New Year's Eve!

Hotrod and I will ringing in the New Year this evening with my parents and a lovely Italian family that we're all friends with. The food alone will be worth celebrating. I'm sure there will be much laughter and chaos like any good gathering of a large group of pisans.

How are you spending the evening?

Have a fun, safe time, whatever you do and wherever you go!

Did you know?

I now have a fan page on Facebook. I know, you're thrilled aren't you? Well, feign interest for my sake, would ya? lol

I'll be running some exclusive contests on that page as the release of my Orbit books approaches, so if you're interesting in becoming a "fan" (man, that sounds weird) you can find me here.

What's new in your world?

Goals

I'm over at Fictionistas today talking about what goals are, how important goals are and about my goals for 2010. Come chat!

Call for submissions!

This just in from my friend, Marley, one of the authors of the Christmas Miracles book:

The Christmas Spirit the sequel to the wildly successful "Christmas Miracles" book. This new project is a book that we have contracted with St. Martin's Press for the fall of 2011. However, the completed manuscript is due in the spring of 2010. Bestselling author, Debbie Macomber, has agreed to write the foreword.

We seek true stories that emphasize the significance of the Christmas season. So often, we get caught up in the busy-ness of the season—the shopping, the family drama, and the event planning—that we lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Sometimes, through God's grace or what some call a twist of fate, we're able to step back and grasp the real meaning of Christmas and our lives are enriched. These are the kind of stories we are seeking.

http://www.christmasspiritbook.com/

Thanks so much!
Marley = )

Caturday

Laser cat dares the hoomans to take his box away. Also, they should stop laughing. He fits just fine.

December 25th!

Merry Christmas!
May you have a blessed day surrounded by those you love.

Christmas Lolcats - Day Four

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Christmas Lolcats - Day Three

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Christmas Lolcats - Day Two

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Christmas Lolcats - Day One

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Caturday - the Christmas edition

Santa?

Free read!

My friend and fellow Fictionista is giving away a free read. Check out the first chapter here!

I'm thinking about doing a free read as part of the incentive to sign up for my newsletter. What do you think? Do you like free reads? Do you read them?

Best Gifts

I'm over at the Samhellion today talking about memorable Christmas gifts. Stop by, read about one of mine, then tell me yours!

Awesome workshop!

January 18, 2010 Self Editing Workshop by Angela James at ESPAN!

Check it out and register here: http://espan-rwa.com/workshops/

Join Angela James as she shares some of the common pitfalls she’s seen in submissions and contest entries. She’ll give you ideas, tips and tricks for polishing and self-editing your manuscript. Discuss things such as dialogue tags, whether all forms of “to be” really are evil and just what you’re doing to your life expectancy with your use of that exclamation point. Through it all, she’ll be available for clarification and questions in order to help you on your way to a cleaned-up manuscript.

This course will run over several days on the ESPAN forum, so you can pop in and out as needed to ask Angela questions or see the new information she’s posted. So, you don’t need to be available at any certain time of day, but you do need to sign up for the course to attend.

The course will be $5 for ESPAN RWA members, $10 for non-ESPAN RWA Members and $15 for non-RWA - what a bargain!

Best Christmas decoration ever!

I'm over at Fictionistas today showing off the best Christmas decoration ever. You've got to see it!

Yep. It's Monday.

Actually, I have to acknowledge today because I have a lot of work to be done. Like printing out all 103,150 words of my draft, reading through them and marking them up with whatever necessary changes they need. Granted, I won't read through the whole thing today, but I hope to get through at least 150 pages.

First, I have to go buy paper. Hard to print something when you're out of that little item.

What are you working on this *fine* Monday?

Caturday - the Christmas edition

Really, who needs ornaments?

What cute looks like

One of my nieces in the Halloween outfit I got her. How much do you love the wig? Seriously, isn't she so cute your back teeth ache?

They like me, they really like me!

All Fired Up just got another wonderful review! Check it out here.

You can read an excerpt of the book (and find the buy link) here, if you're interested. It's also available on Kindle here.

Today is a good day.

Wednesday is for readers

I've been so caught up in writing that I haven't been doing much reading lately. I'd like to, but reading and writing don't always go hand-in-hand for me. And I especially can't read in the genre I'm writing - I think a lot of writers feel this way.

So tell me what you're reading and maybe I'll find something new to tempt me!

Entertain yourselves

Have you played this crazy Christmas game yet? Head over to Fictionistas to see what I'm talking about.

Eight years ago today

I realize today is Pearl Harbor Day.

It is also our wedding anniversary. Hotrod thought December 7th would be an easy day for him to remember as it's a date so closely linked to the formation of the Air Force.

So far, so good.

For our anniversary present, we bought ourselves a Wii. Tons of fun!

And I couldn't ask for a better husband. He's sweet, supportive, does chores without having to be asked, funny, loving and my best friend. I love that man!

Caturday!

Proof that cats can sleep anywhere.

An Open Letter To Pets

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain
your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food.
Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a
claim for its becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically
pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.
Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because
I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about
this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your
comfort, however.. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they
sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched
out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails
straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize
space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some
miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not
necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under
the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door
I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline
attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog
or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the
front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:
(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.
That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who
are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
(1) eat less,
(2) don't ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,
(6) don't smoke or drink,
(7) don't want to wear your clothes,
(8) don't have to buy the latest fashions,
(9) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and
(10) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children ...

Love/Hate Relationships

At this time in my life, I don't work out like I should. (I sit in a chair all day. I really need to move more.) I'm well aware of that. However, there have been other times in my life when I probably worked out more than I needed to.

Unfortunately, you can't "save up" extra exercising.

So at some point today, I will be dragging myself upstairs to our home gym and spending some quality time on the elliptical. I may even get crazy and lift some weights. I know I'll feel great when it's over, but until then...

I wish I could hire someone to work out for me. The Wii fit makes it look so easy. Maybe I should buy that. Anyone have that? Is exercising more fun with the Wii? I know, I'm stalling now.

Must go sweat. What exercising do you do?

Head Hopping, Or Why Some Books Make Me Crazy

More and more I think being a writer can ruin the reader experience. Like most writers, I don't just read any more. I read and edit. And I'm not talking about my own work.

I rewrite sentences in my head, wonder about word choices, marvel at a deft turn of a phrase. If you're a writer, you're probably nodding your head because you do this too.

The thing that trips me up is shifting POV. Otherwise known as head hopping. Nothing ruins a book faster for me than going from one POV to another with every other paragraph. It is my ultimate pet peeve.

Does head hopping bother you or can you forgive it? If so, under what circumstances?

The Right Gift

I'm at Fictionistas today talking about the hard people to shop for. Who's yours? Come tell me here.

A slightly different Monday

Hotrod is having his knee scoped today. Not sure how long he'll be out of commission recovery-wise, but I'm sure it will involve me making at least one trip to Steak-n-Shake for medicinal purposes.

In other news, the fabulous Roxanne St. Claire is celebrating a birthday today! If you don't follow her on Twitter, you should. Find her here: http://twitter.com/roxannestclaire

Have a great Monday!

Caturday!

Another victim of Too Much Turkey syndrome.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm taking a few days off from blogging to concentrate on writing and spending time with family, so let me take this opportunity to say Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for all my blog readers and wish you a wonderful, safe holiday.

Black Friday

I'm over at the Fictionistas today talking about Black Friday. Do you shop on that day or not? Come spill!

Monday. Do. Not. Want.

I can't believe it's Monday already. I have so much to do! I need today to be twice as long. Or I need to work twice as fast (not so sure that's going to happen.)

There's a hair appt to get to that never happened on Friday as scheduled, a final Thanksgiving grocery store run, many many pages to be written, galleys to be dealt with, etc. etc.

Must get to work! What's on your schedule today?

Caturday!

Reading books in bed...er, making books into a bed.

Just saying

After this statement by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers about the Harlequin debacle, I will be joining today. I was a little unsure whether I should or not, after all, how many writer's organizations can one person belong to? But they stepped up in a big way and I heartily approve.

This part especially:

SFWA does not believe that changing the name of the imprint, or in some other way attempting to disguise the relationship to Harlequin, changes the intention, and calls on Harlequin to do the right thing by immediately discontinuing this imprint and returning to doing business as an advance and royalty paying publisher.

Genius. Bravo!

I'm over at the Samhellion!

Come check out my post on the top Viking myths over at the Samhellion today! (That's the Samhain blog, if you weren't sure.)

So I got up at 4 AM

Yep. 4 AM. I threw on some flip flops and a sweatshirt and headed outside. All three cats came with me, because why pass up an opportunity to see what the human is doing at such a strange hour.

They quickly took up all available seating.

I hung out for about half an hour but all I saw were two very faint streaks. There are just too many lights in this area to make for good meteor shower viewing, but there were some pretty bright stars. I thought for sure I'd see more than I did. Kind of a bummer, really.

Did you get up to watch the Leonids last night?

I have an addiction

I'm over at the Fictionistas today talking about addictions. Come share yours! (And see what mine is if you haven't figured it out yet.)

Yep. It's Monday.

The Monday's just don't stop coming, do they? Guess we'll just have to suck it up and accept it.

My week is busy, mostly because it's the last week I'll have this month to myself so I really need to write a serious amount of pages. I don't want to feel guilty about taking time away from the writing when my parents are visiting for Thanksgiving.

I also need to get my hair done. If you saw my roots, you'd agree. Buy a new set of sheets for one of the guest rooms. Make sure the house is clean. And lastly, I need to start a separate bank account for all my writing related stuff. Truth is, I kinda hate leaving the house. I'm not agoraphobic or anything, I just get into a rhythm and disrupting it makes me cranky. So does being hungry, but that's another story for another time.

What's your week look like?

Caturday!

Going green. Ur doin it wrong.

Best. Contest. Evah.

Let the count-down begin! Rhonda Stapleton's Stupid Cupid releases on December 22nd, just in time for Christmas! She's kicking off her Stupid Cupid book launch contest! Here's what's up for grabs:

--a copy of Stupid Cupid, signed by the author

--a $30 bookstore gift card to the store of your choice

--a $30 iTunes gift card

--a $30 Starbucks gift card

That's a $100 value!

So, what do you have to do to enter this incredible contest? Simple--write Rhonda a horrible love poem. The more purple-prosed and nauseating, the better. Visit her blog for more details and be sure to spread the word! ALL DETAILS AVAILABLE HERE!

Have you seen Inkheart?

Besides writing 3000 words yesterday, I watched Inkheart. Have you seen this movie yet? It is kind of a kid's movie, but I've been wanting to see it. I'm glad I did. I love movies that revolve around books. In this movie, the silvertongues have the power to speak books into reality by reading them. Great concept! I must read the books this movie was based on now.


The scenery alone is worth watching for - check out that beautiful house on Italy's Lake Como in the opening shot of the trailer. Also, Brendan Fraiser and Helen Mirren. Enough said. Inkheart is slightly reminiscent of The Princess Bride so if you liked that, you'd probably like Inkheart. Have you seen it? What did you think of it?

Dude! I'm on sale!

25% Rebate at All Romance and OmniLit on All Samhain Publishing, Ltd. Titles!

This Thanksgiving Season we're giving something to you.

From November 10-November 24 readers will be receiving a 25% eBook Bucks rebate on all Samhain titles.

What are you waiting for? Hop on over to AllRomance.com or OmniLit.com and receive bucks back today...on us!

So go buy ALL FIRED UP!

Thanksgiving Fun

I'm over at Fictionistas today sharing a goofy but fun Thanksgiving game. I dare you not to try it!

Eating Lunch With Christina Dodd Can Be Dangerous...

The writer's retreat I went to this weekend was fabulous and full of wonderful authors (CL Wilson, Karen Rose, Roxanne St. Claire, Lara Santiago, Kathy Carmichael, Julie Leto, Connie Brockway and Christina Dodd, to name a few.) We had a wonderful time and even got some writing done! Grand Central Publishing editor Amy Pierpont was also in the house and gave some great insight into what editors like and dislike when looking at "cold" pages.

The weekend ended with a casual lunch and I don't want to name too many names, but let's just say that if you ever eat lunch next to Christina Dodd, you may get wet. (Although she was generous enough to give me a bite of her pea salad.) Watching her and Connie Brockway go back and forth was quite a treat. They should have their own show. So long as Connie didn't nap instead. ;o)

TARA is a great chapter. If you ever get the chance to attend their retreat, take it!

Caturday! Sort of.

This lizard comes to the bird feeder outside my office window almost every day to indulge in some seeds. He's quite attractive for a lizard. I'm partial to that shade of green, I guess. Anyway, the cats enjoy his visits although he pretends not to notice their slobbering.

One Of My Favorite Things

I'm off to a writer's retreat put on by one of my chapters, the Tampa Area Romance Authors (TARA). I've been before and I already know it's going to be awesome. TARA is a great chapter and I'm happy to be a part of it.

Have a great weekend and get some writing done! You know I will. I'm on a roll and I want to keep cranking those pages out.

All Up In My Grill

I have to go to the worst place on earth today. The dentist. I'm due for a cleaning. And also they're sorely behind on yelling at me for not flossing enough. Good times. *sigh* After the amount of work I've had done on my teeth (palate expansion, braces, permanent retainers) spending more time in the dentist's chair is so not on my list of things I'm dying to do.

Would it be wrong to wear my fang caps? At least I could amuse myself... I plan on treating myself to a pedicure afterwards. I think that's only fair.

What are you up to today?

Vrrrroooom, Vrrrrooooom!

I'm currently writing Flesh And Blood, book 2 of my urban fantasy series that's coming out from Orbit in the summer of 2011. In this book, I'm introducing an awesome new character, Thomas Red Creek. And in my mind, this is his bike. A crazy cool V-Rod with the ability to blend into a dark night or a lonely stretch of asphalt. I can just picture him standing next to it, hair blowing in the warm evening breeze of Paradise City...

What does your hero drive and how does it match his personality?

Quit Poken Me. Or Don't, Actually...

I'm over at Fictionistas today talking about the hottest new gadget to hit the social networking scene.

Come check it out!

You NaNo People Frighten Me

As I've started before, in my mind NaNo and binge drinking both seem like they're a sure fire way to kill of some brain cells. I don't participate, nor do I have any earthly desire to do so. But for those of you who are, enjoy the stress!

In other news, I wrote 2000 words yesterday. That's a monster writing day for me and I'm hoping I can repeat it a few more times. Like today.

What's on your To Do list today?

Caturday!

Edits? What edits?

Can I get a woohoo?

You may remember I mentioned starting Nutrisystem some weeks back? Well, today I've officially hit my first 10 pounds lost. Now that's how you start a Friday, my friends!

Any good news of your own you'd like to share?

Pick Your Poison

One of the most asked questions that writers get has to be are you a plotter or a pantser? If you haven't been asked that yet, wait a minute and you will be.

What I'm curious about is this: besides your general approach to writing, what do you prefer - fresh writing or revisions?

I'm wondering if there's a correlation between the two. Do plotters like fresh writing better and pantsers favor revising?

So - who are you (plotter/pantser) and what do you prefer (fresh writing/revisions)?