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.

The Power of Water

I've started swimming laps. I figure, we have a pool, why not use it? (I know, I know, my genius astounds you.) So for the last week or so, I've been faithfully jumping in and swimming laps, throwing in some extra leg-kicking by holding on to one of the underwater benches. Some days twice a day! Not only am I hoping to tone up a bit with this non-icky exercise, but I'm also hoping to get a little bit of color so I don't look like I live underground. It's tough living in FL. People expect you to be tan. Whatever. I'm a writer. You're lucky I'm wearing a bra, don't push it.

Now I know tanning isn't good for you. Blah, blah, blah. I'm not really tanning (unless you count the 20 minutes per side when I'm just drying off in the sun while slathered with the brown-sugary, coffee-scented glaze that is Maui Babe), I'm just getting some residual sun while swimming. And floating. Which brings me to the point of this post.

Floating is fabulous. I get the best ideas while floating. The sound of the waterfall, the gentle breeze, birds calling as they skim the canal we live on, the buzz of the landscapers next door (okay, not that part), all of it combines to put my brain into overdrive. Not that I need more ideas, but sometimes I'll get a thought on taking my current manuscript in a different direction, or think of a way to twist the action to lead somewhere else. Which is probably why I haven't finished it yet...

Limping Toward The End

I'm so close to finishing my fifth book, Date With The Devil, and yet the more I write, the farther away it seems. I know what happens in the rest of the book, it's just a matter of putting it down on paper (or word doc, as the case may be). Sounds easy enough, right? Except little things keep happening between the hero and heroine. Things that move me toward the end much more slowly. In fact, I came up with an interesting plot twist yesterday. But it would probably add 100 pages to the book and I don't think a 460 page semi-light-hearted paranormal romance would fly.

Do you ever have this problem? Of having too much story to tell? It's never happened to me before so I'm not sure what to do with it. Any advice? Do I just need to grab these characters and tell them I'm the law or do I let them go and see what happens like I am now?

Help?!

Now That's Comedy

This made me laugh so hard yesterday that I nearly stopped breathing. Enjoy!

Thank You!

Thank you to all you wonderful people who stopped by yesterday to offer congratulations on my Golden Heart final! I really appreciate it, especially since Hotrod is off on business at the moment and it's hard to get the kittens to wear party hats. I did bake myself a chocolate-coconut cake, then ate a slice with ice cream and whipped cream. Of course, I felt sick immediately afterwards but I think it was worth it.

I want to give public congrats to two of my CP's who also had a good day Sunday: Gina Welborn, Golden Heart finalist in the Inspirational category and Gemma Halliday, DOUBLE RITA finalist for Best First Book and Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. You go, girls! (As an aside, all of my CP's have either won or finaled in contests. It's a fab group.)

My agency, The Knight Agency, had a pretty good showing too. I'm hoping they post a list of all the finalists. Way to go, Sistahs!

Now, you know how they say it's just a thrill to be nominated? Well it is. And just like in '05 there's a part of me that is so okay with not winning, it's sad. See, I suffer from severe stage fright. I know, I know, you're cocking one eyebrow and looking at me askance, but it's true. If I win and have to go onstage, I'll most likely become a blubbering, stuttering idiot. Fainting isn't out of the realm of possibility. Oh joy.

Still...maybe if I won a lot, it would lessen the fear...

Golden Heart Finalist!

I guess this proves 2005 wasn't a fluke. I've finaled in the paranormal category of the Golden Heart with my manuscript, All Fired Up!

Party in Dallas!!!

Tomorrow's The Day!

Please help spread the word by passing this on to any relevant loops you're on:

Once again, Melynda Beth Skinner will be hosting her Unofficial List of Golden Heart® and RITA® Award Finalists at http://www.melyndabethskinner.com/finalists.htm on notification day, March 25th, 2007. She updates the list every few minutes throughout the day. There's also a bulletinboard/chat room, and great fun is had by all. If you'd like to help, send names of finalists, their entries' titles, & the category(ies) entered to melynda (at) melyndabethskinner.com.

Permission is hereby granted by Melynda Beth Skinner to forward this paragraph.

Good News

I sold another writing article! I'll be rolling in it now. So long as they pay me in dimes. But hey, I'm just thrilled to have sold the article and to have sold it to a magazine that pays. My article on attending the RWA National conference will be published in the June issue of the RWR (Romance Writer's Report)!

What's your good news?

Dear Reader...

I'd like to talk to you as readers, not writers today. I'm imagining that's the bulk of who reads this blog - my fellow writers - and that won't change until I've got an actual published book to pimp, so I'm okay with that. I love my fellow writers. No one understands me better. But I digress.

Recently on Romancing the Blog, Barbara Samuel posted about the RITAS (the romance novel world's Oscar equivilent basically, for those of you who might not know) and asked if readers should care about them. (Personally, I think not so much. It's more of an interior award, writer to writer, as opposed to something awarded by readers who are solely readers.) In the comments section of that post, a great discussion arose about the judging and how romance writers are overly taken with craft - more so than writers of other genres.

So, my questions to you are these - as a reader, what really pulls you out of story? What would make you put the book down? What are willing to overlook if the story is compelling? Are there things an author does that make you cringe? Have you ever given up on an author completely because of something that he/she did in a book? If so, what?

Way Too Freakin' Much

To do, that is. So I'll just leave you with this and get back to work...

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day

Yeah, I know I missed it. (See the use of the word belated?) But I'm also not a even a tiny smidge Irish, so deal.

Why is St. Patrick's Day such a big to-do anyway? It's not like people of any nationality in this country need another excuse to drink.

I did get a kick out of seeing tons of people (whole families in some cases) dressed in green. Talk about funny!

On a side note, Hotrod and I went to see 300 last night. Bloody, not much story, but oh those abs!

I Know What You're Thinking

You're thinking, why is she posting after winning that fabulous Nigerian lottery?

Well, the shameful truth is... I've already blown the money.

Apparently my shopping addiction/ability far outweighs any of my other superpowers, and lo, the cash is gone. What did I buy you might ask? (So glad you did.) First of all, I bought a fabulous little island in the Pacific where I and all my minions (bought some of those, too) will be wiling away the leisure hours sipping Dr. Pepper floats and eating Godiva truffles (okay, we both know I'm not really going to share my Dr. Pepper floats or Godiva truffles with my minions, don't we?) and inviting all my friends to come and wile too.

The guestrooms are stocked and ready, the personal chef is planning some fabulous menus and the day spa is about to open its doors. Just two questions remain...what are you bringing to the party and what should I name this little irregularly shaped piece of heaven?

PS. The charter planes leave sharply at 4:59pm and only has room for two pieces of luggage each. Unless it's Louis Vuitton, and then inferior luggage will be tossed aside to provide extra space. Bring your sarong!

You've Just Won The Nigerian Lottery!

Woohoo! Thanks to a very interesting piece of email this morning, it seems I am about to become too wealthy to continue blogging. I'll be spending my days soaking up the sun and indulging in frozen grape foot massages instead. And all thanks to the people of Nigeria who have apparently chosen me as the winner of their lottery!

I'd like to thank all the little people who made this possible.

Of course, I know you're all going to come begging for funds to support some sick relative or some such nonsense. If you really want some of this loot, you'd better come up with something better than grandma's got the tsetse fly sleeping sickness.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the elephant I ordered is here and I must go sign.

Islands of Expenditure

Yesterday, Hotrod and I took his college-age visiting cousins to Universal and Islands of Adventure. It had been a while since he and I had gone, something we used to do quite frequently being as we live under an hour away. We decided to buy annual passes, thinking it would motivate us to go more - plus they give us discounts on stuff within the Universal realm and concert tickets. (We saved $16 on parking almost immediately.)

That things had changed became obvious right away. The Express pass system we'd used before (kind of like making a reservation to ride an attraction at a certain time - gets you through the line in usually less than half the time) was no longer free. To have that option available for both parks was an additional $35. Keep in mind a two park, one day ticket is already costing you $77 (I believe that's right, we already had tickets for the cousin purchased on the military base with Hotrod's ID). So that's $112 for ONE person for ONE day. Add 1/4 share of parking ($11 for standard, $16 for preferred), food (two meals, minimum $9 each just for junk off a cart - hotdog, chips, drink, $20 if you're eating anything nicer), a slushie ($3.49 for the SMALL), and one random souvenier (Spiderman coffee mug - $10 - probably the bargain of the day) and you're in for another $35 bucks.

Holy crap! When did fun get to be so expensive?

Now, after that diatribe let me just state that we did manage to ride everything they wanted to ride and had a nice sit down meal at Fisherman's Wharf (my favorite Universal restaurant, Mythos is my favorite Islands of Adventure restaurant), got some photos with Spiderman, Captain America and so on, then finished the day with dinner at Margaritaville in Universal Citiwalk - all in all a great day. I'm just shocked at what a vacation must cost a family of four.

Dreams of Prada

I dreamed well last night. Bargain priced Prada platform sandals. And in the dream, I was a little unsure if I should get them or not, but (Diva) Lisa insisted I should. Always good to have a little fashion back-up, even in your dreams.

Not sure why I had this dream, other than Hotrod offered to buy me a car for my upcoming birthday. Very sweet of you, I said, but I'd rather have these:

Yep, that's me - a simple girl with simple tastes...

Woohoo!

Yesterday was a FABULOUS writing day. 12 pages. TWELVE, people!

Of course, days like that leave me brain weary, but I still love them. Knowing I can produce like that really encourages me.

I don't expect that sort of result today as I have a board meeting (for my chapter) and unless I get Hotrod to go golfing, he'll be hanging around the house most of the day.

Not that there aren't things I can do with him, too...

Nah. Who am I kidding? I'm too worn out.

Why Aren't Fangs Everyday Wear?

I love my Halloween fangs. Shame I can only legitimately pull off wearing them twice a year. (Halloween and the *insert theme here* Vampire Ball at Romantic Times)

I mean, c'mon. This is a good look for me, doncha think? (Ignore the horns. The last operation made them virtually unnoticeable.)

Mybe you can help me out with some reasons to wear them more often? What I'm looking for are some good excuses for wearing them on ordinary days. Great lines that explain them away.

So...whatcha got?

Hello Gorgeous...

What brings you to my blog today? Could it be the passion fruit body spray I spritzed on this morning? Or perhaps my sparkling personality? My undeniable charm? Or are you just avoiding work?

Whatever the reason, thanks for stopping by. I thought I'd share one of my old modeling photos with you. Hope you like it.

Yesterday was a good day! Lots of fabulous pages got written and I accepted an invitation to contribute a novella to an anthology headed up by a published author friend of mine. Also, the Pussycat Dolls called and asked if I could join them. Oh wait...that last one is a big fat fib. Who cares? Life is good, even without becoming an internationally known hoochie.

Any good news of your own to report? Please share in the comments. I'd love to hear it!

For All Those Wet Ideas

Shower Slate

Ever have an idea in the shower and have no way to record it...and then it's lost forever? I use a "Dive Slate", a small (4"x6" ) sheet of sturdy white plastic with a plain old fashioned golf pencil attached. They're cheap (around $5--$6), available on the net at various dive shops, fit nicely behind the soap holder or hung in the shower and work well; they're meant to be written on underwater by divers, so unless you shower under Niagara Falls, your thought will be captured until you erase it.
-- Vincent Crisci

Medium Dive Slate3.5 " x 5.5"$4.18 Scuba Centralor try Amazon for an extra large thought (8" x 10"), $10

Feel free to buy me one too.

What Inspires You?

Seems like every little thing brings forth new story ideas in me lately. A random snippet of a song, a bit of overhead conversation (I am a major eavesdropper, you just never know where a golden line might come from), an evocative picture in a magazine.

Odd thing is, I wasn't exactly short on ideas as it was. I have at least three books ready to write at any given time. Currently, that number is hovering closer to eight. I'm sure this is just another symptom of OBS.

As an aside, my best ideas usually come to me in the shower or right before I drift to sleep. I write some of the best lines then! Just wish I could remember them the next day.

So where do your ideas come from? Where did the idea for your last written book come from?

I survived

Yesterday was a loooooooooooooong day. But I survived and looked cute doing it.

More later. After another pot of coffee.

Off To *gag* Golf

We're headed to the Honda Classic. I'm sure it'll be a lovely day.

Somewhere.

So It's March. Whatever.

I know you're wondering about the golf pic, but hold your horses and I'll get there.

I didn't accomplish all my February goals. I'm still 96 pages from finishing Date With The Devil. I blame my family's two week stay for about 70 pages of that not getting written. Then I decided to redecorate the master bath. That was good for another 20 - 30 pages, so you can see the goal was achievable, just didn't happen.

I did sell a short story, which was not one of my goals, so that goes under little surprises. Also, instead of developing the YA idea I had, I ended up getting two more potentially great YA ideas and playing around with them. So far though, none is as complete as the first.

March is going to be a busy, busy month.

1. Finish DWTD

2. Expand ONE YA idea, pitch to agent

3. Write article for RWR (due April 5th)

4. Design and sew at least part of dress for Faery costume ball at RT.

Besides that, there are chapter tasks to accomplish and, lo and behold, another family visit. This time on Hotrod's side. And on Friday, joy of joys, we're headed to the Honda Classic to watch a round of PGA golf. I'm all aquiver. Actually, if it weren't for the fact that I get to buy a new golf-watching-appropriate outfit, I'd be digging my heels in. I have stuff to do, for pete's sake!

Gotta keep Hotrod happy, though, you know? He is the reason I get to write full-time after all. I do love a man who lets me spend his money.

I Have OBS

Yes, that's right. I suffer from OBS. Overactive Brain Syndrome. This ailment is common in many writers.

Symptoms include the inability to sleep due to random story ideas, character interactions, and the sudden onset of lines that need to be written/revised/deleted. Loss of social skills may develop as the brain focuses on the story at hand and ignores conversations going on around it. Housework suffers, as does laundry and the care and feeding of family members. In severe cases, personal hygiene and fashion sense begin to fail.

Short term cures involve massive amounts of coffee or other caffeinated beverages, take-out and solitude. Some may find speaking with other OBS sufferers brings some relief, although in some, this only exacerbates the symptoms. Exercise caution when approaching a group of highly animated writers until you can assess the situation.

Long term cures require extensive time spent at the keyboard (or with pen and legal pad) emptying the brain's contents onto blank pages. The long term cure may takes days, weeks or even years. Sadly, no cure exists for some. On occasion, trips to warm, sunny spots have proven effective in easing symptoms.

OBS is a recurring illness, rising out of a seemingly cured individual with no warning. Studies show triggers include a current work-in-progress that's progressing well, in addition to writing the words "the end," but as the writer's brain is a fragile structure to begin with, these studies were concluded early due to insufficient stockpiles of chocolate and wine and the inability of the writers involved to go on without those supplies.

Please support the search for a cure by donating chocolate and wine to any writer you know. You may further support the afflicted writers you know by purchasing any of their work that makes it into publication.

Together, we can make a difference.

Monday's Blue Plate Special

Why is there always so much to do on Monday?

1. Finish judging the Golden Heart entries I have. (Lara Santiago and I are working on this together today in the belief that misery loves company.)

2. Unbelievably, more laundry.

3. Finish reading book for romance reader's meeting on Tues. night.

4. Drink massive amounts of coffee to compensate for lack of sleep last night. (This really ought to be #1.)

A Woohoo!

Just got word that the new publication I submitted a short story to is offering me a contract. I'll be in the launch edition - very cool! I'll give you more info when I have contract in hand.

What's on your plate today?

Proof (that I am not a 400 pound trucker)

He who is being referred to knows who he is. For you, the full color profile pic:

NOW you may put on your natty tie.

Just Because

This makes me smile. What other reason do I need?

Rock out, little cat, rock out.

Question

Movies I want to see:

Blood and Chocolate
Ghost Rider
Music and Lyrics
300 (maybe - might be a bit too graphic for me)

Have you seen any of these? Can you give me a yea or nay? Don't spoil anything, though, or I'll hunt you down and make you pay. :o)

In The Mood For Sexy Suspense?

Commitment-phobic bomb technician, Sabrina Morgan, flies unexpectedly into the arms of firefighter, Jake Donovan, seconds before a bomb explodes. This was her first failure, and in Jake's sizzling embrace, Sabrina is grateful for his comfort in helping her hide her secret fear of explosions.

Jake falls in love with the passionate but emotionally wounded Sabrina. He thinks she is perfect for him. Also, who better than a bomb technician will understand and support his dangerous career as a firefighter? Looking to settle down and start a big family like the one he grew up in, Jake pursues Sabrina, who can't tell him her other big secret: she can't have children.

Sabrina negotiates a tenuous affair with Jake as she tries to stop a serial bomber from detonating any more bombs in their small city outside of Boston. Her enemy's ultimate goal is to kill her for surviving a tragedy in her past.

This is a hot read...and I'm not just saying that because I made the book trailer.

Free Writing Workshop at Romance Divas!

Today begins RITA winner Linnea Sinclair's workshop at Romance Divas. To participate, you just need to register in the Forum section of the website. Registration cost the same as the workshop - nothing! Here are the details on the workshop this fabulous author will be presenting:

Feb 19th - 23rd

CHARACTER TORTURE 101

Writing Guru Dwight Swain said that it's the author's job to manipulate the emotions of the reader. There's no better way to do this than for the author to put his characters through one roller coaster episode after another, taking the reader along for the ride. But how much conflict, how much character angst is too much? How can an author keep the action from becoming cartoonish? Bantam Spectra author Linnea Sinclair answers those questions and more in this fun and fast-paced (because torturing students is good, too!) workshop that explores the importance of conflict in today's commercial fiction novels.

Much and Nothing

I got a lot done today. Ran errands with my folks, went out to lunch with them, then came home and with their help, made up three pots of geraniums and ivy for the entryway (2) and lanai (1) and one pot of pathos for the shower ledge, did the touch-up painting through out the house, cleaned the baseboards, vacuumed (including the four-story cat condo that was furry enough to be scary), swept the tile, Turtle Waxed the glass shower and bathroom mirrors (have you ever tried that? Keeps them cleaner longer), bought and hung a big bronze sun face out on the lanai (we actually had masonry bits on hand for the drill - who knew?), cleaned the rest of the master bath and staked my amaryllis.

Sounds good, right? Except writing-wise, I've written about three sentences. Somedays, it's all or nothing. Let's hope this isn't one of those days. I'd love five pages. Be happy with three.

What did you do today?

Yeah, Yeah, I know what today is.

It's Valentine's Day. Big deal. It's also Hotrod's birthday. Guess which takes precedence? And actually, I'm okay with that. I'd rather celebrate Hotrod being around another year than some murky saint. (What? Is that sacrilege for a romance writer to say? Who cares, I love Hotrod more than a velveteen heart filled with truffles or a bundle of roses.)

But I encourage you to celebrate - the world needs more love. In fact, I challenge you to hug a stranger today. Seriously. Anyone who gets punched will receive two additional points. :o)

In other news, I don't know what your weather is like but we had a lovely evening swim last night. Is there a better way to see the stars than floating on your back beneath them? I think not. AND wonder of all wonders, I managed five pages yesterday despite my house guests.

Live is good. I love all of you. ;o)

Thank YOU

Thanks for coming to my pity party yesterday. Sorry I didn't have cake. I find cake to be exceptionally helpful in that regard. So...I think it's time for some cake pictures. It's been a while - and you know how I adore cake!














Chocolate Cognac Cake

Chocolate Grand Marnier Cake















Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Life Goes On

It's raining here today and the weather suits my mood. I really shouldn't be in a crappy mood. I have a great life. A wonderful family. An adoring husband. My health. No real financial worries to speak of. Three kitty cats who make me laugh. A three year old nephew who thinks it's amusing to jump on me when I'm sleeping.

But I'm having one of those moments as a writer where I'm ready for my ship to come in. I'm tired of waiting. I want a sale and I want it now. I want two or three sales, really. Multi-book contracts with several houses. My name in print. Etc. Etc.

Obviously, that isn't about to happen today. So I push on, keep writing the best story I can and produce work that is at the top of my game. I can't site one particular incident that brought me to this point - it's been a combination of things. As writers, I imagine we all feel this way once in a while, right?

Tell me I'm not alone.

PS. My family, upon seeing the horrid weather forecast for their return home, has extended their stay by a week. Tough love begins today when I shut myself in my office to write and ignore them until I'm ready to rejoin the general population.

Fun Things Three-Year-Olds Say

Upon viewing a drawing I did for him (he made me draw construction vehicles most of last night), he replied, "That's a mess."

Gee, thanks.

When I went to help with a few things for dinner, then came back, he looked up at me with these big sad eyes and said, "Why you no play with me?"

Because obviously I don't have enough guilt in my life.

During dinner, he started climbing on me, hanging on me and finally, crawled into my lap. I asked him what he was doing. His response? "I'm trying to love you."

All together now...Awwwww.

Interesting and Odd Facts

1. The shriek of a three-year-old can take the skin off a cat.

2. Infants can stay awake as long as they want when they put their mind to it.

3. Sand does not taste like sugar, no matter how white or how fine.

4. The male gender has stinky feet, regardless of their age. However, the younger the male, the funnier they believe it to be.

5. Forget gasoline, sleep is the most valuable commodity we have. If someone could sell naps on the stock market, they'd make a killing.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled day.

Today's Activities

Today's list of activities include:

The Dentist.
The Zoo.
A Trip To The Playground.
The Pool (perhaps).



Which one of these things is not like the other?

Tonight's Dinner

Just to keep you in the loop, tonight's dinner is Thai. We're making red curry shrimp with coconut ginger rice and a lovely assortment of stir-fried veggies (baby corn, snow peas and carrots).

For dessert, blue Jello. That's what happens when you let a three-year-old help with the menu.

And surprise of all surprises, I've actually managed to get some writing done today! Naps are a wonderful thing for children, don't you think?

Completely Forgot To Blog

I thought I blogged this morning. Apparently not. Oops.

My parents are here and thanks to my Sicilian father, my house smells delish. There are two trays of fat meatballs baking in the oven. Soon, they'll be transferred into the vat of bubbling red sauce on the stovetop. Sunday gravy we call that.

Tonight's dinner? Rigatoni with meatballs, caprese salad (with my own homegrown basil), green beans and crusty garlic bread. Mmmm...

Now that's what I call earning your keep. Who cares if I have to diet after they leave? Homemade meatballs are a gift. You never turn them down.

Ever.

Stuff To Do

Saturday should be the kind of day that lets you lay around. This isn't one of those Saturdays. Being under the weather put me behind on my week's page count, so I need to write. At least five pages. That would be great!

I've also got to clean the house - not massively, just some general stuff. My parents arrive tomorrow night, my sister-in-law, the 5 month old niece and the 3 year old nephew the following day.

Then watch how little writing I get done. Hah! At least I don't have to cook today. I've got a huge pot of chili just waiting to be devoured. And it's a bit overcast today - perfect chili weather, especially for Florida!

What are you doing today?

Wallpaper as Inspiration

What image is on your desktop wallpaper? What do you see everyday when you fire up the old laptop or pc? Do you change it out regularly? Do you use it to hold a picture of something that inspires you to write your current WIP? A picture of your hero, perhaps, or a place that serves as the setting?

The orchid is my current wallpaper. I favor simple, colorful graphics for the most part. My traveling laptop has a picture of two of my cats sleeping together - moments before they woke up, realized how close they were and started wrestling. I've used "inspirational" pictures before but they never seem to ring true with me. The hero pics are never quite "him", the setting not exactly as my mind pictures it.

So, what's on your desktop?

No POV today

I think I've said what I needed to say about POV. If you have questions, feel free to post them.

Instead, I want to say Happy February! And talk about some mini-goals. Debbie Macomber recently spoke to our chapter about goals - she is SO focused. I don't think I'm made up that way, but I want to get better at it.

So. Goals. February. Here they are:

1. Finish first draft of Date With The Devil

2. Begin article for RWR

3. Brainstorm/plot new YA book, Deep Blue

4. Come up with pitch blurb for Deep Blue

Doesn't look like much but considering I'll have five family members in my house for eight days and my husband's birthday falls on Valentine's Day, there will be some minor complications. Additionally, I'm doing the workshop for my chapter's February meeting, there are crits to be done for my CPs, YA research books to be read (I'm on my third one right now as I try to get a handle on this new genre venture), and all the general stuff living entails: dentist, groceries, house cleaning (hah!), laundry, etc. Oh yes, forgot to mention I'll be taking on the role of mentor in February as well as part of the Romance Divas mentor program.

So. What are you doing in February?