Not A Romantic Suspense Fan UNTIL...

I read Roxanne St. Claire's Thrill Me To Death . Wow! What a great read! Not only is Roxanne a great writer - some of her phrasing is just perfection - but she's got a real talent for sculpting larger than life characters you can believe in. This book was just so much fun! (And yes, it is rather on the sexy side...whew!)

Romantic Suspense isn't my usual read, but from now on Roxanne's Bullet Catcher series is on my automatic buy list. These books are just too good to pass up. This one kept me up 'til 2am!

Here's the blurb:

A hot-blooded bodyguard. An heiress worth a cool billion. And one dangerous attraction.... Roxanne St. Claire delivers a heart-pounding thrill ride in the second Bullet Catchers novel!

HE KNOWS ALL HER SECRETS...

Max Roper never lets emotion get in the way of his job -- not since the tragic shooting that killed his fiancée's father. Now the former DEA agent is a Bullet Catcher, and he's managed to block out Cori's bitter goodbye -- and their sizzling passion. Those dangerous desires come back with a vengeance when Max is assigned to protect a recently widowed heiress: who turns out to be Cori. But Max must also discover his ex's dark
secret...and they both know she can't hide anything from him.

...AND HOW TO USE THEM AGAINST HER

Her luxury lifestyle suggests that Cori has gone from being a trophy wife to a merry widow, but nothing could be further from the truth. Suspicious of her billionaire husband's sudden death, she hires a bodyguard. But her protector is the one man who can melt her every defense -- the one man she blames for her deepest sorrow, the one man whose six-feet four-inches of solid muscle ignites reckless passion in her. And as they close in on a killer who hides in plain view, their high-stakes affair could cost her everything...including her life.

You REALLY need to check this book out. It's a great escape.

Tiny Cars & Critique Groups

It's good to be home, but I had a wonderful visit with family. My 2 year old nephew is such a sweet child. He didn't want to give me a hug or a kiss when I was getting ready to leave, instead he kept saying no. My sister-in-law says he thinks if he doesn't say goodbye to you, you can't leave. Anyway, he was laying on the floor where we'd been playing cars and I kept trying for a hug. Finally he said something instead of "no". He said "sad". Talk about breaking my heart. I told him I was sad too but that I'd see him again soon. I not only got a hug and a kiss, but also a Matchbox Rolls Royce to keep me company on the plane ride home (with an explanation about how the doors opened and where the babyseat would go). I adore that child.

Anyway, work beckons. I'm writing an article on critique groups and I'd love your feedback. Here are a few questions: (If you don't want to answer these publicly, email me with the answers at kristen @ romancedivas.com - minus the spaces. Let me know if you do/don't want to be quoted. This is for the RWR.)

1. Are you published or unpublished?
2. Did getting published change your critique group needs? If so, how?
3. Have you ever left a critique group? Why? How did you know it was time to leave?
4. What's the right number of members in a critique group for you? Is that how many your current group contains?
5. How many members of your group are published?
6. How did you form the group you're in?
7. If you don't have a critique group, why not?
8. If you only have a singular critique partner, why is that your choice?
9. Things you love about your critique group.
10. Things you'd like to change about your critique group.
11. Is your group online, do you meet in real life, or both?
12. How many critique groups, partners, etc. have you been through?

Thanks!!!

Who Says You Can't Go Home Again?

I'm headed up to the Eastern Shore of Maryland today to see my mom, dad, grandfather, brother, sis-in-law and adorable nephew. I haven't seen Ben (the nephew - refers to himself as Bobo - how cute is that?) since last March. Far too long.

While I'm there, I'm going to eat crabs! Mmmm...

My mother tells me there's a good chance some shopping will be done as well. I love that woman.

What are the things you look forward to when you visit "home"?

FORE!!!

FULL SWING by Crystal Jordan
(Cobblestone Press, August 18, 2006)



The only place they still communicate is between the sheets...a professional woman golfer and an Army Ranger struggle to save their marriage after he's seriously injured in combat and has to retire. Outside the bedroom, everything is falling apart because he believes she deserves better than a broken man, but she dreams of a future when they stop fighting and start talking long enough to reclaim the happily ever after that once seemed so certain.

ABOUT CRYSTAL JORDAN
Crystal Jordan only began writing about a year ago after she finished graduate school and needed something to fill the hours that used to be eaten away by homework. What started as a hobby has quickly become a new career. She now writes paranormal, futuristic, contemporary, and erotic romance. Additionally, she is a member of RWA and its erotic romance chapter, Passionate Ink. She also belongs to the award winning author's resource website and forum RomanceDivas.com, where she serves as a moderator and Paranormal Co-Liaison.

http://www.crystaljordan.com

AVAILABLE AUGUST 18!

http://www.cobblestone-press.com

Back to the Writing

I'm writing again - not that I wasn't writing before but prepping for conference, being at conference, recovering from conference and an interested writing opportunity unrelated to my WIP took me off course for a while.

So now I'm back and rediscovering my story and my characters. I love my hero and heroine! They're fun characters, full of issues (both natural and supernatural) and I'm ready to finish this story and give them a HEA. They deserve that much after everything I've put them through.

But getting back into the story has meant focusing in a big way, since I came home from conference I've had numerous new ideas. Ideas that are pestering me to be written. Do you have that issue? A head full of ideas and no time to write them all? How do you work around them? Do you write them down, take notes, tuck them away in a file? Do the ideas come to you fully formed with a hero, a heroine, a working title, a plot line OR are they just sketches?

Or maybe you're one of those writers who struggles for the next idea?

Talk to me! (Just wanted to say I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all your "scent" replies. Great stuff!)

What are your favorite smells?

Before you think this is just a random question, it isn't. I'm doing some research. So just hush up and answer.

I love the smell of baking bread, freshly mowed grass, watermelon, the sea as you approach it, the earth after a good rain.

What about you?

Promo Items

Anyone who went to Nationals probably came back with a bunch of promotional items - bookmarks, pens, book thongs, temporary tattooes, lip gloss, chocolates...you get the picture. There were even condoms in the goody room this year. Other than shock value, I'm not sure what the point of those was. Would you actually use a free condom? Would you trust it? But I digress.

I love pens and bookmarks (I love having the matching bookmark for the book I'm reading. Even better if the book and/or bookmark has been signed by the author. Yes, I'm a geek.) Of all those goodies, what do you like the best? What do you hang on to? Be honest, is there a promo item you wouldn't even bother to pick up?

Atlanta, Part IV - The Night Of The Broken Cigarette

Okay, this is the last Atlanta post and then this blog will return to its regularly scheduled nonsense.

The Night Of The Broken Cigarette started out like any other (well, any other night in which you attend a publisher's party and make plans to crash another). Jax, Jo Marie (not pictured), Lara and I hopped into a cab and headed over to Rays In The City for the St. Martin's party. Never in our wildest dreams did we anticipate the events to come...

We arrived about a half hour into the festivities and as things hadn't really gotten too hectic yet, we were able to secure a table. That was our first stroke of genius. As the place filled up, tables (and chairs) became a hot commodity. We were soon joined by wickedly good author, Ronda Thompson. It was then that the supernatural talents of the wait staff became apparent.

With snake-like flexibility and uncanny quickness, they would deftly remove any discarded items. A crumpled napkin would barely touch the tablecloth and a hand would dart in and take it away. Wily women that we are, we decided to test the staff. But of course, we had to make it interesting. So we set up a particularly difficult arrangement to maneuver. Below you see Lara arranging glasses and the candle holder around our bait -- the squeezed lime.

And so we waited. Waiters buzzed by, their eyes darting to our table top but none seemed brave enough to take on our challenge. A few even paused, glancing at the lime longingly but alas, they shied away.

Then it happened. A lone soul went in for the clean-up. I had my camera at the ready. As soon as he touched the lime, I yelled, "Stop!" He yanked his hand back, unsure of himself. I reassured him I only wanted photographic evidence and cajoled him to touch the lime so the picture could be taken. He obliged me, the sweet boy, as you can see for yourself.

There were other interesting events that night such as the table visit from the very happy Jenny Bent, my chat with RITA winner Lori Handeland, Jax's chat with author Susan Squires, our ability to make Ronda Thompson laugh until she cried and while I'm not sure I should mention it, I think Bob Mayer was under the impression I was trying to pick him up at one point.

Obviously, there are no pictures of that.

Why, you ask, was this post titled The Night Of The Broken Cigarette? Settle down, I'm about to tell you. Not long after the lime incident, Ronda decided to go out for a smoke. She had her cigarette in hand when more silliness ensured, resulting in her cigarette breaking off right at the filter.

The cigarette hadn't even touched the table for a second when a hunky waiter came up and asked her if she'd like another. We were in awe. Did the service run so deep? What else could they provide? She declined but we immediately speculated where that replacement cigarette would have come from if she'd asked for it. Lara guessed he would have pulled it from behind Ronda's ear, like a Vegas magician. I wasn't so sure. I wondered out loud if it wouldn't have come from somewhere a little more...hidden.

Ah well. Somethings are best left to the imagination, don't you think?

Atlanta, Part IIII - Random Diva Images

A random group of divas prepares to set off into Hotlanta and leave their mark...

Jax-a-licious and Super Star Sylvia Day at the Literacy Signing. Is there a nicer chickie than Sylvia? She's such a sweetie!

Jax and I in our awards ceremony best mugging for the camera. (And yes, that is the "Jungle Goddess" dress I spoke of. C'est magnifique, no?)

Shelli loves butter. Mmmm...come to mama, you lucious dairy product, you! In Shelli's defense, it was good butter. And by the end of the night, that butter was saying her name...

Me and the magically delicious Candy Havens, double RITA nominee. Have you picked up her fab follow up to Charmed & Dangerous, Charmed & Ready? If not, you're dismissed to go buy it.

Well! GO!

Atlanta, Part III - The Harlequin Party

So me and my posse crashed the Harlequin party (okay, we were encouraged to do so by many people and escorted to the event by the lovely and talented Lori Handeland and her agent). We started out at the St. Martin's party, which we were invited to, but alas, they had no dessert. We went to Harlequin in search of chocolate.

We were not disappointed. A few of the items on the dessert buffet were spoons of apple crumble, "shots" of red velvet cake, chocolate cups of Baileys, miniature creme brulees and of course, a lovely chocolate fountain with an assortment of dipping goodies.

The dance floor was jumping and the fabulous authors/editors/agents were everywhere! Rumor has it HQ super-editor Tracy Farrell shut the joint down. (Actually it's not a rumor, I confirmed it with her the next day. She was rather proud of outlasting the "young" editors.)

A few of the people I spoke to are Tony Kariyainni, Roxanne St. Claire, Jennifer Skully, Leslie Kelly, Jill Monroe, Renee Luke, Donna Grant, Deidre Knight, Julie Ramsey, Elaine Spencer, Gena Showalter and PC Cast.

Yes, that picture is blurry. Trust me that it's PC Cast and Gena Showalter. I don't know why it's so blurry but it's a pretty good indication of how everyone was feeling - warm and fuzzy.

My favorite moment of the night? When Gena pointed to her champagne & chambord cocktail and said, "This tastes like a vitamin!"

Some Hints About The Post Below

A. They both write paranormals.
B. They both blog.
C. They're both crazy.

Atlanta, Part II - Name That Bosom

Not only does this impressive cleavage belong to a fabulous multi-published author but the fingers belong to another delicious multi-published author. Can you guess?

Atlanta, Part I - The Knight Agency Party

I confess, I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have. Next year, I'll be better, I swear. I should have gotten a picture of all of us on the bus headed out to Madison for the Knight Agency party - especially since Sylvia Day and Mel Francis were sitting in front of me and my seatmate, Gemma Halliday. (Have you seen Mel's new hairdo? It's fab!)

The Knight Agency sign. Isn't it pretty?

Random folks milling about (that's Mel in the black & white polka dot dress in the background.) You can see the yellow house in the back - that's the offices of the Knight Agency. So pretty inside!

The back of Diana Peterfreund and the profile of her brother. I think they're talking to Maureen McGowen.

This Month At Romance Divas

Wow! What a month we're having at Romance Divas!

Author of the Month : Gemma Halliday – Contests workshop from the Golden Heart winner

Aug 5-7: Paranormal Event with Carrie Vaughn, LA Banks, CT Adams/Cathy Clamp, Gena Showalter, and Kelley Armstrong.
Aug 11 Jessica Faust: Bookends-inc agent in the Chatroom. 9 Eastern

August 8-18 :: Getting To Know The Voices in Your Head Workshop with Jo Ann Ferguson/Jocelyn Kelley

Aug 18 :: Theresa Meyers: PR/Promo in the Chatroom.
August 25 :: Ann Christopher, Patricia Sargeant, Maureen Smith and Sophia Shaw Multi-cultural Authors Chat

(Tomorrow we'll return to Atlanta adventures)

Home From RWA Atlanta

Many stories & photos to share. After I reintroduce my body to sleep.

Stay tuned for such fun blog topics as:

*The Night of the Broken Cigarette
*Crashing the Harlequin Party
*Name Those Boobs

And many more!

Adopt A Soldier While I'm Gone!

Author Mary Stella blogged about this site recently and I decided to adopt a soldier for my own. As many of you know, Hotrod (the DH) is retired Air Force. I have a soft spot for those who wear a uniform in the defense of this nation.

http://www.soldiersangels.org/

To make it interesting, anyone who adopts a soldier and posts in the comments here that they did, will be entered in a drawing for a package of books and other goodies from Nationals. I'll pick a winner at random from the posters when I return (I leave today).

As Martha would say, it's a good thing!

PS. Feel free to donate to my 3 Day Walk while I'm gone, too. Hey, if I'm going to walk 60 miles in 3 days, the least you could do is through a few bucks towards it, don't you think? :o)

Shopping Update

Found a FABULOUS dress. Amazing. Love it. Totally me. To die for. Yum! And so on sale it was practically free.

But I also came home with shoes. Now wait, before you shake your head and roll your eyes...they're new sneakers so that when I get home I can start training for the 60 mile Walk for the Cure thing I'm doing in Oct. So settle down.

Wish Me Good Hunting

I'm headed out on one last dress finding mission. Yes, I have a dress for the awards ceremony but I'm not madly in love with it. It's not THE dress, it's just a dress. You dig? I know you do.

I will not buy another pair of shoes, I will not buy another pair of shoes, I will not buy another pair of shoes...

Great. I think I glow in the dark.

I was a little overzealous with the hair lightening kit yesterday. If you see me at Nationals, don't be surprised if my hair looks um...excessively blonde.

Things To Do Before Leaving For Conference

1. Decide on outfits
2. Whittle down pairs of shoes to take
3. Organize promotional items for RD
4. Print out all flight info, contact info and party info
5. Pack
6. Lose 20 pounds

You?

The Best Advice

When I was a newbie writer (had yet to complete my first book, but I was writing furiously toward that goal), Hotrod (as my DH shall now be known due to his love and collection of American muscle cars) and I had to attend a "dining out". For you civilian folks, that's a military term for a fancy dress diner where punch is served from toilet bowls. I'm not lying, that's how the Airforce does it. Sela can back me up on this. Look it up if you want to know more.

Anyway, the special guest speaker that night was Orson Scott Card. I was all atwitter like a diabetic in a candy store. Hotrod had spent the better part of the day with him as part of his DV contingent and proclaimed him "a really cool guy." I'm like, "Duh. That's Orson Scott Card!"

Hotrod swept me up to meet him. "This is my wife. She's a writer, too."

Ahem. I had not yet finished a book at this point. This man wrote Ender's Game. ENDER'S GAME. But I digress.

OSC: "Great, nice to meet you." Shakes my hand. "So you're a writer?"
Me: "Uh-huh." I could barely see beyond the stars in my eyes. "But I've only just started."
OSC: Smiles like a father looking at a child. "Writers write. What have you written?"

WHAT HAVE YOU WRITTEN?

Now there's a question for the ages. I proceeded to blather on about Heart of Fire, my fantasy romance work-in-progress. OSC was very nice (translation: he listened without his eyes glazing over) and very encouraging.

I wished so very much that I could have answered his question by telling him I'd completed my book. His "What have you written" question compelled me to sit down and write every day. I never wanted to be asked that again without being able to answer it more successfully. It became a sort of mantra for me.

That was my best "advice", the nugget of writerly wisdom that kept me plugging away on the days when crap was the highest form of prose I could manage.

How about you? What was your best writerly advice?

Gushing In Progress

I'm not one to gush. If I don't like something, I have a very hard time pretending I do. The artful lie is just not one of my skills. Hair, clothes, food, books. Nothing is safe. When a restaurant manager stops by our table to see how things are, my husband cringes because I don't ever say "fine" when things aren't. If I got a rotten tomato in my salad, don't expect me to tell you things were peachy. Same goes for shopping with me. You try on a dress that makes you look like Attila the Ham Smuggler and I'm going to tell you that dress is not for you. Why would I let a friend walk around in any less than fabulous?

Which brings me to a book I read yesterday. It just might be the best piece of women's fiction I've read in the last ten years. Or ever. I can't think of a book in this category that I like better. This book even made me cry and - hello - I am NOT a weeper.

The book is Jane Porter's Flirting With Forty and it is fan-freaking-tastic. I read it in a matter of hours.
But there's more to this book than its entertainment value. It makes you think. About your life, about what personal happiness means, about how you see yourself, about how others see you. Don't be fooled by the cover - this isn't some fluffy chick lit (no offense intended, I love fluffy chick lit).

If this book doesn't move you, you might be dead. Read it and see for yourself.

Blog Round Up

Today's Questions:

*Why is Diana drinking Dos Equis with celebrities? And who are these celebrities?

* What breakfast food is Bonnie? You?

*Who's a single, cat-owning librarian? And is that such a bad life?

*Where are those hot new covers coming from?

*When will men learn? And do the cows have anything to do with it?

The Secret is Out!!!

Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund is OUT TODAY!

Secret Society Girl takes us into the heart of the Ivy League’s ultra-exclusive secret societies when a young woman is invited to join as one of their first female members.Elite Eli University junior Amy Haskel never expected to be tapped into Rose & Grave, the country’s most powerful–and notorious–secret society. She isn’t rich, politically connected, or…well, male.

So when Amy receives the distinctive black-lined invitation with the Rose & Grave seal, she’s blown away. Could they really mean her?

Whisked off into an initiation rite that’s a blend of Harry Potter and Alfred Hitchcock, Amy awakens the next day to a new reality and a whole new set of “friends”–from the gorgeous son of a conservative governor to an Afrocentric lesbian activist whose society name is Thorndike. And that’s when Amy starts to discover the truth about getting what you wish for. Because Rose & Grave is quickly taking her away from her familiar world of classes and keggers, fueling a feud, and undermining a very promising friendship with benefits. And that’s before Amy finds out that her first duty as a member of Rose & Grave is to take on a conspiracy of money and power that could, quite possibly, ruin her whole life.

A smart, sexy introduction to the life and times of a young woman in way over her head, Secret Society Girl is a charming and witty debut from a writer who knows her turf–and isn’t afraid to tell all....

I Want Your Money

Seriously.

Hey y'all! I just signed up to walk in the 3 Day Walk for the Cure (Breast Cancer) in Atlanta in October as part of the Knight Agency team. I have to raise $2200 to even participate so the begging for funds begins now. Please support me because if I die doing this, you'll feel very guilty if you didn't. (How was that for a guilt trip? I'm sure if I was a mother I could do better.) Click Here to see my personal page. (And make a donation!)

Click Here to see my team page.

Amazon Reviews

PERMISSION TO FORWARD

Calling all Authors!

Tired of being trashed with no recourse? There may be something we can do to minimize the effects of mindless reviews.

I am sending a cache of letters to Amazon's corporate office requesting that all reviews be ordered according to their stars. Five stars at the top. One star on the bottom. The reader can choose which order she wishes to read the reviews in, but the best will always be at the top. This may cut down on the deliberate trashing of books because the trashers review wil always be at the bottom and not the first thing prospective buyers will see.

Please send your letters made out to Amazon requesting this change in how reviews are presented to:

Jennifer St. Giles
PO Box 465654
Lawrenceville Georgia 30042

Deadline for final mailing will be Aug. 31 St 2006 but depending on the response I may send several batches. Spread the word.

Thanks, Jennifer

Random Things

Me in front of the Poison Garden - a special section of the Alnwick Castle gardens (no wonder they filmed Harry Potter here!) This garden contained things that could: kill you in a variety of ways, cause your stomach to bleed, raise a rash on your skin, burn out your sinuses just from inhalation, addict you, blind you - both temporarily and permanently, give you diarrhea, stop your heart, eat holes in your brain...I could go on, but you get the picture, right?

The whole gang at the Scottish border. It was such a beautiful day! From left to right - Allyson, Michelle, Sasha (the little one), Rick and me.

Ah, the haggis. Isn't it pretty? And so tasty! Who would've thunk it? Mmmm...haggis...

The "Wildlife"

Who knew sheep were so good at staring? They were very suspicious of the woman with the camera. Get baaa-ck in your car, lady!
This swan was one of probably 100 occupying a small lake near the North Sea. Quite beautiful to see so many of them gliding along together. This fellow was more interested in seeing if we had crackers.
Although you can't tell from the picture, these cows graze right beside a section of Hadrian's Wall - one of the oldest Roman built structures in the world. And as I was standing in that field with them, I can tell you that huge doesn't begin to describe their size. Or aroma.

The Castles - Part One

Edinburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle - on the coast of the North Sea

The portcullis at Alnwick Castle. This castle played the roll of Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films.
Raby Castle
Another of Alnwick

Home!

We're back from England and had a huge blast! It was a great trip, and there are many stories to tell. I'll be doing pics and such all week.

Some of the highlights?
* Backing the rented Mercedes into a post in an Edinburgh car park
* Eating haggis
* Getting a ride from two British highway patrolmen
* Having tea in a treehouse
* Naked chicken dancing

Want to know more? You'll have to stop back this week!

Long Live the Queen!

We're off to England and Scotland today. Not sure if I'll get a chance to post while I'm there but feel free to amuse yourselves with previous posts.

Can't believe when we get back Nationals will be about 2 weeks away. Is it possible to lose weight eating scones, Cadbury chocolate and pub food?
Cheerio!

So What Do You Write?

That's usually the question that follows immediately after someone asks "What do you do?" and you answer "I'm a writer."

Sometimes I say romance. Sometimes I say women's fiction. And sometimes, depending on the crowd, I say contemporary paranormal.

How do you answer? Does it depend who you're talking to?

Six Degrees of (Blog) Separation

Do you blog hop? If so, how do you do it? Randomly or with thought? Do you hit the same blogs all the time? Try to find new ones? What brings you back to a certain blog time after time?

I spent some time this morning blog surfing based on the commentors on other blogs. In other words, I started at one blog, left a comment, then picked one of the other commentors and hopped to their blog and so on. I love finding new blogs and leaving a comment.

So, how do you do it?

Leaving...On A Jet Plane...

Hey y'all. I'm headed to England/Scotland on Friday with hubby, sis-in-law, the four-year-old niece and their 18-year-old cousin. Should be a blast! While he golfs, we'll be spa-ing it up and shopping.

I really like England and Scotland. The people are so nice! This will be my third trip but I'm looking forward to spending more time in Scotland this go-round.

I'll be sure to take pics. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most magical places I know. Well, that whole city is, really. The pic below is Slaley Hall, the Edwardian Manor house we'll be staying at. It's obviously been converted to a hotel, but from what I read, still maintains much of its original feel. And actually, we won't be staying in it, exactly - we have a lodge on the 1000 acre property.

And no matter how much Lara Santiago tries to convince me, I will not be eating Haggis.

Friend Me

Well, I've gone and done it. I now have a Myspace page. If you want me to add you, leave your page in the comments section!

http://www.myspace.com/kristenpainter

I feel so hip.

And The Winner Is...

Mel Francis and her caption:


"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for some postage today."

Once again, there were SO many good ones, but this one just tickled my funny bone. Maybe because it most closely captures Scooter's attitude. Anyway, great job to everyone who submitted a caption. I'll be doing this again in a few weeks (right before RWA Nationals, I think). Mel, don't forget to email me your mailing address!

Honorable mention to Bebe Thomas and her stinky breath caption.

Death by Coffee

I almost died yesterday. Or at least, I survived an unintentional poisoning. Via coffee. It's true! I met up with some chaptermates at the local Books A Million as we often do on Thursdays, and as we often do, we sat in the cafe and ordered beverages. I ordered a sugar-free raspberry mocha and so did one of the other ladies. We got our drinks, sat down and proceeded to discuss our writing.

I had a very hard time liking my coffee (even though one of our group had ordered it the last time and loved it). I mentioned that it tasted "icky" and the other lady who ordered the same thing said hers tasted weird too. Almost like the milk was bad, except she'd gotten skim and I had half-n-half. That left the sugar-free raspberry syrup.

We took them back up to the counter where the counter person did a sniff test. What you can tell from that, I have no idea. I watched as she poured a bit of mine out into the sink. It was lumpy. LUMPY. Not a word I want associated with my coffee, capisce?

I immediately felt ill. She made us new, different, non sugar-free raspberry coffees. (Straight mocha - big YUM!) Still, just thinking about that makes me queasy.

If I die soon, you'll know why.

Caption Contest II

Here's the second installment of the caption contest! The first one was such a blast and everyone had such great answers that I plan on doing this at least once a month. This week's picture:

This week's prize for the best caption is PC Cast's Goddess of Light and...it's autographed! This is a great read - if you're not familiar with her Goddess Summoning series, you're missing out.

The winner will be announced Saturday morning!

Pitching the Pitch

The upcoming RWA National conference in Atlanta will be the first conference I've attended since joining RWA at which I will not be pitching (or trying to corner in a convenient location) an agent. Having one changes everything.

I won't be up late the night before rehearsing and rewriting my pitch to perfection with willing friends (who are also in the same boat). I won't walk around the morning of my appointment with sweaty hands, nerves of jello and the inability to stop reading my pitch cards every five minutes. I won't be sitting in the hall, waiting with all the other pitching attendees, staring at the wall mouthing my pitch or smiling nervously at the person next to me, wondering if they'll get a request but I won't.

This year when I meet agents throughout the conference, I will be my normal outgoing self. Will I schmooze? Sure, on the behalf of Romance Divas. But on a career level, I will simply see them as people, not as minor deities in possession of some magical key I desperately crave to unlock a door I desperately want to pass through. (Yeah, I used desperately twice in one sentence. Do you think I didn’t want an agent?)

I’ve pitched numerous agents and editors and had numerous requests for both partials and fulls because of the appointments. Did anything come of those requests? No. Nada. Zip. Do pitches ever result in anything more? I’d love to hear from you if you found your agent or editor that way. I’m sure it happens, just not familiar with anyone who’d had success going that route.

Does that mean if I were still agentless, I wouldn’t be pitching? Heck no! I’d be pitching like an MBA all-star. I’m the last one to turn down an opportunity. Don’t you recall the time I handcuffed Harlequin editor Tracy Farrell to me? If you don’t believe me, ask Diana Peterfreund. She was there.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to this year’s conference with a sense of calm I’ve never had before.

New Agent Blog In Town

There's a new agent blog in town (not my agent - man, do I love saying my agent) but check it out, the chicks from Bookends are blogging!

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/

The Biggest News of All

In case you aren't on any the same loops with me, or aren't a member of Romance Divas, or don't belong to any of the same chapters as me, or seen the billboard...

I just signed with Elaine Spencer at The Knight Agency!

I can't believe I not only have an agent but I'm with the agency that has been my number one pick since I started this journey toward publication. Life is good, God is great.

I'm A Finalist!

Hey gang, I just found out The Perfect Dish, my third book, is a finalist in the TARA contest! This means that every book I've written so far has finaled in at least one contest. Now, if I could just win one...

Maybe I need ginko?

I thought I blogged today. I could have swore I blogged. But apparently I didn't. So I'm leaving a reminder for myself to blog tomorrow.

Self? Blog.

On a side note, I figured out that between June 3rd and June 13th, I've written 96 pages. Holy cow! Does that seem like a lot to you? It does to me.

Write write write!

I've managed to keep up a pretty good writing schedule and actually hit the 1/3 mark on my WIP last night. My goal last week was 50 pages - I actually did 58. I have the same goal this week - 50 pages. I'm only 7 pages into that goal so far but have high hopes. In fact, today I plan for at least 12, maybe 15. I have my coffee at the ready and my fingers are warmed up.

What are some tips/tricks you use to motivate yourself?

And The Winner Is...

I'm really glad I ran this little contest. As many of you read over at RD, I had to put my eldest cat down last night - a very hard thing I'm still not over. It was great to read these captions and I was happy to have a reason to smile.

There were SO many good ones, I've actually picked two winners (both will receive copies of the book). They are:

"That short little man you sleep with? He's got to go. He burps and farts and takes my spot on the bed. You've got until Tuesday." Laine Morgan

(For the record, Sam would like everyone to know he really loves his daddy, even though everything the nice lady said is true.)

"This IS my happy face" Babe King

(Sam thinks expressing himself is NOT a top priority. After all, there is so much more that goes on in a cat's life...)

Congrats! Laine and Babe, email me with your mailing addresses so I can get your books out to you! And thanks to everyone who made me smile. I think I'll do this again next week!

Caption Contest

I've decided to run a little contest to test your creative juices. The best caption for the picture below will win a copy of Cheyenne McCray's Forbidden Magic. Sound good? Just leave your caption in the comments section. Enter as many times as you like and tell your friends!

Caption this pic...

To win this book!

(Winner will be announced Friday)

Coming Soon: Romance Divas Newsletter

At long last, the Romance Divas newsletter, The Diva Dish, is about to go into production. It will feature articles about writing and the writer's life (some from authors you know and love), book reviews, industry news, diva news, upcoming workshop info, contests, etc - it's going to be great!

And while I know we all probably belong to too many Yahoo groups already, this is a once a month newsletter, so you don't have to worry about it clogging up your inbox. Sign up today!

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Just Because

A few pics of my cats, Sam (tiger stripe) and Scooter (black) because I thought it would be fun and Mondays need all the fun they can get.

Scooter sleeps like this all the time. (And his head is on his black furry mouse, that's not some weird mishapen ear.)

Do you really have to write right now?

Brokeback Kitties