Spontaneity!?!

I don’t consider myself a spontaneous person, but I did something crazy last week. I volunteered to give a presentation to one of my writing groups. This wasn’t the first time I’ve presented. Nor was it the first time I’d presented on the topic–ergonomics for writers. But to volunteer FOUR days before the event? That’s unusual for me. I typically plan those a month or three in advance, then wait until the last minute to figure out what I’m going to say or do. You could say I plan to procrastinate (HA!). As I tweaked the slides for this presentation, I had a brainstorm for other topics I can present. I’ll have to flesh those out a bit before I say much, but I’m excited about these possibilities. Stay tuned. If you’re interested in my little presentations, let me know. I’ve read about twenty books this month. That’s fewer than normal for me, but I’ve been trying to write more. I submitted the noir–I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. Over the month, I need to write at least three more stories. And then NaNoWriMo starts November 1. That’s National Novel Writing Month and a challenge to write 50,000 words over thirty days. Last year, I managed to write 30,000 words–a record for me. I have no idea what I’ll accomplish this year but stay tuned. New September Book Recommendations: I finished Art from Darkness and enjoyed it immensely. CA Humer and I had several conversations about writing, publishing, and other writing-related topics, so it’s exciting to see her work come into the world. Another Texas author, that I think I’ve shared before, is Shanna Swendson and her Enchanted, Inc series. Although most of the series occurs in New York City, the female main character is from Texas, and one book is set in her hometown with all sorts of Texas-style shenanigans taking place. She finished the series a few years ago, but just released a collection of related short stories, along with how she developed the series. It was nice to revisit that world and see some behind-the-scene action. She also has a cozy mystery series that I’ve enjoyed: Lucky Lexy Cozy Paranormal Mysteries. Another Texas-based book and author to check out is K. P. Gresham and her Pastor Matt Hayden Mysteries. Even though the small town is fictional, it is set outside of Austin and remains true to the area. You have been in these locations. I keep waiting for book 5 of this series, and K. P. says it’s coming. That’s all for now. T.