in the morning and evening too, lol) and my work set-up allows me to do that AND get to the beach to watch the sunset.  So yes, I am really, really lucky.

But what you won’t see is that I offset my daily distractions and diversions by working strange hours. If I go to watch the sunset, I’ll most likely come home and work until ten or eleven at night. Or like today, I had a friend over for brunch and am just sitting down to work at three on a Sunday afternoon because I’m trying to finish a project before Wednesday.  That takes some discipline. Some people can do it. Some people can’t.

It’s perfectly okay to know what you are capable of…and not.

Working from home is not for everyone. Neither is working for yourself, but that’s a whole other topic for another day.