Week In Review: Ides of...Summer?

Hey everyone!  It's been a slow, rainy week: work, school, animal chores, create a tissue army against this cold of mine -- and repeat.

Currently reading: The Bonnie series by Barbara Van Tuyl.  It's a book series from the '70s about thoroughbreds and it has been a favorite of mine since childhood -- passed down from my mother.  They're on my "reread every summer" list. 

Current projects: I am going to begin working on Something New now that My Compass Home is out.  Heh.  Heh.  I'm working on something new.  A pun and a book title -- alright, I'll stop.  Anyway, I also have about three or four new novel ideas that I came up with this week (either in the ides of intellectual boredom or a fever-induced delirium; either way, they're good ideas). 

Current Bible verse: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up....I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"  (Luke 18:1, 8).  Let's not forget Who holds us -- and it isn't a void of nothingness or our political leaders.  God is the One to whom we belong, and we shouldn't forget that in our daily lives.  No one else can take that position. 

This is when I realize that I haven't done a "Week In Review" since before the play at my church.  It feels like it's been months since that play...!  I may as well mention a few awkward moments that I can laugh about in retrospect.  I was excited because one of my uncles, whom I didn't think I'd see, ended up coming after all for it.  (Which one of the ladies at the church enlightened me of, to which I went "....Who?" and then "OH" and then "Wow, cool."....as she squinted at me for not knowing who she was talking about....)

The play came off without a hitch and everyone did SO WELL.  I think a lot of people must have enjoyed it, considering the amount of laughter we got.  That was good, except for the fact that I was so keyed-up with nerves that every time the audience laughed, I was trying not to burst into a round of giggles myself while onstage.  (I may or may not have also laughed until the point of crying over a creaky door.) 

And I had a nice little thank-you written that I planned on presenting in front of the audience at the end, which acknowledged how much work everyone put into the play.  I had it with me the entire play and lost it in the last scene, so then I had to speak publicly without notes.  That's something I always have and always will fail miserably at.

A portion of the thank-you note: "Everyone was so busy -- we had college and high school finals, work schedules, graduations -- and they still set aside time to take this play, work on ad-libs and improvs that fleshed out these characters.  [Turning to the cast]  You guys brought the play to life in ways I couldn't even imagine.  So...thank you.  And I think we should give them another round of applause!"

That portion, except what I said off the top of my head (because it's ingrained into my memory forever) : "Everyone put a ton of work into this thing.  We had a ton of stuff going on and-and-and...work, school stuff, graduations...so thank you guys. [Awkward flailing towards cast]  You took a half-baked plot -- and it was --  and turned it into something really great, and it turned -- I think it turned out great.  So thank you.  Again.  Um...we're leaving now, so make sure to say hi in the vestibule-thingy before you leave."

Anyway.  The play turned out marvelously. 

And now I'm in my usual "I just finished my project and now I'm in a slump" mood....also known as the exact same feeling as Sherlock here:

Credit: BBC Sherlock // Goodreads

(I have never identified with a fictional character more in my entire life than I did while watching this glorious scene.) 

Except I have a double dose of that because....it's heeere! (My Compass Home, that is)
You can search for it on Amazon or go on my Facebook page and use the "Shop" button.

(Special thanks to my mom for the use of the flower props, which she uses in her Etsy craft shop)

Now I'm planning on working on Something New for Camp NaNo in July (although I'm starting it this week...probably) and I want to flesh out some of those ideas I mentioned as well.  What are you guys planning for Camp NaNo?  I've seen a lot of indie authors releasing their books this month/summer as well, so if you have a book you just published or are planning to publish this summer, say so in the comments below!