2012, Day One

It was just a random thing that I end up being on the schedule today, the first day of 2012. Despite it being a mere coincidence that the first Sunday of the month is also January first, I suppose I should write something about resolutions, or time, or past and current goals.

Yeah right. That's not me.

Those of you who followed me here from my personal blog already know the one New Year's resolution that I've been able to keep is to not attempt them anymore. A year is simply too long for me to plan.

Okay, not entirely true. I am, after all, married, and I intend to keep my darling around for a long time. I am also a home owner, and even if the market hadn't crapped out, crashing values, I'd already decided to keep this house for several years. See, years… yeah, I can do it.

However, when it comes to New Year's resolutions, I tend to start strong, and then veer off on a life tangent. As an example – I had planned to have the sequel to Man Whore finished in 2011. (It wasn't a resolution, just a hope, a vague goal… a pipe dream.) I might've added one chapter to that manuscript all year. The excuses aren't important. It simply didn't get done.

On the other hand, I did publish two novels, two short stories, 40ish chapters of an online series, and one novelette, so writing wasn’t a lost cause. I can't really complain about letting the Man Whore sequel languish when I've had an otherwise acceptable year. I say "acceptable" because I know I could've done more if not for the whole broken foot not running thing that I've already used to beat a dead horse.

So, 2012? What does it have in store for me?

I honestly have no idea.

Okay, okay, some theories…

I'd like to submit a story I've sketched out to Loose Id's "Coming Out" call. I'd like to finish two shorts for Silver Publishing's calls. I'd like to get my winter-lazy butt outside to snowshoe this winter . (Just waiting for the snow.  It was raining yesterday. I'm pretty sure I still live in New Hampshire, but the weather is making me doubt that.) I'd like to run a couple of 5k road races and, body willing, my first 10k this fall.

Those are my "general" goals, but as for resolutions, I plan to renew a game I played not so long ago. The Monthly Resolutions. In the past, I discovered that breaking down a bigger goal into shorter, more manageable bits – say, monthly -- was much more practical. And, in turn, I managed more success. It worked for a while… until I started slacking on actually making those monthly resolutions.

So help me out, dear Readers. Do you achieve your New Year's Resolutions? Do you need something a bit more viable? Try out a monthly resolution or two with me!

For January: I will submit my still untitled punk rocker story to my editor. I promise not to fiddle until the month has passed me by. Efficiency, damn it! Make better use of that precious free time! I will finish this round of revisions and kick it out before month's end. (Hopefully before mid-month, but let's not get crazy on the first month out of the gate!)

For January: I will stop complaining about how boring the treadmill is and be grateful that I'm running at all. (Okay, I'm already doing that, but now that I can jog a half to a full mile, that treadmill boredom is bound to hit at any moment. I refuse to allow it to take residence in the place of my motivation. I will keep running through the winter this year!)

For January: I promise to eat the fruit I bring to work, and stop using it as two-day paperweights first. This one, for some reason, will be the hardest resolution. I get busy and forget to eat. Or, I get busy, and a messy piece of fruit is a pain in the paperwork to eat.

What resolutions will you make for January? Share them with me, dear Readers, and we'll meet here on the first Sunday of February to celebrate our successes.

Wishing you a fun, happy, and productive 2012!

Ciao,
Pia Veleno

PS. As promised, Freedom's Souvenir is finally available as a free download from Smashwords. 

A lifetime in the closet is a hard habit to break, but so is a lifetime out of it.

The crystal blue ocean can't hold a candle to the hard abs and cocky smile of Nick Boden, but Tad Eglington has spent his entire adult life reinforcing the walls of his closet, while Nick has never put anything but clothes in his.

The ship is called Freedom, but will her message be heard on the open ocean?

Click HERE for more information, and to download.

PSS. Fallen is now available in audio format HERE.