Hey there, lovely reader!
I got into the Halloween candy after a stressful weekend. ?This happens every year. I really need to buy the bag of sweets on October 31 rather than a month before. I promise myself that I will do this every year and I never do. Perhaps telling thousands of people will hold me accountable for next year.
This week I'm telling you about how I will make absolutely sure not to repeat my Halloween candy error and one way I know I have smart readers.
My favourite tool
I love Halloween. And I love Halloween candy. I won't even allow candy corn in the house because I will get diabetes if I do. I have no self-control around it and will keep going until it is gone or I am asleep. ?
I stick to a bag of mixed fun-size bars, some of which I enjoy, some I don't. But I buy it too early and then it calls my name. The Twix, Snickers, and, when desperate, M&Ms are remarkably good at speaking for an inanimate collection of chemicals plus sugar.
I am determined to kick this habit. I have now told you about it. That's a start. Another thing I've done is I've sent myself an email reminder. “Buy Halloween candy on October 31 only,” the subject line says. It will arrive in my inbox on September 1, 2024. ?
I use a tool called followup.cc to send myself reminders, warnings, and lists. They are sent to me on a date in the future that I specify. It's a fabulous tool. One of the best, if not the best. It's not even expensive. I use it for so many things. It's like I outsource the storing of useful information my brain is too small for. ?
I send myself hundreds of reminders each year. They might be recurring weekly or monthly actions. For example, I get a reminder to think about ideas for this newsletter on Fridays and another reminder on Monday to write it. ?
Actions for big projects that might happen once or twice a year also get emailed to me. Another example: On November 1st, Christmas-related emails will land in my inbox. They will contain lists of food items (with websites for purchase), gift ideas – my own and for other people, hints, tips, and activities for a successful holiday season, and a timetable of actions. Some of these emails are rollovers I've compiled over previous years. Some were written spontaneously as I thought of them during the year. ?
I once calculated that there are around five hundred action items involved in publishing a book. Four hundred and ninety-nine of them happen once the book is written. ? Followup.cc is how I remember them.
I'll use the app to send myself an article I want to read again. If there's a purchase I'm unsure about, I'll email myself the link a few days in the future. If I still want it when the email comes back to me, I'll buy it. The uses for this reminder tool are endless. And because I use Gmail it's all done from my email inbox. ?
Of course, you can use a paper calendar and pen, ?️ ?️ but I find the app more helpful and portable. It isn't fancy or pretty looking, but my goodness, it is absolutely fabulous and a purchase I make every year without even thinking about it. ?
P.S. I am not affiliated with this product in any way. I just love it!
P.P.S. I was going to share a photo of my decimated bag of candy, but I've hidden it and I can't find it. ?
P.P.P.S. You could even use it to remind yourself to buy one of my books! ?
Diana's Dresses
I re-read Stolen a week or so ago. I did a slight re-edit on the following description (another thing I can't control – reading my own work without lightly editing.)
“DIANA EYED HERSELF critically in the mirror, pleased with her appearance. She had indeed found the perfect dress. It was a black, mermaid-style evening gown. The bodice and upper skirt were tight. The dress hugged her body, while the lower third flared out in swathes. A short, sweeping train followed behind and a split up the side verged on indecent. One side of the dress was lined with flesh-toned satin creating the impression that it was transparent. Black sequins covered the other side. A swirling appliqué snaked its way up the strapless dress, stopping at the neckline. It was beautiful, and it fit her to a tee. Sensual, intriguing, dangerous.”
Back in the day when I first wrote this book, a reader suggested I have the dress described drawn as a fashion sketch. Readers of my books are smart. They have smart ideas and I thought this was a particularly good one. So I contacted an artist. Here's the link to her rendition based on the description.
If you have a smart idea related to my books that you'd like to see, let me know. I'd love to hear it.
Happy reading!
