Ick, I'm Sick

No blog today
I'm sad to say
I'm awfully sick
And so I pick
To stay away

This Is How I Know I'm Dieting

I've been thinking about cupcakes and how wonderful they are. I mean, the very idea of a cupcake is delightful. A tiny cake that's just for you! Cake is fabulous, but there's so much of it (and you know I'm going to eat it if it's in the house). A cupcake is a single serving of iced deliciousness. You can eat the whole thing without anyone looking at you like you're a piglet. You're supposed to eat the whole cupcake!

Cupcakes seem very hip right now. They're everywhere - baby showers, weddings - not just kid's parties any more. I declare cupcakes the official baked good of spring! Go out and devour!

What's your favorite kind of cupcake?

Hot Shoes For Summer

These Steve Madden wedges with the raffia covered heel are super cute, plus they come in a bunch of solid colors too. A slingback wedge - you can't get much more current than that!

These crazy Hale Bob wedge sandals are not for the timid - from their jeweled buckle to the fabric roses covered platform to the metallic leather straps, they're in your face from the start. Tons of fun, though!

These sexy slingbacks by Oh Deer also showcase the use of metallics with a hint of gold in the woven leather uppers. The cork heels really give them that summer feel, too. I really like these! Would you wear any of them? What's your fun summer shoe style?

The Day After

So the GH and RITA finalists have been announced. I haven't seen a complete list yet, but I know very few of the writers/authors I was rooting for made it. Disappointing, really. There are so many good books and great storytellers that get passed over. I know, I know, not everyone can be a finalist. (I didn't enter this year, so this isn't sour grapes, just an observation.)

For those of you who didn't get the call, my heart goes out to you. It sucks. I know from experience since the manuscript that finaled in the GH last year was the very same one that didn't final the year before. Hey, contests like this, regardless of writing, regardless of whatever secrecy is supposed to go into the judging, are really part crapshoot and part popularity contest. Google makes it possible for any interested judge to potentially find out who wrote the GH manuscript they're reading. (Heck, some people put their names on them to begin with!)

What I find interesting is that with the plethora of ebooks entered in the RITAs since this was the first year that was possible (they still had to be printed hardcopies in some fashion), none showed up on the RITA finalist list. If they did, I didn't see them. Please correct me if you know differently.

There are certain names I'll be rooting for in San Fran, but I don't want to list them in case I forget someone. You know who you are.

GH & RITA Day is here!

Today is the day the Golden Heart and RITA finalist calls go out. It's an exciting, nerve-wracking, awful, wonderful day. I know. I've been there the last three years. Thankfully, not this year. Being a two-time finalist was great, but enough was enough.

Now I am content to cheer on my friends. There are many I am hoping and praying get that call today. Best wishes! You know who you are!

And if the call doesn't come, so what. You're still the best bunch of writers I know. (And trust me, judges make mistakes. A LOT.)

Monday Stuff

First of all, there is no story about the squirrel in the hat. I just thought he was cute and dapper and would make Monday a little more fun.

So what's going on today?

Well, Julie Leto is going nuts (hey, that ties in with the squirrel pic after all!) over at www.plotmonkeys.com by posting an excerpt a day for seven days and giving away a Borders/Amazongift card for $20 to anyone who posts a comment. That's seven winners! Totally cool - and a great way to get a sneak peek at a book that is sure to be The Awesome.

Also, big shout out to Dayna Hart for having her baby! Yay! And congrats! I think she was pregnant for like 13 months.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. I'm happy to say that despite eating three white chocolate cannolis, I am still down a pound. Now I'm off to commune with my elliptical so that fact remains true. Then I'm going to finish some hard copy edits and start typing them in. Lots to do. Have a great Monday! What are you working on?

Writing Day

Today I'm going to focus wholeheartedly on something that too often gets short shrift in my ordinary day: writing. I've already vacuumed and worked out, so there really are few other chores that can distract me.

I'm going to post this blog, deal with email, then I'm off to write. Well, I'm editing, but it's the same idea. I've got a drink on my desk, there's a nice breeze coming through the open window and I'm full of purpose. Sounds good, huh? Let's hope it's a very productive day. Have a great writing day yourself!

It's That Time of Year!

Spring is great, isn't it? Makes you want to clean out your house, turns your thoughts to new possibilities in your life, and reminds you that summer will be here before you know it. Summer. And swimsuit season.

It's that time of year when everyone starts to think about dieting. At least, most everyone I know - including me (and Hotrod). I've been faithfully working out and watching my food for about a week now and I know it's the right thing to do. I just wish losing weight was as easy as gaining it. *sigh* Of course, Hotrod just made the decision to lose weight and six pounds fell off him. Men.

Besides my daily time on the elliptical, Hotrod and I have started shooting hoops at the park (it's a five minute walk from where we live) which is a great way to burn some calories and spend time with each other.

Who else is working on reducing? How are you doing it? What's your favorite way to exercise?

*Yawn*

I was up late last night, later than usual anyway, because we had a wrap-up meeting to discuss our chapter's contest. The turn-out was heartening. We had the largest group ever and it gives me hope. Our chapter's contest is pretty amazing - we had 15 agent/editor requests come from it last year - one resulted in a sale and one resulted in someone signing with an agent. That's pretty awesome, wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, the contest is also our only fundraiser for the chapter so it's truly an important event. Of course, like most chapter-related things, volunteers can be hard to come by. What does your chapter do to encourage volunteers? I'd love any tips or ideas you'd like to share. And if you're interested in being a judge for this contest, let me know! We always need more of those.

Check It Out!

Hey y'all, Jax's first print book is out today! Can I get woohoo? Why not treat yourself and support a struggling writer. lol Honestly, buying her book would be a great way to not only support her but to also show your love for Romance Divas since Jax is my co-founder at that fabulous site. Oh - and don't forget to leave some lovely reviews at Barnes and Noble and Amazon when you're done, okay? We gotta get our girl some buzz!

In other news, did anyone catch Priscilla Presley on Dancing with the Stars last night? She didn't actually dance since last night was just the guys, but wow - does she have any functioning facial muscles left or have they all been sutured into submission? Yikes. She used to be hot. Now she looks like the Goth High Priestest of Botox.

Pay attention, kittens. This is a prime example of what not to do! Seriously. Okay, I'm off to fight aging in my own way. On the elliptical. Smooches!

Addictions

I have a very addictive personality. I know that about myself. I become addicted to things easily. For example, I had to uninstall Sims from my computer because I played it constantly. Five to six hours straight at times. Finally, I came to my senses, said enough is enough and uninstalled it. That's really the best way for me - cold turkey. There are some addictions I have no intention of giving up, however.

1. Shopping - Love it. Even if I don't buy anything, I love to see what's new.
2. Shoes - A subset of shopping really, but it's enough of an addiction that it deserves mentioning.
3. My cats - I adore them. I'm addicted to taking pictures of them, addicted to their silliness, their cuteness, the need to groom them like I'm their birth mother.
4. Reading - I would quite often rather read than write. It's true. Reading is an escape and one I crave.
5. Food - Okay, this is one I could do without. It's a constant battle. Why could I be addicted to working out? I know, I know, everything in moderation.
6. The Internet - Good or bad, depending on how you look at it. I love web surfing! This is probably why I'm not addicted to exercise. lol

What are you addicted to?

Fun Idea!

How many times have you been stuck for the right "thing" to send for someone's birthday or to say thanks or welcome a new baby? There are tons of occassions where a card just isn't enough. Well, check this out: Send A Ball

Basically, you send a 10 inch inflated ball through the mail with your message on it. Just like that! No box, no wrapper, just a big old colorful ball. Fun!

You know whoever you send one to is going to play with it, even if they tell you they didn't. lol

Notice Anything Different?

I've done some redecorating. You like? Comments?

Seriously, it was time.

Big, BIG Party & A Shout Out

Today is a magical day in blogger land! It's the one year anniversary of Publisher Weekly blogger Barbara Vey's Beyond Her Book blog! There are going to be giveaways galore - too numerous to mention really. Stop by and leave a comment to get your name in the hat. Don't forget to wish her happy anniversary! Barbara is lovely woman with a hugely generous spirit and a real love a romance. Definitely the kind of blogger we want to see around for many more years to come.

Now for the shout out to fab author and friend PC Cast on CHOSEN hitting the New York Times bestseller list! Way to go, PC and Kristin cast! This mother-daughter co-written YA series is smoking hot! Not to mention, the covers are magically delicious. Some how, PC always seems to end up with the kind of covers other authors only dream about.

And in other news, I am still not the high price hooker who brought down Governor Spitzer, no matter how many ways you google it. Seriously. Isn't that kind of yesterday's news anyway? Go feed your cat already.

I Am Not A High-Priced Hooker

The hits on my blog lately have been off the charts. At first, I couldn't figure it out, but now I know why. It's all you gossip mongers looking for the call girl known as Kristen who's involved in this whole governor of New York scandal.

I'll be perfectly honest. I had never even heard of Spitzer or Spritzer or Zitzer or sleezebag or whatever his name is until this whole thing happened.

Now that you're here and you know I'm not that Kristen, that I'm not the high price hooker you're looking for (nor have I ever been - sorry to disappoint), why don't you do something more worthwhile with your time than endless googling about a story that has already gotten way too much coverage. Go read a book. Or read a book to a kid. Or better yet, donate some money so a bunch of kids can get some books of their very own. Seriously. You know it's the right thing to do.

Then take a shower. You're starting to smell.

Blog Round-Up

Win a copy of this ARC just by leaving a comment! Click here. You're welcome. Oh - you've only got until midnight tonight, so hurry up!

Best post ever on the human nature of writers and women. Read it. Own it. Strive to get over it.

Why do you write the creatures you do? A bunch of paranormal authors answer that question.

An agent talks about websites! So timely, considering I've been pondering this a bit myself lately. (Erica! This is for you!)

What interesting blogs have you been to today?

I Can Has Shadow?

Today I am being "career shadowed" by a local high school student who wants to become a writer. I'd add "like me", but after spending the day with me, that may not be true. *insert self-deprecating laugh here*

If she doesn't run screaming in the first five minutes, we'll talk about writing, do some writing, then go have lunch with some of my other writer friends, where - I imagine - we'll talk about writing some more. She's also going to attend a local chapter meeting with me on Saturday where I'll be speaking about dealing with rejection and the path to getting an agent. Riveting stuff, I assure you.

What advice would you like to pass on to this young aspiring author? Any pearls of wisdom you wish someone had given you when you were getting started? Let me know and I'll pass them on.

Free Reads

Dear Author recently talked about the various publishers who are giving away free ebooks and wondered if the romance genre shouldn't jump on that wagon too.

The idea of free books as promotion interests me greatly. It's something I've thought about doing - although not for promotion so much as for giving my seemingly unpublishable books a new life. While I wouldn't giveaway something I thought was absolulte dreck, I might give away a book that I love but is in a sub-genre I'm probably not going to write anymore. I'd also give it away with the disclaimer that it hadn't been through professional edits.

At Romance Divas, we've been doing an annual free ereads program for two years. We usually do it around Valentine's Day. The stories offer are the author's choice. Anything goes, any heat level, any genre, any idea. They're free and with that comes a sort of freeness in the writing. More than once those free reads have resulted in a publishing contract as a result of an editor reading the story and wanting to put out an expanded version. It's an interesting event.

Anyway, what do you think about free reads as promotion? Would it interest you to read an old story of mine? (I'd like to add, it was a GH finalist.) Would you ever consider offering a free book of your own?

Bonus: Noah Lukeman (author of The First Five Pages, The Plot Thickens and A Dash of Style) has decided to make his e-book HOW TO WRITE A GREAT QUERY LETTER free, as a way to give back to the writing community. Get it here: http://www.lukeman. com/greatquery/download.htm

TGIF

Ahhhh...Friday! I like Friday. Means Saturday is just around the corner. lol Of course, when you work from home like Hotrod and I do, weekends aren't quite the same.

Still, there's a slightly more relaxed feeling to a Saturday than any other day of the week. I'm thinking I might try to get a massage. There's been more stress than usual this month and more to come with the amount of work still before me. I'd get one today but I have to pick Hotrod up at the airport.

Do you get massages? How often? Or is there something else you do to de-stress?

Project Finito and Other Stuff

Today's breakfast: cantaloupe

* Project Runway is over and out. Christian won. Which was basically a meh ending for me. Jillian's collection reminded me of her personality - underwhelming. Rami actually showed some very nice dresses, both short and long. He knows how to dress women and that's important. A point for him for NOT showing the puffy coat. Christian's collection was black, black, black, black, touch of beige, touch of darker beige, black, black and beige with feathers. My issue with his collections are A. it's almost entirely unwearable in real life and B. it's designed for a model body type, not a real women. That doesn't deserve to win, IMO. I'm surprised I'm about to say this, but my vote would have gone to Rami. Even Jillian's was at least wearable. Ugh. I'm over it.

* Islands of Adventure was So Much Fun. Hotrod and I screamed like girls on the Hulk (okay, I screamed like a girl, him not so much), had lunch at Mythos, our favorite restaurant in the park (shout out to Daniel, the manager!), saw a show, people watched, did the Spiderman ride (FAB!), bought a t-shirt, blah, blah, blah. We finished up the day with a yummy cheeseburger at Margaritaville, then I dropped him off at the airport and came home.

* I stayed up l.a.t.e. and finished Hit Reply by Roxanne St. Claire. Wow. Amazing. You need to read this book. You'll be shocked at how a collection of emails and IMs will draw you in and hang on to you! This one goes on my keeper shelf and girlfriend, there are not that many books on that shelf if you get my drift.

*So much work to do today! Send me some productive vibes, will ya?

*Almost forgot to add: Congrats to my bro and his wife on their new son, kidlet #3, born yesterday! I'm so glad they decided to procreate like rabbits. Totally takes the heat off me.

Last Day Of Fun

Today is my last day of fun for awhile, due to my nutso schedule. We're off to Universal Studio's other theme park, Islands of Adventure. I like IA because Spiderman is there and I've had a crush on him since I was a kid. (Not the whole movie Spiderman, I'm talking comic books - the original webslinger.)

Anyway, I should be up and moving but I made the "mistake" of starting a book right before bed last night that kept me reading way longer than I should have. It's a rare book, one that is probably hard to get your hands on, but I happen to have a copy of it. I've had it for a year or two, actually, and it's just sat in my TBR pile...waiting. Then, last night, I picked it up and read straight through to page 180 almost without stopping to breathe!

What is this book, you ask? It's called HIT REPLY by Rocki St. Claire. The kicker? It's written entirely in emails and IM messages. A-Mazing. If you can find this book, you should pick up a copy. Talk about innovative fiction!

Now I'm off to caffienate myself. What are you doing today?

Where Did Yesterday Go?

Today's breakfast: Mango smoothie

Yesterday flew by. I mean, FLEW. I had so much going on that it was 10 PM before I stopped doing "stuff" and just sat on the couch and vegged. Wow. Those kind of days I could do without. Unfortunately, there are a lot of those days in store for me this month.

* Happy birthday to my mom! She's in her mid-60's but she looks phenomenal. I hope I age that well. I love you, mom! Thanks for instilling in me the love of reading and the belief that anything is achievable if you put in the work. And for teaching me to shop. *grin* Make dad do all the work today.

*Dear Author recently asked what books you might be anticipating - good question! For me, one of the books I'm most eager to get my hands on is Roxanne St. Claire's First You Run. It's the start of a brand new Bullet Catcher trilogy with a storyline that arcs over the entire trilogy. Fortunately, the books are all being released within six months, so no waiting a year between them to find out what's going on! Should be an awesome, awesome series. I'm really excited to get my copy on March 25th and commence reading. By then, some of my workload will be behind me.

How about you? What books are you looking forward to?

In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb

Today's breakfast: Oatmeal with fresh strawberries

Is that the saying for March? I'm not sure. Living in Florida makes you a little less aware of the seasons, although the weather has been beautiful here. Hotrod and I call this our "Hawaii season" because the temperature is so nice we just open all the doors and windows and let the breezes fill the house.

Speaking of Hawaii, Hotrod and I are headed back there in about six weeks, which means I am diet panic mode. Maybe not full on, but I've gotten my butt on the elliptical pretty regularly lately and I'm slowly taking longer looks at what I'm eating. Not that I eat that bad, but everything counts. And it doesn't get any easier as the years roll past.

My To Do list is so long and so overwhelming this month, I won't share it because it would probably make you weep. I know it does me. Suffice it to say, there is little time for fun this month. Starting right after Wednesday, when we're off to Universal Studios to enjoy it while the weather is delicious and the crowds are light.

My mini-goal for the day: write 2 pages. Easy to achieve and I often do more. It's my way of tricking myself into writing. What's on your plate today?

CATURDAY!

Today's breakfast: Not sure, but I really want pancakes.

This Caturday our theme is helpfulness. These area just a few of the ways my cats are helpful. Or devious. Or scornful. Those all kinda work. They help "edit" my work.
They make sure my shoes have the proper number of cat bites on them. (Important in catland, apparently.)
They remind me there's no need to look at other cats online when they are right here, ready to be loved and adored in person.

How are your cats helpful?