You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down

Rejections suck. That's the black and white truth. But I say bake a cheesecake, get over it, move on, strive to do better, work harder, get more stuff out there. Onward and upward and so forth and so on.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have revisions to finish and cheesecake to eat. I'll be clever tomorrow.

And The Hits Keep Coming

Two rejections today. One on a full, one on a partial.

In the letter from the editor about the full, she said my book reminded her too much of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover. While I am a fan of Kenyon's, I have yet to read that one. Anyone care to synopsise it for me?

Here Kitty, Kitty!

You must go visit this site: Stuff On My Cat

It's the best place I know to procrastinate when you have revisions to do. Not that I would procrastinate. Ever. I'm purely and utterly a non-procrastinator.

Yeah, that's me.

The Joy of Cake

I am addicted to cake. I think in many ways, it's nature's perfect food. All that soft, crumby goodness combined with the sweet, creamy icing...divine!

Issac Mizrahi has a talk show on which he offers his guests "a delicious coffee". If I had a talk show, I would offer them a selection of cake. Would you like a delicious slice of cake?

Chocolate?











Coconut?










Lemon Cream?











Take your pick!










What's your favorite kind of cake?

We Interrupt These Revisions...

To bring you a hot pair of thighs. Aye caramba!

These yummy quads belong to Michael Owens.
Google him.
You won't be sorry.

Tell Me A Joke

I'm serious. Tell me your best joke. Make me laugh. (You'll understand the need for this if you're also doing revisions.)

Revisions: Day Two

Yesterday was good. I finished rewriting one scene from her POV to his. Interesting switch and, I think, totally necessary.

I'll reread that scene today and see what needs fleshing out, more details, less details, whatever. Then on to threading the new subplot into the exisiting work while also looking for inconsistancies created by some of the other plot changes.

I'll be happy when it's done and polished, but I do enjoy the process. I'm making the book stronger - what's not to love? Sure it's work but it's work with fabulous rewards.

What are you working on?

And So It Begins...

Tomorrow I begin the serious undertaking of agent-requested revisions to my third book. In a way, I feel like this is an interview - or rather an audition. If the revisions accomplish what was requested, that should mean good things, right?

How do you go about revisions like this? Do you have a method you use? For me, it means printing the work out and doing edits on the hardcopy then transferring the changes to the computer copy, then one final print out for a proof read.

I will be changing the POV in one scene and adding a new subplot to provide additional motivation (and some increased conflict) for my heroine. I really think it's going to make the book shine. And oddly enough, I'm looking forward to getting into the revisions. I'm excited about what I think they're going to do for this book!

How do you feel about revisions?

What's your blog worth?

My blog is worth $17,500.74.
How much is your blog worth?

Five Guilty Pleasures

Sela tagged me.

Five Guilty Pleasures

1. Cooking. Is that weird? I love to cook. It relaxes me, makes me happy. And I really enjoy feeding other people. Guess that's part of my Italian side. The only problem with cooking is it leads to eating.

2. Catalogs. I adore catalogs - clothing, jewelry, household goods, food products, seed and plant -- you name the product and I probably get a catalog for it. I love the pictures, the descriptions, the possibilities...and the ability to walk away without actually buying anything.

3. Odd Research Books. Books can't be considered a guilty pleasure since they're part of writing. But I do enjoy picking up odd research books, even if they're on a subject I may never write about. Expecially books on weird things in history or unexplained events or civilizations that no longer exist. The mind rejoices!

4. Shoes. Do I really have to explain this one? Shoes are man's most amazing invention. I mean, think about it - how did people get to places before the wheel? In their SHOES! And although I don't need any more shoes, I keep buying them. Some of them are too beautiful to pass up. I have shoes in my closet right now that I haven't even worn but I like looking at them -- the lines, the colors, the curve of the heel, the slope of the instep. Marvelous things.

5. Sleep. Sleeping is one of my most favorite things to do. And I love a good nap. Too bad sleeping isn't a profession. I'd probably be the most highly paid individual in my field I'm so good at it. You know what's best of all? A nap outside on a balmy day. I've done some of my best sleeping on vacation in Maui and out by my pool. Hmm. I feel a nap coming on right now...

But first, let me tag Jax, Bonnie and Diana.

My Two Year Anniversary

I started writing with the goal of publication two years ago this month. I've had a request for the first book I wrote, so I'm doing my best to shine it up. Man, I had some issues back then. Seems like all my sentences had the same structure and I was overly fond of the prepositional phrase. Still, the story is interesting, the hero hot and the heroine sympathetic. Perhaps that's what helped it final in the Golden Heart? Or maybe I just got some really understanding judges.

My growth as a writer amazes me. I'm proud of myself for learning so much about this craft, for using contests & critiques as tools and not personal attacks, for not being afraid to ask questions and for surrounding myself with people willing to help.

Have you ever looked back at something you first wrote to see how far you've come? Was it good? Bad? Ugly? How have you changed as a writer from when you started? What do you credit that with?

Happy Valentine's Day

My office smells like roses. Three dozen roses, to be exact. Two dozen pale pink, one dozen apricot. And if three-foot, heart-shaped mylar balloons had a smell, I'd add that in too. All in all, it's not a bad way to wake up.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Perils of Birthday Cake

My husband's birthday is Feb. 14th. Before you get all ooo-y and ahh-y about him being born on Valentine's Day let me bring one thing to your attention. Because of this, V Day tends toward a less traditional focus in the Painter household. I'm not really complaining, mind you - I'm a well-romanced girl. The day just takes on a different flavor when the eldest member of the house spends it moaning about his advancing age. Ahem.

We did a little early celebration today with family. They brought cake and of course, I ate some. Butter yellow cake with devilishly dark chocolate frosting, my hubby's cake of choice.

It was too much - too sweet, too sugary, too heavy, too filling. I feel icky. And I know I will pay for this during aerobics tomorrow. Will that stop me from indulging in another bite before the night is over? Not likely.

Ugh. I am so easily wooed.

Contest Judging

I'm judging more contests in the next few months than I can count, but let me try: Golden Heart, Great Expectations, The Merritt, The Winter Rose, The Daphne...I know there are more but I haven't had my coffee yet.

Have you ever judged a contest? Have you ever entered a contest? If you answered yes to that last one, you should have also answered yes to that first one. Entering your work into a contest without judging is like trying to learn to ski without taking a lesson. Sure, you might do okay, but you'd go farther with the lesson.

Judging teaches you what to look for, what judges look for, what things work in a story and what don't. After you read the fifth block of passive phrasing in an entry, I guarantee you'll look twice for passive verbs in your own stuff.

Adverbs, POV switches, tense changes, comma errors, wordiness, lack of description, unrealistic dialogue, overuse of dialogue tags (he bandied, she cajolled, etc), no internals or not enough, dialogue without attribution, slow pacing - these are all recurring items that indicate a manuscript needs several more edits. And for some reason, they are so much easier to see in someone else's work than in your own. Until you've judged a few entries. Then they stand out like you wouldn't believe.

Judge. You won't regret it. If you're judging or decide to judge, post here and let me know. Not sure how to start? Try this yahoo group (I don't own it, I'm just a member but it's the best way to find out what contests need judges):

Click to join ContestsJudges

Now go! Judge! Learn! Contribute! Eat chocolate! (Hey, you don't need me to tell you that but it doesn't hurt.)

New Harlequin Line

As you may or may not have heard, Harlequin is launching a new dark paranormal line. Book lengths are to be about 75k to 85k words. And the biggest question? The name of the new line. It is...Nocturne!

STAR Conference Gossip

The STAR conference has come and gone but not without some memorable moments. Check out Diana Peterfreund's blog to get a hint of some of what went on: Diana's Blog.

Feel free to ask me for answers. I know most of them. Hah!

Weird But Oddly Satisfying

http://www.kawaiiness.com/blockie/index.php?blockid=3494

Blocks are about as fundamental as toys go. We all had them. Now we can all play with them again.

The record is 409. I think we can beat that, don't you? After all, I've stacked almost 200 by myself. (Yes, I do have better things to do but as a time waster goes this is phenomenal.)

The Straight Poop On Formatting

You need to read this post by a working copyeditor.

http://deannahoak.livejournal.com/54532.html

SIN Scenes

SIN: Surprise, I'm Naked!

We've all run across them. You're reading along, the hero and heroine have most likely just met and then BAM! One of them sees the other naked, often by accident, sometimes not. He walks in on her changing in the bedroom. She walks in on him in the shower. You know what I'm talking about.

Sometimes these scenes work and sometimes they don't. For me, they don't work when they're clearly contrived and the character reactions aren't realistic.

Ex. A: A woman who's never had sex with a man yet runs naked through the house chasing her cat because she didn't realize she dropped her towel...um, not working. Sounds like a TSTL moment.

Ex B: The hero walks in on the heroine changing. He might stare a little (he is a man after all) but then she screams for him to get out and he obliges. Accidental and handled that way.

Having said all that, I have a SIN scene in books one and two and will probably have one in book four. How about you? Do you have any in your work? What do you think about them? Like them? Hate them? Can't get enough?

How You Doin'?

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? If so, how are they going?

I don't make resolutions but I have been working out regularly since the New Year so I'm happy about that. I do think this year will hold some changes for me. So far, I'm happy with how the New Year's going!

Bad Boys Ahoy!

Our very own Diva Sylvia Day's book is available from Amazon, buy it! :)

Bad Boys Ahoy!

Oh, those naughty rakes. With their wicked winks, sensual smiles, and bad boy habits, you just can’t take them out in polite society. But who wants to go out when you can stay in...?

STOLEN PLEASURES
Sebastian Blake, Earl of Merrick, long ago fled the responsibilities of his title to become the infamous pirate, Captain Phoenix. But the booty he’s just captured on a merchant ship is a fierce tempered minx who claims to be a bride...his bride, married to him by proxy on behest of their fathers. He could shame his hated family and return his beautiful wife untouched, but no treasure has ever proved more tempting to Sebastian, and making their marriage a true one-in every sense-is his one urgent desire ...

LUCIEN’S GAMBLE
Lucien Remington’s reputation as a debauched libertine who plays by no one’s rules-in business or the bedroom-is well deserved. He gets what he wants, social repudiation be damned. But society can keep from him the one thing he truly desires, the untouchable Lady Julienne La Coeur. Until she sneaks into his club dressed as a man and searching for her irresponsible brother. Suddenly she’s in Lucien’s grasp, his to take, and his mind is filled with the most wickedly sinful thoughts. A gentleman would walk away from the temptation she presents. But then, Lucien has never claimed to be a gentleman...

HER MAD GRACE
Hugh La Coeur never wanted to be the Earl of Montrose. Wine, women, and a hefty wager are preferable to responsibility of any kind. It’s certainly preferable to spending the night in an eerie, neglected mansion owned by a legendary madwoman. The duchess’s companion, the fiercely independent Charlotte, is another matter altogether. Hugh would be happy to spend as many nights in her bed as possible. He knows she’s hiding terrible secrets, but for once in his life, Hugh has the desire to take on someone else’s burden as his own, no matter what the danger...

They’re mad, bad, and totally irresistible...

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

There's a lot of waiting in this business. And patience is not one of my virtues (although I'm trying).

Right now I'm waiting to hear back on:

Fulls with two different editors
Partials with four different agents
Partials with three different editors
Query with one editor
Query with one agent
Non-fiction query with one magazine
Contest results in three contests

Hmmm. It's a wonder I'm not prematurely gray. What are you waiting to hear back on?

Road To Publication Stories

If you haven't read these yet, you should. Very interesting and affirming stuff.

Gena Showalter
Diana Peterfreund
Jaci Burton

At Long Last...

Here's a much overdue picture of my braceless smile. The crazy blonde on my lap is my neice. This was taken right before Christmas at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Orlando. She was a little wound up, as I think her face indicates. We had a great time! And I'm still thrilled to have those braces off!

Jewel of Atlantis by Gena Showalter

All Atlantis seeks the Jewel of Dunamis, which legend claims can overcome any enemy. Grayson James, human agent of the ultra-secret Otherworld Bureau of Investigation has orders to keep it from the wrong hands -- or destroy it. What he doesn't know is that Jewel is a woman, not a stone! But once he meets this precious gem, destroying her is the last thing on his mind....

Jewel, part goddess, part prophet, is a pawn in Atlantis's constant power struggles. She needs Gray's help to win freedom and uncover the secrets of her mysterious origins. Gray needs her wisdom to navigate monster-ridden Atlantis. But need blossoms into passionate love as they fight demons, dragons, vampires -- and a prophecy that says the bond between them could destroy them both.

If you haven't ordered this yet, all I can say is...why not?

Office Space

There's been a lot of blogging lately about what your personal writing space looks like, so I thought I'd join the fun and post some pics.

What's your writing space look like? Do you have a dedicated area?

Vote for Romance Divas

Yes, ladies & gents... it's that time of year again and we need to be #1.

Here's the link: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/

Preditors & Editors has started the annual poll and since Romance Divas won last year, we want to stay on top. Please vote for us in these categories:

Writers' Discussion Forum
Writers' Workshop
Writers' Resource/Information/News Source

If you love us, please keep us on top!

Pass this on...

New & Revamped

The Romance Diva's Blog has a whole new attitude for 2006 - we're working on getting daily posts out, keeping it fun and informative. If you haven't checked it out, go take a look and see what you think. We'd love any feedback to help move us in the right direction.

C It Is!

The votes have spoken - the next book will be choice C with a splash of A thrown in. Now, with a goldsmith heroine, an ancient ring that holds the secrets to the Devil's Triangle and a hero sworn to guard that ring with his life, what am I going to call this?

I need a working title, people! Ideas?

What to write, what to write?

Been thinking about my next book. Should be starting it in the next few weeks. But what is it going to be about? I have some ideas - about two pages worth - but I'm not sure my heart is in any of those at the moment. I've been toying with the idea of writing something aimed at category. Seems a good way to get one's foot in the proverbial door, but alas...I am just not sure.

So. Tell me what sounds the most interesting:
A. An "Indiana Jane" heroine out to discover the secrets of the Bermuda Triangle. (Contemporary Paranormal)
B. A warrrior queen discovers her bond-husband is actually the heir to the Lycian (werewolf) throne long thought dead. (Fantasy Romance)
C. A goldsmith heroine finds a ring that gives her some interesting powers, including summoning its rightful - and frightening - owner. (Contemporary Paranormal)

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Let's here 'em!

Merry Christmas!

As family descends today, I want to take a moment to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Life is precious and time with our families is one of the season's greatest gifts. Love and peace to all of you.

A New Baby Diva is born....

:: BREAKING NEWS ::

Our resident Diva Briana has finally had her 7th child after the longest labor in history! And Romance Divas kept track (and bets) on it....

Sophia (no middle name at this time)
Born: Monday, December 19, 2005
Time: 5:21 PM
Weight: 8lbs 6oz
Length: 21 inches

Hip Hip Hurray!

Kristen's Blog Has A New Look

I've just completed the re-vamping of Kristen's Website and now I've created a new look for her blog. I hope to have all the kinks worked out by the end of the day.

In the meantime, she's scurrying to clean and set up her once empty rooms to make room for her guests. I'm sure it's going to sparkle like a store's showroom.. she's a decorating freak... trust me. Also, I've begged her to pack up some of those homemade cookies to ship my way. After all, I've just spent most of the weekend doing work for her. Sniff sniff.

Have patience folks as I do tweaks in here...

Onto other news. Our very own Briana is having her baby TODAY! Finally the day has come and we'll know all the baby stats! It's the longest labor in Romance Divas history. I can also say it's our first Diva Baby since we created that place!

The big, bad hacker,
Jax

RD all fixed!

Talked to our host and whatever the problem was, they fixed it.

Romance Divas...hmm...

Not sure what's up with the site at the moment but I've emailed Jax and hopefully we'll have an answer soon.

Baking Today

I'm making a cheesecake today for my chapter's Christmas party tomorrow night. Cheesecake is my "thing", it's what I'm known for and what I usually make for get-togethers. What's your "thing"?

And yes, pictures of my braceless teeth are coming soon!

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Today is my 3rd anniversary (hubby took me out to a fabulous dinner last night) and tomorrow my braces come off. Can you believe it? MY BRACES COME OFF!

Join me in a woohoo, will you? WOOHOO!!!

Some Writers Deserve To Starve

Have you seen this book by Elaura Niles? I just picked it up yesterday and have been skimming through it. It's full of common sense advice, types of writers/critique partners/agents to avoid and suggestions on networking (not that I need those-haha). The author really stresses the importance of getting to know people in the business as a way of getting your foot in the door.

It's an interesting book but it raised some questions for me. Are there writers out there with great ideas, a good grasp of their craft and the gift of storytelling that are never going to make it because they don't ever go to a conference and chat up an editor in the elevator?

Very few of us live in NYC, the home turf of many an agent and editor. We struggle to distinguish ourselves from the rest of our peers in the slush pile, hoping at times for nothing more than a personalized rejection instead of the preprinted form. Is there hope? Or are we disallusioned against the truth of our chances?

The answer? NO. There is hope. I'm living proof. Am I published yet? In poetry and short stories, yes but not in novel length fiction. I do feel like I'm on the verge and I bet a lot of you feel that way too.

What makes me feel that way? In the short time I've been seriously writing toward publication I have garnered numerous requests for partials from agents and editors and recently fulls (the requeseted full of my second book sits at two major NYC houses right now), I've cultivated friendships with some wonderfully people, many of them multi-pubbed authors, some of them agents, some of them major publishing house publicists. The rejections I get aren't form letters for the most part, they're personal notes, hand-signed, with compliments on my writing and interest in other projects.

Do I live in NYC? No. But I've managed to do some networking and I put my heart and soul into learning my craft. I've taken the advice of critique partners and honed my skills. I've read craft books, taken workshops, attended conferences, entered and judged contests. I'm even working on building my repertoire of workshops that I can give. None of these things require residency in Manhattan.

How about you? Are you a writer who deserves to starve or a writer on the verge? What makes you think you're on the verge if that's your answer? How have you gotten there?

"Charity Case" Comes Out Tomorrow

My second Sun story comes out tomorrow--it's called Charity Case and I think it's cute. But then, I wrote it.

Go buy it!

A Little Taste Of Sin

Hershey's has a new flavor of kiss out. Cherry cordial. Obviously, the devil is now working in the R & D department of Hershey's because these little nuggets of chocolate cherry goodness are pure evil wrapped in pretty red foil. Delicious. But evil.

Great. My mouth is watering. I may need an exorcisim.

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

All these pics were taken on our trip to Morocco. Hope you enjoy!

A Little Blogger Poll

Leave me a comment and tell me what you'd most like to see:

A. A picture of me with a snake around my neck.
B. My husband holding a monkey.
C. My husband riding a camel.

The winning picture will be posted for your viewing enjoyment.

Good News Times Two

I've finished my WIP and gotten a request for a full of my second book from HQN!

Almost There!

I'm at 95% of the way to being done with my WIP! I hope to finish today or at least get within pages.

On an odd note, I had to sleep with two paper mache reindeer last night. I bought them for Christmas and they were sitting by my bed in a bag (waiting for me to find them a home until after Thanksgiving) when, around 3am, I heard rustling. Naughty cat rustling. Someone black fat and fuzzy was chewing their ears off.

The reindeer slept safely beside me the rest of the night.

Crunch, Crunch, Crunch

Time is ticking away to get my two Golden Heart entries in the mail.

I still have to write two synopsises.
I still have to polish both entries one final time.
I still have to finish the second ms. But I'm getting close.

What's up with your writing?

Kids, Not Cats

How cute is this child? This is my brother's little boy, Ben. Couldn't you just eat him up?

Listen Up!

Tomorrow is a big day. Why?

A. Tomorrow (Monday the 14th) in the Romance Divas chatroom, agent Steven Axelrod will be chatting from 9pm to 10pm. If you're interested in participating, simply register in the Forum section then email me (kbrunori at yahoo.com) for a password.

B. Also tomorrow, the Sun magazine with my short story, Sweet Beginnings, goes on sale! This is my first published short so I'm excited about it.

Better Late Than Never...

This is one of my goofy cats, Sam. As you can see, he's a great help when I'm trying to write. (How do I get anything done? That's really what you're thinking, isn't it?)

The conference was great! I got a request from an agent, so there's one more thing I need to get done. Yikes, I have a ton of work to do!

Off to write. Have a great day!

Gone for a bit

Howdy, blog friends!

I'm off to Virginia to the Chesapeake Romance Writer's annual Fantasies By The Sea Conference. I'll be back on Monday (and yes, there will be a Goofy Cat Monday). I'll be sure to bring presents for everyone!

While I'm gone, here's something for you to discuss:

How do you name your characters? How do you name your villians? Are there underlying meanings to the names you give them? Spill it!

Furkid Update

Shadow is home and everything went fine. They showed me pictures of her teeth before and after the cleaning - not only didn't she require any extractions but the vet said she has the teeth of a much younger cat than her actual 18-20 years.

They also told me that because of the anesthisia and morphine, not to worry if she didn't eat tonight or even tomorrow morning. As soon as I opened the carrier door when we got home, she made a beeline to the food. Such a tough cookie!

So far, so good. I think she's enjoying the morphine. I keep hearing these little half-purrs come out of her. lol

Say A Little Prayer

Shadow (my eldest cat) is undergoing surgery today. I took her to the vet this morning, they ran some bloodwork and were surprised to see that other than her infected ear, she's in pretty good health for a cat of her years. The surgery will be as short as possible so she doesn't have to be under too long.

Poor sweet creature. I pray this turns out well.

It's hard to write romance when a member of the family is in hospital.

Goofy Cat Monday

Today's pics come a little later than usual. It's been a tough day as my oldest cat is getting closer and closer to the point where I wonder if the quality of her life still outweighs her health issues. But looking at these sweet pics is enough to put a smile on anyone's face!

The Final Countdown

Only 68 pages to go and my current manuscript, The Perfect Dish, will be done! Well, the first draft will be done. There will be polishing to do but I am so psyched! I've never written a book this quickly. Pretty amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it, huh? I started this book the week before conference so that's 16 weeks of writing - although due to travel and moving from Virginia to Florida, there were many weeks I didn't write more than a few pages.

I can't wait to type "The End". It's such a great feeling! (I like edits best. I know, I'm a sick puppy.)

What's your favorite part of writing? The beginning? The end? The polishing?

Title Help

My friend, Sela, needs some help renaming her book. Go check out her blog and see if you can help!

http://selacarsen.blogspot.com/

Goofy Cat Tuesday

At long last...
Today's theme? Kittens! Awwwwww......

Goofy Cat Monday

Sorry for the slight delay but as some of you know, I've been battling Hurricane Wilma.

Stayed tuned for some silly cats!

How people get here...

Just checked to see what keywords and phrases people are searching with that return my blog as a hit. Though you might enjoy this bit of oddness. Here they are:

kristen archives
why good girl like bad boys (I kind of like this one)
that's a wrap purse
kristen sucks

Go say hi!

Stop by my friends blogs and leave them a little comment, would you? They're feeling unloved. lol

http://www.lainemorganfiction.blogspot.com/

http://bareessensuals.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

Better Today

I actually managed 7 pages yesterday. That's a lot better than none, right? Then I woke up (or rather I was woken up by some very naughty felines) around 5 AM this morning so I decided to get out of bed and see what my sleepy brain could add to the page count.

By 6:40 I had six more pages. Happiness! Now if I can just write 10 more today I'll be in a state of complete and total bliss.

Side Note: Say a prayer Hurricane Wilma stays out of Florida will you?

Mucking Through The Muddy Middle

Somewhere, deep down inside me, in my heart of hearts, I want to write. I really, really do. And yet I sit here bloghopping and web surfing like I have a year and half to write 157 pages instead of five weeks.

I really want to go watch Finding Neverland. It's been waiting for me on Tivo for about two weeks now. Or maybe I'll read the new book I bought today (because three shelves of TBR wasn't enough.)

Sigh. Or maybe I'll try to eek out a few more pages.

Goofy Cat Tuesday?

Please work...

Yeah! This makes me want to jump for joy...

Goofy Cat Monday

Well, I can't seem to get blogger to upload photos. GCM might have to wait...

Goofy Cat Monday

Just a little taste of cat silliness. Hope you enjoy!

Bad Boys Ahoy!

At long last, Sylvia Day's Kensington debut anthology is available for pre-order! I've been looking forward to this book since I met Ms. Day in Reno. Click HERE to pre-order, you won't regret it.

This is your chance to get in on the ground floor with an author who is sure to make a name for herself. Don't miss it!

Judge A Book By Its Cover?

Check out today's post from Agent 007: http://agentoo7.blogspot.com/ (Read #4)

Why is Agent 007 so obsessed with the way authors look? Does this bother anyone else?

What Am I Doing?

When you're still struggling to get published, there are times when being a writer really sucks. Like when you get a rejection from an agent you thought you made a connection with. That happened to me this week.

I'm not going to name names or rant and rave...that's not what this post is about. Granted, I would have liked something a little more personal than a form email after the previous correspondence we shared but hey, everyone has to do what's right for them, you know?

What this post is about is the why of writing. Why do I do this? Why do you do this? It can be soul-searingly painful at times.

Every rejection I receive makes me question why I write and if I should continue to write. Well, at least it does for about five seconds. I've been writing since I could hold a pencil, why would I stop now?

I will get published. I know that. Just like I know Christmas will be here on December 25th. In this business, those who persevere win.

And so today, four more submission packets go in the mail carrying my dreams and hopes and wishes to people I pray have the vision to see me for the uncut diamond that I am.

Polish me. I'm ready to sparkle.

Life is Good

Thanks to Michelle, I now have a new favorite website, Cats In Sinks. Stuff like that just makes you happy to be alive.

And due to popular demand, Goofy Cat Monday will be a regular feature. If you have pics of your own goofy feline and want to see them posted here, email them to me! I'm a firm believer in equal opportunity goofosity.

Goofy Cat Monday

Everyone needs something to make them smile on Monday, don't you think? Especially when you feel like these two little guys.

Waiting...

I'm waiting for a phone call or an email. I'm not sure which. The results for a contest I entered come out today.

Maybe I should say I'm hoping for a phone call or an email but I like to think positively.

Weird Blog Challenge

Have you ever clicked the Next Blog button on the blogger bar up top? I just did and a blog with a drawing of a foot and some interesting music came up. Check it out: http://elpozodelarana.blogspot.com/ I don't read Spanish so I don't understand it but I'm grooving on the music they're playing.

Then go click the Next Blog button on top of YOUR blog and report back here with the link. I challenge you to post this on your own blog too.

Let's see what weird and wonderful new blogs we can come up with.

Woohoo!

I just hit 30,000 words which officially puts me at a third of the way through my WIP! I'm so happy with myself I think I'll go for a swim.

Ain't life grand when the muse is with you?

And The Beat Goes On...

Wrote my ten pages yesterday but I'm not sure it'll happen today. To much to do. Grocery shopping for one thing, but more importantly, Leslie Kelly (one of my new chapter's members) is doing a book signing at the local B&N, so I'm going to that tonight.

Ah, the life of a writer.

I'm okay with getting fewer pages written today. My pace is good and I'm where I need to be.

What do you do to motivate yourself to write? Do you offer yourself rewards for hitting a certain word court? Do you deny yourself things until you've written the pages you had planned? What do you do?

What Kind Of Pizza R U?

Cheese Pizza

Traditional and comforting.You focus on living a quality life.You're not easily impressed with novelty.Yet, you easily impress others.

What's" Your Pizza Personality?

The Countdown Has Begun!

I plan on entering two ms into the Golden Heart this year. One is finished, one is not. So...I've added a word count tracker to help chart my progress. (Scroll down). If you don't see it moving, feel free to harrass me! (In a kind, loving way of course.)

Now, back to writing! Oh and thanks to Regina for giving me the site for the tracker!

Forum Issues

Seems the Forum at Romance Divas is down again. I'm waiting to hear from Jax what's happened and praying we haven't been hacked again.

Sigh.

Hmm...

Kate Moss has admitted to using cocaine. I guess we can all stop calling her "heroin chic" now...but at least I figured out where my diet had gone wrong.

Some people just need a good smack to the head. (No pun intended.)

I'm Obsessed

I cannot stop listening to Michael Buble's CD It's Time. It is just fabulous! As I professed in a post at Romance Divas, it makes me want to dance around the house in a strapless dress and kitten heels with a very dry martini at the ready. So swanky! If you're not familiar with Mr. Buble, make his acquaintance post haste. He is both easy on the eyes and the ears.

Now I must torture myself for 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Power Outage in LA

If you can't access Romance Divas at the moment, I'm thinking it's due to the power outages in LA. That's where our webhost is located.

I can't seem to reach Jax either.

September Activities at Romance Divas

Free Workshop with Author Of The Month Candace Havens:

Candace Havens presents Fast Draft: How to write your first draft in two weeks. Really.

Week of September 18th, 2005

Fast Draft is way to get through the terror of the first draft in a fast and efficient manner. Why draw it out over several months, when you can have a first draft in just two weeks? Using creative techniques you'll learn how to write more pages a day than you ever thought possible. This class works for new writers as well as seasoned professionals, and allows writers to flesh out a story fast to see if it will work.

Q & A with Deidre Knight:

During the week of Sept 18th, Super Agent Deidre Knight will be answering questions in a special section of the forum aptly titled, "Ask Deidre". Don't miss this opportunity to get those questions answer and get to know this fabulous woman!

See you online!

Buy This Book!

Yesterday was the release date for Candace Havens debut romance, Charmed & Dangerous. It's a fun read and a fabulous story. You can read my review here: C&D Review.

Go buy this book now!

Getting Back In The Game

So I've been a bit of a slacker, blogwise. In real life, I've been running like a mad woman, unpacking my house and traveling back and forth to Maryland to work in my family's business (my father's Sicilian - you don't say no to him).

I'm going to make a concerted effort to be more regular about blogging and writing. And of course, getting back to the business of getting published.

Here's to productivity!

On Not Writing

I'm not writing. Between the unpacking, general house-setting up and lack of an office, I'm not writing. Not that my head is any emptier of stories - it isn't. My current WIP keeps spinning around, little scenes playing themselves out on my brain screen. My characters are nagging me. "When are you going to get back to us? We have things to do, trouble to get into, havoc to wreck!"

Hah! My hero just wants to kiss the heroine again. I know how he is.

Despite the need to write, I'm just not. I want to but I can't seem to get to the place where I'm capable of doing it. The stress (or whatever you want to call it) of moving and getting resettled has just sapped the creativity out of me. At least that's the way I feel. Maybe I'm not drinking enough coffee.

I will tell you this...the prospect of getting my office set up excites me. My new office furniture, including my new desk!, arrives Tuesday. I can't wait. I get the feeling when that happens, I'll be writing my little fingers into nubs.

Do you go through times like this? When you just feel out of sorts about writing because of other things going on in your life?

Swimming Against The Tide

I know that romantica/erotic romance is the "hot" thing right now, no pun intended, but I can't get into it. I don't want explicit sex in the books I read...for me, that's a turn off. It's just too much infomation. I have a pretty vivid imagination and I prefer to use it instead of having every sweaty detail described to me.

Also, one wrong word and I get pulled out of the scene. I immediately go through this whole thought process of why did the author call it that or why would she say X instead of Y? I find it nearly impossible to get back into the scene when that happens.

So, is it just me? Or am I all alone? I realize the numbers for this genre indicate I'm in the minority but I'm just curious if anyone else feels this way.

Just wanted to add...I have many friends who write romantica - just because this genre isn't my cup of tea doesn't mean I won't continue to buy their books to support them as writers. A sale is a sale is a sale...even if the buyer doesn't read the book!

It's Tough Eating Ice Cream With A Plastic Spoon

In case you didn't know, since my last post, hubby and I have moved to Florida. The house is great and when I uncover the cable that connects my camera to my pc, I'll get some pics up and show you. The view from the lanai overlooking the lake is really relaxing.

Another truckload of crap...um, I mean household goods...arrives tomorrow. This is actually a good thing because this truck has the guestroom furniture on it and we already have several folks planning visits. Also, my treadmill will be arriving. Not that I have any energy left after unpacking boxes and finding homes for stuff all day. Man, moving sucks the life out of you! But someday, I'll want to work out again. I'm sure of it.

Meanwhile, the unpacking continues and I still haven't found our silverware. My kingdom for a sturdy spoon!

I'm For Sale!

Check it out!

Ain't that cool?

The Auction Is Live!

From Lani Diane Rich:

As many of you know, author Marianne Mancusi (A CONNECTICUT FASHIONISTA IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT) returned home from the RWA national conference to discover that she had no home - it and all her belongings had burned to the ground while she was in Reno. While we're grateful that neither Marianne nor her dog were hurt, the loss of everything she owned - including childhood photos and mementos, things she can never replace - was simply devastating. Now there's a single girl in Boston who needs absolutely everything, so the girls here at Literary Chicks (http://www.literarychicks.com) are circling the wagons, and the writing community has come out like gangbusters to show their support by helping us set up this AMAZING auction to benefit Marianne.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmariannefirefund

Items include signed books from...

Jennifer Crusie
Mary Jo Putney
Alesia Holliday
Michelle Cunnah
Lani Diane Rich
Dierdre Martin
Melissa Senate
Toni Blake
Gena Showalter
Lori Avocato
Joshilyn Jackson
And many, many more...

Also, critiques (NOT submissions, but who doesn't want to get their name in front of these people?) from...

Chris Keeslar, Sr. Editor, Dorchester
The Knight Agency
Stephanie Kip Rostan, agent, Levine-Greenberg
Beth de Guzman, Editorial Director - Mass Market, Warner Books
Kelly Harms, former Avon editor, now an agent with the Jane Rotrosen Agency
Brianna St. James, editor for Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press
Steve Axelrod - agent representing authors Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Alesia Holliday and more top hitters
And many more...

Not to mention critiques from authors...

Jenny Crusie
Alesia Holliday
Michelle Cunnah
Lani Diane Rich
Karen Rose
Lori Avocato
Joshilyn Jackson
Natalie Collins
And more...

Anyone who would like to donate to Marianne independently of the auction can find out how to do so at http://www.literarychicks.com.

This could quite easily be among the best opportunity this year for aspiring writers to get their name in front of big hitters, and it's definitely a great opportunity for readers to get signed books from their faves. So if you can promote, we'll really appreciate it, and if you can't but would like to forward this e-mail to people you think might be interested, that would be fantastic.

Thanks so much for your time. We appreciate you beyond the telling of it.

J Lani

A Writer In Need

Author Marianne Mancusi came home from Reno to find her apartment had been struck by lightning and burned to the ground. She lost everything. If there is anything you can do to help please check out http://www.literarychicks.com/ for details of where to send donations and the like.

The Real Reason Nora Didn't Emcee

http://www.livejournal.com/users/corrinalaw/9282.html

Home From Reno

The RWA National Conference was amazing, wonderful, inspiring and fun. Loved it! I am, however, so tired I am almost incapable of rational thought.

I'll post the lowdown when I am coherent again.

Missed you all!

I'm leaving...on a jet plane...

I'm off to Reno tomorrow morning! I'm nervous and excited. I'm sure I'll have lots of great stories to tell and tons of fun pics to share when I get back.

Stay tuned!

And Rebecca, if you're reading this...I promise some great pics of the earrings and bracelet you made me!

I'm Off!

Off my rocker? Off my nut? Off to frolic? No, none of those. Okay, maybe one of those but I'm not saying which.

I'm gone for a week. I (foolishly?) agreed to mind a friend's jewelry store the week before conference so they could go to a family wedding. What was I thinking? I wasn't. That was the problem. But I keep my word and a deal's a deal.

So, I'm headed to Maryland today. At least I can see the ocean from the store. It's beachfront. And they've promised me it's quiet during the day so I'm looking forward to reading the ARC of Candace Havens' Charmed and Dangerous. Can't wait!

Who knows, I might even get some writing done. I do plan to work on pitches for Reno. At the very least, I'll be surrounded by jewelry. For those of you who know me, you probably just started praying for my husband.

See you in a week!

Imitation Isn't Always Flattery

If you haven't read this warning post from Deidre Knight, you need to. Go check out the sad, pitiful scam that's being perpetrated using her name (and reputation): http://knightagency.blogspot.com/2005/07/extremely-important-warning-regarding.html

Conference Questions

1. Are you going to this year's RWA conference in Reno?
2. How many other RWA conferences have you been to?
3. Which one was your first?
4. If you've been before, what events are you most looking forward to?
5. Are you sharing a room or bunking alone?
6. How many suitcases will you be bringing?
7. Does the thought of conference make you nervous? If yes, what part?
8. Who, if anyone, are you hoping to meet?
___________________________
1. Yes
2. Only one
3. Last year's in Dallas
4. Spotlights, Literacy signing, Moonlight Madness (because Romance Divas has a table this year), the St. Martin's publisher party (woohoo! I scored invites!), and of course, the RITA/GH ceremony so I can see if I won or not.
5. Sharing with Jax
6. Probably two checked bags (one with my clothes, one with RD merchandise) and a carry-on.
7. Yes. My editor/agent appointments. Eek!
8. Hmm...I've met a lot of my favorite authors, so I'm gonna have to say I'm most looking forward to meeting all the other Divas who are coming to conference!

Your turn!

Inside The RD Mailroom

Although I'm not the Book Review Editor, I do distribute the books that come in for review to our reviewers. Fortunately, I have several assistants who help me with the many Romance Diva related mailings I have to do. I thought you might like to see them in action. Or rather inaction.

My staff aren't exactly what you'd call early birds. It's hard to get them motivated. They nap a lot and try to hide from me. Sometimes they do both at the same time.

They also like to play dead, thinking I'll give them the day off.

When I finally get them up, I get dirty looks. (Cranky employees aren't that productive, let me tell you.)

Occasionally, I do get some work out of them.

But usually they pass out in the middle of a big project and I end up doing it on my own.

I thought about looking for a new staff, but it's hard to fire family. Plus, they're a fat bunch of snugglers and mama's babies. LOL

I'm A Purse Junkie, Too

On a recent shopping expedition to find a wrap and evening bag that would do justice to my fabulicious new gown for the RWA conference, I found myself distracted by the other choices in the handbag department. There were so many yummy bags! I almost hurt my neck twisting around to look at them all. I love all the colors but I really love the classic looks of black and white. I may be a junkie, but I'm a practical junkie.

One bag in particular wooed me with it's sleek lines, impressive hardware and extra interior pockets. I picked it up. Nice heft. Not too heavy but not so light it made you wonder what you were spending your money on. I've had my eye out for a studded doctor bag but nothing really clicked until this bag came into view. Sure, I'd given several a second glance but they'd all had silver studs. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a gold girl.

I slid the purse up my arm and over my shoulder. Good fit. I inspected the bag further. Michael Kors. Score! Checked the price tag. Slight eek. Not awful but considering this would purely be an impulse buy, not great either.

I couldn't part with it so I hung on to it while I shopped around for the items I'd actually come in for. No evening bag or wrap that would work. Time to go. I took another look at the purse, ran my hand over the mock croc leather and sighed. I wanted it but knew I shouldn't.

Reluctantly, I put the purse back. I tucked it way behind some ugly purses, hoping no one would buy it in case I changed my mind in the next few days.

And change my mind I did. It just so happened that although I couldn't get back to the store my husband did. By cell phone, I walked him through the handbag department to where I'd hidden my scrumptious Michael Kors find. He couldn't find it. I panicked. Maybe someone else had discovered it and snatched it up!?

I made him search the whole department. At last - success! He found it, purchased it and brought it home to its rightful owner. Me.

Isn't it delish? Ignore the price tag. That's retail. I rarely pay retail. Thank you, Marshalls!

Confessions Of A Shoe Addict

I shop, therefore I am.

Shoes are sort of an obsession of mine. Hasn't always been that way. I used to hate shoes. See, I've worn a size 10 since about the sixth or seventh grade. I specifically remember these awful brown wedge heel oxfords my mom bought me. Wasn't her fault, they were all she could find in my size at the time that fit my school's dress code.

Fast forward a couple of decades and shoes have become my friends. When did we make up? I'd have to say it was in college, when I was 18. My parents made the silly mistake of giving me a credit card for emergencies. I don't know why they didn't think the thigh-high black suede boots weren't an emergency. I did. You might not think such a pair of boots would be practical but I wore the crap out of those boots. So much in fact, I had to have them resoled a few years later.

I've been known to buy the same pair of shoes in several colors if I really love it. Or two pairs of the same shoe so I can put one pair away for when the first pair wears out. But I've resisted the urge to go "designer" until now.

My search for shoes to match my RITA/GH awards ceremony dress proved tougher than I imagined. (I abandoned the red satin dress I previously blogged about. Couldn't find the under-architecture to make that dress work. Yet. The new dress is a freakin' knock out though!)

I didn't want to spend a fortune on shoes. Already did that with the dress. But alas, I couldn't find a pair of shoes that lived up to the fabulousness of the dress! Until I did some online shopping, a little foray into designer land.

Here's what I found:

Sweet, huh? Charles David. Hot stuff. Check my feet at conference if you want to see them in person. I'll be sure to blog about their comfort level when I get back.

HAPPY FOURTH!

Have a wonderful, safe day, y'all! And don't forget to say thanks to a service man or woman today for the sacrifices they make to keep our nation free.

FREE Online Workshop

We're offering a wonderful, career building workshop at Romance Divas this month. Author Jess Michaels will be hosting her "So I Wrote This Book... Now What?" workshop in the Forum. Just register to become a member and you're eligible for the workshop and the books Jess will be giving away. The workshop starts July 18th.

If you haven't checked out Romance Divas, what are you waiting for? It's the place to be online if you're a romance writer. See you there!

Crisis Averted!!!

Not sure how it happened or who's responsible but the RD Forum is back up and running! Yeah!

I'd like to kiss whomever fixed it. Unless it was Jax and then I'll just hug her. I don't think our friendship is ready to move into the Britney/Madonna stage. *Gag*

Just What We Needed

Some stupid, braindead, jerkwad, dirty-diaper-scented idiot has hacked into the Romance Divas Forum and corrupted it. Thanks a whole freakin' lot, you flea-ridden, pus-infected moron.

What kind of complete and utter jackass gets his kicks from destroying other people's hardwork? I guess he had run out of kittens to torture and old people to steal social security checks from.

If I ever meet this fetid gob of pond scum, in this life or the next, I will go Old School Sicilian on his sorry hide.

*Deep breath*

I truly hope this can be fixed. I'll keep you posted.