Just For Lil Ole Me?

Well, I do declare. Jill Monroe has dedicated today's blog post to me. Y'all must stop by and check it out. Then you must rush to Amazon and buy her book!

I *heart* Shopping

Found some fabulous, fun threads at Cache yesterday. I do love that store - yes, it can be a bit over the top, but a few pieces mixed in with more classic pieces and you've got a one-of-a-kind outfit. Well, sort of one-of-a-kind.

Anyway, now that I'm down 16.5 pounds, clothes shopping is a lot more fun. Can't wait until I lose more!

Still, there is much to be done before I head for Dallas. Must get busy!

Nag Me. You Have My Permission.

For the first time in my history of attending RWA National Conferences, I am bringing work out clothes that I intend to use. The hotel has an exercise room and I plan on getting my butt into it. My fabulous roomie, Jax, will be joining me. We are determined to work out. Therefore, if/when you see me, you have my permission to ask me if I've worked out that day. (Jax hasn't given her permission to be nagged, but I say what the heck, have at it.)


See, I've been doing so well with my diet and exercise program (15 pounds gone now!) that I'm a little afraid of going to conference and blowing all my hard work. I figure this way, y'all can help keep me honest. Deal? Deal.

Good Genes

Here's a recent pic of my bro and my darling nephew. What can I say? Good genes run in our family. Hehehe!
And just for the record, my brother is usually better groomed, but they were camping and apparently that renders him incapable of shaving.

RWA Nationals

13 days to go!

Are you ready? I'm not - I'm close, but there is still a lot to do. I have appts. to make (hair, nails, spray tan), outfits to plan, 20 pounds to lose (kidding! I'm doing okay in that area), must confirm with the cat sitter as Hotrod will be traveling a few of the same days, must confirm with the restaurant for the Diva Dinner...what else? I know I'm forgetting something.

What's on your to-do list? Are you excited? I can't wait to see everyone!

Beach Reads

Recently, the NY Times listed their "beach reads" - surprisingly enough *not* there wasn't a romance on the list.

Who do they think they're kidding? When it comes to beach reads, it doesn't get any better than romance!

What are you looking forward to reading this summer? Have any go-to standby's for summer reading? Do you look to any other genre's for your beach reads?

Talk to me!

Crispy Insurance Agent

That was the subject line of a recent piece of SPAM that showed up in my junk folder. Um...crispy insurance agent? Huh? What on earth were they trying to sell me? Can someone explain this to me?

Please?

Character Names

How do you come up with character names? Do you keep lists of great names? Do you change names mid-story?

For me, the right character name can make or break that character. What are some of your most favorite character names that you've used?

Tag, I'm It

Thanks to Babe, I'm it. Here are the rules:
A. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. I've lost nearly 14 pounds this month.
2. I can knit. Only square or rectangular things, but still.
3. I talk to my cats constantly.
4. Reality shows are my guilty pleasure, but they're so full of characters it's hard not to call them research.
5. I can sing the scales (do, re, mi) backwards. I had to do it for an audition for a musical as a child and it's stuck with me. (Yes, I got the part.)
6. I can do a cartwheel, but I'd love to be able to.
7. I've always wanted pink hair.
8. Cotton candy is my favorite carnival/fair/circus food. (7 & 8 are not related. That I'm aware of.)

I tag Jax, Tempest, Tawny, Sara, Mel, B.E. and Bonnie.

I'm *yawn* Sleepy

Cats are nocturnal creatures. At least mine are. Probably because they sleep away as many daylight hours as possible, then like naughty little vampires, they rise and stretch and run amok when the sun goes down.

As a result, my sleep is less than optimal. See, when Hotrod's gone I refuse to sleep with the sliding door cracked open to allow them the constant access they desire to the Oh So Exciting lanai at night. Which means when they want out (or if they're already out, when they want in) they paw at the glass and sometimes meow until I get out of bed and open said slider.

Last night a new world record was set for how many times they could go in and out. Un-freaking-believable. I don't think what I did could be called sleeping so much as napping between doorman duty.

Good thing Hotrod's coming home today or I'd be headed to a hotel tonight.

Some Things Don't Mix

I've been swimming laps lately and I really enjoy it. Not only am I actually using our pool, but swimming laps feels so much more productive than just floating. I still love floating, don't get me wrong, but I doubt floating burns many calories.

This way I get sun and work off breakfast. It's a win/win. Except for when there's an approaching thunderstorm complete with lightning strikes. (A fairly common occurance in this neck of Florida.) Such was the case yesterday. Not five minutes after I got out of the pool, a huge patch of black clouds rolled in and drenched everything. Plenty of lightning and thunder, too.

Now, my dad was struck by lightning when I was a child. Put him in the hospital for quite a stretch. I love my dad, but this is one area where I don't plan on following in his footsteps.

Would it help if I wore a rubber suit?

It's Gettin' Hot In Here

As you may or may not know, I once worked for Wolfgang Puck as his maitre' d - not that I ever had a thing for Wolfy - it just cemented my love of restaurants and the maddness they inspire. See, whether it's the back of the house (kitchen) or the front of the house (wait staff), restaurants are full of stories, full of personalities and full of drama. Besides that, I have a thing for chefs. You want an alpha male hero? A chef fits that bill and then some. They have to be to make a kitchen run like a well-oiled machine.

Plus, some of them are as hot as the dishes they serve. Check 'em out! Who's your favorite?

Bobby Flay - Inspiration for my chef hero in The Perfect Dish. Married to a blonde, I might add.

Gordon Ramsey - This British bad boy makes his living making the lives of other chefs hell.

Jamie Oliver - One of the nicer chefs. Like you might actually take him home to meet your parents.

Tyler Florence - Just plain cute, even if he has gotten a little fluffly lately.

Duff Goldman - Technically more of a baker than a chef, but hey, a guy that makes cakes this cool is okay with me. Plus, there's CAKE involved people.

Anthony Bourdain - The American bad boy of chefs, he's well-known for his willingness to eat anything once.

Gimme an R! Gimme an E! Gimme an S!

Research. No matter what you genre write, you probably do some kind of research. Maybe more if you write historical. Maybe less if you write fantasy.

Anyway, I'm in the throes of preparation to write my first ever Young Adult. So what have I decided to do as part of my research? Enter the lion's den, basically.

I'm going to attend a two-hour cheerleading practice with one of my writing friends and her cheerleading teen and peers.

Should be interesting. I was the kind of kid in high school that made fun of cheerleaders. This may be karma coming back to bite me.

What's the craziest thing you've done in the name of research?

Beware The Hamster

And here I thought hamsters were sweet little fuzz balls. Come to find out, they're the bane of good grammar!!! Who knew?

Some Couples Were Just Meant To Be...

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Pump Up The Jam

About two weeks ago I embarked on a new exercise and diet program which has been fairly successful (10 pounds gone so far). One thing I've noticed is the power of music towards motivating myself to move. A great song will keep me on the treadmill longer or get me up and dancing.

Admittedly, my music repertoire isn't that great. So, I'm asking you...

What are some great workout songs? Feel free to give me a chunk of your playlist if you want - I need some new stuff!

I *heart* Shopping

Okay, so that's not exactly news. But those you playing along with the home game know that I recently gave up shopping due to the estimated $1500 it was going to cost to get my hard drive recovered.

Well. We know how that turned out.

Good news is, I have started shopping again. And boy, am I making up for lost time! Dresses, tops, leggings, shoes, workout clothes, accesories...I've hit all the categories. (No jeans - it's too hot and I have plenty.)

Since I do a lot of shopping online, every day new packages arrive. It's like Christmas! Or my birthday! Fabulous!

I'm back, people! I am SOOOOOO back.

News Flash

The Romance Divas site is down through no fault of our own - our hosting company's site is down too.

Keep checking back.

Put Your Thinking Cap On

What do you think he's reading?

Do You Write Novellas?

I'm writing my first ever novella. It's interesting. I've never written this length before - I've done super shorts (like 1000 words) and then full-length novels, but nothing really in between.

So, if you write novella-length, could you give me some tips? What should I know about writing a novella? Besides the length, how is it different from a regular novel? How do you plot a story that's not too long?

Help?

*Small aside for a Woohoo! 'cuz I'm down another pound!

Monday To Do List

Lots to do this week - today especially.

Today
1. Write 5 pages.
2. Vacuum
3. Write 2 reviews.
4. Take Hotrod to the airport.
5. Post new review books on Romance Divas - DONE
6. Top secret thing I can't mention.

This Week
1. Finish reading review book.
2. Meet with chapter board.
3. Confirm some Romance Divas guests
4. Write 40 pages total on WIP
5. Get Father's Day cards mailed
6. Get review books mailed out
7. Drop clothes at dry cleaners
8. Pick up clothes at dry cleaners
9. Get to at least 2 aerobics classes at gym
10. Pick Hotrod up from airport.
11. Attend niece's ballet recital.
12. Go bowling with Lara Santiago.
13. Meet with real life critique partners.

I think that's enough for now. I'm sure I've forgotten something. What's on your To Do list?

A Book I'm Looking Forward To...

The Marion Kind by Babe King

"The Marian Kind" releases this month at Freya's Bower as part of their Summer Lovin' Collection. Babe King, the author, is a fabulous Aussie writer with a wicked sense of humor. I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

As the cover suggests, "The Marian Kind" is about hackers, but mostly it's about a girl and the modern-day Robin Hood she loves. With Summer heating up, Marian thinks it’s the perfect time to push her five-year relationship up a notch. But the body she gets close and personal with isn’t her lover’s. Or alive. Boyfriend Rob has some explaining to do, and a diamond ring full of promises to make if he wants to keep his girl.

Here's an excerpt:

“Do you want to break up?” I peeled sweat-slicked thighs from the vinyl seat of Rob’s lovingly pimped, Ford pickup and wriggled the rolled wedge of linen shorts out of my butt crack. Fear buzzed over my skin and my stomach lining camouflaged itself as Swiss cheese while I waited for his answer.

A sensuous rumble came from his throat, more like a bedroom noise than an argument. Was that a yes or a no? He stopped for a red light and swung his what-made-you-think-that look my way — kind of disgusted and surprised all in one.

Okay, maybe I was nutso risking our good thing by pushing to know if a better thing was just around the corner. But as the daughter of a funeral director I have a peculiar set of insecurities. I mean, funerals are hardly the talk for parties, right? They don’t call social pariahs dead boring for nothing. Maybe Rob fantasized about dating someone who didn’t paint dead people’s faces for a living.

Thick, stubby eyelashes blinked at me before Rob turned his attention back to the road. I licked a flavor-burst of strawberry gloss off my bottom lip. Any woman would want him. He is easily the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen — a rich collection of knotted-muscle browns, like trays of buns in a baker’s oven. Chocolate-drenched eyes, caramel hair sprinkled with cinnamon highlights, honey-kissed skin, and a mouth with all the quirk and appeal of marzipan figs. Maybe I should have said he’s a smorgasbord of brown because he’s definitely edible.“Do you?” I pushed. I wanted to scream out my wound-down window into the cloying blanket of Florida’s orange and salt-drenched air, “Just say no!”

Instead, he patted my thigh with one broad-palmed hand that felt vaguely condescending in a hot and tingly way. “Ba--be. I love you,” he gently scolded.

He snatched his hand away to switch lanes, cutting off an orange minivan that blasted us with its tinny horn.Nice evasion of the question. Gack! I didn’t want to be needy, but Rob has been my boyfriend for five years and my heartthrob for a lot longer. Any other guy would have slipped a diamond on my left hand by now, but we’re still stuck at the prep school stage of dating, only with canoodling privileges. It makes me antsy, which could be why I’d dropped that ultimatum this morning when he tried to welch out of our date.

Plus there’s the other woman, bane of my life, Jennifer Perrin — the curvy blonde who scattered when I caught her whispering in Rob’s ear last Christmas. A girl who lives right next door to him, sunbathes in her backyard wearing a skimpy string bikini, and is reputed to be the kindest chick in our neighborhood. Yeah, right! Well, I’m not kind at all, not when it comes to sneaky secrets and sharing the man I adore.“So what was this something that came up this morning?” I asked, trying to chew the tremble out of my bottom lip.

Guilt flickered in the depths of his eyes and rats gnawed bigger holes in my Swiss cheese stomach. He hissed air through his teeth in what sounded like a cross between a whistle and a steam engine stopping.“Rob, you’re freaking me out.”

“Making women nervous is a perk of being male,” he grumbled.

And no one could deny Rob was all male. Damn.

I yanked at the hem of my Barbie-pink tee and twisted the soft fabric into a knot. My throat dried up like Death Valley and I reached for the gym bag he kept on the floor of the pickup. Rob always carries water. You never know when a drive-by bench pressing will leave you thirsty.

I unzipped the tote and dipped in my hand. Something squishy wrapped around my fingers. I screeched and flicked the undulating gooey thing across the car. It barely missed Rob’s nose, then splatted on the driver’s side windshield where it stuck and quivered.

Rob swore and swerved several times before he got the car back under control. He said something about poop and fans that didn’t sound promising.

I screeched again as the alien gloop slid across the glass to hang in front of me. Then I narrowed my eyes. I focused on the little bag of silicon. My stand-on-chair-and-screech impulse gave way to fingernail-gouging rage.

“What’s this?” I asked, though, hey, someone with boobs my size knew very well about chicken cutlets. More than a handful is a waste, they say, so just call me frugal. I peeled the bra filler from the windscreen with a soft glub, and waved it under Rob’s nose. He groaned and did the flopped shoulders Women! thing.

“It’s not Jennifer’s,” he murmured before I even made the accusation. Guilty conscience or what?”

“Then whose is it? Since you don’t have any sisters, either you’ve been cheating or there’s a whole ‘nuther side of you I haven’t seen.” And given how many sides of him I’d seen that was extremely doubtful.

Possessive rage washed through me at the idea of some other girl nibbling icing off my cupcake. I threw the fake boob at the hot windscreen again. With a soft splat it stuck there, human breast slug under glass. In different circumstances, the toss and stick could be an amusing game.

“Whose?” I demanded.

His shoulders rolled again. “You don’t want to know.”

The hairs at my nape rose. “Correction – you don’t want to tell me. For all I know you’re having a little something something with a one-boobed woman and I’m the last to find out.” A shuddery sob made me stuff up the diatribe. Damn. I hate when my girly hormones sabotage me, and it wasn’t even that time of month.

He cocked a brow. “You’ve been watching Desperate Housewives again haven’t you, babe. Don’t you trust me?”

Nice try. “When I find the inside of some other girl’s underwear in your bag, no. And before you start about me getting neurotic, trust me on this, most girls find other women’s intimate apparel in their boyfriend’s bag a problem.” I pouted and crossed my arms.

He stroked a hand over his stubble-rough chin making a soft raspy noise. “It’s not what you think, but it is why I tried to cancel our date.”

I pouted some more like those luscious lipstick-duo commercials I’d always envied, and swung my gaze at him in a tell-me-or-else squint. His brown delights went all serious.

“You won’t like it,” he warned.

That made me lean closer. Now I had to know, and he had to know that I had to know. ‘Cause you can’t bring home a dozen Boston crème doughnuts and pretend you’re not gonna break your diet.

***************************************************

Buy the book and support Australian imports! Available from Freya's Bower mid/late June.

Promo? What Promo?

Promo is a huge buzz word among writers. What works, what doesn't, what's free, what's worth the money?

With the RWA National Conference coming up, promo is an especially big issue. See, there's this thing called The Goody Room. If you've never been, it's basically a room filled with every imaginable promotional item authors can come up with to show off their books. You'll see scores of bookmarks, book thongs, match books, enough pens to circle the world, pencils, emery boards, wine glass charms, cover flats, tulle wrapped tea lights, chocolates, mints, small excerpt books, tea bags...you get the idea.

But how many of those things make a lasting impression? How many make the recipient actually buy the book? The sad truth, I believe, is very, very few.

Have you ever bought a book based on a freebie you've been given? I'd love to know what the promo item was and what made you buy the book because of it.

Be The Expert

Recently, Hotrod was telling to me about a talk he had with one of the guys who works for him. This guy was struggling a bit with his job and Hotrod gave him some advice, some pointers on how to separate yourself from the pack and find your own success. (Hotrod is a retired Air Force officer who really knows his stuff and has spoken to thousands of people at various business conferences, so he speaks from a point of authority on this.)

One of his tenets is to make yourself the expert. This really struck a cord with me. What am I an expert on that pertains to this crazy writing business I've undertaken? I'm a good writer: I know how to craft a sentence, how to tighten a paragraph so that the chaff is tossed aside, how to create realistic dialogue, characters that ring true...but am I an expert? I think I'm pretty good at networking. Maybe I'm an expert on that?

I certainly know writers who I'd consider experts on certain things - punctuation, grammar, GMC. Things I need to work on. lol

Are you an expert? What are your strong points? What do you want to work on?

Fishing In The Bucket

Recently, our 5-year-old niece went to a birthday party where the main activity consisted of taking all the kids to a local lake and setting them up to fish.

After her bait had been in the water about 10 seconds, she bemoaned the fact that she was never going to catch any fish. (No comments about where she gets her patience.) She lifted her pole out of the water and told her mother she'd prefer to fish out of the bucket.

When her mother asked, "What bucket?" the little drama princess pointed to a family fishing nearby. "That bucket," she replied.

Well, "that" bucket was already full of fish - everything the family had already caught. Pretty much sums up the drama princess's philosophy on life, and got me thinking...

How many times have we as writers wanted to fish out of the bucket instead of taking our chances with the lake? You can interpret this however you like - we each have our own lakes and our own buckets. I know writers for whom the bucket has been a less-than-stellar agent with an offer of representation on the table - and they bravely decided to fish from the lake. I know of others whose bucket has been a offer of publication from a so-so epub. They, too, decided to fish from the lake. But I also know writers who started with the bucket, without ever dipping their pole in the lake at all.

What about you? Where will you fish from? How long will you let your bait sit in the water before you give in to the lure of the bucket? There are days when that bucket looks mighty tempting, I know.

My Agent Can Beat Up Your Agent

Well...I don't know if that's exactly true, but my agent rocks pretty hard. She's a great encouragement to me, even when things are slightly poopy. Yesterday she sent me the lovely lucky bamboo you see in that picture as a "pick me up" after the devastating loss of my main hard drive and 200 pages of my WIP.

And this is why I love her.

And this is why someday (hopefully soon) I'm going to write a book(s) that will make her ridiculously wealthy. Of course, it will benefit me as well. Then Hotrod can finally live the life he's been dreaming of - the kept husband who whiles away his days playing golf and driving a different American muscle car every day.

Now, I must go write. Did I mention I've lost another 2 pounds? Yep. There's going to be less of me to love at conference!

Monday Update

* My "So You're Going To Conference" article in this month's RWR is getting some great responses. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? It's my pick for article of the year. *grin*

* I've lost a total of six pounds so far on my quest to tighten-n-tone in time for Nationals. 38 days and counting! And if I keep up this pace of losing (doubtful - I know a plateau is in my future), I'll be looking better than ever in Dallas!

* If you haven't heard about it yet, Samhain has announced some really interesting info! Congrats to them! Also, they're running a first line contest on their blog.

* Not going to RWA's National Conference this year? There's a new reason not to feel left out! Romance Divas will be running an online conference for those "left behind." If you're an author and would like to get in on this by offering a workshop, doing a chat or Q&A, email me for more info.

Old & New

Old:

Lately I've been slightly obsessed with old movies. Mame is one of my all time favorites, but it hasn't been on in awhile. Neither has Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and I adore that one! In the past week or so I've watched, Operation Petticoat, The Absent-Minded Professor, Houseboat (another fav), Yours, Mine & Ours, Pat & Mike, and I've got North by Northwest up next.

There is something so charming about them. Almost a sense of innocence, I guess. What they regard as shocking, we think is commonplace. It's really a peek into the past in a way.

Do you like old movies? What are some of your favorites?

New:

I'm happy to report I'm down another pound this morning! And the best part is, I'm just counting calories and exercising. While I don't expect this rate of weight loss to continue (at some point, I know I'll plateau) but there will definitely be less of me at Nationals!

Also, I've got a short romance out in the first edition of the new Cobblestone Press Magazine! Check it out - the whole magazine is just $1.50. If you read it, I'd love to hear what you think.

Friday Funnies

Check this out: http://www.transmogrifier.org/ch/comics/94/03/05.gif I tried posting it, but it's too big and it screws up my blog. Don't you think today is a good day to laugh? Calvin and Hobbes rules!

On another happy note, I've lost three pounds! I'm seriously getting on the diet and exercise thing as Nationals are fast approaching and I have a dress to fit into.

Have a great weekend! Hopefully, we'll finally get to see Pirates.

The Devil Is Dead

I finally heard back from the data recovery center about my computer yesterday. Not good. All the data they pulled off was corrupted. Nothing is recoverable. Nothing.

I'm going to wallow in self-pity for a few days since the best book I've ever written is now forever lost to the ether. Sure, I've got the first 179 pages of an early draft, but I can't even think about rebuilding it right now. Date With The Devil is officially dead.

I'm going to work on a novella I've been asked to do, after that, there's a YA I'd like to tackle. I'll reassess Date at that point and see what I feel up to.

Back up your work externally, people. Trust me on this one.

Child-free and Loving It!

Our 5-year-old niece just left after a 2 1/2 day visit.

I'm officially exhausted. We went to the beach yesterday instead of Monday as planned, and it was really nice. Very few other people out there and just a beautiful day. Unfortunately, I was so busy putting sunblock on Hotrod and the Child that I forgot myself. I'm a bit toasted. Hopefully it will turn into a nice tan.

Fortunately for my sanity, Hotrod is gone for a few days on a business trip as well. That means I'll get to clean the house and have some alone time. And by alone time, I mean time to write!

Two more things:

1. My article on attending conference is in June's RWR - read it!

2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lara Santiago! 29 again!

Memorial Day

Take a moment to thank a veteran today, would you? This is a great country, made so much more so by the great men and women who've given of their time and their lives in the service of it.

As most of you know, Hotrod retired a few years ago after nearly 22 years in the Air Force. Today we're headed to the beach outside of Patrick Air Force base with our 5-year-old niece for some splashing, shell collecting, sun bathing and picnicking. Which reminds me...I need to make sandwiches and cut up the watermelon!

Have a great day, y'all!

Great Balls of Fire!

I've been forcibly constrained onto a bowling league. Granted, I'm just a fill-in member, but still. I've never bowled on a league and now, thanks to Lara Santiago and her evil husband, tonight will be my first night.

I'm a decent bowler. My grandfather was an exceptional bowler and actually built bowling lanes for a living. He went on to manage a large bowling alley in PA when I was growing up. My brother and I spent a lot of time there, bowling granny-style before we could actually heft the balls properly. Some of my fondest memories are bowling with my grandparents.

Part of me wants to do them proud tonight. The other part of me hopes no one recognizes me. Of course, there's the third part of me who will spend a better part of the day trying to figure out what to wear...

Lights, Camera, Action

Did any of you watch Fox's new show, On The Lot, the other night? It's basically a chance for unknown film makers to get discovered and end up with a job at Dreamworks.

What I liked about it was the first challenge. They had to pitch a random logline they'd been given a few hours previously to a panel of three judges (Brett Ratner, Garry Marshall and Carrie Fisher). Then the judges decided who stayed and who got cut based on how well they pitched. Sound familiar?

As RWA National Conference approaches, many writers will be pitching agents and editors hoping to get requests for material. Nerves abound during this event, but pitching doesn't need to result in a session with your therapist.

Recently, my fab agent, Elaine Spencer, spoke to my chapter about pitching. She advises you put down the notecards, make eye contact, relax and treat the agent/editor like the person they are. Don't talk at them, talk to them. Start out by asking them how they are. Let small talk be your ice breaker! Be prepared to answer questions about your story - you don't need to spend the entire alloted time pitching! Use a few minutes to give your pitch, but leave the rest of the time for questions and comments. But most important, remember the agent/editor you're talking to is a person, too!

So who's pitching? Are you practicing yet? Are you nervous? Need help with your pitch? If you put your pitch in the comments, I'll let you know what I think.

Less Sex, More Filling

I must admit, I'm a bit burned out on romance right now. It's not that I know how the book's going to end - I'm cool with the Happily Ever After (love that, in fact). It's just that because of the popularity of erotica, graphic sex seems to have invaded every romance novel I've picked up lately, and that's not what I read romance for. I know this probably isn't the popular opinion, but I'm tired of super sexy books. In my opinion, there is a market for romances that have great characters, strong plots and show the characters' growth through the love story instead of what happens in the bedroom.

Because I've had a hard time finding books that fit this category, I've switched to YA. The stories I've discovered have been amazing! Inventive, imaginative and beautifully written. I'm excited to start writing my own YA. The genre seems wide open.

If you've got recommendations for romances light on sex but big on story, let me know. I'd also like to know how you feel about books like this. Would you buy/read a book knowing sex wasn't featured prominately?

Betting On Books?

Simon and Schuster is betting the public's opinion will help them find profitable projects. Read the NYT article here.

If you're interesting in playing along, you can sign up or check out the site here: Media Predict

What do you think about this? Sounds interesting to me, but I'm not sure if it's got any real merit in relation to what makes a book "breakout" or die on the shelf. I've starting playing and have so far made about $1900. If only that were real money!

And yes, it's still my birthday. All day.

Favorite Words

What are your favorite and least favorite words? Some of mine are:

Favorites
1. Curmudgeon
2. Kerfluffle
3. Caddywampus
4. Discombobulated

(I've heard some people also like the word puppy.)

Least Favorites
1. Puss (the stuff that oozes out of a scab, not a nickname for a kitten)
2. Moist

Oh yeah, and today is my birthday.

The Cleaning Woman Cometh

The Brazilian cleaning woman was here yesterday. She brought a helper, another woman who I believe might have been Guatamalan and who spoke almost no English.

It was an interesting experience. Bete, the Brazilian, is very no-nonsense. She quickly became dissatisfied with the work the helper was doing. Not fast enough, not enough attention to detail. Towards the end of the day, Bete began verbally prodding the woman. Granted this was all done a mix of languages I have .o5% grasp of. I understood about every 10th word, but tone comes through in any language.

At any rate, my house is remarkably clean. Bete couldn't believe I'd been cleaning this space on my own. "How?" she asked. "Not by yourself? Girl, you'll wear yourself out." I couldn't agree more.

Also, I believe I learned the Spanish word for paper towels.

Just Cuz It's Funny

Blog Round Up

Funny cat picture.

An agent's take on self-published books.

The sexy library.

Some writerly smilies.

And now I'm off to write, do laundry and clean before the cleaning woman gets here. Yes, my life is a veritable smorgasbord of fun.

I'm It!

Beck tagged me to share 8 random things about me, so here goes:

1. I love to bake and decorate elaborate, complicated cakes. (Multiple layers, numerous fillings, interesting flavors)

2. I could read 1000 words a minute with 100% comprehension when I was in eighth grade.

3. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue.

4. If I had to chose between shoes or chocolate, I'd pick shoes.

5. I was once on the Geraldo Rivera show. He touched my face. Take that for what you will.

6. My closest friends in grade school, high school and college were all adopted.

7. If I end up alone in a house full of cats, I'll be okay with that. As long as I have books.

8. I once had the opportunity to try my hand at glass blowing. I turned it down because the equipment didn't look sanitary and I was not about to put my mouth on that icky ole blow tube.

I tag Babe, Sela, Tempest & Lara.

Bad Blogger

I've been a busy, travelin' girl, hence the lack of blog postage. This week will be even busier, if that's possible. Sigh. Plus I've got some health stuff going on that I really don't want to deal with.

I wish I could take a vacation from my life and my responsibilities, but they'd just be waiting for me when I got back..

Anyone have a joke to share or a funny link? I could really use a laugh.

Off to write..

Where There's Smoke...

There's a stuffed up head, apparently. The horrible, ongoing wildfires in Georgia and Florida have filled the lower half of FL with sooty, smoke-laden air, which in turn has stuffed up my head. My nose is running like a faucet. Ugh.

You can almost taste the smoke in the air. The bitter, woody tang clings to everything and there's a haze covering everything. It's awful. And a little scary. Yes, we get wildfires frequently this time of year, but that doesn't mean I'm used to them.

Anyway, I only wrote two pages yesterday, but they were two good pages. I've transitioned to the last scene so the wrap-up should come quickly now. I'm happy with the way things are going. In fact, "The End" could come this afternoon!

Keepin' It Real

I wrote seven pages yesterday, thanks to Lara Santiago yelling at me. She threatened to come to my house and cause me bodily harm if I didn't sit down and write.

I think I shall now call her the Mistress of the Whip. Or should that be WIP?

Either way, I'm happy with that word count for the day. Especially since I was feeling kind of icky yesterday and took some allergy meds that knocked me out for a bit.

In other news, I'm hiring a cleaning woman. Not sure if it's going to be a regular thing or just an occasional thing, yet - that will depend on the job she does. She used to be a translator for Disney and speaks six languages! Anyone need a translation for the book they're writing?

This Is The Week

I'm putting my foot down. (On myself. Can you do that?) This is the week I finish Date With The Devil. I finally heard about my hard drive and okayed the retrieval (it's going to cost me around $1500), so I should have my files back in two weeks or less. Might as well write since I need to stop shopping for a few months. lol

So, I have got to write those few last pages, I've got to tie up all the loose ends, bring everything to a nice, tight conclusion. Which means stop adding new threads, stop letting the story ramble on (I really don't think it's rambling, but this is one of the more complex stories I've written.)

Anyway, I want you all to keep on me this week. Make me accountable for my pages! Help me get to the end? Thanks. You're the best.

A Few Last Pics...

Some pics from the RT fairy ball... Yes, my hair is blue.

More RT Pics

Eden Bradley and I - more evidence of my spray tan in action. It was still looking good at this point.
Me, Jax, one of the past Mr. Romances - Andre Claude, and Lara Santiago at the Moulin Rouge party.
Lara and I pretending to bite Morgan (another Siren author) at the Vampires of the West ball. Look closely and you should be able to see my fangs.
The fabulous Deidre Knight and me at the huge booksigning on Saturday.

RT Roomies

Me and my homies. Lara Santiago, Carrie Hensley and yours truly. These are the chicks I roomed with. The dish? Carrie's a bit of a snorer and Laura has frisky toes. Carrie was also the unofficial photographer, so once she sends me her pics, I'll have more to share.

Maybe We Should Start A Girl Group

Don't we look fab in our black, white & red combos? From left to right, this is Lara Santiago, Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe, PC Cast and moi. Lara and I were off to dinner with Grace Draven, while Jill was supposedly going to take a nap. I say supposedly because she said that everytime I saw her. I think PC and Gena ended up dragging her off to dance or drink.

This pic was taken by the lovely Jenna Black!

Everything's Bigger In Texas

Even the soup.

Is that not the biggest bowl of soup you've ever seen as a single serving? Oddly enough, the waitress felt compelled to tell us it was heavy when she handed it over. Ya think?

According to Lara Santiago, the orderer and eater of this soup, it was tasty and delicous. But not by any means the small bowl she anticipated. She ordered it because she wasn't that hungry! And it came with that huge pile of rice!

I had tamales that night - one of my favorite things - and thanks to Deidre Knight, another chica at dinner with us that night, my foot somehow ended up on the table. I know you're going to ask so let me just say I was demonstrating my big toe's mouse-clicking technique.

Hot New YA

I just finished reading this hot new YA by mother/daughter team PC & Kristin Cast. I devoured it. No pun intended. It's a completely new and interesting take on vamps. The voice is fresh and engaging and impossible to put down. Something tells me this is going to create a real buzz among readers. Don't wait until everyone's telling you it's a "must read" - READ IT NOW! So fabulous!

If you've already read it, I'd love to know what you thought.

Home Again, Home Again

Hey all, I'm back from RT and slightly wiped out. Stories and pics to come.

No word on the dead hard drive yet. Sigh.

Listen Up

BACK UP YOUR WORK.

Right now. I'll wait. Done? Good. Why am I harping on this? On Wednesday, my main computer flashed the blue screen of death. Even technical genius Hotrod couldn't save it. See, my computer decided it no longer wished to recognize my hard drive. You know, the place where all my files are stored? Including the nearly complete first draft of Date With The Devil (all 374 pages). Actually, every book I've ever written is on that hard drive, but only DWTD matters to me at the moment.

Sigh.

I took it to our local computer guys and long story short, they couldn't retrieve the info but they have a lab they can send it to. This lab has a medical grade clean room, where they'll strip the hard drive, put the important bits into another hard drive and save off the info. They're 98% sure the lab will be able to get all my files.

Cost of this process? Are you sitting down? $600 to $2000. I'll wait while your heart rate slows to normal. Dear, sweet Hotrod didn't blink an eye. Well, he might have blinked once. Regardless, he knows I need these files back.

I guess this means I won't be buying any new shoes for a long time.

Sigh.

The real kicker is, I know I'm supposed to be backing up my stuff to disk or flash drive or emailing my self copies. So I could have prevented this, but my laziness won. This is the most expensive lesson I've learned so far in my life. Don't make the same mistake, okay? BACK UP YOUR WORK.

Adventures in Spray Tanning

I'm back from being spray tanned! Here's how it went down.

I showed up, sans make-up, lotion, deodorant, etc. wearing loose clothes. The woman doing the spraying took me back to the room, told me to wear whatever I wanted (I went with an old pair of bikini bottoms), put my hair up in the shower cap that she gave me and that she'd be right back.

A few minutes later she returned, had me stand on a towl in the middle of the floor, flipped on the machine and started spraying me. I think I screamed a little. It was SO much colder than I thought it would be! After a thorough spraying in various postions to get a nice even cover, she had me take a deep breath, close my eyes and mouth with my lips kind of rolled in and she sprayed my face. She repeated that, did a few touch ups, then handed me a hair dryer to blow dry myself until I was as dry as I was comfortable with. (The tanning solution contains sugar and aloe, so there's a perpetual stickiness that doesn't go away until you shower.)

I dried off, gingerly put my clothes back on, then it was Lara's turn. She handled the cold much better than I did. Apparently, I'm a wuss.

So, here I sit in my sarong (worn as a strapless dress) and little else. I have to wait a minimum of 8 hours before I shower, but I'm probably going to wait until tomorrow morning. There's a bronzer in the spray, so you see immediate results, but supposedly I'll continue getting darker all day.

So far, so good. Would I do it again? As of this moment, yes.

Scooter Has An Opponent

Sam has decided to run against Scooter. I think he looks rather imposing don't you? Amazing he was able to come out from under the bed long enough to have his picture taken. I don't know that I can recommend voting for Sam any more than Scooter. Sam tends to be bossy, whiny and clingy. Not what you'd call "presidential" by any means. He does have a very cute spotted tummy, though.

(Thanks to Lara's talented son for whipping this silliness up.)

New Candidate Announces His Intentions!

Props to one of Lara Santiago's sons for whipping this up. Isn't it a riot? Unfortunately, I will not be voting for Scooter since I can't agree with him on his domestic short hair policy or his push for a second daily feeding. Plus, it's not very presidential to bite someone when they're trying to trim your nails.

Monday, Monday...

Today is the calm before the storm. This is going to be one of the busiest weeks ever. I leave for the Romantic Times Convention next Monday and between now and then I have MUCH to do.

To Do:
* Finish first draft of Date With The Devil
* Get hair highlighted
* Get spray tan (don't worry, I plan to blog about this)
* Sew fairy costume
* Finalize vampire cowboy costume & Moulin Rouge costume (which may be nothing more than a fancy hat)
* Prepare brief handouts for the topics I'll be talking about at RT (Dialogue, Plotting & Rejection)
* Pack for RT
* Prepare some frozen meals for Hotrod so he doesn't eat Steak-n-Shake seven nights in a row while I'm gone
* Send out last batch of review books to the Romance Divas reviewers
* Attend the Volusia County Romance Writer's one day conference on Saturday (I'm a glutton for punishment, aren't I? I'm going because my super marvelous agent, Elaine Spencer is speaking.)

I'm sure there's more, but those are the highlights. It's enough, don't you think? On a rather triumphant personal note, I wrote 21 1/2 pages on DWTD yesterday! That's an all time personal best, my previous record being 18 pages in one day. Considering I had a cold over the weekend and was doped up on meds, this is even more impressive. Clap for me. After all those pages, I realized there is still more story to be told. So, once again I've extended my estimate on the final word count, this time to 98k words. Will it be done then? I don't know. DWTD may go to 100k. I'll know when I type The End.

Shout Out: My fabulous friend, Lara Santiago has had a book final in the Passionate Plume - The Lawman's Wife!

So...what do you have planned for the week?

And The Winner Is...

"What box? I'm not sitting in a box." by Lara Santiago

More than anything, this caption captures Scooter's true attitude. Granted, Lara actually knows Scooter so she probably had a bit of an advantage. Therefore, she will NOT be eligible for the next caption contest, although I will still force her to enter it. (Next caption contest will be Monday, the 23rd as I will be headed to the Romantic Times Convention.)

Congrats, Lara, you big cheat! lol

Some Crazy Stuff...

Don't believe in signing a Pre-Nup before you get married? This site's for you.

Does your cat have fangs? You might want to double check.

Dig hairy men? Get your tickets now!

Dog gone bald? Here's your answer.

Ever wanted your own Scottish title? Your dream has just come true!

Caption Contest!

I haven't done a caption contest in forever, so I thought it was time. The best caption for this photo will win this book:

Contest ends Saturday, April 14th at 10am, so get your captions in!

Bah.

Today is one of those gloomy, overcast, slightly chilly days when all I feel like doing is curling up in bed with a good book and hot cup of coffee near by. Not to mention we're having gutters put on today, so the noise from the men walking on the roof is rather bothersome (and making the cats run around the house like mad beetles.) But I need to write. So today becomes one of those days when I must force myself to suck it up and get the work done.

Do you have days like this? Do you force yourself to do the work? Any tricks for getting yourself motivated?

Progress

I wrote 8 1/2 pages yesterday! To celebrate, I cleaned out the fridge and did some laundry.

Ah, the glamorous life of a writer.

Shout Out To My Peeps

It happens every year. People come down decisively on both sides of the issue. Families are split over it, friends mock each other, children find themselves going without because adults have removed the articles in question for their own use.

The question remains without any black or white answer.

Peeps - fresh or stale, which is better?

Chocolate and Losing Weight

Chocolate and losing weight rarely go hand in hand. However, I'm down 2 pounds this morning and craving chocolate like it's going out of style. Maybe I should stop googling chocolate Easter bunnies, but I can't help myself.

I wish I was getting an Easter basket. Mmm...chocolate...

I'm an ear biter. You?

Sex Bomb

No, I'm not channeling Tom Jones, I'm just in a good mood since I got my hair cut yesterday. It's good stuff - back to being swingy and flirty and fun. Long straight hair really only works when it's got layers to give it movement and life. (Yes, I know the profile pic of me shows curly hair - that was strictly hot roller induced madness.)

I feel good. And all because of a haircut. Amazing, isn't it?

Thanks to Lara Santiago for sharing her stylist with me and for chopping five inches off her own hair to inspire me. Now we're both sex bombs.

What makes you feel sexy?

Writers & Confidence

A writer friend of mine is going through a spell of lack of confidence. What's your best advice on regaining your confidence or dealing with this when it happens?

So Much To Do, So Little Time

I'm crunched for time. At least, I have been lately. See, spring is conference season for most writers - which isn't to say there aren't great conferences that happen in the fall and winter, but spring really kicks the whole conference season into high gear. I've been planning a fabulous Super Saturday for my chapter (think mini one-day conference) and now that the bulk of that planning is done, I can breath a small sigh of relief.

Still, there is much ahead of me. Romantic Times is coming up (and I've yet to start on my fairy costume even though I've had the fabric since Dec.). Before that is a one day conference in Volusia County. Then, before you know it, RWA Nationals will be here. I've been hard at work finalizing plans for the Romance Divas 3rd Annual Diva Dinner. No small task, I assure you. But, at last, that too is coming together.

So far today, I've written up some promo stuff, written and/or edited three reviews for RD, posted a book for review at RD, chatted with authors about upcoming events at RD, had a pedicure, gotten my legs waxed, done some laundry and dishes, and given serious thought to my diet. Or lack thereof.

I think it's time for a dip in the pool. Just as soon as the A/C guy leaves. Then maybe I can squeeze in a few pages on the book I'm supposed to be finishing. What do you think? Sounds like a plan to me.