Monthly Archives: December 2016

Out with the Old…

At the beginning of 2016, I posted a list of 16 goals of sorts for the year. Now that we’re coming up on New Year’s Eve, it’s time to check in and see how I did:

  1. Pay off at least two credit card balances. I’ve let these creep up after being free of credit card debt about five years ago. Two balances are low enough that I can pay them off quickly, though. DONE! Card #2 was paid off in August, and I’ve kept those cards paid off since.
  2. Stop adding to credit card balances. They’ve been mostly steady this year, but I’d like to get them all headed consistently toward zero. DONE! As of mid-December, still on track with the remaining balanaces.
  3. Set up an office space. I’m planning to buy a desk and chair this weekend, and getting those assembled and in place will be about 75% of this goal. Things kind of fell apart on this one later in the year, and now I’ll be moving soon, so I’d say this one was about 50% accomplished.
  4. Get a massage at least once a month. I have a monthly membership that I’m not using often enough. If I’m not going to, I should just cancel it—after I use up the extra credits! I’m calling this one DONE! I got a massage a month through October, when I put the account on suspension for a few months. I’ll probably still get one this week, which will be 11 out of 12 months.
  5. Start doing stretches/yoga regularly for my neck and back problems. More reliance on movement, less on painkillers and heating pads. I haven’t managed much of this, though I’m a little bit better at maintaining my posture and not slumping over the computer.
  6. Get a mammogram. I’m way overdue. DONE! Including follow-up ultrasound with an all-clear.
  7. Weed out and donate clothes/shoes I never wear. Pretty much everything that isn’t used is gone. I’ll get the rest as I pack to move.
  8. Buy new clothes, especially tops and dress pants. About a third of new clothes I buy end up not working when I actually start wearing them, so the wardrobe turnover is an ongoing issue. DONE! A few rounds of purchases means my wardrobe is in pretty good shape now. Until spring, that is!
  9. Finish unpacking and get the last boxes out of my space. I plan to accomplish a good part of this by getting rid of more stuff. How the heck did I end up with this much STUFF?? I made some progress here, and will make more before I move, but not nearly as much as I’d hoped.
  10. Finish and submit/publish three new stories. I’m shooting for three novels, but I do have a germ of an idea for a short novella for Christmas, so we’ll go with three total. DONE! I self-pubbed three novellas and have a fourth coming in early 2017.
  11. Republish two stories after rights reversions (and on more than just Amazon this time). DONE! Story #1 self-pubbed in August, story #2 published with Dreamspinner in September.
  12. Go to Walt Disney World. Planned for the week of the Dreamspinner author workshop. DONE! Went to Animal Kingdom for the first time in March, and hit the other three parks over Memorial Day weekend. 😀
  13. Attend the Dreamspinner author workshop. DONE!
  14. Attend the RT Booklovers’ Convention. DONE!
  15. Attend the Council of Science Editors meeting (for the day job). DONE!
  16. Plan and execute publication of the Daily Dragon for Dragon Con 2016. DONE!

So I’m at 13/16 complete for 2016, and progress on one of the others. Not too shabby. 🙂

Coming up this weekend: Seventeen for 2017!

Short Short Story Sale at Dreamspinner

Today only, Dreamspinner has all short stories on sale for just 99 cents! Great time to pick up any of mine you’ve missed, including two holiday-themed stories. Sale ends at midnight, so get shopping!

“Of Holiday Spirits, Wake-Up Calls, and Happily Ever Afters”
Dreamspinner Press
How many chances does a man get before it’s too late? When Guy staggers home after a raucous Christmas Eve with his closest friends, he’s visited by a spirit who looks suspiciously like Teddy, the friend Guy’s secretly crushing on. Can Guy learn the lessons of the past—and make the right choices in the present—so his future will be less about one night and more about forever?

“Sharing Christmas”
Dreamspinner Press
Christmas looks to be a bust for Rick, who’s stuck covering the office over the holiday. But when his neighbor, Steven, invites him to join some residents in their apartment complex who put together gift bags to distribute at a homeless shelter on Christmas Day, Rick decides to join them and finds an unexpected holiday gift: a new love interest.

“Chicago”
Dreamspinner Press
Darren Lowell and Nathan Thomas are at loose ends in the Windy City. A chance meeting in a hotel lobby that progresses into a spectacular night will make Chicago a whole lot more interesting for them both. Chicago may not just be a brief stop on their journeys—it could be the starting point for a passionate new future.

“The Cabin on the Hill”
Dreamspinner Press
Jesse hadn’t planned for anything more than a break from the noise and heat of Atlanta when he returned to the cabin he rented each year in the Smoky Mountains—but that was before he met Eli, the handsome man renting the other side of the cabin. Eli’s plans to mix a little hiking with his relaxation match Jesse’s perfectly, and before long the two men are sharing more than just a wall and a view. Jesse’s not one to let an opportunity like this pass him by, though it remains to be seen whether the weekend encounter can turn into something more permanent.

 

12 Days of Charity

12daysgraphicEvery year, I highlight a dozen (or more) charities during the first 12 days of December, both here and on Twitter. I usually choose a range of different organizations to feature, but as a result of the events of the past month, my list of charities for 2016 is a bit different.

This time, I’ve deliberately focused on organizations in the United States (though some are also international) that are working for social justice and civil rights, as well as those supporting marginalized groups. If anyone’s going to need the help the next few years, it’s going to be them.

With that in mind, I’ve already made my donations to each group. It might not be much, but every bit helps. I haven’t gone into my usual detail on each group, but there are links so you can check them out and donate as you’re able.

Day 1: The American Civil Liberties Union

Day 2: The Southern Poverty Law Center

Day 3: Trans Lifeline

Day 4: Bills of Rights Defense Committee & Defending Dissent Foundation

Day 5: National Immigration Law Center

Day 6: The Center for Media Justice

Day 7: League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote

Day 8: Transgender Law Center

Day 9: Electronic Frontier Foundation and Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)

Day 10: Lambda Legal

Day 11: Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP)

Day 12: Brennan Center for Justice