Author: MaggieAdmin

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Monday Mayhem – Dreamers Edition

As I type this I’m watching an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary called “The Price of Gold”. It’s all about the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan brouhaha. I’ve always been a figure skating fan. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Dorothy Hamill.

I had a pink skating dress my sister sewed for me. There were matching pink pom-poms on my skates. I had the ‘Hamill Wedge’ haircut, and I used Short ‘n Sassy shampoo, just like Dorothy. I spent all my spare time at the Four Seasons ice rink.

Then they decided the convert the ice arena to a fitness center.

Goodbye dream.

The best thing about dreams is that you can conjure a new one.

In high school I wanted to be a rich, ruthless business woman who chewed men up and spit them out like Alexis Morell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowen from Dynasty.

I graduated from college and moved to Chicago, but by then I’d left Alexis behind and re-calibrated. I wanted to be Melanie Griffith from Working Girl. After all, she got Harrison Ford in the end.

Everything we do in life starts as a dream. A wisp of ambition takes form. An idea germinates and grows. I’ve chased quite a few dreams in my life, but none have been as challenging as the dream of pursuing a writing career.

I’ve been going through a period of reflection and assessment. It has been the least productive few months I’ve had in five years. Things change, life gets in the way, and distractions sometimes get the better of me. I’m working on being okay with that. I’m also hauling my butt back to the gym and trying to take note of the positive things in my life.

How about you? What dreams are you chasing? Are you attempting to do anything differently this year?

 

 

 

 

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Contest!

Want to win a Nook Simple Touch? Check out my giveaway!

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And don’t forget to check out my latest release, The Art Lover. Available now for only $0.99!

195 Maggie Wells copy

Starving artist Kelsey Tecato takes being The Templeton Museum’s artist in residence a little too literally. By day, she puts on a show of painting for the crowds that shuffle through the galleries, but at night, her muse runs wild.

Mitch Jameson is a guy’s guy. A cop moonlighting as a security guard, he has little use for the artsy-fartsy stuff, but the mysterious Ms. Tecato’s sexy portraits call to him.

So does an interior alarm.

When Officer Jameson goes to investigate, he finds a paint-splattered goddess working on a self-portrait–in the nude.

A couple tubes of paint and a roll in the drop cloths later, free-spirited Kelsey helps Officer Jameson discover his passion for art.

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Monday Mayhem – Manly men edition

Look what’s coming! It’s the Unforgettable Heroes boxed set featuring Jack Rudolph from Long Distance Love!

Heroes-margaret

The boxed set will be available January 30, 2014 for the introductory price of only $0.99! That’s 8 novels for less than a buck!
Mark your calendars! Tell your friends to mark theirs too!
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Monday Mayhem – Maggie Mayhem

My friend, Maggie Wells, is up to her tricks again, but this time it’s a new trick. Last week Maggie released her first self-published title – a smoking hot short story called The Art Lover! It’s only $0.99 on Amazon, so if you’re looking for something to warm a cold winter’s night download it today!

TheArtLover_MaggieWells

Here’s a taste:

“About time you showed up.”

A woman. The intruder was a woman and she’d been expecting him. Irked by the presumptuous amusement in her tone, he stepped into the open doorway and almost swallowed his tongue.

Alarm bells clamored in his head the moment recognition clicked. Kelsy Tecato. Artist in Residence and painter of hard-on-inducing nudes here live and in person, standing in the Templeton Museum after hours as if she owned the place.

Naked as the day she was born.

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Monday Mayhem – Auld Lang Syne edition

Hard to believe that another year has passed, but here we are, two days from 2014. It seems trite to say it flew by, but in my case, a good chunk of it did. I spent a good portion of 2013 in airports and hotels. The new and increasing duties of the day job really cut into my energy and creativity this year, but I’ve come to terms with that. I may not write as much as quickly as I did a couple of years ago, but I like to think my writing has grown and improved.

2013 has been a year of change, growth and evolution in personal and professional lives, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for hanging in there with me. I would never have had the chutzpah to chase this dream without your encouragement, and I wouldn’t have the strength to endure those ups and downs without your continued support.

You are made of awesome.

So here are my final five for 2013. Cheers and have a safe and happy new year!

What I’ve been working on: Mainly, I’ve been just trying to get through the holidays. But just for fun, I started plotting, planning, and brainstorming a new set of books that revolve around a family that owns a small Chicago tavern. Maggie will probably end up stealing it, but what can you do? Saucy wench is stealing all my thunder lately.

What’s running around in the back of my mind: I really need to finish Containment. It’s still there, but December has been kind of an emotional month. Hard to motivate myself to write something so heavy at the moment.

What I’ve accomplished: Um…I finished revisions on a story I plan to submit in 2014. Oh, and Miss Maggie Wells may have a trick or two up her sleeve for this week.

What new goal I’m chasing: I plan to get back in the writing groove in January. Back to the 1k a day goal. That seemed to work for me. 🙂

What I saw: Everything that makes life sweet

sweetness

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Monday Mayhem – Best Laid Plans blah blah blah

So I was supposed to have Christmas with my family this past weekend, but influenza and winter storm Gemini thwarted those plans. Stupid flu. Stupid weather.

kidwell

This pic was taken a couple of years ago, but you get the idea. Total mayhem. But instead of partying with the howling hoard, I was home this weekend. With as crazy as this year as been, you’d think I’d be excited to have this weekend to get a lot done.

You would be wrong.

I spent the weekend pouting. And doing nothing. This has been the laziest weekend I’ve had in a long time.

And you know what?

I have no regrets.

How about you? Were you kicked back this weekend, or were you one of the many running around in a last minute frenzy? I’m hoping you were lazy like me. I don’t want to be the only slug in the crowd.

Hope your holidays are shaping up to be all you wish them to be.

Peace.

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Monday Mayhem – Butterfingers Edition

What I’ve been working on: Christmas baking. I’ve made another mountain of Chex mix, Oreo balls, and the dough for my mother’s favorite cookies, Chocolate Shots.

What’s running around in the back of my mind: Plans, plans, and more plans. Christmas. Post-Christmas. Writing.

What I’ve accomplished:

Mount Chex
Mount Chex
Oreo
Oreo balls

What new goal I’m chasing: Just trying to kick back and enjoy the holidays. I’ll chase goals next year, I promise.

What I saw: The rootin’ tootin’est cowpoke in the West

sheriff

What’s on your holiday to-do list?

Here’s the recipe for my mommy’s favorites: Chocolate Shots

 

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Monday Mayhem – Fiction becomes fact

Write what you know. That’s one of the first pieces of writing advice an author hears, and there’s a reason it rings true. If we write what we know, chances are we’ll connect with a reader who has had a similar experience.

A couple of months ago, I was sitting in a doctor’s waiting room reading a Kristan Higgins’ book and bawling my eyeballs out when the heroine’s beloved dog passed away.

Yesterday, I spent the day bawling my eyeballs out after saying goodbye to my beloved Beauregard.

Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside Ethridge
Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside Ethridge

I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t write about this anytime soon. Hug and kiss your puppies, kitties, buns and other furry friends and tell them it’s from me.

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Monday Mayhem – Holy crap! It’s December!

Okay, okay. Yes, I knew it was coming, but…yikes! I really need to get on the ball.

What I’ve been working on: Containment. I added another almost 8k this week. Go me!

What’s running around in the back of my mind: Christmas is coming. I really should do something about….something.

What I’ve accomplished: NaNoWriMo! I passed the 50k mark on Friday, making this my 5th year in a row as a NaNo winner!

What new goal I’m chasing: I’m continuing on with Containment, but December is my month of catch up and plan ahead, so I won’t be setting any lofty word count goals. I have a number of projects on the go at the moment. Going to whittle away at each one.

What I saw: A goal achieved

2013-Winner-Vertical-Banner

What’s new with you? Did you know it was December already? Why didn’t you tell me?