Tuesday, January 3, 2012

ORGANIZING...Blog...Blog...Blog....


by Jerri Hines

Happy New Year! May 2012 hold all yours dreams! I like the sound of 20-12. 

So...this blog is supposed to be about organization. I have a confession. I haven't been organized since I had children. My files are kept in such a fashion only I could ever make heads or tails about them. My husband calls it Jerri's World. Oh, don't get me wrong. I understand the method to my madness, but I doubt many others would.

What can I help you with? How about thoughts? Reflecting on 2011. I believe it's important to remember the year we have left behind. So many things happen over the course of a year. Many things we will forget or it goes into the far reaches of our mind. Little things. It's one of the reasons I love writing on my blog. A little history in the making.

Looking back over my blog I remembered...

THE JUDAS KISS
Last January, I signed the contract on The Judas Kiss with Whiskey Creek Press.  Also, my middle daughter who plays hockey at her college suffered a major concussion. Today, thankfully she has recovered; still not back fully playing since in April she had ACL surgery.

In February, I wrote a prayer for my mother who didn't consider ebooks real books...
Lord help me, please! I pray I don't need a national best seller. I can live with the fact and accept it even though I will continue to strive to do so. Just please help my mother to understand that my books are real...  I solved that problem. I gave her a kindle for her birthday.

In March, my husband went with his father and brothers down to Red Sox's spring training. My doggies were getting itchy to get outside more. In April I went to NEC Romance Writer's Conference. For some unknown reason, I let my daughter spend $200 dollars on tanning for her prom. In May my daughter went to her prom (she looked beautiful), but went through some scares with people I love. My husband's aunt, who I lived with before I got married, had a stroke and a friend of mine at work suffered a major infection. Both almost died, but thank the Good Lord, lived.

In June, we vacationed in Charleston. I have written about Charleston but had never visited. Loved it! More than I imagined. July brought on a new look to the Roses of Prose blog. Laura began the process of enlarging our blog to include 14 authors. August brought the first look at the new format. A great decision on Laura's part.

THE PATH NOW TURNED
September was the for Alzheimer's Walk. Octoberfest With Books was next. Books, books, and more books. Then a major decision on my part...after Ruth Cardello's guest blog on Roses of Prose I decided to take a leap into Indie under my pen name, Carrie James Haynes. Whispers of a Legend,Part One- Shadows of the Past was published in October. Followed by Whispers of a Legend, Part Two- The Path Now Turned at the end of November. December held our progressive story here on Roses of Prose, A Holiday to Remember.

Reflections. Times that need not to be forgotten. A year in review. Good and bad. Mostly good. A reminder to be thankful for all that I have. A reminder of what was lost also... I lost my doggie, Max, a few weeks ago. Fourteen and a half years old, but it broke my heart. So much so, I haven't been able to write about him, but in time I will. He was my little writing partner.

So looking to 2012 I have so much planned. With the Whiskey Creek Press, I have The Judas Kiss being released January 15th, the first in the Tides of Charleston series. The Promise is set to be released in May; followed by Another Night Falls in September. 

My Indie venture will see the third installment, Vision of Destiny. I'm also pulling the first three together for an anthology, Whispers of a Legend, Volume I. I'm also releasing a historical/paranormal romance, Daughter of Deceit,  under Carrie James Haynes. On a personal note, my twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is coming up in July. So much to look forward to this year.

How on earth will I keep up with it all? I'm not certain yet, but I know I'll be blogging about it.

Happy 2012!






10 comments:

Jannine Gallant said...

Sounds like you had a busy year, Jerri. Congrats on all your releases, those for 2011 and 2012. Keep the good work coming!

Laura Breck said...

Jerri, I love the prayer you wrote for your mother. And the prayer was answered with a Kindle. Way to go!

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

I never thought of using a blog as part of one's diary. I'm not always focused enough to think beyond the surface except for in my writing. Great post.

Colleen Connally said...

Laura,
My mother, God bless her, fought against the kindle until she got one. She loves it now and it saved me.

Colleen Connally said...

Vonnie,
I have used one of my blogs kinda like my journal. I talk about most everything including my doggies which seem most popular out of all my topics.

Alison Henderson said...

Wow, what at year, Jerri! Congratulations on all you accomplished. I tend to charge ahead without taking much time to reflect on the past. You've inspired me to take a few minutes to take stock on 2011 before barreling headfirst into 2012.

Colleen Connally said...

So much happens in a year. I need to write it down. It's nice to look back and remember such as the simple things like my daughter's prom. It wasn't only the prom itself but all that went to it before the big night. Or remembering the thrill of getting a contract.

Ruth said...

Sounds like a great year to me...full of change and possibility.

Hope 2012 brings you many reasons to celebrate!

Colleen Connally said...

Ruth,
Thanks for the thought. May 2012 bring all your dreams!

Brenda Whiteside said...

What a year and now a good year to come!