Monday, November 9, 2015

All I Want For Christmas: More Hours by Brenda Whiteside

There have never been enough hours in the day to suit me. In high school, an extra hour in the day allowed for flexible schedules to accommodate working students...or something. I forget. Whatever, I asked my counselor if I could take a class during that hour. Not allowed.

The last day job I had, outside of writing, didn't understand my need to cram more into the day either. I'd still be working when my boss would tell me to go home. The work would be there tomorrow...which was exactly why I didn't want to quit.

As an author, trying to meet my deadlines with my career and family, there are never enough hours in the day. This month is National Writing Month, and although I am not taking part officially, I am joining in a Pretendo NaNoWriMo with self imposed goals. Foolish of me. Still not enough hours in the day to get it all done. I'll never learn. And the day will not get any longer for me no matter how hard I try to stretch it!

I'm already four days behind on my writing goals. But hey, I had fun this weekend vending my books at the first of the season holiday bazaars. I have several more. Maybe at one of them, someone will be selling extra time. I can hope!

Brenda's latest release:
Post-War Dreams


World War II has ended and the soldiers are coming home. After years of following her crop worker father, motherless Claire Flanagan is also coming home. If she can keep her father in one place long enough, she plans to follow her dreams to Hollywood. Until she meets Benjamin.
Benjamin Russell has been working since he was fifteen to support his mother and siblings. What he most wants in life is to own a construction business and take care of the family his father abandoned. The last thing he expects is to fall for his younger sister’s best friend.
Life, however, throws cruel twists and turns into the path of romance. And when an unrequited love seeks revenge against Claire, and Benjamin learns his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, will lost dreams of a future together be the only thing they have left?
Amazon Buy Link



10 comments:

Margo Hoornstra said...

Ah, yes, time. It does tend to get away from us, doesn't it? I'm not doing the 'official' NaNo either, but have the self imposed deadlines in my head for this current wip. Best of luck with your latest release. May you have many, many sales!

Brenda Whiteside said...

Thanks, Margo! Good luck to you.

Jannine Gallant said...

I have a 5000 word a week self-imposed schedule between now and the end of the year to finish the current WIP. Problem is the holidays will mess with that, so I could use a few of those extra hours if you find them! Great video, BTW!

Brenda Whiteside said...

I'm still looking, Jannine!

Rolynn Anderson said...

Absolutely understand, Brenda. My tombstone (or whatever plaque) would read: "She wasn't finished." I'm a pantser as a writer and liver of life. I'm always busy and I always accomplish things, but since I stopped my job as a high school principal, I've tried to set only very general goals for myself. I LOVE not waking up to an alarm clock...so I don't...but I get up around 7:00 a.m. because I want to...I'm eager to start the day. I get things done in a haphazard way, but I get them done and the pace feels natural. I said I'd get two books written/published this year and I did. Now if I had to write to live/to eat? Then I'd be on daily deadlines, for sure. I'm glad I pushed those 30 years in education so I could relax a bit in my 30 years as a writer :-)

Leah St. James said...

I hear you, Brenda! Time--my most precious commodity! There's ever enough. I get up before dawn to do my writing "stuff," head to the crazy-busy day job for the next nine-plus hours, come home, eat dinner and watch a few catch-up episodes of TV on Netflix or Hulu with hubby. (I'm usually asleep on the couch by the middle of the second show.) Then it's to bed and start the whole thing over. This year I decided to do NaNoWriMo, hoping it would kick me in the pants to do some actual writing. It has. I'll never meet the 1666-words-per-day formula for success, but I'm having fun at writing again. :-)

Diane Burton said...

I need Hermione Granger's Time Turner. LOL When I try to do too much, I get so anxious, which is not good for the man I live with. He is so patient but Hubs can only take so much. I've learned to prioritize. Like Margo, I'm doing our chapter's version of NaNo. I produce more when I have goals. Often Life intrudes and I have to change my goals. But that's okay, too.

Brenda Whiteside said...

Love your attitude, Rolynn. I really do. I usually rise at 5:30 (no alarm) because I always seem to have a mental list going of "need to get done". My husband says I don't know how to relax. I, of course!, argue with him but he just might be right.

Brenda Whiteside said...

Leah, I'd have trouble with your schedule. Although I am busy 24/7, I don't do the day job anymore. I applaud you.

Brenda Whiteside said...

Nice attitude, Diane. Keep the blood pressure down. Hubby's too. LOL