The Thrill of Creative Effort

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Still working on your New Year's Resolutions? I hope so!

I have to tell you I got a bit worried in the first couple weeks of this month when I wasn't getting anywhere on The Higher Law. All the sudden, I figured out a section, and BAM! I've been off and running. I've written 1000 words per day since January 16 and loving it!

If you look back on my posts from a few years ago, I'm sure you'll hear me whining about not being able to write, not knowing where the story was going, blah, blah, blah, blah. Even now, with two completed manuscripts under my belt and published, I still have creative lapses that drive me crazy. The difference now is that once I get going, I get back on track much quicker.

I remember when writing 250 words (~ 1 page) was a chore. Then, one day I wrote 2500 in one day then 5000 a week. For a long time, 5000 a week became my standard, which was about 800 per day with only 250 on Friday.

But this year, I have to up that whole game. Given the time I've lost from last year's editing and publishing schedule, I have to write 1000 words per day to get back on track and write three manuscripts and submit two of them. That seemed a daunting task since I was back at square one, struggling to get 250 down.  But I'm on track now and moving forward.

How was your first month of the New Year?

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?

My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from Amazon US!

Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Reverend Leander Norris convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural? 

My latest novel, Disappear With Me is available from Amazon US!

Or, check out my author page on Amazon UK.

Then request an Authorgraph, an electronic inscription, from me.

Let’s use #APTCTO and #disappearwithme to discuss on social media!

The City of Comfort

The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition ~ Alan Alda

I could replace the word "the creative" with the word "Success" and this might be a more universal quote.

Success, whether in a creative field or not, does come from leaving your comfort zone and learning and using new skills.

Nearly a year ago, I joined a local critique group. At first being in the group was scary because the feedback was raw and, at times, a bit harsh. After meetings I questioned everything about my writing career, first novel published or not. Putting myself out there for this examination was very uncomfortable in the beginning, but soon my skin thickened and I truly did learn from the both the feedback as well as reading and critiquing others' work. Through their feedback and assistance, Disappear With Me is what it is today.

I had to quit participating in the group because my work schedule changed and I miss that weekly interaction with a group of fellow authors. Now I've found a new group and am will submit my first piece this weekend. I am so excited, because this group is with other authors that write m/m romance like me.

Had I not put myself out of my comfort zone and listened to the feedback, Disappear With Me might not be the novel it is today or may not have even accepted by Musa Publishing.

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone and were successful?

_______________________________________________

Is it possible fora two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?

My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from Musa Publishing!

Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Reverend Leander Norris convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural? 

My latest novel, Disappear With Me is available from Musa Publishing!

Then request an Authorgraph, an electronic inscription, from me.

Let’s use #APTCTO and #disappearwith me to connect on social media!

I am Tougher!

I've learned...that life is tough, but I'm tougher ~ Andy Rooney

What a crazy month, once again! Life has been going full force since November. If you remember, I spent November trying to do NaNoWriMo (epic fail!) and going through the editing process for #disappearwithme. Disappear With Me launched right smack dab in the middle of the Holiday season.

I was sick during Christmas and then the cough hung on for three full weeks. There were times I couldn't even talk because I would cough. Then my husband's mother was sick and passed away, we had to make two trips to Colorado in a two week period because of that.

(See my guest post on the Musa Blog for some reflections on the long trips across the Kansas Prairie:
http://deanpacefrech.blogspot.com/2014/01/delighted-by-our-beautiful-little-planet.html )

I was determined after Christmas to get back on track with writing. For the first time in eighteen months, I don't have a first draft that I am massaging and getting ready for submission. It's weird to think it took four years to get a first draft completed, and now just two years later, I'm freaking out because I don't have one.

Between the general busyness of the holidays, year end/tax time at work, and being ill, January wasn't starting out too well at all. But when we got the call that we needed to go to Colorado, having routines stuck in my head immediately kicked in.

Though he teases me heavily about taking so much stuff with me on road trips, I really did pack nearly my whole desk so that I had all my tools available while we were away. I expected to be sitting in the hospital for long periods of time with nothing to do, and I wanted to keep myself busy.

I kept myself as busy as I could, supporting my husband and his brother through his difficult time. I figured out a writing schedule to get my current WIP, The Higher Law, completed and ready for submission later this year. I also figured out a "balance" plan to polish the Higher Law and begin working on the next title, Sartin. That's all in keeping with my goal this year to write three manuscripts and publish two.

It's been easier for me this time because I knew I had done it before. One of my obstacles was figuring out my story. I just used a trick I've used before by jumping to another part of the story and writing that. Sure enough, by figuring that out, I figured out how I would deal with more difficult parts of the story. As a result, I've written 1000 words per day since January 16 and am well on my way to completing the first draft of The Higher Law by the end of March.

How do you get back on track when you've been derailed on your dream journey?

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?

 

Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Reverend Leander Norris convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural?

Purchase A Place to Call Their Own or Disappear With Me from Amazon US today!

Purchase A Place to Call Their Own or Disappear With Me from Amazon UK today!

Then request an Authorgraph, an electronic inscription, from me.

Join the conversation:  use #APTCTO and #disappearwithme to talk about the novel on social media!

Musa Winter Promotion Guest Post

Enter daily to win one of 17 promotional paperbacks

    

Outlaws by William Weldy

Only A Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge

First Frost by Liz DeJesus

Glass Frost by Liz DeJesus

Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt

Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt

Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt

2012: The Rising by Joanne Hirase

Typical Day by Gary K. Wolf

Obsession by JoAnne Keltner

Stained Glass byMindy Hardwick

Grape Bubblegum by Beth Bowland

Dragon Drop by Jerry Ackerman

New Girl by Joan B. Flood

The Fox's Mask by Anna Frost

Unforgettable You by Marci Boudreaux

Storm’s Fury by Nya Rayne

And one of 30 e-books:

3.99 by Richard Satterlie

100,000 Midnights by Aaron Smith

A Company of Thieves by David Pilling

A Place to Call Their Own by L. Dean Pace-Frech

A Reason To Stay by L.S. Murphy

A Sense of the Ridiculous by Heather King

A Willing Spirit by Cindi Myers

Alaska Heat by Vella Munn

An Incident on MSR Tampa by SS Hampton, Sr

Apple of My Eye by Elizabeth Botts

Baiting The Hook by Mary S. Palmer & David Wilton

Between by Clarissa Johal

Black Widow by Lena Austin

Bring Me To Life by Scarlett Parrish

Captain Westwood's Inheritance by Lynda Dunwell

Contingency Plan by Anita Ensal

Crazy Greta by David Hardy

Daughter of the Earth and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis

Deep Into The Night by Tracie Ingersoll Loy

Dragon Revealed by Nulli Para Ora

Enchanted Realms by Eleni Konstantine

Forget the Misteltoe by Lizzie T. Leaf

Her Goblin Prince by Thalia Frost

High Stakes by Chad Strong

ICE blue by Susan Rae

Identity Thief by Milo James Fowler

Keeper of Directions by L.K. Mitchell

Kojiki by Keith Yatsuhashi

Little Bird by Liza Gaines

Looney Dunes by Anne Skalitza

Masquerade by Sloane Taylor

All entrants are eligible for the Grand Prize Drawing January 31

Grand Prize 

Warm Up for Winter Basket

Snuggly Blanket

$20.00 Musa Gift Certificate 

Starbucks Coffee

Coffee Mug

Specialty Chocolates

 PLUS

 5 paperback books: 

Marissa's Choice by Kadee McDonald

The Dominus Runes by Peter Lukes

Walking the Dog by Linda Benson

Love Lies Bleeding by Laini Giles

For his Love by Nya Rayne

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners of paperback books who reside outside the Continental United States will receive their prize in e-book format.

Ella Jade

Final stop on my January Tour. Come see Ella Jade and I at:

http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/2014/01/disappear-with-me-by-l-dean-pace-frech.html

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?

When the War Between the States ended in 1865 many Americans emerged from the turmoil energized by their possibilities for the future. Frank Greerson and Gregory Young were no different. After battling southern rebels and preserving the Union, the two men set out to battle the Kansas Prairie and build a life together. Frank yearned for his own farm, away from his family—even at the risk of alienating them. Gregory, an only child, returned home to claim his inheritance to help finance their adventure out west.

Between the difficult work of establishing a farm on the unforgiving Kansas prairie, and the additional obstacles provided by the weather, Native Americans and wild animals, will their love and loyalty be enough to sustain them through the hardships?

Purchase A Place to Call Their Own from Barnes and Noble today!

Then request an Authorgraph, an electronic inscription, from me.

Join the conversation:  use #APTCTO to talk about the novel on social media!

Delighted by the Our Beautiful Little Planet

I'm on the Musa Blog today talking about our recent trips back and forth to Colorado and how I thought of Frank and Gregory from A Place to Call Their Own along the way.

http://musapublishing.blogspot.com/2014/01/delighted-by-our-beautiful-little-planet.html

Viari Rose

I am so excited to be hanging out with Viari Rose! Come check us out:

http://viarirose.blogspot.com/2014/01/disappear-with-me-by-l-dean-pace-frech.html

______________________________________________________________

Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?

When the War Between the States ended in 1865 many Americans emerged from the turmoil energized by their possibilities for the future. Frank Greerson and Gregory Young were no different. After battling southern rebels and preserving the Union, the two men set out to battle the Kansas Prairie and build a life together. Frank yearned for his own farm, away from his family—even at the risk of alienating them. Gregory, an only child, returned home to claim his inheritance to help finance their adventure out west.

Between the difficult work of establishing a farm on the unforgiving Kansas prairie, and the additional obstacles provided by the weather, Native Americans and wild animals, will their love and loyalty be enough to sustain them through the hardships?

Purchase A Place to Call Their Own from Barnes and Noble today!

Then request an Authorgraph, an electronic inscription, from me.

Join the conversation:  use #APTCTO to talk about the novel on social media!