Introducing the #ListifyLife Spring Challenge!

I love a list. There's something about that little itemized structure that does it for me. It's neat, efficient, and gets to the point. When I'm brainstorming a new book, all my thoughts are in bulleted list form. Maybe the hero has this in his background. Maybe the heroine met the hero when she was a kid. Maybe the hero has a dog. 

And when I plan, lists are my go to structure, too. That's why the Day Designer works well for me. Half the page is dedicated to a long To Do list. 

So, when I bought a beautiful new gold Leuchtturm journal, I had a plan to keep lists in there. BUT I am a notoriously failed journal keeper. And this felt a lot like keeping a journal. So that got me to thinking--what if there was some structure to the lists I keep in there? A challenge to keep me excited and focused. I started chatting about it with my friend and fellow writer Sierra Godfrey and the Listify Life Challenge was born.

What is it?

There are lots of lists type challenges out there, but maybe are daily and most seems to focus on heavier topics like goal-setting and deep thoughts about life or yourself. That's cool but not what I was going for. I wanted this to be fun, a little silly, something to look forward to. No therapy needed! ;) So this challenge is going to be a WEEKLY list challenge where there is one topic a week. You write down your list on any day that week and take a photo of it to share (or you can type it into a blog or FB or whatever works for you.) Use the hashtag #ListifyLife if your chosen social network uses hashtags and join up with others. :) This is meant to be a fun way to document your year and meet others without being too time-consuming.

When is it?

It starts next week. We're going to divide by seasons. So this first challenge is the Spring Listify Life Challenge and will run March 20 (first day of Spring) through June 19th (last day of Spring). If things go well, a summer challenge will start after that.

What are the topics?

Here's a beautiful graphic designed by Sierra Godfrey. Sierra has also made free printable cards with the individual list topics if you want to print and write your lists on those. (And feel free to post this graphic on your site or instagram to spread the word.)

Where to post your lists?

This is the flexible part. This isn't going to be tied to a certain social network. Blog your lists, Instagram them, tweet them, Facebook them. Post in one place or five. It's whatever works for you. I'll be posting the photos of my lists across my networks. And I will blog them as well with added commentary.

Who can join?

Anyone! This isn't just for writers or a particular group. Two of the topics lend themselves more to people who love to read, but other than that, the topics should work for anyone.

Why should you join?

Um, because lists are awesome. And you get an excuse to buy NEW OFFICE SUPPLIES. That should be reason enough. AND you get one free day a week where you don't have to think about--what should I blog about? Or post on Instagram or FB? You have a built in idea. And did I mention the office supplies? New pens, people. Pens.

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I'm really excited about this challenge and am looking forward to seeing everyone's answers for the different topics. I hope you'll join us and be a fellow list nerd with me. :) 

So, are you ready to play along?

Mechanical Keyboards and the Wonderful Sound of Clickety Keys

So on Monday I mentioned that I had driven myself slightly crazy researching mechanical keyboards online before I decided on one to buy. Well, today the one I chose came in and I think I'm in love.

It's deliciously clicky. Want to hear?

My husband and the neighbors will probably disown me, but I am writer, here me click! :) So, I thought I'd do a brief post on what a mechanical keyboard is in case I'm not the only nerd who gets way to excited by the sound of a keyboard.

First, why do people spend the money on a mechanical keyboard?

1. Did I mention it's clicky? (That seems to be a love or hate thing. There are models that are quieter if you're in the hate camp.)

2. It's supposed to be easier on your hands for fatigue and such because you can hear yourself hitting the key and that feedback gets to your brain quickly and makes you not have to hit so hard.

3. There's no "ghosting" so you can type more accurately and faster. - Modern keyboards can only handle one keystroke at a time, which means that if you're a fast typist, it can often skip letters even though you hit the key. Mechanical keyboards can handle more than one key at a time so it can keep up with you if you're a speed demon. 

4. They're supposed to be more durable. We'll see.

5. You sound like you're getting shit done on these things. That's way important. ;)

Okay, so how to choose?

There are a lot of technical aspects you can research (cherry blue switches/keys vs. brown vs. green vs. red vs. the apple alps style). And if you're using it for gaming vs. straight up typing, there are other things to consider. You can find some technical details in this post Dear Author did on mechanical keyboards a while back--which is what started me on this journey.

The big contender and the one I saw mentioned most is the DAS keyboard. This one comes with blue switches or brown switches. Blue are very clicky, brown are softer and more tactile. You can hear the difference here.

I was originally going to go for the DAS because I love the way it sounds and it has great reviews. But it only comes in black and is BIG. (There is a smaller tenkey-less version but not with Mac specific keys). I really, really didn't want black since I have a pretty new office and a sleek Mac computer. And I didn't really want a full keyboard with 10-key because I only need the 10 key like twice a year. I'd rather have the extra space on my desk and not have the mouse/trackpad too far away.

The DAS:

I also needed one that was compatible with a Mac. And though most are "compatible" (meaning they'll work if you remap some of the keys) not all have the Mac specific keys like Option, Command, Fn, etc. So I ended up choosing the Matias Tactile Pro Mini for a number of reasons. It's not that much bigger than my tiny Mac keyboard. Here's a size comparison:

View fullsize

Plus, it's white, which matches my decor better. And it's supposed to mimic the feel and sound of the old Apple Extended Keyboard. (The DAS, on the other hand, is going to sound like the IBM Model M keyboard. See how much I learned in all my research, lol.)

Obviously, I've just gotten it, so I haven't logged many miles yet. But I think I'm going to love it. I've typed this post using it. It's not too bulky on my desk. It's very loud and clicky (which is what I wanted), and it feels nice beneath my fingers. In addition, it was beyond easy to set up. Literally, plug it into the USB port and start typing. That's it.

It does have a wire (most of them do) which will take some getting used to since I've had wireless for so long, but it's not bad. And if you work in an office with someone else, this would be a no go. Office rage would ensue.

I'll report in after a few months to let you know how it goes. But for now, you can find me clicking away. :)

So how do you feel about the sound of old school keyboards? Comforting? Grates on your nerves? Did you ever have a favorite keyboard or am I the only nerd here? ;)

*Post does contain affiliate links to Amazon but no company has asked me to feature the product and I paid for it with my own money.

COVER REVEAL! - Loving You Easy

The cover for LOVING YOU EASY, the next book in the Loving on the Edge series, is here!

And here's the blurb:

Three lovers really click in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Call on Me— 

Cora has an amazing sex life. She’s beautiful, daring, and the most popular submissive in Hayven. Too bad none of it’s real... 

IT specialist Cora Benning has figured out the key to her formerly disastrous love life—make it virtual. In the online world of Hayven, she’s free of her geek girl image and can indulge her most private fantasies with a sexy, mysterious master without anyone in her life discovering her secrets. Until her information is hacked and she finds herself working to fix the breach under two very powerful men—one who seems all too familiar...

Best friends and business partners Ren Muroya and Hayes Fox were once revered dominants. Then Hayes was wrongfully sent to prison and everything changed. Ren wants to get back to who they were. Hayes can’t risk it. But when they discover the new IT specialist is their online fascination, and that she’s never felt a dominant’s touch, the temptation to turn virtual into reality becomes all too great…

This one will be out in September. What do you think? I love the colors of the cover and that it's fiber optics, which ties to the meeting online theme of the book. :)

The book can be pre-ordered from Amazon and B&N. Other retailers should be available soon as well.

How I Drive Myself Crazy Deciding What To Buy & The Mental Benefit of "Good Enough"

I do a lot of my shopping online. A LOT. If I could get fresh groceries to my door, I'd order those online too. I like the convenience and the variety. However, this weekend while I was researching mechanical keyboards, I realized that online shopping and the new culture of reviewing can drive me to insanity sometimes.

Here's how it goes. Yesterday, I'm in Best Buy and I see this snazzy keyboard. I run my fingers over it and---ooh, it's soooo clicky. *gets hearts in eyes* But it's a gaming keyboard and doesn't have Mac keys and is kind of pricey, so I'm like--I'll go home and research.

See, a few months ago, I saw a post on Dear Author about mechanical keyboards. I love the idea of a clicky keyboard and I loved that these types of keyboards are supposed to help you type faster and reduce typing fatigue.

I'm on my computer all day and type thousands of words a day (well, that's the plan most days at least, lol) and that comes with its own aches and pains even if I'm diligent about posture and ergonomic stuff. But, at the time, I didn't click buy on a keyboard because I couldn't feel it in person.

Then, Best Buy happened and that was the tipping point on wanting one of these keyboards. So this should be easy, right? Go home, google mechanical keyboards for Macs and choose one. Yeah. I wish. No, instead, this is where the insanity begins.

I don't want a mechanical keyboard for Mac. I was THE BEST FOR ME keyboard. And I want to know everything about my choices. So this means hours of reading reviews online, watching YouTube videos of the choices, and putting out a call on social media to friends, asking if they have this type of keyboard and what are their thoughts. Many hours later, I end up ordering this one: Matias Tactile Pro Mini because a) it's white and matches my Mac better b) doesn't have the ten key pad so it won't take up too much room and C) has this delicious clicky sound (click play on video to hear). Ahh...

But the decision took FOREVER and sucked up all my evening. If I hadn't done research, I would've ended up with a different one, but that's not the point. The point is that buying one simple thing can be this maddening time suck because I'm what Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project would call a Maximizer. 

Here are her definitions of a Satisficer and a Maximizer

"Satisficers are those who make a decision or take action once their criteria are met. That doesn’t mean they’ll settle for mediocrity; their criteria can be very high; but as soon as they find the car, the hotel, or the pasta sauce that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied.

Maximizers want to make the optimal decision. So even if they see a bicycle or a photographer that would seem to meet their requirements, they can’t make a decision until after they’ve examined every option, so they know they’re making the best possible choice."

I'm am very much a maximizer. There are some exceptions. I'm a satisficer when it comes to cars, purses, shoes, beauty products, and clothes. Basically, things that aren't all that important to me. "Good enough" is good enough for me in those categories. But for most other things--office supplies, computers, grocery stores, planners, furniture, kitchen equipment, household things, I want the BEST choice.

And the bad thing about that is not just the time it takes to read all those reviews and watch videos and basically obsess over a decision, Rubin has found in her research that Satisficers or those who are cool with "good enough" are happier people. Because Maximizers get anxiety about making the wrong decision.

Now, this doesn't mean I can change myself, lol. But sometimes I wish I could dial it down a little. Like, this keyboard is on its way to me. But I'm not 100% committed yet. I'm going to try it and if it isn't exactly what I want, I'll send it back and try the other one I was tempted by. Sigh. The cycle continues. (This is also what gets me in trouble with my writing, too--perfectionism. Must find the perfect word.)

So how about you? Does anyone suffer from this same "must read every review" syndrome? Tell me I'm not the only one, lol. Or do you find doing this for certain things but not for others?

Reading Outside of Your Normal Genre Comfort Zone

This time of year is judging time for the big romance award, the RITAs. Published authors sign up to judge and we often get 6-9 romances to read through in 2 months to score. And you can't judge in your own subgenre if you've entered. For me that means I can't judge erotic romance or novellas since those are the categories I entered. So often you're getting books outside of your normal "reading zone." This is both a challenging and exciting thing. I get a stack of books that I probably normally wouldn't seek out. Usually when I pull the books from the box, there's an automatic initial reaction--ooh, I'm probably going to like this one. Or, ack, this is so not my normal thing and I'm not sure how that's going to go. Regardless, I make a promise to judge fairly based on the simple concept of: how much did I enjoy the story?

And you know what? Inevitably, I'm surprised by something. I often discover new authors who I want to keep reading. Authors I might never have tried. And many times, it's the book or books that I didn't expect to like that end up grabbing me. This year was no exception. The book I would've ranked lowest for my interest level in reading it ended up being my favorite of the bunch and got the highest score. (Note: I'm not listing titles because I can't share which books I read. Judging is confidential.) So, that proves to me yet again that I need to make myself read outside of my comfort zone because I'm missing out on some great stuff.

So I thought it'd be a good time to remind myself and anyone who's interested in doing the same of the Push Your Boundaries Reading Challenge I created at the beginning of the year. This is a challenge you can tailor to your own needs to get you reading outside of your normal genres or subgenres.

Here are the details:

The key to this challenge is that it is PERSONALIZED. Other challenges are pretty specific: Read 5 Classics or 10 Mysteries or whatever. This is a lot more flexible. You know which categories you need to venture out in. And don't worry, there's still a column for your favorites. We don't want to give those up! :)

Below you'll find my chart that I've filled out, but I'm also including a download for a blank chart. This is a Word doc that you can download and either print to fill out by hand or use electronically. What I do is type in my categories on the computer, then I print it out and use that sheet to either X out boxes as I read books or I'll write the name of the book in the box under the genre. Do what works for you. 

In the doc (and below), I've also included a list of possible categories to put in your columns. These are only suggestions. Feel free to add whatever you want or to make up your own categories.

Here are BLANK CHARTS FOR DOWNLOAD along with a list of category suggestions. Click links to download:

• Word doc (Note: If you have different fonts from me, this may format a little off in your Word. Adjust as needed. Or download the PDF.)
• PDF download

And if you need some help brainstorming some categories, here are some suggestions to get you started:

So feel free to join up if you think you could use a little push outside your normal reading zone. :)

Do you find yourself sticking to the same subgenres? Do you make yourself venture out? Has a book you didn't think you'd like surprised you? Which one?