I just need to say, I love the title of this post! So catchy!
Welcome to “A Day In the Life of Me.” I won’t ever have this chance again, so I decided to record every moment of this day. This day! Three days prior to my first book release! Are you thinking about being a writer? Want to know what really goes on behind the scenes? Or are you a writer who wants to compare your day to another? Well, here is an average day for me. Enjoy!
A Day In the Life of Me – 28 May 2015
6:55 AM
I awoke at 6:55 today. Checked on my three children who were already up and dressed for school (Emily at 12 years old, Elizabeth at 7 years old, and Daniel at 11 years old). Emptied and loaded the dishwasher. Changed out the laundry and brewed a 12-cup pot of coffee.
7:01 AM kissed my 12 year old goodbye.
7:17 AM and out the door to the bus stop for my two youngest ones.
Returned to the house after loading kids onto the bus. Poured coffee#1 and turned on computer.
7:27 AM
Checked Goodreads. I have one message
Checked Email. 14 emails. Some from my editor, book cover artists, and Tony who is working on my video book trailer.
Check stats on Website. 283 visits already and 2 people are currently online.
Twitter…loading…waiting.
Texted my brother to get his email address so I can add him as “admin” today for my website.
Said good morning on Twitter. Now on to Facebook and Google+
110 followers on Google+ – Nothing new since last night.
Accepted invite to a Facebook party for a book release!
Do I have enough time to put one together for Dolor and Shadow? 28 of May and the release is 31 of May….Don’t know. Back burner!
Just checked email on Goodreads…
“I have only ten slots available and unanswered DM’s, emails, and invites from people all asking for a slot, so I have to assign the dates as they come in first come first serve.”
Is what I wrote and sent to a member.
On to my email…loading…waiting…On to the Blog Tour…
Hm…Now we’re up to 90 members.What’s funny is, there are only 93 slots available. I’m curious to see if it will keep growing after 93.
Just answered three emails on sign up and info for the blog tour. Now over to “Sign up” on Goodreads for the Blog Tour.
Quick check to website as I just remembered that I forgot to check. 1,252 hits yesterday! Sweet!
Opening second GR windows…
9 slots left on the tour. Have to email someone about co-hosting.
8:00 AM
Blog tour news done and its 8:00!
We have 14 bloggers co-hosting, so the day the author appears, they will be covered on 2 weeks’ worth of blogs tours in one day! So cool!
Okay! Now, my editor!
Back to emails…More coffee first…(Second cup)
My seven year old left me presents by the door 🙂 A card, rolled up art drawings of her shoe, and a permission slip for two field trips this June. Signed and dropped onto her bed.
Okay! My editor! Email!
Email won’t send…Engage in dialogue with myself.
Is it because of the typo?
Yes! Angela that is it! The typo! Because emails never send when there are TYPOS!
Corrected the typo. Still not sending. Not saving either. Restart email…Try again.
Waiting waiting waiting… The suspense is killing me…waiting waiting waiting… Still “trying” to send. Yahoo is definitely messed up today.
“Unable to send message.” ARGH! Okay… Let’s try another Social Media platform while I wait.
Stopped in at Twitter. All my friends said hello back. On to my email again.
Okay…so Yahoo isn’t working at ALL! I will contact everyone through Google+ and other means. First, emailed my girlfriend as a trial run to see if it is just my editor or Yahoo.
I just “emailed” my editor through her website. On to the gentleman working on my video trailer!
Just heard back from my Girlfriend via email. Yahoo is working despite Yahoo telling me it isn’t working. Grr… I sent my G-friend a cyber glass of wine and said hello. On to my video trailer! 8:18 YEAH! MESSAGE SENT!
8:18 AM
I have to contact Two Steps From Hell and ask for permission to use their music. Also, I need to find images that capture the mood for Dolor and Shadow and make sure the images come with free rights. Ugh!
Located pics. Contacting a whole lot of people for rights.
Located the rights to Two Steps from hell.
The entire Two Steps From Hell catalogue is distributed by Extreme Music. If you are a professional editor and you are inquiring about music licenses for professional commercial projects, please contact Rob at Extreme Music. Any inquiries concerning favors, free usage, permission for non-profit YouTube videos, School projects, non-profit films etc.. will not be answered. We apologize for this, but we have received tens of thousands of inquiries and do not have the resources to reply. Unfortunately Two Steps From Hell is no longer able to grant permission for these types of projects. Two Steps From Hell is not looking for partners, composers or employees. If you need to contact Nick and Thomas for any professional matter, not related to permission to use our music and NOT RELATED TO WORK INQUIRIES OR REQUESTS TO LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC, you may reach us here.
On to Enya…
Yeah! I just was invited to the #indiebooksbeseen event! 8:47 AM
Okay! Enya!
Yep. Lock and key…
Copyright
All content copyright ©2015 Enya.com. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use of any site content or copyrighted material is strictly prohibited unless otherwise stated.
I have no idea…I will wait to hear back from Tony on this. Next project! Back to Goodreads for a moment…I’ll make my rounds one last time. Then I get to make up my list 🙂
8:49 AM
Oooh! Cookie has come to see me! 8:49 🙂 She sits on my desk all day and sleeps while I work.
I really need to put a cat bed on my desk. She settles down and purrs! Yeah! Okay! Focus!
On to Google+ I want to contact Valerie.
Contacted Valerie (PR pro) for advice on the Blog tour…
Okay!
Check my index cards…No appointments today. (I am TERRIBLE at remembering even the memos of appointments, so I keep a file of index cards with all my appointments right in front of me).
Now my to-do list..
8:56 AM
- Write! Because I didn’t yesterday. 2,000 words
- Compose interview questions for Tony and Charlene
- Add SEO to your websites
- Recheck all your social media for blog tour signs ups.
- Figure out what is going on with Smashwords. Smashwords says I have no autovetter errors on my manuscript for Dolor and Shadow, but they have flagged it anyway and say that there are too many page breaks. Here’s the thing…there ARE no page breaks according to Office Word. So my editor is working on it. What does this mean? It means that there will most likely be a delay in getting the book to you on the 31st as Smashwords refuses to “deliver” to suppliers until this is fixed. We’re working on it like maddened scientists. 🙂
- Add your brother to your website admin so he can move your websites’ domain host back to GoDaddy before they end his subscription and I loose my website…Hmmm…I’m adding THAT to the TOP of the list.
9:00 AM
On to my website to add my brother on Admin!
Go to “Users”
Okay…so my brother is still there on “Admin” so I’m all set. I texted him to let him know so he can change the host over today. This means I can not post for 24 hours. I can’t post for 24 to 48 hours while he transfers the account.
Okay! Next on my list!
Ooh! I’m on to writing! YEAH!!! MY FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY!!
Contacted @booksadvisor. working with her on her website, helping her draw in more readers.
9:08 AM
One more social round then ON TO WRITING!!
HEY! WOW! I’M ON #INDIEBOOKSBESEEN! HOLY CRAP COOL!!
OH MY GOD! I’M LIKE ALL OVER THE FRONT PAGE! SO COOL!!
OH MY GOD! DOLOR AND SHADOW IS THERE TOO!! WOWOWOWOWOWW!!! YEAH!!!
And this is why we network, people! Who did this!? I must thank them!!
DB Nielson! OH! THANK YOU DB!!! WOW! I must repay her! And then, I will pay it forward! I could partner with Indiebooksbeseen! See, this is how my ideas are born.
9:17 AM
Woke up the husband (he is a night owl and sleeps late 🙂
Ugh! Now an error occurred while uploading with Yahoo! ARGH! I have NEVER had issues like this before.
9:23 AM
9:23…17 year old cat pukes on floor. 9:24 The Author stops working to clean it up.
Sent thank you email to DB… okay! What next …Oh, yes! I just got more sign ups in.
9:29 AM
7 Slots left! 9:29 AM!
ON TO WRITING…Wait…husband is leaving for work. May stop for a moment to spend 20 minutes with him.
On to my “Angela B. Chrysler” Group on Goodreads and posted this:
This was something I decided to put together today. 28 May 2015.
It is a complete step by step break down of my day. Or, I should say, a writer’s day only three days before a book release! I did this so others may see what a writer’s life looks like. 🙂 And it was REALLY fun to do!
9:33 AM
Enjoy! Okay… so I’m not posting it yet because it’s only 9:33 and I have the whole day to record still 🙂
Waiting for the husband to leave (9:34) before I begin writing because I don’t want to start then stop once I get started. So I’m checking into all of my GR groups.
9:37 AM
Husband time…BRB
Gardened instead… grabbed cell phone and checked texts. Yeah! My editor!
In the garden, I unpacked the wintermint and laid it out. Have to run to Agway today to buy a green house and soil. Researching wintermint right now.
Got it!
http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/guidetogrowingwintergreen.html
Printing for the husband.
Yes. I garden too 🙂 because I don’t have enough to do.
Checking email while I’m here…
“Unable to send message” on Yahoo. ARGH!!!! SO ANGRY!!! I need a back up! I can’t have this!
Back to the husband…
9:48 AM
Leaving my phone this time.
* * *
10:00 AM
Okay 10:00 I have a headache. Coffee, 2 Ibuprofen and 1 aspirin! Equivalent to 2 Excedrin Migraine without the acetaminophen to eat my liver.
So, I had a nightmare two nights ago and I can’t sleep well since. Hence the headache. I’m tired today. Here is my nightmare. Not suitable for some audiences due to extremely disturbing images.
It was the future when World War IV was taking place. We had run out of people so the government reinstated the draft and dropped the age…repeatedly…it was down to twelve year olds because we had run out of people. Also, instead of signing up yourself and signing, anyone could sign you up and you HAD to go. My father signed me up…to the marines.
I had just completed basic training and I was being shipped to Korea, China, Cambodia. I think China. We were first ones in. We were cannon fodder. And I was teamed up with a bunch of twelve year olds, some ten year olds, and eight year olds who decided to lie about their age to get in. To be honest, the government didn’t care who lied anymore. They would take anyone at this stage to fight.
The plan was simple. Stupid, but simple. We had to go in and push back the front into China. Yeah. We landed and it was a shit fest. Saving Private Ryan was prettier. They knew we were coming and we were ambushed. I watched the children next to me get their heads literally blown off. Children, lying next to me dead…shot up…mutilated…and I could do nothing. They were dead before their blood splattered my face and clothes. I had just been talking and laughing with these children moments ago. They were babies.
We pulled back and managed to pull the last of our platoon back behind the front just as a new order came in. All the women were to go undercover as geisha girls to infiltrate and get info. Women in this culture were considered so ignorant as to not pose any threat. I was selected. Me and a few eight year olds. We infiltrated, passed through with flying colors and we were all handed a cat, which…according to this culture…were considered fertility goddesses. I was handed a white cat decorated in elaborate gems and gold strands and gold colored paint. Our jobs were simple to serve the cat we were assigned, which only meant to carry the cat and protect it from the cross fire. Easy…right? What bull shit.
While there, I overheard the Chinese talking and their plans to wipe us out. We needed to get out, but another platoon from my own side came in and were wiping out every one of the Chinese, but the Americans didn’t recognize the children and I in disguise. And we had to protect the cats.
Chaos ensued and I collected the children and the cats while I attempted to keep all of us alive. We were winning the war, but I was on the wrong side…I woke up as shots were being fired outside the paper hall (Japanese style) and bombs were going off.
I have PTSD and take meds for it. I’ve been shaken up ever since I dreamed this…
10:10 AM
Okay. 10:10 and now! On to writing!
10:19 AM
Heard back from Editor with new formatted copy
10:19 AM uploaded corrected copy to Smashwords.
Okay! Now! 10:20 and on to the anthology romance I am writing! 2,000 words…GO!
10:21 AM
10:21 Cookie is back! 🙂
* * * Writing * * *
10:29 AM
190 words in…10:29 and Smashwords got back to me on the autovetters.
No autovetters! Now waiting for modification errors. I should have this email in 12 hours. *sigh* okay! Back to writing.
Texted my editor and still waiting…
Oooh! Another to do today…Load Dolor and Shadow onto Create space for printing! 10:35
10:35 AM
Talking to my editor via text about how Smashwords compares to KPD and KDP Select as well as B&N.
* * * Writing * * *
530 words written…and I’m stuck. The story went where I hadn’t expected and now I’m going… “now what?”
I must think and plan before I write more.
NEXT PROJECT! Oooh! My editor is texting me.
10:48 AM
Back to B&N. She says there is an online option.
Calling b&n distribution…
Pressing #1
10:54 AM
Complete form…
Okay…so I have to submit a form to be a vendor of record and snail mail that in.
Opening PDF form on B&N to examine this “Vendor of Record” form I need… I need a bar code.
Browsing now for Bar code suppliers…and heard back from @bookadvisor
11:00 AM
Working with @bookadvisor now on her site…
Okay! I feel gross and need to think about what happens in the book next…So I am taking a shower and thinking!
11:16 AM
* * * In the Shower * * *
11:34 AM
Yeah! I am clean! 11:34 and I know where my story is going to go! And I have my lunch in front of me! Okay.
* * * Writing * * *
11:51 AM
11:51 Tony just sent me the video trailer!
Have a look! WOW!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sv9jotdv7distxe/Tales%20of%20the%20Drui.mp4?dl=0
12:10 AM
Okay 12:10…I’ll stop playing with my book trailer now. Lol…Back to writing.
* * * Writing * * *
1,290 words written and I’m stuck again. *sigh* Not sure what will happen next. So I am off to the bank and Agway for some dirt! Be back soon! 🙂
12:22 AM
* * * To the bank and Garden Center * * *
1:05 PM
Ran to the bank and Agway, planted the Wintermint into some Scottish Sphagnum moss, played in the garden and now I am back! I bought a wren/Chickadee house (I ADORE Chickadees! My favorite bird). I also picked up some safflower seed for the birds and moss for the mint and planted the mint!
1:20 PM
Looked over @booksadvisor’s site for now. Helped her with some changes. Now…On to laundry while I still think about how I’m going to proceed with the story.
I have 800 more words to write. No new thoughts. 1:25…
Grr! I hate it when I can’t think.
1:25 PM
Making my social rounds.
2:00 PM
Received a letter from Yahoo saying my space was maxed out and would receive no more emails until I deleted something. Have to now “clean my email.”
2:05PM
ACCEPTED! SMASHWORDS ACCEPTED DOLOR AND SHADOW!! After a week, it is now on its way to Distributors! Please be aware that this may delay deliver if you ordered through Smashwords as they required the final copy on the 21st of May.
2:22 PM
Just found my very first featured author for the Blog Tour! He emailed me and it went to Spam as I was deleting! I caught it JUST in time with 5 slots to spare!
Yikes!
My brother texted me to say he can’t find the user name on my website. He is calling me after he gets out of work.
I’m starting to feel the stress and am feeling anxious.
(Yeah…that PTSD I told you about. Talking on the phone is one of my triggers. Son of a bitch…talking on the phone is a trigger…(just figured something out)…and I know why. I won’t get into it here, but it is explained in “Broken.” The anxiety shown here is extreme and sent me into a panic, which is why I went to the gardens to calm down.)
2:24 PM
Editor is texting me about the TOC (Table of Contents) for the print. She is putting together the print.
2:25 PM
Emailing member about the blog tour, editing Goodreads Blog Tour group and finalizing sign ups.
2:27 PM
Talking to @booksadvisor about the theme/look she wants for her site so I can decorate it for her 🙂 I’m loving this!
2:31 PM
Ah! The Slush Brain is talking to me! And I have ten minutes before kids comes home. Okay! I am heading outside to garden for a break and to drop my stress level 🙂
3:07 PM
Okay! Cup of coffee, kids are all home, planted another rhododendron (white) and azaleas (hot orange) and a snowball bush! 🙂 Also watered my gardens.
One more look through Social media then back to writing.
3:16 PM
My Main Menu on my website went on the fritz and jarbled everything together. Back to the dash board…For some reason the page “The Writer’s Road” vanished and all the pages assigned to it posted to the main menu. Fixed! *sigh* this means I have “too many pages” assigned to my main menu.
My editor sent me the PDF of Dolor and Shadow for my review (this is for the paperback)
3:17 PM
Checking out the PDF from my editor (I love her)
OOOH!! Just remembered! I CAN ORDER THE BOOKMARKS TODAY!!! YIPPPPEEEEE!!!!
OH MY GOOOOD! I WISH YOU ALL COULD SEE THIS!!! THE PAPERBACK IS BEAUTIFUL!!!! OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!! AH!!! Okay! Breathe! Professional…
3:20 PM
Needless to say, I love it.
GROOOOAN… I hate Yahoo. Now it won’t attach my map so I can send it to my editor.
Finally! It sent.
3:25 PM
Tweeted book ad on Twitter…
3:27 PM
Kids came in to ask if they can cook in my kitchen…I said not at the moment and sent them outside to play.
Started post for this document…”A day in the life of me”
I’m stuck, btw…no idea what will happen next in the story 🙁
Making rounds to FB and G+
Oooh! 2 new followers on G+
3:32 PM
Missed call…checking voicemail.
* * * Listening to Voicemails * * *
Just learned today is Thursday and NOT Tuesday. Hm…Good to know. Crap. I just lost two days.
Posted that tweet out because it was funny.
3:40 PM
Reviewing SEO of my website and prepping new post.
3:41 PM
BOOKMARKS! DOING IT NOW!!
3:49 PM
Kids again. They think because Mum works from home that Mum doesn’t work. I threatened them with chores. Heheheheee…
3:54 PM
Ordered 50 bookmarks! Which comes to 58 cents/bookmark 🙂 I need to order 250 next time so it comes in at 2 cents a bookmark. I am giving them away for free with every signed paperback ordered direct from me through my site! 🙂
Chatting on board the Slush Brain regarding my video trailer. Gathering opinions…
Watching my trailer again 🙂 SO happy!
4:24 PM – My husband’s “cat” pukes on the floor…4:25 PM – The author cleans it up.
My husband has a 20 pound male Norwegian Forest Cat that acts like a dog and is bigger than a beagle. People who hate cats, love this cat. He is so cool. His name is Colby.
4:31 PM
Grounded kids to their rooms for throwing chess pieces at each other *sigh*
My Emily is standing here discussing Roman and Greek mythology. Quick Greek/Roman myth research on Artemis/Diana/Minerva.
4:36 PM – Fuzzied my cat
Edited the front page of Brain to Books. Added links… updated the SEO
4:44 PM
Told my cat how cute she is.
4:57 PM
Sorted out more web info on my websites and edited the home page on Angela B. Chrysler Nearly done “working” for the day…which means I’ll be moving on to the family next.
5:00 PM
Checking Scribophile for the day…No mail.
Realized my Goodreads button isn’t working on my website, so the HTML code is messed up and I have to go in and fix it. Ugh! Not today!
So you want to be a modern author? I recommend studying Social Media marketing, HTML code, Psychology, people skills, Web design, And business…oh! Writing couldn’t help either!
Okay! 5:02 PM
Off to clean the kitchen, feed kids, water plants, spend some time with the family, and stuff… I will be recording everything I do up until bed time today so you can see exactly what my day entails. Oh! And I have my cell with me in case someone calls, or I get an email that can’t wait and three days before a book release…that phone doesn’t leave my side!
Quick review of my to-do list.
- Write! Because I didn’t yesterday. 2,000 words – Made it to 1200 words…still no idea what happens next.
- Compose interview questions for Tony and Charlene – Didn’t do L
- Add SEO to your websites – Did some of these.
- Recheck all your social media for blog tour signs ups. – Yes! Done for the day on these.
- Figure out what is going on with Smashwords. – Yes! Yeah!
- Work out my brother’s admin on my site… Waiting for him to call me.
My list was half completed today :/ hm…
Okay 5:04 PM
On to the family!
5:05 PM
Clean kitchen and supervise kids cooking (Mac and cheese in the microwave)
5:07 PM
My son tells me he needs a bathing suit tomorrow for a field trip to a water park at school and he can’t find his. Hm. Bathing suit shopping? Glad he told me now and not in the morning. *sigh*
5:08 PM
@Booksadvisor saw the results. We chatted for a bit.
5:15 PM
Cheese wars! My girls fought over whose cheese was whose.
5:22 PM
Fed the white ornery cat. My 17 year old cat, Peach. She is senile. Don’t think a cat can have senility? You should meet Peach who YOWLS ALL THE TIME because she forgot mid-meal that you fed her.
5:25 PM
Grounded kids for punching each other.
5:33 PM
Husband is home and I showed him the video trailer Tony sent me. Confirmed with my attorney, I have to contact Two Steps From Hell for rights. 🙁
“Did it inspire you to want to buy it?” I asked about the video.
“Yes!”
“Are you lying?”
“No.”
He asked me how my day was so I read him this 3,350 word post!*laughing* I hear every man in the audience thinking “poor bastard.” LMAO
Stopped reading to tell my son to go clean his room…he lost his money…$150 worth. I am getting ready to open a savings account for all my children.
5:55 PM
Just finished reading this post to my husband. We are on to walk the yard 🙂 Our nightly time together as we walk through our gardens!
Took pictures of the garden, which are now all over Instagram You can view the entire “walk” at that link.
My son came out to say, “Good news! I found my bathing suit!” He still hasn’t found his money.
7:00 PM
Time with husband ends and I make my Japanese noodle bowl. I LOVE Japanese food! Checked on kids. Two youngest go to bed. Quick check around all social media…
7:32 PM
Answered some emails…found out that if you search D&D, I appear on the first page! WOW! AWESOME! No wonder the Eladrin Stones are getting so many hits! I need to write more!
7:58 PM
Husband announces “It is 8:00…get the fuzz,” in reference to my cat Cookie rolling on the bedroom floor and the fact that I am still blogging. GOODNIGHT EVERYONE! I’m off to watch ONE PIECE! THRILLER BARK!!! “WE ARE!” Here is the theme song!
I love the line “No pocket. No coin, but do you wanna be my friend?”
8:08 PM
Husband is locking up the house while I load this post to edit tomorrow! And now, I’m off to grab something to munch and LUFFY!
8:33 PM
Still online! Editing this post, showing my husband the Print of Dolor and Shadow that my editor sent me today, and saying goodnight to you one last time.
10:00 PM
Watched Luffy until I fell asleep (10:00) and dreamed about editing my book in the final paperback copy called “The Proof.” The cover was on backwards so it read like manga from right to left and all my dirty secrets were written in the bio so everyone could see how horrible I really am…and the editing was a atrocious. We call that “New Book Release” anxiety.
And I just have to say, releasing a new book is equivalent to the anxiety I had when I planned my wedding. Nightmares about everything that could go wrong, financial stress, juggling a lot of things at once…So every time I release a book, will be like planning a wedding. The book release date is like the wedding day.
Good night everyone. Thanks for reading.
