Works in Progress

Gone But Not Forgotten

2008-05-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been a touch absent again, but for good reason this time. I have not forgotten you all. I'm currently having my website designed and my blog moved over there. In fact, most of my previous entries have already been moved over so obviously I didn't want to update anything more here only to have to move over later. Am I making any sense?

The new website is GORGEOUS!! I can't wait to show it off. As soon as everything is up and running, I will do just that.

I'll keep you posted!!

I'm In A Bad Mood Today

2008-04-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

It's cold and rainy and miserable here today. The temperature fluctuations this week are wreaking havoc on my sinuses so now I've got a brilliant headache, (I'm writing this as I wait for the Advil to kick in) I'm out of coffee cream and one of my favorites got voted off American Idol last night.

I perhaps would not have minded so much if his exit had been the result of a poor performance, but it wasn't. I do, however, think the nonsensical ramblings from the judges swayed the vote. So I'm officially going to stop watching the show. It's just too aggravating.

Writing has been going well. Hard at work on a new WIP. I've set aside rewrites for Blood and Bone for now as I've started edits for Living Lies.

Advil is working. Yay! I think I'll make a pot of vanilla chai tea (so tasty) turn on the fireplace in the attic, light some candles and let the dark, broody day get me in the mood to continue writing my dark, broody story.

Things are looking up

April Fools

2008-04-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Your April Fool's Day Prank Should Be

Wearing a shaving cream hat

What April Fool's Prank Should You Play?

The Best Laid Plans

2008-03-31T12:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so when I started Thicker Than Water two weeks ago, I had decided to try doing a little plotting. Gasp! I know shocking. But I suppose after all the rewriting I've been doing lately I really wanted a solid first draft so I wouldn't have as many write-arounds when I went to work on the second.

Now, as I have done plotting before and found that it effectively killed my story, instead of plotting the book from beginning to end. I noted what I felt the turning points would be, jotted down any ideas for various scenes as the popped up in my head (which I would do anyway because since having a child, my memory sucks) and plotted the scenes of the first few chapters. Then, at last, I sat down to write.

At first, I was excited. These scenes played out beautifully on my cue cards. Sadly, as I wrote I just couldn't feel my characters. AT the end of last week, and about 12,000 words in, I stopped, chucked the the cue cards , opened a new document and started again. And by the time I saved I'd written 1,000 words and, more importantly, I had a sense of my characters.

I have no choice but to accept, no matter how appealing the idea of plotting is to my Virgo brain, it's not for me. I'm a pantser, an into the mist writer or whatever else they call the type of writer who sits down and writes. In order for me to be able to write the best story I can, I need to let my characters tell it.

Today I hit 3,200, meeting 1,000 word per day goal since I restarted the story. Yay! I'm also back to rewriting Blood & Bone. Added a new scene to chapter 15, tomorrow I'll complete the second and hopefully by Wednesday I'll have something to post with my crit group.

Mood: Good
Music: Hey Jude, The Beetles

Living Lies

2008-03-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Don't have a whole lot of time tonight, but it's my cover. How cool is that?

Also you can read the blurb here.

Page One and Stuff

2008-03-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Started my new WIP today. Hit my thousand word goal for the day too. Yay me!

I love starting a new story. Granted, facing the blank page can be a touch intimidating, but it doesn't take long for the words to flow. And the excitement of discovering a story's twists and turns, a new set of characters far out weighs any nagging doubts. At this early stage, everything is possible and I'm staggered by my own brilliance. By the end of the month things will change. Just you watch. :-)

Also, finally finished up re-rewrites for Witch. Then backed it up six thousand different ways. Okay only three, but you get my meaning. This was a hard lesson to learn, but one I will not forget.

Tonight's a lousy night for TV and I was hoping to slip out to the bookstore, but it's getting too late.

I just finished Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning which I really, really liked and so now I must read the next book in the series. Yes, I have hooked myself on yet another series. Bad, Dawn, bad. The good news, the second book is already out. The bad news, the third book won't be out until September and there's fourth and fifth book without release dates. Sigh.

The Internal Clock

2008-03-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's the five foot high snow banks surrounding my house like a medieval wall that's throwing me off, but my internal clock is having a tough time recognising the time change. I suppose when we spring forward my mind assumes there should be at least some hint of spring outside. Sigh. Well it can't stay winter forever, can it?

DS has started March Break and DH has most of the week off. I don't expect to get all that much done this week. (Last week I was very productive so I'm not feeling too guilty about it.) I'm hoping to finish up my research for my WIP. I want to start writing once DS is back in school. I also hope to keep up on my rewrites, one chapter posted to my crit group and another to final draft. And I want to keep up on crits for the ladies in my critique group.

Hmm. Maybe this week will be more productive than I'd planned for. :-P

Mood: Good
Music: The Seeker, The Who

More Snow

2008-03-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

Now, I have admitted that I'm one of those crazy people who actually likes winter. I enjoy the snow. But it's March now, and winter's charm is starting to wane. Especially with the weather network calling for yet another storm, bringing with it the potential for another 30 to 50 (yes, that's right, 50!!!!) Centimeters. Blech!! DH is away and I still haven't shovelled from the last storm we had. (Two days ago.)

On a happier note, I got my first peek at my cover for Living Lies. It's gorgeous!!! As soon as I can show it off, I will.

Tagged...again.

2008-03-01T05:33:00.000-08:00

Gina Ardito tagged me for the latest blog virus. First, the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six random things about you
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blog.

So six random things about me, hmmm. I did eight random things back in May, it's going to be tough to come up with six more. Oh well, here we go:

1. I love the British soap Coronation Street. I started watching it while my mother stayed with me, now I'm hopelessly addicted.

2. Whenever I'm at the computer I must have either a cup of coffee or tea. I suspect this is a weird throw back from when I used to smoke as I tend to place my mug where the ash tray used to sit.

3. I hate mashed potatoes with a passion. Something about the texture...blech!

4. I have the same birthday as Stephen King.

5. There are two stores that I can't leave without buying something; bookstores and office supply stores.

6. I will not read a book series out of sequence. Even if it really doesn't have any effect on the story, I still can't read them out of order.

That's it. I was really reaching there at the end, could you tell? :-)

Hez, Kath, Bella, Jerri, Karen and Zaynah, I'm tagging you.

Grr...American Idol

2008-02-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, I promised myself (after giving up on the show mid-season last year) that I would no longer watch American Idol. But what with the lack of anything else on TV on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I find myself tuning in. And worse, I find there's a couple of contestants I like enough to continue watching at least until they get voted off. Still, it's only the second week and I'm already so annoyed with the show that I'm blogging about it. Yeah, somehow I don't see myself lasting to the end.

My top complaints:

First, watching people have their dreams dangled before them while they're berated on national television under the guise of 'constructive criticism' grows wearisome quickly. I don't see the humor in it. Second, I found listening to the judges fall all over themselves to praise the kid who sang Imagine at the end irritating. Yes this kid has a great voice, but it's still a boy's voice. I think a few more years to let the voice mature some might not be a bad thing. And third, there are certain songs in this world that should not be tampered with (as Madonna taught us when she butchered American Pie) and John Lennon's Imagine is at the very top of that list. It does not need to be made 'current' or 'relevant' or any of the other catch phrases the judges are are so fond of throwing around this season. The song is perfect the way it is.

And finally, I can't believe I've actually taken ten minutes out of my day to write about this. ;-P

Random Stuff

2008-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

DS is home with the flu. He's been sick since he woke up Saturday morning. Today the fever is gone, but he's still looking a little pale and hollow eyed. Still, he's also feeling well enough that he's bored with video games and TV. A good sign.

Obviously I'm not getting as much done on my rewrites as I would like. Sigh. I am, however, still making notes on a new WIP. I've come across two potential snags in my story, one I think I've solved and the other I'm still trying to work through. I'm also attempting to do a little more research at the beginning of my novel this time (rather than when I'm finished) in an effort to cut back on the number of write-arounds I need to between the first and second draft. This is the lesson I take from Blood and Bone.

I just finished reading Knaves Honor by Margaret Moore. I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I finished it in less than week. I don't often read historicals, but I like hers. Now, I'm reading Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning. I've never read anything by her, but a friend recommended her. I'm only on chapter three, but so far I'm intrigued.

That's it for now.

Where Do Your Ideas Come From?

2008-02-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

I know this is a question that annoys most writers, but not me. Perhaps if I ever achieve Stephen King’s or Nora Roberts’ fame, I'll change my mind. :-) The truth is, I find the evolution of idea to full blown book fascinating. The whole process inspires a certain awe, especially when I'm standing with a completed manuscript in hand. I think back to the first kernel of an idea that might have occurred months or even years before sitting down to write, and I'm somewhat amazed at how this tiny idea morphed into a 400 page book.

On the other end of the spectrum is when I take that first stab at turning an idea into a story. After all, the idea is only the first step. I still have to find the right setting, create the right characters, back story, conflict, and then tie it all together. While exhilarating and exciting, it can be overwhelming and frustrating too.

That's where I am today, that step right after brainstorming where the first hint of self doubt creeps in like a cool draft from previously unseen cracks. Is this idea big enough to build an entire book? Are my characters interesting? Are their back stories cliché, or so over the top a reader couldn't relate to them? Are the scenes I'm visualizing too much? Or worse, are they predictable? Will I ever be able to tie it all together so it makes sense?

This is a very delicate point in giving birth to a new novel. It would be only too easy to say I couldn't do it. But deep down I know I can. I've done it before. I'll keep pushing and digging, and there will be a moment when it all clicks. The idea will no longer be just an idea I have for a story, but a story that I'm writing.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love.
You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart.

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!)

Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic

What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays

Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Multitasking is Overrated

2008-02-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been a touch absent lately. I've just spent the past week trapped in bookkeeping hell and I'm only emerging now. After spending more than a few weeks trying to do a little of everything and finding I was getting nothing done, I decided to dig in, do one thing at a time and get these loose ends tied up at last. And now, I'm finally done--for the moment anyway.

This week I'll be catching up on writing, but one project at time. No more of a little here and little there.

I had just about finished with The Witch's Stone, but at the last moment decided to add another scene. So that's this week's job to finally return that story to the completed file. Next week, back to Blood & Bone.

I must admit, I'm looking forward to writing again. After spending the past seven days reconciling accounts, spending time in the attic lost in a story is VERY appealing.

Patience

2008-02-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that patience is not my strong suit? Recognising this particular character flaw in myself, I usually take certain steps to avoid situations where I must show considerable patience. For instance, when buying books to read, if a book is part of a pair or a trilogy, I usually wait until all the books are available before buying the first.

Sadly, I broke my own rule and bought Nora Robert's Blood Brothers--the first in the trilogy and the only one out. I read the book over the weekend and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, now I have to wait until the second book comes out. And I must have read the release date for the second book wrong. I thought it was due out in March, but when I double checked, I learned that it was actually not due out until May. Grrr. When will I learn?

Okay, enough whining.

I've managed to catch some really great movies lately. Watching movies that I really enjoy gives me the same thrill as reading books that land on my keeper shelf. The first was a French film called Ils (translated to Them). This movie is non-stop tension from start to finish. I watched this at home alone and it scared the bejesus out of me. Loved it. The second was Half Light. A spooky mystery set in Scotland. My favourite. How could I not love it? And last, Hot Fuzz. Sooo funny. If you like dark, silly humor, you will love this.

That's it for today.

Waiting for the Attic to Warm Up

2008-01-25T06:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Friday. Yay! I'm currently writing this as I wait for my electric wood stove to heat up the attic a bit before I start. It's minus twenty out and that room doesn't feel much warmer than outside.

This week I managed to get a fair amount done. WIP continues to move nicely. It's funny, this is the paranormal I put aside in July so I could really concentrate on fixing Witch. (More on that in a minute.) When I did set it aside, I was hating everything about it and really didn't think I would finish. Then last month I started reading through and found my myself liking it again. I could see where I'd kind of written myself into predictability, probably why I felt my interest in the tale start to wan. I also had 200 pages invested. So after a little tinkering and adding a few twists (means making some changes to earlier chapters on the rewrite, but there always is) I managed to push past the hump and now I'm charging full force toward the end. Perhaps taking some time away from the project gave me the space I needed to be able to see what the problem was.

Witch is frustrating me a little more. I'm three chapters away from finally having this completely finished--again. The tricky part is having to double check all the little facts with my research. Checking for continuity errors like, when I introduced the Frasiers in chapter 6 I spelled their name with s, but in chapter 27 I spelled it with z. Grr.

On the upside, when I rewrote this story the first time, I'd organized all my character, plot notes and research into a binder with tabs and everything. This is making my life so much easier. I must admit, I'm not usually this organized. Ordinarily, each story gets its own file folder--blue for romantic suspense and red for paranormal--and all my notes get shoved in with a couple of elastic bands to keep it all together. I'm not sure why I did it differently with Witch. Maybe I needed to feel more organized while I was tying legend to the present day murders in the story. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I did it. And starting right now, every book I write will have a corresponding binder.

A Few of My Favourite Links

2008-01-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

Lately, whenever I can cram in a few extra minutes, I've been slowly updating my links section here on my blog. Rather than just stick those links in, I thought I'd just share with you the benefits I've found using these resources.

So in no particular order:

D.P. Lyle, M.D. The Writer's Medical and Forensics Lab. This site has a tremendous amount of information. But you can also email him questions and he'll provide a detailed answer . I used this while writing The Witch's Stone. I also have his book Murder and Mayhem. It's a collection medical and forensic question he's answered for writers. Again, a great resource.

Romantic Suspense writer, Lisa Gardner. Aside from finding information about her latest releases, which is always a good thing, she has tons of articles for writers on her site, including two detailed lectures; one on writing romantic suspense, the other on writing a synopsis for your romantic suspense novel. Some excellent information here.

Romance Writers of America. When it comes to joining any kind of organization like this, I'm a big believer in you get out what you put in. Now saying that, am I suggestion you volunteer for all kinds of committees? No. If you want to, go ahead. But what I am saying is to know what you want to gain by joining. For myself, I wanted to learn more about market. Did I? Yes, and a lot more. There are chapters, contests, conferences, courses and networking. RWA will not magically sell your book for you, but they will certainly offer the tools to help you.

And of course, Samhain Publishing. They've shown great taste in the books the contract. :-)

Anyway, that's it for now. Need to get back to the WIP. Those vampires aren't going to just stake themselves.

New Used Boots

2008-01-23T06:18:00.000-08:00

We had a thaw here a few weeks ago, and all the snow melted. As if to celebrate winter's momentary lapse, HellHound ate my winter boots. And he did it practically right in front of me. I was sitting at the dining room table talking to DH while HellHound was under the table chewing on what I thought was his bone. Imagine my surprised when I realized.

This past weekend I'd planned to buy myself a new pair, but never did get around to it. (We did, however, finally take the Christmas tree down.) So naturally it snowed yesterday, a good five or six inches and I was forced to traipse through it all in my sneakers.

Last night, I went to my mom's to help her print up business cards for her store. She took one look at my feet and gave me that look that makes me forget I'm a woman in my mid-thirties, making me feel like I'm a seventeen-year-old instead (and not in a good way either). Then she dug out pair of her old boots to give me. They're so weird, they look a little like old fashioned cross country ski boots--naturally, I love them.

Ah Mom, you're the best. ;-)

The Mood Ring Is Blue

2008-01-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

I found my old mood ring from when I was in college the other day. Right now it is a brilliant indigo color, telling me I'm either in a great mood or my hands are hot. Hmm, the latter I think. I'm also drinking coffee at seven thirty at night. That means I probably won't get to sleep until past midnight. But I just can't help myself.

Today was fairly productive. First, I got my thousand words done on the WIP. Very happy about that. Second, finished rewriting chapter 14 for Blood and Bone and posted it with my crit group. This week, I am determined to finish tying those last loose ends with The Witch's Stone, getting my thousand words done every day and posting every other day here on the blog.

Wish me luck.

Mood: Good--according to the ring.

Hump Day

2008-01-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

Progress this week has been sporadic. DS has been home with the flu since Monday. I thought he'd be ready to go back to school today, but he's claiming his stomach is still hurting. I must admit, I suspect I'm being conned here. But even when I told him no video games, he stuck to his story.

WIP is coming along really well. I'm almost afraid to say so in case I jinx myself. I think I'll be finished it by the end of the month. I wish I could say the same for my rewrite of Blood and Bone. This book is just dragging. I know a big part of that is because of having to set it aside while I rewrote The Witch's Stone after my computer crashed, but I was still hoping to have it ready to begin submitting to agents this month. Not going to happen.

For this week: another 4k words on WIP
Make a list of what I need to do on Blood and Bone
Tie up loose ends with The Witch's Stone.

There's more stuff, but those are my top three.

Monday's Rambling

2008-01-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

Well, the holidays have come and gone. DS is back in school, DH back at work and hopefully all the decorations will be taken down this weekend. (Though since I have a chapter meeting and family birthday party this weekend, I won't hold my breath.) The point is, it's time to get back to work.

As I do every January, I have made a list of my long term goals followed by a list of short term goals that will, in theory, help me to reach the long term ones. Don't worry, I won't bore you with them here. Besides, I've learned over time that goals are often revised throughout the year. What needs doing in January may not be such a priority come July. Never consider that your goals are written in stone. A year is a long time and a lot can change.

That said...

With my goals in mind, I should have been buckling down today now that DS is back at school. Instead, I went book shopping and to lunch with my mother. Which is why I'm just starting my writing day at 9pm. Actually, that's not entirely true. I did manage an hour or so on the WIP this morning, getting a little more than half way to my daily count. That's something at least.

At the book store, I bought three new paperbacks and an overpriced journal, but the latter was such pretty shade of turquoise. And for some reason I like to begin a new journal with the new year . Maybe its the idea of starting the year with a fresh slate that appeals. I also probably didn't need to buy any new books since I still haven't read the pile from my last sojourn to the book store. But I can't go to a bookstore and leave empty handed. It's a sickness really.

Mood: Mellow

After Christmas Catch Up

2007-12-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Sigh.

I had a lovely holiday with family. It was hectic, but fun. Still, spending all of Boxing Day in my jammies and reading a book was well earned.

My favorite gift came from DH. He bought me an electric woodstove for my attic. No more dressing in layers or aching knuckles while I type. And it does add a coziness ambiance to the room.

DS's big gift was Guitar Hero (I think that's what it's called) for his PlayStation. Truth be told, DH and I have been playing it more than DS. Last night we were up until 1 a.m. My wrist, forearm and fingers are killing me today.

I must apologize for being a touch absent lately. Between the bookkeeping (year end is nearly upon us) and the holidays, I've been buried. With Christmas is over, I plan to be much more active here starting...now. :-)

Christmas Tag

2007-12-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate?

Definitely hot chocolate, and topped with whip cream.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree?

Wrapped. Unless, of course, it's something like a bike.

3. Colored or white lights on tree/house?

Colored.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

No.

5. When do you put your decorations up?

The first weekend of December. We put up the tree, listen to Christmas carols and eat yummy hors d'oeuvres. Once the tree is up, we watch Christmas Vacation. No matter how many times I watch that movie, the scene with the squirrel always makes me laugh.

6. What is your holiday dish?

LOL. I hate to cook. HATE it. When we host Christmas dinner, dh does most of the cooking. I do, however, bake, and at Christmas time I make empire cookies from my grandmother's recipe.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child.

This is a hard one for me. I have a lot of favorite memories. I guess the one that always sticks out is the year that we all stayed over at my grandparents' on Christmas eve. There was my family and my aunt and uncle and cousins. I remember my brother, my cousins and I all lying on the floor watching A Christmas Carol for the first time. That was a fun year.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I was about nine or ten, and found out in a round about way. I had discovered the Easter chocolate for my parents had hidden for my brother and me in their closet. (Honestly, it was like they were begging me to find it.) When we went to my aunt's, I mentioned to my cousin that I knew there was no Easter bunny. Then she said, "I guess you know about Santa too." I had actually not yet made this connection, but she was six years older than me and I was forever trying to impress her, so I just nodded and mumbled yes.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

No.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

Tons of colored lights, beads, ribbon. Neat old fashioned looking glass balls, ornaments DS made at school and then the sentimental ones we've put in each others' stockings over the years.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?

Love it. Dh insists it's 'cause I don't have to go out in it. And he may be right :-)

12. Can you ice skate?

I can, but I fear falling more than I use to.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

That's an easy one. My grandfather made me a dollhouse. I think I was nine. It was gorgeous. It had bay windows, a balcony, he even cut individual wood shingles for the roof. My grandmother wallpapered all the rooms and made little rugs for the floors. I will never forget coming downstairs and seeing it next to the tree. I still have it. It's packed away, but I don't think I could ever let it go.

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Being with family, and having a lot of fun.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Trifle.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I have too many favorites to choose one, but I'll tell you my silliest tradition. Log. Every year while we're opening gifts we turn on the TV and switch to a station playing log. For anyone who doesn't know, log is nothing more than an endless loop of a log burning in a fireplace with carols playing in the background. DH and I find the idea of television station airing six hours of this hugely amusing because..well, because we have demented senses of humor. AND I've actually seen stores selling log on VHS and DVD. I might buy it for DH as a gag gift for his stocking.

17. What tops your tree?

An old fashion Santa.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

Both! I love to find things for other people that I hope they'll like, but I love opening presents too. :-)

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

The Little Drummer Boy. And anything sung by Bing Crosby.

20. Candy canes.

No thanks. I'm not a fan of hard candy or peppermint.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?

A Christmas Carol. It must be the old version with Alastair Sim, it must be black and white--none of this colorized nonsense--and it must be watched on Christmas Eve.

22. What do you leave for Santa?

Cookies.

Wow, that was a lot of questions. Kath, Heather , you're up. :-)

Detours

2007-12-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

So there I was, all ready to write the first kiss scene when something unexpected happened. Usually, scenes like this are fun to write, and because they're fun, they tend to be easier to write than say the less than fun scenes. Also, I had pictured the next few scenes in my head, had a pretty decent idea of what would happen next. It should have been a breeze. As the chapter closes, he leans in, then a new chapter, switch to her POV... and I go blank.

Well, not entirely blank. There's a few sad attempts to force the scene into submission, but my heroine has dug in her heels and stopped cooperating entirely. Then it hits me, I've made classic blunder. I'm trying to force her to do something she really wouldn't for the sake of moving the story forward, and in doing so, I'm making her appear like a brainless twit. Since this is the last thing I want, I'm grateful for her intervention.

So now I've backed up and gone looking for where I went wrong. Part of the problem is the pacing. I'm rushing things. Detours like these are frustrating, but unavoidable. It's all just a part of the process. I do find myself wondering if the plotters of the world find themselves in this situation more often or less often than those of us who just sit down and write.

Snowed In

2007-12-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Last night we got a good dumping of snow, then this morning the mounds of snow were coated in a layer of freezing rain. Today is one of those days where it's just nice to be at home, all cozy and warm, with a hot drink. In my case, cranberry tea. We put up our Christmas tree yesterday so I'm feeling somewhat festive.

I must admit, I'm one of those strange people who love winter. And not because I enjoy participating in winter sports like skiing--in fact, ick! It's such a pretty time of year. And I don't know why, but I love writing on snowy days. I like writing on rainy days too. Must be something about precipitation that I find particularly inspiring. :-)

Once I finish up here, I'll return to Andy and Claudia. I'm about to write the first kiss. So much fun to write on a snowy evening.

I'd Rather Be in the Attic

2007-11-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

So today I'm starting to put together some marketing ideas for me and Living Lies. While the book will not be released until next year, (probably late spring, early summer unless something changes) I want to be prepared. A big part of this need to feel like I have all my ducks in a row I think stems from the feeling that I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I'm a control freak so that kind of uncertainty completely throws me off.

Yesterday, I pulled out every writing magazine and newsletter I had stashed away in my office. The number is considerable. (I have a theory that all creative people fight a constant internal battle between their inner pack-rat and the annoyance of too much clutter.) Then I marked any articles that had anything to do with PR or marketing and began making notes.

With my notes before me two things have become perfectly clear. The first, I'm going to have to start scheduling my time better. And the second, I'm going to start putting myself out there more. This last one will be hard for me. I'm actually really shy and total lurker when it comes to listservs and blogs.

So, as I screw up my courage to de-lurk, I have a question for you all five of my faithful readers. (Provided of course you managed to make it to the end of this rather lengthy post) Which marketing techniques worked best for you and at what stages--before, when and after the book was released? I'm very curious.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Hurdy Gurdy Man, Donovan

The Click

2007-11-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

Today my story clicked.

This is my very favorite part of writing , that moment when all the loose ends finally connect and the story just sort of, well, clicks. As I don't plot before hand, there are times while writing that the book seems to be escaping me. My characters are off doing their own thing, the story is unfolding far removed from my initial idea, then all of sudden I discover that piece to tie it all together. It's a mighty fine feeling.

I also broke my rule of no coffee past three o'clock. Not only did I have third cup of coffee today at three-thirty, but I also I had a Coke with lunch. I could be up for hours.

Mood: Tired, but oddly energized.
Music: Penny Lane, The Beatles

Good Bye NaNo

2007-11-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

So today I decided to give up on NaNo. This goes against the grain for me as I typically don't like to give things up once I've dug my teeth in, but I need to face a few facts. Having written a little over 20K, I doubt very much I'll be able to reach 50K by the end of the month. And I just have too much happening right now to dig in and get it done.

Sigh.

On the upside, I've written about twenty pages more than I normally would have in a month. I will of coarse continue to write said story, but back to my thousand words per day. This will give me time to continue rewriting Blood and Bone, catching up on crits that I owe, (thank you crit partners for being so patient.) fixing the last few chapters of Witch and, blech, bookkeeping. (I may need to face a few facts about that last one, but I'll wait until the new year.)

On the Living Lies front, I'm just finishing up my book blurb. Writing this has proven not all that dissimilar to writing a query or synopsis--except maybe worse. It's one thing trying to get your work in front of an editor or agent, but quite another trying to convince a potential buyer to shell out X amount to read your book. Oh, the pressure. :-)

I also received my signed copy of the contract yesterday. I put in my filing cabinet with the printed version of the MS, the CD and all my notes from when I was writing it. Then I stared at it while thinking about writing the first draft nearly seven years ago. It was a real full circle moment.

Mood: Content

I Have a Theme Song. Who Knew?

2007-11-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.
But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

Out of Practise

2007-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm sucking at NaNo.

I have to admit I'm a little surprised by this turn of events. Usually, I write 1,000 words a day on WIP and get it done in about two hours. I'm a pantser and do all my editing after the first draft is complete so I thought NaNo would be right up my alley.

Huh!

If I'd been writing 1,700 words a day (to get 50k I think you only need 1,667 per day, but I was planning on padding a little in case I fell behind. So much for that.) I should be hitting 10,200 words today. I'm at 6,900. That's more than a little behind.

I of course have a theory. (Don't I always? :-) or a plan, or a list...)

I think I'm out of practise. After putting the WIP aside over the summer to clean up after my computer crisis, then waiting for NaNo to start, I think I've lost my writing stride. Sure, I've been rewriting, but that's not the same as a first draft, as grabbing hold of all those random ideas and putting them down on paper in some semblance of order now is it?

So today, I locked myself in the attic. (that's where my office is, not as some kind of self-punishment) Just me, laptop and coffee.--ah, sweet nectar of the Gods. No email, no blogs, no Facebook. And a mere three and a half hours later, I had met my 1,875 word goal for the day.

Yes, 1,875 words is what I have to do everyday now to reach 50K by the end of the month. No padding this time around. Everyday until the 30th.

Mood: To be determined
Music: None-My CD player broke.

The Call

2007-11-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

At long last, I got the call--well actually the email. I've sold a book!!!

And actually, I received the email a couple of weeks ago, but was a little paranoid about the jinxing things so I didn't want to say anything too soon. But I've since signed and mailed back the contract so it looks like it's a done deal. Touch wood! :-)

An interesting side note--well interesting to me--the offer for contract came on the heels of a rejection. All the things the rejecting editor claimed were lacking in my ms, the editor offering me the contract (or my editor as I can say now) loved. Another fine example of just how subjective this business can be.

I've made my first sale to Samhain Publishing. The book is titled Living Lies. It's a romantic mystery with a paranormal twist. Here's the premise:

Haley Carling’s life changed forever the day her sister vanished, leaving her tied to an alcoholic mother and struggling family business. With the discovery of Michelle’s body, Dean Lawson, the leading suspect in her disappearance, has returned determined to clear his name. Now, Haley must face the frightening secrets within her family, Michelle’s last living days and her own unresolved feelings for Dean. She may come to trust him with her life, but her heart is another matter entirely.

After leaving town more than a decade ago, Dean Lawson believes he has the evidence to prove who really killed Michelle. Aware the shocking truth will hurt Haley and her family, he can no longer live falsely accused. But he hadn’t counted on falling in love with Haley—or on a killer who will stop at nothing to silence them both.

I'm so excited, and will keep you (all five of my faithful readers) updated as I learn more.

NaNoWriMo

2007-11-01T04:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of NaNo and, upon flipping through my calender, I realized the DS has doctor's appointment today and no school tomorrow. A bit of an ominous start. On the upside, after last night I have more than enough chocolate to see me through the month. Yay!!!!

Today's goal is 1700 words. Wish me luck.

Happy Hallowe'en!!!!

2007-10-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Halloween Horoscope for Virgo

Eh, Halloween is not exactly you favorite holiday.
You costume is usually pretty simple - if it exists at all.

Costume suggestions: A scary mask or whatever you wore last year

Signature Halloween candy: Tootsie Pops

Scary movie you should celebrate Halloween with: The Exorcist

What's Your Halloween Horoscope?

Out of Coffee

2007-10-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

I ran out of coffee this morning. Well, not right out. There was enough left for DH and I to each have one cup. Somehow that was worse than not having any coffee. Kind of like a tease. I suppose I could walk over to the nearest coffee shop, but it's cold and damp. The kind of day you just want to stay in. I'll settle for tea.

Three more days until NaNo, and truth is, I could use another three weeks. All through October I've been running myself ragged trying to get everything done so my November is free and clear for my WIP.

I do some bookkeeping and have playing catch up ever since my computer crashed. For the past two weeks, that's pretty much all I've done, putting most things writing on the back burner. The experience has certainly reminded me why I don't want return to anything accounting related as a full time career.

Mood: Tired
Music: Rose Coloured Glasses--Blue Rodeo

Behind Again

2007-10-13T05:53:00.000-07:00

Oops! I've been neglecting my blog yet again. Not good. I've been incredibly busy, but that's no excuse.

I'm almost finished cleaning up The Witch's Stone. Eight chapters to go, YAY!. This has been a lengthy endeavor, and one I hope to never have to do again. That said, I do believe I've managed to beef up the emotion in this story. I'm entering it in a contest next week so I'll get an idea if my hard work has paid off at all.

Blood and Bone is coming along. I don't think I've ever had a first draft this rough before. It's interesting because some chapters are great and only need a little tweaking while others need to be scrapped and rewritten from scratch. Very time consuming. I'm hoping to start to submitting this one to agents in the new year. The beginning of Feb if all goes well.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. I've had a new story that I've been holding back from starting just for this event so I'm really looking forward to it. This is the first year I've tried it, so wish me luck.

I'm so supposed to be going to a RWA chapter meeting today, but after throwing my neck out last weekend (long HellHound story), I think I'm going to skip it. My neck was a lot better on Wednesday, but I spent most of the day in front of the computer on an uncomfortable chair and when I woke up Thursday it was as bad as the day I did it. Today my neck is feeling much better (Yay to muscle relaxers!) but it's still a little stiff, and I'm worried that sitting on an uncomfortable chair three hours will set me back again.

Mood: Up
Music: Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel

New Printer.

2007-08-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

Yay. I am getting a new printer.

At long last I can rid myself of that hunk-of-junk that hasn't worked properly almost from the word go. I might have tolerated it a little longer, but the new computer has a windows vista operating system and we can't get the printer to work with it. DH tried to get help from the printer's customer service, but nothing seemed to work--in fact what they suggested actually screwed up our computer. He found a site that had instructions for how to undue what was done, and also had long list of complaints from people who had the same printer. Top on the complaint list was how quickly these things burn through toner--my number one of the 6,423 issues I have with it. See what I could have learned had I done just a little research?

Well, lesson learned. Soon my new/used HP Laserjet will be home with me.

Mood: Happy!

Dog Days

2007-08-01T09:15:00.001-07:00

My mother's has gone to a wedding in the Caribbean this week, so I'm dog sitting for her. I don't really mind doing it. I love dogs, after all. But my mother's dog, who I have renamed Diva, is really high strung and a touch demanding.

When she wants food or water, she kicks her bowl. Not a huge deal, but because she and HellHound are using the bowl as part of their power struggle, (She won't drink from the bowl after he does. Not that I blame her, he tends to leave a thick film of slobber behind.) has I'm constantly filling the the thing. I've filled it four time since I woke up and it's noon. If I don't drop whatever I'm doing and fill said bowl right away, she comes over and barks at me then returns to her bowl to kick it some more. I'd also like to point out that HellHound's bowl is filled with crystal clear untouched water while all of this is going on.

But even more annoying than the water bowl is the barking. HellHound is a real barker anyway. Probably because he's male and not fixed, he thinks everything he sees belongs to him. So anyone walking by, especially people walking their dogs, will send him into a barking fury. The good news is if doesn't see it, he doesn't bark. Diva, however, has excellent hearing so barks at the slightest sound. Her barking gets HellHound barking--even though he doesn't know why he's barking--then his barking keeps her barking and viceversa. I firmly believe that if left unchecked, the two of them would bark themselves hoarse.

Rewrites and More Rewrites

2007-07-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today was fairly productive. I'm moving through my rewrite of The Witch's Stone fairly quickly--hit chapter 18 today. I'm pleased that the version that survived the great crash of 2007 was closer to complete than I realized. There are some things that I lost, scenes and phrases that I remember enough to be annoyed that their missing, but not well enough to get back exactly as I had it. I know I said I was going to accept that, but saying and doing are two different things. On the upside, I do feel like I'm digging deeper into my characters as I rewrite this time around.

Also, continuing to rewrite Blood & Bone--working on chapter seven and should have it done and ready to post on my critique group by tomorrow.

I've decided to put any new things off until September. Trying to rewrite two books at once with DS home from school is tough, but trying to do it with a WIP on the go would be virtually impossible. That's not to say that I'm not still brainstorming for my new story. I am, and I'm still very excited about it. Both my heroine and hero are there in my head, interacting together, telling me about themselves. I can picture scenes and how they'd behave in those scenes. Their GMC's are starting to form. I'm really looking forward to getting started, but I'm going to wait until I'm ready to give it the attention I need to.

On days like this, I love what I do.

I Screamed Like a Girl

2007-07-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

This morning while in the bath I was attacked by a centipede. Okay, attacked might be a slight exaggeration. It must have been clinging to the back of my shampoo bottle. I'm not entirely sure because DS had distracted me. He was asking if he could have chips for dessert, since he'd eaten all his breakfast, and I was shouting to make sure he could hear me through the closed door that breakfast wasn't a meal typically followed by dessert and that I felt 8:30 a.m. was too early for chips. (but I'm one of those strict moms) Then felt something scurry over the back of my hand. When I looked down, a two inch centipede was crawling up my arm. Ugh! What a way to start my morning.

Why I Don't Drink Coffee Past 10:30 PM

2007-07-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Because I don't fall asleep until 4:30 the following morning.

DS is visiting my mother this weekend, so last night DH and I went out for dinner. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. When we got home, DH made coffee and we sat out back playing backgammon until 1am. Once we went to bed, I wound up reading until it was nearly light out. My book (Bag of Bones, Stephen King) had hit the climax and I couldn't put it down until I reached the end. With the coffee keeping me from feeling drowsy, it was a hopeless (and sleepless) combination.

This makes two books in a row that not only made it to my keeper shelf, but that I would also call great. So what--according to me--differentiates a great book from a good book? A great book not only has me turning the pages, racing towards the end because I just have to see what happens next and how it all turns out, but when I do reach the end, I'm a little sad it's over. A little sad to say goodbye to characters who had become like friends over the course of the story.

As a writer, this what I truly aspire to create--stories readers can't put down and are sad to see end.

Oh, and the second book I read that I thought was great...Prince of Darkness by Barbara Michaels. An old contemporary gothic written in 1969. (I think.) I read it in two days. Loved it.

Last Night I Left the Hall Light On

2007-07-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I spent the day researching an idea for a new book. I made some story notes and character notes. The story is really starting to take shape. I'm learning about my characters, I can see and hear them interacting with each other--admittedly, my hero is clearer than my heroine. That's often the case when I start something new. Still, she's coming along.

I love this part of the writing process. It's like trying to take that perfect picture, slowly bringing it into focus until each line is crisp and vivid. This particular story looks like it's going to be a spooky, romantic mystery with a supernatural twist. (How unusual for me :-P)

As I said, I spent most of yesterday researching ideas, reading some pretty creepy stuff. Once, DH got home we had dinner and I didn't think about it again. Later, after I put DS to bed and DH went to over to a friend's place, I was laying in bed reading a book and started thinking about the stuff I had read earlier and some of the scenes I'd pictured for my story. I managed to spook myself enough to get up and turn on the hall light. I think this is a very good sign. :-)

Mood: Great
Music: Downtown Lights - Annie Lennox

Waiting for my Face to Unfreeze

2007-07-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a root canal and my face and top lip are still frozen. Ugh! I hate that feeling. DH claims that drinking something hot will help the freezing wear off faster. I'm not sure I believe him, but I'm willing try anything. So I'm sipping a cup of black berry tea and struggling not dribble it down the front of myself.

Finally heard back from the publisher that had Living Lies (or I thought they did) for the last year. Apparently there's no record of the submission. On the upside I've been asked to resend it. At least it's not a rejection. :-)

I also received a a note from another pub that the partial I sent for Living Lies is moving on the next round of editors. Also good news.

Funny, this new flurry of action around a story I haven't really done much with in a while. But that's a good thing considering the mess Witch is in right now. My God, recovering from this computer disaster has been tough. For a while there, every time I thought of the work ahead of me on Witch I felt sick. But yesterday, as I scrolled through the pages trying to remember how things were before, I realized I would never get it back exactly the way it was. So instead I'll make it better. Flesh out the characters more, speed up the pacing. Maybe I can turn this into a positive experience.

Not that I'd ever want to repeat it, of course.

The WIP is plodding along. Rarely do I get this far into something and look forward to finishing like this. I don't know if I'm just bored of working on it, or that I don't really like the characters, whatever it is I'm not feeling it like I was. When I go back and read, it's not bad. I don't know. I think I just want to get it done so I can start something new and fresh.

As for Blood and Bone, the rewrite is coming along fine though I've had to slow down a little to accommodate my problems with Witch. After all, I have queries and partials out for Witch right now, and the way my luck's been running lately...

Currently Reading:

The Secret Garden - Because I never did when I was younger, and as I come to the end I wish I had.

Bag of Bones, Stephen King - Nice to read something where character development isn't sacrificed for pace. Unlike the last two romantic suspense novels I read, but that's a rant for another day.

Music: Trust Yourself - Blue Rodeo
Mood: Mildly frustrated.

PS. My tea is nearly gone and cold, and my mouth is still frozen. Less than when I started, but I suspect that is simply the result of the natural progression. My appointment finished two and a half hours ago.

The Hard Way

2007-06-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

My grandfather used to there were two ways to go through life; the easy way and the hard way. An old chestnut, maybe, but one I happen to agree with. Like the situation I found myself in two weeks ago.

The hard drive died on my computer, taking with it all that I had saved on it. This included three completed MSs and my WIP. (Not to mention tons of scenes, research, crits and notes. Let's not mention them because they are still sitting on the hard drive.) The short version of this story, DH managed to salvage my WIP and two completed MS's. The only one I couldn't get was Witch--it had been open when the computer crashed. I did find an old version of it from last summer on DH's computer when I was about midway through the revisions. And a crit partner had chapters that I had posted from 17-24. So all is not lost. There's a whole lot of work ahead of me, but it could have been much, MUCH worse.

Clearly, I would not have found myself in this situation had I been backing-up my work regularly. Now I am the back-up queen. I have back-ups of my back-ups. It's all a touch of obsessive, but better that than finding myself in the same situation again. After all, I'd much rather go through life the easy way than the hard way.

Skunks and Other Happenings

2007-06-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

So last week Hell Hound got sprayed by a skunk. Really, living here with such a bull for a dog, it was only a matter of time. We bathed him in a mix of vinegar, baking soda and dish soap (though there was a far more recommended recipe that uses peroxide instead of vinegar, but Hell Hound got sprayed in the face and we worried we'd get it in his eyes.) Luckily, he didn't get bit. I'm a little behind on the rabies shots, but needless to say I have an appointment booked to get him caught up. And as if that wasn't adventure enough for Hell Hound , while I was checking him for bites I found the beginning of a hotspot.

For anyone who owns dogs prone to hotspots, they know how quickly they can spread. Last year was the first time Hell Hound got them and it took me about a day and a half to realize what was wrong with him. By the time we took him to the vet, they had to shave a third of him. And then end result was a nearly $500.00 vet bill.

This time I caught it right away. It was just a small spot on his face that had barely started to spread. And this time my bill was only $80.00. As much as I hate to admit it, I probably wouldn't have caught the hotspot so fast if he hadn't been sprayed by the skunk. Fate is funny sometimes.

My writing has also taken an upswing. The WIP is continuing to come along nicely. I'm approaching the midpoint and I think I know how it's going to end. But we'll see. Anything can change.

I'm rewriting B&B again, having managed to work through the snag I'd wound up in. I sent a follow up letter to the editor who has LL so hopefully I get some kind of response soon. And no recent rejections for TWS. No news is good news.

I'm also toying with idea of writing a short story for a specific market. One wouldn't assume this would be a challenge, but I don't think I've written a short story since high school English class. Condensing an idea to between 10 and 20,000 words will be a challenge for me. But change is good. Or so they say.

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Mine didn't start out terribly promising, but it turned out all right.

Friday I got a call from the school, telling me DS had been hit with a croquette mallet while at recess. (I don't know who thought giving six and seven year-old boys croquette mallets to play with with minimal supervision sounded like a good idea...) Anyway, there was a nasty gash right near the corner of his eye. Not very long, but wide and deep. (If he'd been hit just a fraction of an inch to the left, he'd have been hit in the eye.) So off to emergency we went where he received two stitches.

The stitches were actually the easy part. Because the wound was so close to his eye, the doctor needed to sedate him before giving him the stitches. It took three tries to get the IV in with DS screaming bloody murder the whole time. After they got the IV in him, the rest went pretty smoothly.

I stayed with him holding his hand while the doctor gave him the stitches. As the sedative wore off and DS woke, he looked at me and smiled and said, 'I love you Mom.'

The best mother's day gift ever!

I've Been Tagged

2007-05-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

The rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose four people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Okay, so here we go, 8 random facts about me...

1) I love thunderstorms.

2) I hate to wear socks, and will only do so on the snowiest of days. This past winter I think I only had to wear them three times.

3) Sort of related to number two. I can't sleep if my feet are hot. Strange, huh?

4) I am a terrible cook. Probably 'cause I hate doing it.

5) I'm technically cursed. I burn out computers for no apparent reason. When I used to work, I can not tell you how many IS guys I made say, "I've never seen it do that before." (I also have the same effect on coffeemakers.)

6) I have strange addiction to real estate. I love going with people to look at houses. I always read the real estate section in the paper and I like looking at virtual tours online. (I should add that I like old houses, not new ones.) I love watching real estate shows, particularly the ones in Britain because the feature more older houses.

7) I drink milk with almost everything. Pizza, chips, chocolate, hot dogs... It all tastes better with milk.

8) I'm like a man where the remote for the TV is concerned. It must be in my possession at all times and I'm usually watching two to three shows at once because I hate sitting through commercials. Drives my DH crazy!

Okay, I guess that's it.

Kath, Bella, Karen I'm tagging you.

They Can Put a Man on the Moon, but They Can't Make a Coffee Pot that Doestn't Drip When You Pour

2007-05-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

Good morning all. I have been very neglectful of my blog of late, but I've been completely buried these past weeks. For a woman who doesn't work outside the home, I seem to have a lot on my plate lately.

On the writing front:

I'm coming up to one year since I sent out my full of Living Lies. The editor who requested it has left the publisher so I'm not sure where that leaves me. As for Witch, I sent out eight submissions to publishers and received rejections from two. I'm still struggling with my Blood and Bone rewrite, but I've been rereading the entire MS and I'm wondering if the changes I'd planned are really just over complicating the story. I think I need to just rewrite the thing as is, and stop worrying about crap like whether or not hero and heroine meet in chapter 2 versus chapter 3.

I've always believed that something like that would not stop publisher from buying the book if they truly loved the story, so I don't know why I'm obsessing about now.

My WIP is going well, or at least it was until this past week. I put it on hold to catch up on everything else I was doing. Starting today, I'm back at it.

I had planned to do more gardening today (blech!) but yesterday I got badly sunburned and my shoulder and wrist are killing me from digging and pulling weeds. (Side note--I hate grass.)

There's only two months left in the school year and I think I might be almost as excited as my DS to see it come to a close. I have developed a special hatred for his teacher. Now, lest you think this is just an overprotective parent (which I am) who can't accept that her precious might not be so precious when he's with his friends (Ha!) I would like to point out that so far two other children in his class have been pulled out because this woman had them so terrified to go school.

DS isn't afraid of the woman, and perhaps that's what aggravates her so much about him. Not that he can't be a brat, but most of my friends have boys and I've yet to see one who does what he's told the first time he's asked. Anyway, after a few conversations with her, I was concerned enough to go to the principal. The principal assured me that he was doing fine so now I'm coasting to the end of the year--or trying to. Every time DS steps out of line I get a note home.

Like on Thursday. I got a note home telling me that DS saw some newly sharpened pencils and yelled out 'HOLY SHIT!' Now, I naturally yelled at him and sent him to his room, taking away T.V. and video games, but I have to admit I did kind of get a chuckle over this. I realize he's at an age where he's going to be experimenting with swear words, but I would like to think he would have enough common sense not to use these words in the classroom. DS told me on Friday one of the little girls in his class said Shit while they were playing a game in classroom.

No doubt I'll be getting a note home about that on Monday. :-)

Music: Honestly - Annie Lennox
Mood: Amused

Can I Salavage the Day?

2007-03-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I am being very lazy today. Aside from some research for the setting on my WIP, I've done very little in the writing arena. Actually, I haven't done much in any arena today. The beds are still unmade and it's nearly three. I was hoping that updating my blog might help kick my butt into gear, but it hasn't.

This week I managed to get a number of crits done for both groups that I belong to. Not quite caught up, but I'm getting there. I got a lot of work done on my WIP.

I also sent out five queries for Witch this week. So begins the waiting, but rather than fixate on what's out I'm determined to stay focused on the WIP and Blood and Bone.

I've done very little on Blood and Bone this week, and I really need to get through that rewrite. Truthfully, I haven't worked on it much since my foolish venture with day job.

Okay, I know what must be done. And I'm going to work on that this afternoon. Or I'm going to curl up with a book. I make no promises.

Music: Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
Mood: Lethargic :-)

A Few of My Favorite Things

2007-03-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of my favorite things for the month.

Favorite Music: Amy Winehouse -- Oh, how I love her. Makes me think of old Motown, but with very dark lyrics. Run out and buy her CD. There isn't a bad song on it.

Favorite Book: Industrial Magic, Kelley Armstrong -- I'm completely addicted to this series. Paranormal suspense stories with a little romance thrown in. What's not to like. Also for the truly addicted (like me) if you go to her website she has lots of online fiction as well. Yay!

Favorite Website: Well, obviously Kelley Armstrong's. See above.
http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

Favorite Movie (for the month not of all time): The Prestige. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. And I didn't guess the ending, which I usually do.

Favorite TV show: Heroes. My only complaint with this show is with so many characters the show could easily be longer than an hour.

Favorite Quote: Change your thoughts and you change the your world, Norman Vincent Peale

Okay, I've procrastinated enough. I must get to work.

Mood: Good
Music: Back to Black, Amy Winehouse--Of course

When it's Meant to be

2007-03-08T04:32:00.000-08:00

Now I'm not a religious person nor do I turn myself over to fate, believing what will be will, but I do believe there are certain things in life that are meant to be. When I bought the house I live in now for instance. An older house in a small town was very different from what both me and my husband were used to, but everything just sort of fell into place from the moment real estate agent showed us the house. And we've been very happy here since.

Alternatively, I believe you can also tell when something is not meant to be. Like my brief sojourn into the work world. One month to be precise. In this case nothing went right and everything in my family's lives seemed to get turned upside down. Needless to say the day job was short lived.

The experience wasn't wholly a bad one. My family and I all learned some important lessons. DH and DS have a renewed appreciation for what I do. And I am more determined then ever to make a living writing. And by make a living, I'm not looking for Nora Roberts' pay check, (but if someone were to offer it to me I certainly wouldn't send them away :-) ) but I'd like to bring in the same income I was making in the corporate world.

This isn't so much a writing goal, but a career goal. The start of a business plan, if you will. Not only have I recommitted to writing, but I'm committed to the career of writer. From what I can tell, it promises to be an interesting journey.

Wringing the Life Out of Every Day

2007-02-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

My grandfather passed away nearly two weeks ago. Yesterday I went to the funeral. He was eighty-one years-old, and as sad as I am to lose him I can not help but be impressed by the life he had.

He was a man's man, that's for sure. He loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, skiing. I have a very fond memory of him taking me out on a snowmobile when I was seven. He loved the sea, he loved woodworking. He built the cottage my family vacationed in for more than fifteen years. Last summer we rented a cottage on the same lake and drove by our old cottage in the boat. It's been added to, but the bones are still there as strong as ever.

Yet my grandfather had an arty side also. He had lovely voice, performed in local theatre and he wrote beautiful poetry.

He adored my grandmother and when he lost her two years ago it literally brought him to his knees. But he stood up and he kept going.

Now that he's gone, I will miss him every day. But I will remember all that he taught us. To work hard, to love your family and to get out there and truly live life.

The Speed of Life

2007-01-28T04:52:00.000-08:00

What a weird week this has been.

I managed to land a day job. And after receiving three agent rejections this week, perhaps it's a sign. I've been looking for a job, albeit half-heartedly, since November and with very little success. Then this week, one interview, a few phone calls and I start Monday. Huh?! DS is thrilled that he'll be able to go to a babysitter, I'm worried sick, but I've been known to be a tad overprotective.

Today I'm going to the hospital to visit my grandfather. He is in the final stages of prostate and bone cancer. This too seems to moving with a sudden and frightening speed. Three weeks ago DH and I were at my grandfather's house so DH could hook up the wires to my grandfather's new TV. He didn't look well, but I must admit I've been completely unprepared for just how quickly he's deteriorating. His doctor says he's dwindling, and I can barely wrap my head around the idea that this could be the last time I see him. Okay, let's talk about something else.

My WIP is coming along really well. I love my characters. I'm still has conflicted as ever on B&B. Though, I've made one decision that I definitely think was the right one. I rewrote the scene and can't believe how much better it is.

Amongst my many rejections for Witch last week was a personal one. Good, right? Although, the agent didn't like the conflict or the pacing, she did say the writing was good. That's something, isn't it? :-)

Well, I should stop my ramblings here. I have a ton of stuff to do today. After all, tomorrow I have to go to work.

Music: On the Hood--Matt Mays and El Torpedo
Mood: When my brain catches up, I'll let you know

Rejection with a Personal Touch

2007-01-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

Today I received a rejection for a partial of Witch, but rather than the usual form letter, this time I received a little feed back as well. While the agent seemed to think the story had potential, she mentioned two points she had problems with. The first was something I hadn't considered, and I found her suggestions very helpful. The other was one of those things you'll either love or hate about the story , so at this point I'm not prepared to change it. (But ask me again in a couple of months - LOL) Also I should note that while she made suggestions, she didn't invite to resubmit either. Oh, well.

But isn't it a strange thing when receiving details about why someone doesn't like your work is bizarre form of recognition. I thought so too.

Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

2007-01-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

I'm actually on top of things.

I've managed to write on WIP every day, as promised, meeting my daily page total. I'm caught up crits. Even my rewrite for B&B seems to be coming along. And I sent out six queries at the beginning of the week. My house could use a good clean, but I did manage to fold some laundry this morning.

Now, as the afternoon moves on, I wonder when the other shoe will drop. You know that feeling when everything is running too smooth and something must go wrong.

Well, I'm going to dig back in and get as much done as I can before it does.

Music: Hold On To Me - Cowboy Junkies
Mood: Good (but wary)

9,012 / 80,000
(11.3%)

A Brand New Year

2007-01-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

My apologies to both my readers for being so neglectful of my blog recently. I will strive to do better in the coming months.

After all, here it is a brand new year when all things seem possible. When the months stretch out before you and you say to yourself, "This is it, this is the year I finally sell something". The self-doubt demon has been temporarily muzzled by the days and weeks of possibilities ahead. Not that he isn't trying to bring me down, muttering around his confines. "What makes you think this year will be any different?"

And that's really the key question. What will I do differently this year? I could bring out a long, convoluted list of goals and resolutions. That's what I did last year. Some goals I met, some I didn't. More of the latter, sadly. But this year I plan to keep it simple. I have three goals. The first is to write, every day, no excuses. The second is to learn, study the market and explore alternative opportunities to publish. The third is to publish. Now of the three, this third goal I have the least control over. Yet I can't help but feel that by obtaining my first two goals I will certainly increase my odds towards three. That's my theory anyway, and it sounds good so I'm going to go with it.

Anyway, hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Music: Into the Ocean - Blue October
Mood: Up

Catching Up--Again

2006-12-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I last posted. I've been busy, but I've also been a little apathetic to writing in general. I'm not sure if this somehow connected with my decision to get a day job or if it's just a general sense of the blahs.

I find my character development with Blood and Bone to be incredibly weak. I'm mid way through my WIP and I've turned the hero into a big, huge wimp. I don't know why the hell my heroine would want to have anything to do with him 'cause I sure wouldn't. And that agent who requested a full of Witch turned rejected me yesterday.

On the upside, I have a request for a partial from my dream agent, and I haven't heard anything from the publisher who has Living Lies. No news is good news, and it allows me to cling to my delusions a little longer. :-)

That said, I need to give myself a kick in the arse and remember why I wanted to do this in the first place. I think I will take today and try to rediscover the balance between writing the creative outlet and writing the business

Mood: Blah
Music: Roll With It -- Oasis

The Desire to Write

2006-11-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

What’s the difference between someone who wants to be writer and a writer?

Obviously, the difference is the writer writes while the person who wants to talks about it. But this question did get me to thinking. How can some of us have the desire to write, but do nothing about it while others have to write with nearly the same need as breathing?

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met that when they learn I’m a writer tell me that they too have always wanted to write. I ask them why they don’t and they give me their list of excuses. Time being the number one excuse, which irks me to no end. I wrote the first half of Living Lies with a full time job and a new baby. I woke up at five and wrote until seven every morning and then by hand on the commuter train to and from work every day. So no, I don’t have much sympathy for time complaint. The bottom line is if you truly want to write, you’ll write.

The next question I ask is what they would write about. Often they have no idea. This surprises me. For me the desire to write and the idea for a story are so intertwined I couldn’t tell you what drives what. Kind of like the whole chicken and the egg thing. Remember my claim to give up writing a paranormal. That lasted a week until the idea, an idea that wouldn’t leave me alone, came to me. Now I 165 pages in.

That’s not to say there haven’t been times in my life when the desire to write has abandoned me. While I was pregnant I had no interest. (Interesting side note, I also had no desire to read either. Extremely odd for me.) I assumed this was because I felt so lousy, but even after I had DS I had to work at making myself sit in front of the computer or read a book. Eventually, it stopped being work and enjoyed it again.

So what’s my point? If you’re a writer, you’ll have more than the desire to write. You’ll have an idea, usually more than one. You’ll be willing to sacrifice to be able to write. Whether it’s a clean house, television, sleep, ordering dinner instead of cooking (though, to me that’s a sacrifice I could certainly deal with.) only you can decide. But mostly, if you truly have the desire to write, you’ll sit down and write.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancing

Frustrated Rants and Illness

2006-10-31T07:42:00.000-08:00

Today I'm frustrated.

I'm sick. I had a cold last week that I thought was almost gone, but it's returned with a vengeance. So as I move into week two of feeling like a bag of crap, I'm feeling a little sorry for myself.

I'm tired of waiting to hear back on submissions, but I'm tired of being rejected too. There are times when the whole writing process makes me feel like I'm just running on the spot and not getting anywhere. I know it's the waiting that's getting to me, that I need to forget said submissions and just get back to work. But every now and then, I could do with someone throwing me a bone so I could feel like I'm getting somewhere.

And because I didn't have enough rejection in my life I thought I'd get a day job. Trying to get back into the work force after being out of it for a while is not easy. I also realized after the fact that I'd made a typo on my resume for my phone number of all things. Fabulous, huh? Maybe it was my subconscious trying to sabotage me.

Oh well, two more Advil and I'm back to work.

Mood: Grumpy
Music: The Killers-For Reasons Unknown (Is it possible for me to love this song more than When You Were Young? Maybe. Great CD, by the way. I highly recomend it!)

1st Draft

2006-10-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

I find I learn something new with each book that I complete. With my first book, I learned that while it was horrible I could in fact finish something--also I learned I'm not plotter. With my second, I learned to always make sure I have the GMC for my characters in place before I start writing. With my third, I learned not to be intimidated by research. With my fourth, I learned to enjoy the first draft.

I know that sounds like a strange lesson to take from the experience, but while I was reading through B&B I couldn't help but notice how rushed the story was, like I was in big hurry to get to the end. There was a stiffness in my voice as if I was afraid to let go and dig deep into who my characters were.

The beauty of the first draft is it's okay to suck, the only person who will ever read it is me. There is no freer form of writing than a first draft. I don't need worry about things like accurate research or if a line of dialogue will sound cheesy. Those are things I don't have to think about until the second draft.

So as I write my current WIP, I know now to just let loose and throw in everything that comes to mind. I'll fix it later. And when I'm done, hopefully I'll have learned something else.

Mood: Inspired
Music: Blue October - Hate Me

Day Jobs

2006-10-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm officially looking for a day job. With DS at school full time, DH and I feel it's time. While I'm not looking forward to juggling the writing around full time work, I am looking forward to money. And being around real, live people again.

Still, there's a sad part of me that feels a little like I'm giving up. I know intellectually that this is ridiculous. I'm not giving up writing, I couldn't if I wanted to. And hell, I wrote the last half of Living Lies on a commuter train going to and from work right after DS was born. I suppose when I first left the corporate world to stay home with DS, it was with the very romanticized image of me writing one best seller after another while my toddler played happily next to my desk and long line of agents and editors pounded on my front door. But reality is always very different. Still, I'd hoped to be further along the road to publication than I am.

Okay, enough sulking. There is a lot of pluses to working and writing. Now, I'll have a bigger budget to enter contests. And I can buy a new printer!!!! And it's not like I didn't accomplish anything in the past five years. I got up the nerve to join a crit group and learned the art of rewriting. (And to me, rewriting is more challenging than a first draft. A blog for another day.) I've written four full novels. (Okay one was crap and will never see the light of day, but again all a learning experience. :-)) And I feel that I have a much better understanding about market. As the song says, it's a long and winding road.

I sent a full of Witch to that agent. Now begins the waiting. I'm loving my paranormal right now. I'm hesitant to say so for fear of jinxing myself. Always a good sign when you can hardly wait to get back to work on it, though. I'm also reading through Blood and Bone. Man there's a lot of work there. The whole thing feels rushed, and I can not tell you how many scenes I have where nothing really happens. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote some of that.

It's interesting to me, though, that I had the exact opposite problem with Witch. I went into great detail with everything in that book and it ended at more than 550 pages. I cut 150 with little effort, shows you how much was crap, the stuff I did keep was pretty easy to rework because I had so much material left. With B&B I'm going to have to go through and make more happen otherwise it's going to be a pretty dull book. On the upside, the sexual tension is great. At least I have that to work with.

And since I've been reviewing scenes for this story, please allow me to impart a little wisdom that I've gathered. Get rid of anything that takes place in a car. Unless something huge is happening (alien attack, explosion, body being dropped off an over pass--you get the idea), I assure you the scene is going to suck ass and be boring as all get out. Particularly, if it's one person driving and thinking, or two people driving--not at the same time of course--discussing something that happened in the previous chapter and sharing lame looks at each other.

Wow, this has been a long one. I'll post more often in future.

Music: The Killers--Bones

They're Alive!

2006-10-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

At long last the characters in my WIP are coming alive. Honestly, I thought I was losing my touch. Bouncing between the two paranormals, both with flat, lifeless characters, did not bode well. Yesterday, I saw a little glimmer of personality. But today they had arrived. Yay!

Some writer's claim to hear their characters speak to them. I am not of this ilk. For me, it's more like being an observer in my character's life. Like watching a movie in my head. Unfortunately, it took me until chapter 8 for this to happen, but I'll take what I can get.

I've already got some ideas for breathing a little life into my early chapters. Now, I've only made notes for the changes at this point. The mess I made with the beginning of Blood and Bone has taught me not to edit until the book is complete. The self doubt demon is too firmly entrenched on my shoulder during a first draft to be objective. And since I'm a pantser (Someone who writes by the seat of their pants without plotting. Not to be confused with someone pulling down the pants of anyone wearing an elastic waistband .) I can never predict just how the story might evolve.

Off topic; it snowed today. Flurries, no real accumulation, but there's still a few flakes on my lawn. Man, seems a little early for all that.

Mood: Relieved
Music: The Killers - When You Were Young (My absolute favorite song right now.)

Why I Hate My Printer...

2006-10-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

...Let me count the ways.

First, there is the way it goes through toner cartridges in the blink of an eye. It can barely print one full MS without drying up, but when you look at the little gage that tells you how much toner is left, it reads as though there's still close to one third . Then there is the way these toner cartridges cost 50 bucks a pop to replace. When one goes through them quickly, as I tend to do, it can become quite pricey. Then there is the way that it jams at the drop of a hat. If I look at the stupid thing wrong, it jams. Then there is the way that the fax never works properly if I try to send more than three pages at once. And if I want to receive a fax, forget it. It's not going to happen. Then there is the sad truth that I paid 400 bucks for this piece of crap four years ago, but I've seen it advertised for a little more than 100 this year. (Interestingly, only about twenty dollars more than it costs to replace the color and black toners at the same time.)

For all of these reasons, and so many more, if I ever sell a book, I swear I'm going to invest in a decent printer. An HP laser jet. It will not print color, it will not fax, or print photos or do anything else except print perfect pages of text. Ahhh, dare to dream.

Sappy Sentiment Ahead!

2006-10-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend, and so in my rather reflective mood I have been thinking about all the things I'm thankful for.

Top of the list, my sweet, funny DS who is my world and makes me marvel that I helped create someone so special. DH, my partner in life and best friend. My wonderful supportive family. Great friends, both flesh and cyber. A home that I love. Work that is as rewarding as frustrating. Hell, I'm even thankful for my bad dog and neurotic cat.

It's a pretty great life and I'm grateful for all of it!

Just Another Day

2006-10-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Monday I received a request for a full manuscript from an agent I'd queried in September. Yay! So since then I've been tweaking the last two chapters about a million times (I'm exaggerating a little, but not much.) and rereading and printing each chapter out individually so I can be fairly certain there are no mistakes (hopefully).

My house looks like a bomb hit it, the laundry is mounting up with frightening speed and all other writing projects, including my WIP, have been put on hold. Oh, and HellHound got into the garbage this afternoon and scattered it across my kitchen floor.

Just another day.

The Empty Mail Box

2006-09-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

I find that whenever I have submissions out, I become somewhat obsessive about checking my mail. Today I checked it three times before giving up and accepting that there would nothing. Then, at nearly four o'clock, (our mail normally arrives between nine and one) I hear HellHound going ballistic at the front door. I emerged from my office just in time to see the mailman hightailing it away from our porch. (Not that I blame him.) The mail at last. But when I check, all that's there is a bank statement and two fliers. Sigh.

This, of course, begs the question, isn't no news good news where submissions are concerned? And the answer is yes, but I have to admit, the whole hurry-up-and-wait in this business is probably the hardest thing for me to deal with. I can handle the rejections. Don't get me wrong I would much prefer to be offered the contract of my dreams, but one step at a time. Still, I find the months of waiting very frustrating.

I've had a full with an editor since the end of May and really that's not very long. I've heard of writers with submissions at publishers for up to and over a year. That's a lot of empty mail boxes.

Mood: Tired
Music: Diana Krall

New Look for my Blog

2006-09-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

I've been a little scarce this past week while my good friend, Karen from troll-baby, redesigned my blog. And how cool is it now? Karen-should you read this-thank you again. I absolutely love it.

Touch wood, but so far all my appliances are still running. DH managed to fix my washer.

The writing has even picked up. I've gone back to the werewolf paranormal. I know I said was giving that one up, but I was reading the first chapter and I really liked it. So after I read the rest, (it was over 200 pages and I hated to walk away from that) the problem suddenly became very clear. I've been reworking the earlier scenes and so far so good.

Received a rejection from an agent on a partial for Witch, but I promptly sent out a new query. I wish more agents and editors accepted equeries. Besides the expense of snail mail, the process via email is so much faster.

Okay, I would like to play here all day, but I must get to work. Besides, we're out of coffee this morning which mean a trip to Tim's. No coffee makes for a very grouchy Dawn!

Mood: So Good

Sit Down and Write

2006-09-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

There are days when writing comes easy, when the words flood my head so fast my fingers can't keep up. On these days I marvel at my own brilliance, interruptions make me want to commit murder via dirty look and I don't care if Lost is a new episode or not. These are good days.

Sadly, they're a rarity.

On the other end of the spectrum are the days when coming up with a single paragraph takes two hours. (And it's crap, anyways!) On these days I change my CDs frequently, cut my toe nails, respond with freakish speed to email. By the time I pick DS up from school, I'm lucky if I've managed to finish my pages for my WIP. Never mind rewriting or crits. These are the days that muse mocks the loudest from his bar stool and the demon, self-doubt, is perched quite comfortably on my shoulder.

Fortunately, days like this are a rarity also. Usually, I sit somewhere in the middle.

Interestingly, when I'm rewriting, and I remember my state of mind while I'd been writing the first draft, I've noticed the passages that had been like pulling teeth (I know cliche, but it's a blog. Gimme a friggin' break.) actually read much smoother and require less work the second time around.

So my point--and I am making one--is that no matter how much what your writing seems like the worst drivel to ever be born, you never know what a little time and perspective can do. In the end, sit down and write. You can make it good later.

Mood: Up
Music: Annie Lennox - Bare

It Happens in Threes

2006-09-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

So yesterday my microwave died. Shoved in a bag of popcorn (really, our microwave is just a big expensive popcorn maker--or was) turned it on, it went for a couple of minutes and then just completely shut down as if someone had pulled a plug. No one did, I checked. Not a big deal, right? Hell, it was probably over ten years old. I don't use it all that often and it's pretty inexpensive to replace.

Today, however, my washing machine is acting up. It's one of those front load washers. Anyway, it's not draining. I've been all through the house trying to find my warranty--which, of course, I can't because fate hates me. I can find warranties to VCRs we no longer own, but I can't find the one I need. Hopefully, DH will be able to fix it tonight when he gets home.

So my microwave is done, my washer needs repair, that leaves room for one more appliance. What will it be? Whatever it is I'm sure it will be expensive. (After all, I've been caught up on my bills for an entire five days. Of course something horribly expensive would go wrong.)

Okay, I'll stop my bitching and moaning. So this week I thought I'd try the whole book-in-a-week thang. Because I don't rewrite or research until the end of the book, I thought this might be an interesting exercise for me to try. Both my crit groups had slowed down, DS is in school all day, and I haven't started Blood and Bone's rewrite. So this week should have been a good week to do it. And in fairness, until today I was doing pretty good. I'd already surpassed what I normally do in a week and it's only Wednesday. Today, though, is a write-off. I'm too wrapped up in my washer and just plain old pissed off.

Days like this there seems to be a certain futility to the idea of being a writer. I feel a little like a hamster running in a wheel. I'm running as fast as I can, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. I know I'm just feeling sorry for myself, but I can't help it today. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

The Silver Teapot

2006-09-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

I am completely addicted to tea. After spending most of the summer gulping down various green teas (the lime being my favorite), I am now hooked chi spice black tea and ginger lemon twist. Both are delish! Due to this relatively new preoccupation, I decided what I needed was a tea pot. My last one broke years ago and I had never replaced it. Anyway, I was in a little store a while back and came across a silver tea pot exactly like my grandmother had. It's not fancy or terribly pretty. It's a squat little thing with a long spout and wood handle, but my Nana'a always brewed a mean pot of tea. And to my delight, it only cost twenty-five bucks. (Unpublished writer=broke most of the time.) Obviously, I bought the little tea pot and made it mine. My Nana died two years ago. We were close and I miss her very much, but I'm not by nature a sentimental person. So it's interesting to me how something as simple as plain silver tea pot can make feel oddly comforted. Why analyze? I think I'll just sit back, think of Nana and enjoy my tea.

Four out of Five Aint Bad

2006-09-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

So last week I recevied a rejection from an agent who said, among other equally unflattering things, that my writing was just not that engaging. Ouch! A simple no thank you would have sufficed. But instead of sulking like I wanted to, I sent out five queries that day. So far, I've heard back from four, all requesting partials. So yay me!

Also I suppose I will never learn. Just when I had intended to give up on the idea of a paranormal, what do I do? I come with an idea for one. But no, says I, I don't want to write a paranormal. I'm going back to Romantic Suspense. I should never have deviated from my sub-genre. But this idea wouldn't let me sleep. The idea kept growing, the characters and all their background just seemed to pop into my head with such frightening ease. What choice did I have, really? So I shall write the paranormal as I develope ideas for my next rom/sus. At least that's the plan. We'll have to wait to see how it goes.

My friend also told me I need to update my blog regularily. Everyday or, at the very least, three times a week. I don't know if I have that much to say.

Their Eyes Follow You Where Ever You Go

2006-08-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

As promised. The thrilling details of my vacation.

Let's see, my mom, brother, his wife, myself, dh and ds, two good size dogs in a small three bedroom cottage that stunk of mothballs. What could possibly go wrong?

Actually, it wasn't as bad as it sounds, the deck, dock and swimming were lovely. The view was gorgeous and except for one day of rain the weather was pretty good too. Inside the cottage, it did reek of mothballs to the point where I got headache the day it rained. Oh, I had a wisdom tooth start to come in and abscess while we were there too. That kind of sucked. (The dentists is threatening to take it out, but I've stalled him off to the middle of September. Maybe it will come in the rest of the way without further incident by then. Stop snickering, he said he'd have to cut bone to get it out. BONE!)

We also had some interesting companions in the living room. I guess whoever owned the place was a hunter, or taxidermist. There was a big stuffed dear head on the wall, along with some animal skins, and stuffed goose and a stuffed fox in the rafters. Very creepy. But the weirdest thing was two stuffed squirrels on a shelf in the corner.

Now, I get the whole hunter stuffing his kill--actually, I don't really. I don't agree with hunting at all, but that's me. Still, I suppose I can see how someone would mount a deer head, but a squirrel? Honestly, who stuffs a squirrel. Weird.

Anyway, once I figure out how, I'll post the pictures. So both my readers can enjoy the creepiness.

Catching Up

2006-08-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I've been a tad neglectful of the blog. Again, I'm sure both my readers are devastated.

As for my happy news about Berkley, it was short lived. I received a rejection about two weeks after sending in my MS. Though, I suspect the package might have been damaged in the mail and that may have played a role in such a prompt rejection. Not that I can't get rejected on my own merit-- and I have the ever thickening file to prove it--but shortly after sending out the MS the empty SASE turned up in my mailbox unused and with no post mark. So who can say for sure. It's just one of those great unsolved mysteries I suppose.

But the story does not end there. Two weeks later, I received and email from another publisher requesting a full. Yay! Interestingly, the same publisher that I forgot to include my SASE in with the submission package. (See Stupidity and Submissions) Funny, huh?

I've given up on my paranormal. While I generally don't advocate walking away from a project midway through, I think in this case it sucked. Not just the whole self-doubt I'm-a-craptastic-hack-whatever-made-me-think-I-could-be-writer sucked, but REEAALLLY not good. Even Muse looked at me dumb founded. I think the whole experience was a lesson in recognizing one's limitations. Werewolf romance stories are just not for me. I need to stick to the whole spooky romantic mystery thing. And I've started a new one inspired in part from my recent trip to the cottage.

I'll go into detail about that later, and if I can figure out how to attach pictures, I'll do that too. It's getting late and I still have chapters to read for Witch.

Finally!!!

2006-05-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

At last I have opened my mail to something other than a rejection. I've had a request for a full manuscript, and from Berkley/Jove. I can hardly believe it. This is for Living Lies which I was three submissions away from retiring to 'the drawer'.

I submitted a partial to them about six months ago and had pretty much given up the idea of hearing from. (Postage rate changes rendered my SASE useless.) Yet sure enough there in my mailbox is said SASE. Inside, a letter composed of only two lines--interestingly shorter than most rejections I've received.

Mood: Ecstatic

Rejections and Sword Fights

2006-04-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

Received another rejection yesterday. After reading it, my five-year-old asked what it was, and I explained that the letter was from someone who didn't want my book. He then asked what the book was about. I told him it was about people solving a mystery. Since he equates all mystery-solving with Scooby-Doo, he was suitably impressed.

Then he asked, "Does your book have any sword fights."

"No," I told him. "No sword fighting."

"People like sword fighting. You should put a sword fight in your book."

I thanked him for his advice and giggled to myself after he left the room. But let's face it, at this stage of the game I'm willing to try just about anything. So I started toying with fitting a sword fight into the paranormal I'm writing.

Now wouldn't it be terribly funny if that was the book that sold?

Mood: Up
Music: The Arcade Fire

Neglecting the Blog

2006-04-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been a little out of touch. I'm sure both my readers are devastated.

Busy week so far. I finished Dark Water (or Blood and Bone as I'm likely to re-title it) on Friday. Started my first attempt at a paranormal on Monday. So far so good, though I'm only 20 pages in. Also followed up with the Knight Agency about the Partial I sent them for Living Lies. I should have an answer with in the week.

Rewriting Witch continues, albeit slowly. I'm stuck on chapter 14. To delete, or not to delete. That is the question. Reading thru it, I can't help but wonder if I'd been watching too many Flip This House type shows when I wrote that scene. Oh, well, tomorrow is another day.

Mood: Mellow

Stupidity and Submissions

2006-04-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

I want to swear. I want to curse in big tall caps. Today I sent out a partial for Living Lies. (I received a rejection Friday so I had to send out a new query. I usually have about five out at a time. For every rejection I get, I send out a new query. It's my own strange, little system, pay me no mind.)

So after battling my piece-of-crap printer until I have something clear and legible, I finally put the package together and drop it in the mailbox. There, all done. But when I get back to my desk, I find the SASE sitting next to my keyboard instead of in the envelope I just mailed.

Now in the grand scheme of things this is not the end of the world. If the editor would like to read more of the book, they could certainly contact me through some alternate means of communication. If they don't, well after a length of time I would assume the work had been rejected. And with my mounting pile of rejection letters there is a certain level of expectation that this will be the end result, anyway.

What truly bothers about the situation is that when said editor receives my little package and realizes that I have neglected to include a SASE they'll think that A) I am an idiot and can not read or follow basic instructions. --Granted, not including the SASE certainly doesn't make me a genius.-- or B) I just couldn't be bothered to read or comprehend the basic instructions. Either way, not my finest moment.

Mood: Grrr!
Music: None

The Muse

2006-04-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

As any writer who’s been at it longer than five minutes will tell you, divine inspiration is wonderful, but the only thing that gets the book written is planting your butt in the seat and keeping it there.

Still, I have a muse. A lot of writers do. And while traditionally most muses are women, mine is a man. I would like to say that my muse is a beautiful Adonis, lounging about my brain on silk and velvet pillows, dressed in some sort of loincloth. He smiles and says encouraging things, cheering me on. But, alas, my reality is quite different.

My muse can only be found in an empty pub, the late afternoon sun pouring in the windows and glinting off the beer bottle clutched in his fist. He might be attractive, but in all honesty I can’t see his features through the perpetual cloud of blue-gray cigarette smoke, clinging to him.

For the most part, Muse laughs and heckles me from his barstool. He shouts things like, "You talentless hack!" Or the slightly less original, "You suck!" I do my best to ignore him, responding occasionally with an, "I don’t need you, anyway." Or the slightly less original, "Shut up!"

But sometimes I throw my hands up and say, "You’re right. I do suck. I am a talentless hack!" Then, just when I’m about to give up and forget that I ever wanted to be a writer, Muse winks, stubs out his cigarette and leans forward.

Oh, the wonderful things he whispers.

Well folks, welcome to my head...

2006-03-30T07:13:00.000-08:00

...It's chaotic, jumbled and endlessly amusing--at least to me.

I'm a romantic suspense writer--that's what I do for living, but as I'm unpublished the pay isn't all that great. I'm about sixty pages away from completing my third manuscript, rewriting my second and trying to sell my first. (And when I say trying to sell, what that actually mean is collecting a wide array of rejection letters :-))

I'm also a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I have an evil dog I call Hell Hound and a very stressed out cat. I live in a rambling house, one hundred years old with a leaky roof and sloping floors. All of this makes for a whole lot of crazy, but I'm sure one day I'll look back and laugh. Right?

Today my little guy is at school so I should be hard at work. I owe myself five pages for my WIP and I need to finish rewriting chapter 11 for The Witch's Stone. Instead, though, I'm starting a blog. Ah, glorious procrastination. But seriously one more cup of coffee then I'm back to work.