2010 Has Begun

By the time I think of something to do a blog post about, I realize that way too much time has passed. Here I am, back from the netherworld bloggers seem to be in when they aren't posting regularly, to update on the life that is mine.

Many things are the same. I'm still waiting to hear on the fate of two of my books. In fact, it was just about this time last year that those same two books were submitted. If any of you writers out there think that the wait-times for a response from a publisher go down after you've been published (and have an agent), think again. It's humbling, realizing just how disposable you are.

The same is true of my current job. I usually work six hours every weekday evening and another six on Saturday afternoons doing telephone surveys. However, due to bad luck in the business world, those hours have been cut back severely. For the time being, it will be three and a half hours Monday to Thursday, with no Friday or Saturday shifts. Just when I thought my financial situation was about to get better.

All is not lost - I finally got the second payment for the German rights to Epoch. That was a nice little sum. More will be coming for the rights to Evil?, but I imagine I'll have to wait a bit to see that. I still don't know if Evil? is a success. It seems like it is - I've had a lot of feedback, blog reviews and even interviews this time around - but I won't know for sure until I see the royalty statement.

I'm currently on Chapter 22 of my current novel, A Walk-In To Remember. It's a sequel to The Five Demons You Meet In Hell, which I am currently editing. I'm hopeful I'll have a draft ready to show my agent by early February.

Karma continues to be a source of joy. He's grown more affectionate, but no less curious of the world around him. He's also developed a worrying addiction to cat treats (no surprise there). As a matter of fact, he's due for his next fix. Excuse me...

November, December

I'm getting bad at this. There used to be a time when I posted a couple of times a week. Now it's every other month, and I missed November entirely!

November was a decent month. I saw 2012 - nothing like an apocalypse movie to raise one's spirits! I also landed myself a job, and it looks like it could be permanent. The hours aren't the greatest, and I'm doing telephone surveys, but it's not too bad. Violet also found a job, but now I'm heading to work when she's coming home and we hardly get to see each other!

Tomorrow I have a book signing at Indigo Spirit in Royal Bank Plaza. It's just great that they ask me back every year! Without them, promoting my books would be that much harder.

This weekend I celebrate my 37th birthday. There will be chicken wings. I can't wait!

My writing has slowed down considerably in the last few weeks. Many reasons... I'll do a post about that later. Some of it is stress, including the fact that I still don't know if FLUX wants my next novel. They've been stringing me a long since January! No doubt the recession has hit them as hard as everyone else, but the wait for news is still frustrating as hell.

Hard to believe 2009 is nearly over. I hope 2010 comes with a little less struggle.

Library Visit

Time to click some links and get yourselves over to Worlds Of Tim for more exciting and educational Tim news! I paid a visit to the North York branch of the Toronto Public Library and did a reading/author appearance for a group of 60 kids! To find out all about it, click right here!

Reviews!

Those of you who have asked, nay, demanded that I post links to those reviews I mentioned will now be very happy. I have posted all those review links, but you're gonna haveta go to Worlds Of Tim to find them.

I could post them here, but I really want to give Worlds of Tim more love. Please go check it out, and help make Worlds of Tim feel special!

Time For Writing?

I've just finished writing my answers to 17 interview questions. This morning, I emailed a humourous article featuring an interview with four of my characters to a blog site. It took me a week to write them both.

Before that, I answered another bunch of interview questions and did a guest post for another book reviewing blog site. And, up until last Friday, I had work.

So when am I supposed to get my novel writing done?

Honestly, it's been over a week since I touched my current novel project. My time has been taken up with smaller projects, all designed to help market and promote my published work. That stuff is great, and I'm very grateful for the chances to push my novels on those blogs. However, I need to plan my time better or I'll never get any more books written!

An upside to this situation is that it is a symptom of my success. If I wasn't being successful, nobody would want to interview me or ask me to do stuff for their blogs.

I shouldn't complain. I'm doing well. I just gotta kick my own butt a bit harder.