Author Archives: amandamichellemoon

Scheduling Update

Happy Monday!

Today is the beginning of what could be a very big week. The Wizard of Oz Festival starts in just three days, and in four, they will do the first dives to try to recover the stolen ruby slippers. Complete details are available here, but for those of you on my email list, I wanted to give a quick update: My signing will be from 12-1 on Friday, June 12, not 3:30-5:30 as I had listed in the newsletter. The 12-1 time was what had been agreed on before the dives were announced, and by then it was too late to get it changed in the advertising, so we’re going to stick to the original time. I’ll be around a lot of the day on Thursday and Friday though, so if you see me and we weren’t able to connect at the actual signing time, please come up and say hi! I also already signed all the books the museum currently has, and I’ll leave extra swag there if they’ll let me.

In other exciting news, I’m going to be interviewed for the documentary on the theft. I was about to say I’ve never been on TV before, but I just remembered I was seated next to the stage for a CMT special, so I was on every time they did a long-shot. But I’ve never had a speaking part before 🙂

If/when the shoes are found (trying not to jinx it) I hope they make the case files public, I would love to dive in and write the real story. Keep your fingers crossed with me.

An unexamined life…

You may have deduced, from lack of posting, that I’ve kinda sorta lost control of my time again. Working two contract jobs, plus having kids and pets and husband and my own businesses is hard. At the beginning of the year, I created a planner for myself that I thought would help me keep everything organized. It did, until it didn’t.

The original planner is here. I really liked having the week-at-a-glance and each day having it’s own page, plus having a place to track what I was reading, and my art projects.

But when I took on the other jobs, I had a different to-do list for each of them, and doing my daily check-in was cumbersome as I tried to keep everything separate. I went from loving my reflection time to actively avoiding it.

This week a dear friend stayed with us for a few days, and her planner was very similar to the Passion Planner. The thing I didn’t like about it is that the to-do lists are for the whole week, rather than broken down by day. I want to make a dedicated effort to put goals to each day. But seeing hers, I saw how it could work, so I decided to revamp mine.

You can download the new version here.
Week LeftWeek Right

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basically, I took everything I liked from my planner and combined it with Mendy and Passion Planner’s. It feels less overwhelming already, I’ll let you know next week if it works for me.

Feel free to grab it and try it out yourself, tell me what you think. What parts of planners do you love, what do you always want changed?

I didn’t steal the ruby slippers, but they’re coming closer to finding who did!

I’ll be signing copies of Stealing the Ruby Slippers and Finding the Ruby Slippers at the Judy Garland Museum during Wizard of Oz Festival in Grand Rapids, MN on June 12. Ahead of the festival, I did a little interview with the museum and learned that there is a dive planned for two days during the festival— and they think the missing shoes will be recovered! You can read the whole interview here. From everything I had heard, I thought the shoes had been thrown either in the Mississippi or Pokegama Lake, this was the first I’d learned that they might be in a mine-lake. (Although, to be fair, the mine they’ve referenced, Tioga, is also the name of a beach on Pokegama, so I don’t know that I would have known there was a mine-lake associated with it!) I’m hoping to get to attend the dives, and will keep you posted if I do!

 

Get The Thief Audiobook and a bunch of free extras

the Thief Audio Book RGBThe Thief and The Damage are becoming audiobooks!

You can check out an interview I did with the narrator in the April edition of my newsletter. He’s awesome, and he’s done a great job bringing my characters to life.

This process has been a blast, and I want you to check the new versions out. To sweeten the deal, this summer, when you download either of my books through Audible or iTunes, email your receipt (even free downloads with your Audible subscription count!) and I’ll send you the either free digital versions of either of my books or at-cost physical copies!

Check out all the details here.

Where did May go?

It’s the end of May already, and we’re gearing up for summer here. My husband and I made the decision to save the money and keep the kids home with us, which means learning to work while they’re here, and also rearranging schedules so we each get some concentrated time.

I’ve been spending a lot of May in a really reflective mode, which makes it a bit ironic that I haven’t been blogging. I’m taking on more responsibility in my day job, which I’m excited about and thankful for, but it’s taking up a lot of my mental capacity. And there’s something about spring in Minnesota—I don’t want to work. I want to be outside. Which isn’t necessarily all bad. It’s caused me to really reflect on my goals and activities and realize some of them just really aren’t that important. You saw that a bit with the May Goals Reflection, but I’ve let things go a bit more too. I can’t do it all, and I have to do some things that aren’t entirely fun, but I don’t have to do everything. I’m learning to say no, little by little. Even to myself.

Goals Check-in — May

priest-darth-vader(Does anyone else combine church and Star Wars in their minds today?)

“May the fourth be with you.”

“And also with you.”

“Let us rise and pass the fourth.”

That’s not really what I’m blogging about today, though. It’s time to check in on my goals.

The thing about writing a bunch of goals at the beginning of the year is that it’s like predicting the future. And I’m not so good at that.

I’ve fallen behind on almost all of my goals this year, but I’m actually not upset about it. In general. There are a few that I need to get cracking on. So, below, I’ve got my original Dream, my progress, and, if necessary, a revised plan. Because I do think the goals are necessary and they help me make day-to-day decisions and prioritize. But I don’t think they should be a source of stress, and if I still to the original ones, I will be stressed, I’ll put out less-than-stellar work, and completely miss the point of goals in the first place.

Removing goal as it can’t be tracked.

Dream

Progress as of May 4, 2015

Revised Plan

Publish another book Waiting on grant application to continue work on Home. Clouded has been through beta readers and needs a ton of work. The Cast is currently being drafted. No revision. Will continue to work on all three books.
“Do” two short stories a month (one drafted, one completed) No new progress Removing this goal entirely. I am not interested in short stories and working on them takes time away from working on projects that I both enjoy more and am better at. More power to the short story writers of the world. I will admire you, but I am not one of you.
Publish at least four short stories see above Remove
Draft two more novels 1 done, 1 in progress No revision necessary. Unless I decide to add a third.
Read at least 96 books Oh geez. This is one that I need a swift kick in the pants with. I’ve finished 20. 2 books a week is too many for me. So, I’m revising it down to 78 (1.5 per week.) Even with this, I’m 10 behind. But I’ll make it. Summer is coming.
Complete 12 new paintings 3 done, will do another this week and get back on course No update. Just motivation.
Get Spiraling Forward Jewelry into 3-5 boutiques You can now buy Spiraling Forward at Doodle Bird! Remove goal. I am shifting focus away from the jewelry completely. I don’t have time to focus on it, and I’d rather just make stuff I want to wear when I want to wear it.
Have/be in an art show No progress other than painting I’m not removing this, but I don’t feel like it’s an important goal at this time and I’m not focusing on it.
15-20 gym visits/month Averaging 15.25! Not changing goal, but changing execution. I’m counting bike rides of 6+ miles or walking/running 2.5+ miles. The goal is fitness, not time inside.
4+ yoga/Pilates classes/month Hit I’ve been hitting 2-3 a week, so no revision necessary.
One vegetarian day/week It’s happening, although maybe not all day. It might be lunch one day and dinner another. Changing to 3 vegetarian meals per week.
Speak at 2 conferences 1 Scheduled. This isn’t a focus for me, I’m removing it.
Continue to reduce clutter This goal is not written in a measurable way, but I’d say it’s going well. Removing. It’s not trackable, but we’ve been doing really good with it and I don’t need a monthly reminder.
1 artist date Didn’t happen in April No revision, it’s important and I need to make it a priority.
Attend 2 book/writing events 3 days of AWP! Keep as is.
1 real date with hubby Hooray for Parent’s Night Out! I’ve been thinking about revising to two, but we’re having a hard time getting sitters.
1 art event Nope Removing. This is something I would love to do, but I don’t think is necessary to track.

How about you? Are you still working on your yearly goals? Have you had to make any revisions?

Book of the Week: The Art of Asking

Book of the Week for May 3 – May10

The Art of Asking:

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

theartofasking_image

Why it’s interesting:

Another in my long line of audiobook recommendations, I have to admit, while this book was incredibly interesting, I didn’t love it. Had I not been listening to it, I don’t know if I would have made it through. But Amanda’s narration is personal and I felt like she was really talking to me. I got to hear about her music career, her marriage to Neal Gaiman and her incredible fan base. I admired her honesty, even in some unflattering details. I think it was the unflattering parts that made her seem more real and believable in the rest of it. Also, as a creative person, her drive is incredibly inspiring. She’s got an ability to ignore the status quo that I wish I had.

The blurb:

When we really see each other, we want to help each other.”
—Amanda Palmer

Imagine standing on a box in the middle of a busy city, dressed as a white-faced bride, and silently using your eyes to ask people for money. Or touring Europe in a punk cabaret band and finding a place to sleep each night by reaching out to strangers on Twitter. For Amanda Palmer, actions like these have gone beyond satisfying her basic needs for food and shelter – they’ve taught her how to turn strangers into friends, build communities, and discover her own giving impulses. And because she had learned how to ask, she was able to go to the world to ask for the money to make a new album and tour with it, and to raise over a million dollars in a month.

In The Art of Asking, Palmer expands upon her popular TED talk to reveal how ordinary people, those of us without thousands of Twitter followers and adoring fans, can use these same principles in our own lives.

Did you like this book? What are you reading right now?

How to Write a Novel Without Even Realizing It

A little over a month ago, I started a new job at NoiseTrade while basically everyone else at the company, including my favorite husband and co-parenter, was at SXSW Music Festival in Austin. While the job, overall, is structured in a way that still allows me a lot of writing time, that week, it didn’t. I get a little…hard to live with…when I’m not writing, so I was a bit desperate. I took extreme measures. My good friend and amazing mentor Charlotte gave me the opportunity to write about it on her blog. Check it out here. 

Book of the Week: Yes Please

Book of the Week for April 27-May 3

Yes Please

YesPlease

Why it’s interesting:

Guys. I would happily start a female comedian memoir bookclub if anyone else wants to join me. Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler…I love these women. Their books are funny, honest, and inspiring. And the audio version of Yes Please is…above and beyond. So amazingly good. Its a true performance. And Seth Meyers, whom I love in a completely different way, joins her. As do a whole bunch of other people.

The blurb:

Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central’s Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy’s one-liners?

If your answer to these questions is “Yes Please!” then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like “Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend,” “Plain Girl Versus the Demon” and “The Robots Will Kill Us All” Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

Did you like this book? What are you reading right now?

Ruby Slippers News

the Thief ePub Cover The Damage eBook

We’re approaching the one year birthday of my first book, Stealing the Ruby Slippers, and like any “baby” he has grown up and is taking on a life of his own. In May he and his sister, Finding the Ruby Slippers, are going together to the courthouse to legally change their names. Henceforth to be known as The Thief and The Damage, they’re also getting a new voice…literally. In May The Thief will be available in audio for purchase from all the usual suspects (Audible and iTunes.) I’m hoping it will also go into library catalogues, but because of the deal I have with ACX I don’t have as much (any) control over distribution and pricing as I normally do. (If you don’t have an Audible account, don’t sign up…yet. You get one book for free when you sign up. Wait until mine is up there are get it for free!)

Details are still being worked out, but for now, let me just say: there are going to be some pretty sweet promo packages that I will be offering to those of you that decide to buy the audio version. And for those of you who have the original covers/titles…there will be options for cool name-change stickers that you can put on your books, fridge, or mom’s car. Whatever floats your boat.

More will be on www.stealingtherubyslippers.com as details develop.