Treadmill Goals/Tracking

• Get on the treadmill (or equivalent exercise) daily
• Pace is fine at 30 min/mile, although I may up it on occasion
• Time range between 30 minutes and 1 hour per day
• Distance 1-2 miles per day
• Read the chosen book. I’m officially modifying my original rule of not reading the book-of-the-week off-treadmill. I’m usually going to look at length and try to divide it up somewhat evenly per day, even if that means either closing that book early (if it’s short) or continuing after (if it’s long).

Week 151: October 13, 2019 – October 19, 2019

DAY	PACE	TIME	DISTANCE
Sunday	30 min/mile	30:47 min:sec	1 mile
Monday	30 min/mile	32:17 min:sec	1 mile
Tuesday	30 min/mile	34:40 min:sec	1.1 miles
Wednesday	30 min/mile	30:54 min:sec	1 mile
Thursday	30 min/mile	30:39 min:sec	1 mile
Friday	30 min/mile	32:17 min:sec	1 mile
Saturday	30 min/mile	31:50 min:sec	1 mile

What I’m Reading

Note: Although I will try to avoid them, my weekly reading snippets may or may not contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

What I #amreading: Legendary Loves, Volume 2 (includes the stories In My Arms Again by Nell Iris, The Murky Depths by Kassandra Lea, and Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright)

JMS Books’ Trios are themed collections of three gay romance stories by a trio of authors. Each story is available separately, but readers can get all three for a discounted bundle price.

Legendary Loves Volume 2 contains three paranormal shifter M/M romances just in time for Halloween! Contains the stories:

In My Arms Again by Nell Iris: Oxen is lonely, feeling like he’s waiting for something, and can’t focus. But when a very ill stranger collapses on his doorstep, everything changes. The stranger, Vinge, is a Pegasus unable to transform. Both men feel an instant connection that swiftly grows deeper. The questions surrounding Vinge are many. Why is he so familiar? What will it take for the depth of their connection be revealed?

The Murky Depths by Kassandra Lea: Tired of the daily grind of his job, Keston heads out for a weekend at his family’s cabin in Kona Woods. Turns out he isn’t alone, though, as there are others lurking in the shadows. When a near-death experience brings Ness waltzing into his life, everything Keston thought he knew is turned upside down. Will facing what scares him bring to Keston’s life what it’s missing most?

Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright: There’s nothing about perky — twinky? — Oliver Hughes that would make Sensational News’ (Never Fake! We Swear!) reporter Wilson Banks think Bigfoot actually exists. But while pursuing soundbites for a tabloid story about Bigfoot, Wilson witnesses something he wasn’t meant to see. In Wilson’s new reality, is there room for love with someone whose dreams are as big as his … er … feet?

My favorite lines this week…

Note: Like last week, the longest of the three stories gets the extra day. In this case it’s the fewest number of chapters, but the highest word count, and it just happens to be mine 🙄😇.

✿✿ SUNDAY ✿✿ – In My Arms Again by Nell Iris

He’s a study in contrasts. Hard angles versus soft lines. Straight and severe versus soft and plush.

He is the most beautiful being I’ve ever laid eyes on, and a sense of calm floods my chest. A sense of…peace.

I cock my head and look closer. There’s something vaguely familiar about him, as though I’ve seen the curve of his upper lip before, the angle of his jaw, and the faint freckles underneath his eyes. As though…

I push away the thought. He’s clearly not from around here; there’s no way I could have seen him before.

✿✿ MONDAY ✿✿ – In My Arms Again by Nell Iris

I’m tired of questioning things. All I want is to be close to him.

“Vinge,” I whisper.

“Yes?”

“It’s not that I don’t enjoy this teasing game we’re playing, but…can we stop?”

He twists in my arms until he faces me. He cups my cheek in his palm and rests his forehead against mine. “As you wish.”

(Side note: I adored this sweet scene, but it also gave me a chuckle because Nell has never seen The Princess Bride and doesn’t get the occasional reference I work into my stories when she’s beta reading (for example, commenting on a repeat of “inconceivable” that anyone who’s seen the movie would have picked up on as a pointed reference), so I got a good giggle out of Nell inadvertently including a reference of her own.)

✿✿ TUESDAY ✿✿ – The Murky Depths by Kassandra Lea

The perfect man, what a silly, childish notion. And yet, in the darkest hours of the night when he found it hard to sleep, spending far too much time staring up at the blank ceiling like it might magically produce answers to all of life’s most baffling questions, he ached for something more. Especially as of late, yet what exactly more was, he didn’t have a clue.

✿✿ WEDNESDAY ✿✿ – The Murky Depths by Kassandra Lea

“But how, how can you be…”

“Say it.”

“No.”

“Go on, say it,” urged Ness.

“I can’t.” He shook his head.

“Aye, ye know ye want to.”

“Keston sucked in his bottom lip, eyes wide. “It…You…”

“Ness took a step toward him. “Say it,” he whispered, his eyes momentarily flashing yellow.

✿✿ THURSDAY ✿✿ – Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright

“Ah.” She arched a brow, not quite warily, but perhaps a bit thoughtfully. “A reporter, then?”

“Wilson Banks.” He nodded. “I’m a reporter writing for Sensational News.”

She didn’t roll her eyes but wasn’t quite able to quell a smirk.

The vibrant man burst out laughing.

Wilson’s mouth quirked into a grin. He peddled bullshit; he knew that as well as they did. But it was well-paying bullshit, and he could laugh all the way to his investment adviser with his paycheck.

“Putting one hand to his chest, and the other up in the air as if surrendering, the man sputtered, “Oliver Hughes, aka ‘Bigfoot.” I don’t know how you managed to track me down.”

✿✿ FRIDAY ✿✿ – Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright

“I believe you. And because I’m pedantic, I want to clarify. When you refer to your Bigfoot as ‘he’ and ‘him,’ are you using the male pronoun in a generic way, or was there something about the…creature you saw that makes you think it was a man?”

“He had…” she reddened and cleared her throat. “Dangly bits. And trust me, you couldn’t miss them.”

✿✿ SATURDAY ✿✿ – Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright

“Weekend fling,” he muttered. But as he worked the shampoo into his hair, his optimistic side cranked, kicking and screaming to be heard, back to life.

Oliver had expressed a strong desire to move to a big city. Maybe he would even be interested in testing a long-distance relationship. It might ease his concerns if the person waiting for him was more than just a shiny new friend.

Surely it wouldn’t hurt to suggest it. What was the worst that would happen?