Planning and Prepping in Progress

 Welcome to the scenic route! I hope you've had a fantastic week. I've been enjoying the wonderful autumn crispness, as our temps have dropped a little. It's been fabulous having the windows open and fresh air filling our home. But let me get to the writing things...

Author Journey: Planning and Prepping

If you've been reading the last few posts, you know I've been trying out a new program called Plottr to help me plan my newest WIP. I've been comparing it with Campfire Pro. 

Today, I'd like to talk a little about another program designed to help creators (or anyone, really) stay organized. It's called Obsidian and my techy husband is the one who urged me to give it a try. So I downloaded the free program (which is available on most operating systems). 

What I like about it so far is how stripped down it is. I also appreciate that there are several color themes you can apply so that it works for your personal needs. My eyes are super sensitive to computer screens so dark themes work better for me. They had a few of those to choose from and I absolutely love that! The first one I tried had white letters which wasn't exactly easy. The second one offered gray letters and I found it fit my needs best. 

So far, I've set up a few folders with some documents pertaining to each topic. I plan to watch a couple of videos to help me get the best use out of the program/app. Honestly, if this one works, I'll probably drop Plottr since that program will cost me a little chunk to get the lifetime option. 

Just a quick reminder, I don't get paid by any of these companies. I'm just letting you know what I'm trying and what works/doesn't work for me. 

Writer's Life: The Holiday Season is Here...

...And I'm not ready. Even though I have a steampunk costume for both my youngest daughter and me to wear for the Trunk-or-Treat event our church is hosting, one of the key pieces of my costume got ruined because of the super-high humidity in our area this past year. The fabulous boots you see in the photo below are, alas!, no more. 

I'm going to miss those boots and the completeness of my costume. I do have a backup pair of boots, but they're less serious-looking. Like, these boots are sharp, but the others are softer, I guess. 

In any case, I'm just glad I had a costume ready for this year. I had planned to wear the new Shinnoahn merka (merchant) costume I've been working on, but I haven't had the determination to finish it. The simple things that are left aren't so simple in reality and I'm dreading making another mistake. I don't have enough fabric to allow for that. The only think I may have to sew is a tunic for my daughter as the shirt I made for the costume she'll be wearing may be to big for her. 

I'm just really looking forward to being able to participate in the fun of the holidays with my friends and see smiles on kids' faces. :) 

Book Notes: Kari Trumbo

I just started reading the Brothers of Belle Fourche series by Kari Trumbo. I happened to see she was offering a collection of the first three books in the series at a reduced price for a short time and hopped on it. I do love her writing, whether it's contemporary or historical. She does a wonderful job of crafting deep characters and weaving a plot that isn't full of fluff. 

Book Review: Teach Me to Love (book 1)

Teach Me To Love by Kari Trumbo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent story! I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the depth of the characters and thought the pacing was just right. Sweet, clean, inspirational without being preachy, it’s a win all around for me.

View all my reviews

I know the review is short, but honestly, it was past midnight when I finished it and it's hard to write a comprehensive review when you're struggling to keep your eyes open. Besides, I think I summed it up well. I loved the particular struggles these two MCs faced and their journey to love just really hooked me. I was rooting for them from the very start. 

Currently Reading: 

What the Heart Holds (book 2)

I just started reading the second book in the series and look forward to it. If Kari holds true to her usual level of quality, it'll be awesome. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you find something helpful or useful in today's post. 

Until next time,
Keep turning pages...