Out of Coffee

October 28, 2007 | NaNo, Writing, life

I ran out of coffee this morning. Well, not right out. There was enough left for DH and I to each have one cup. Somehow that was worse than not having any coffee. Kind of like a tease. I suppose I could walk over to the nearest coffee shop, but it’s cold and damp. The kind of day you just want to stay in. I’ll settle for tea.

Three more days until NaNo, and truth is, I could use another three weeks. All through October I’ve been running myself ragged trying to get everything done so my November is free and clear for my WIP.

I do some bookkeeping and have playing catch up ever since my computer crashed. For the past two weeks, that’s pretty much all I’ve done, putting most things writing on the back burner. The experience has certainly reminded me why I don’t want return to anything accounting related as a full time career.

Mood: Tired
Music: Rose Coloured Glasses–Blue Rodeo

New Printer.

August 7, 2007 | life

Yay. I am getting a new printer.

At long last I can rid myself of that hunk-of-junk that hasn’t worked properly almost from the word go. I might have tolerated it a little longer, but the new computer has a windows vista operating system and we can’t get the printer to work with it. DH tried to get help from the printer’s customer service, but nothing seemed to work–in fact what they suggested actually screwed up our computer. He found a site that had instructions for how to undue what was done, and also had long list of complaints from people who had the same printer. Top on the complaint list was how quickly these things burn through toner–my number one of the 6,423 issues I have with it. See what I could have learned had I done just a little research?

Well, lesson learned. Soon my new/used HP Laserjet will be home with me.

Mood: Happy!

I Screamed Like a Girl

July 29, 2007 | family, life

This morning while in the bath I was attacked by a centipede. Okay, attacked might be a slight exaggeration. It must have been clinging to the back of my shampoo bottle. I’m not entirely sure because DS had distracted me. He was asking if he could have chips for dessert, since he’d eaten all his breakfast, and I was shouting to make sure he could hear me through the closed door that breakfast wasn’t a meal typically followed by dessert and that I felt 8:30 a.m. was too early for chips. (but I’m one of those strict moms) Then felt something scurry over the back of my hand. When I looked down, a two inch centipede was crawling up my arm. Ugh! What a way to start my morning.

Why I Don’t Drink Coffee Past 10:30 PM

July 22, 2007 | Books, Writing, life

Because I don’t fall asleep until 4:30 the following morning.

DS is visiting my mother this weekend, so last night DH and I went out for dinner. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. When we got home, DH made coffee and we sat out back playing backgammon until 1am. Once we went to bed, I wound up reading until it was nearly light out. My book (Bag of Bones, Stephen King) had hit the climax and I couldn’t put it down until I reached the end. With the coffee keeping me from feeling drowsy, it was a hopeless (and sleepless) combination.

This makes two books in a row that not only made it to my keeper shelf, but that I would also call great. So what–according to me–differentiates a great book from a good book? A great book not only has me turning the pages, racing towards the end because I just have to see what happens next and how it all turns out, but when I do reach the end, I’m a little sad it’s over. A little sad to say goodbye to characters who had become like friends over the course of the story.

As a writer, this what I truly aspire to create–stories readers can’t put down and are sad to see end.

Oh, and the second book I read that I thought was great…Prince of Darkness by Barbara Michaels. An old contemporary gothic written in 1969. (I think.) I read it in two days. Loved it.

Waiting for my Face to Unfreeze

July 5, 2007 | Books, Writing, life

Just got back from a root canal and my face and top lip are still frozen. Ugh! I hate that feeling. DH claims that drinking something hot will help the freezing wear off faster. I’m not sure I believe him, but I’m willing try anything. So I’m sipping a cup of black berry tea and struggling not dribble it down the front of myself.

Finally heard back from the publisher that had Living Lies (or I thought they did) for the last year. Apparently there’s no record of the submission. On the upside I’ve been asked to resend it. At least it’s not a rejection.

I also received a a note from another pub that the partial I sent for Living Lies is moving on the next round of editors. Also good news.

Funny, this new flurry of action around a story I haven’t really done much with in a while. But that’s a good thing considering the mess Witch is in right now. My God, recovering from this computer disaster has been tough. For a while there, every time I thought of the work ahead of me on Witch I felt sick. But yesterday, as I scrolled through the pages trying to remember how things were before, I realized I would never get it back exactly the way it was. So instead I’ll make it better. Flesh out the characters more, speed up the pacing. Maybe I can turn this into a positive experience.

Not that I’d ever want to repeat it, of course.

The WIP is plodding along. Rarely do I get this far into something and look forward to finishing like this. I don’t know if I’m just bored of working on it, or that I don’t really like the characters, whatever it is I’m not feeling it like I was. When I go back and read, it’s not bad. I don’t know. I think I just want to get it done so I can start something new and fresh.

As for Blood and Bone, the rewrite is coming along fine though I’ve had to slow down a little to accommodate my problems with Witch. After all, I have queries and partials out for Witch right now, and the way my luck’s been running lately…

Currently Reading:

The Secret Garden - Because I never did when I was younger, and as I come to the end I wish I had.

Bag of Bones, Stephen King - Nice to read something where character development isn’t sacrificed for pace. Unlike the last two romantic suspense novels I read, but that’s a rant for another day.

Music: Trust Yourself - Blue Rodeo
Mood: Mildly frustrated.

PS. My tea is nearly gone and cold, and my mouth is still frozen. Less than when I started, but I suspect that is simply the result of the natural progression. My appointment finished two and a half hours ago.

I’ve Been Tagged

May 10, 2007 | life

The rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose four people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Okay, so here we go, 8 random facts about me…

1) I love thunderstorms.

2) I hate to wear socks, and will only do so on the snowiest of days. This past winter I think I only had to wear them three times.

3) Sort of related to number two. I can’t sleep if my feet are hot. Strange, huh?

4) I am a terrible cook. Probably ’cause I hate doing it.

5) I’m technically cursed. I burn out computers for no apparent reason. When I used to work, I can not tell you how many IS guys I made say, “I’ve never seen it do that before.” (I also have the same effect on coffeemakers.)

6) I have strange addiction to real estate. I love going with people to look at houses. I always read the real estate section in the paper and I like looking at virtual tours online. (I should add that I like old houses, not new ones.) I love watching real estate shows, particularly the ones in Britain because the feature more older houses.

7) I drink milk with almost everything. Pizza, chips, chocolate, hot dogs… It all tastes better with milk.

I’m like a man where the remote for the TV is concerned. It must be in my possession at all times and I’m usually watching two to three shows at once because I hate sitting through commercials. Drives my DH crazy!

Okay, I guess that’s it.

Kath, Bella, Karen I’m tagging you.

They Can Put a Man on the Moon, but They Can’t Make a Coffee Pot that Doestn’t Drip When You Pour

May 6, 2007 | Writing, family, life

Good morning all. I have been very neglectful of my blog of late, but I’ve been completely buried these past weeks. For a woman who doesn’t work outside the home, I seem to have a lot on my plate lately.

On the writing front:

I’m coming up to one year since I sent out my full of Living Lies. The editor who requested it has left the publisher so I’m not sure where that leaves me. As for Witch, I sent out eight submissions to publishers and received rejections from two. I’m still struggling with my Blood and Bone rewrite, but I’ve been rereading the entire MS and I’m wondering if the changes I’d planned are really just over complicating the story. I think I need to just rewrite the thing as is, and stop worrying about crap like whether or not hero and heroine meet in chapter 2 versus chapter 3.

I’ve always believed that something like that would not stop publisher from buying the book if they truly loved the story, so I don’t know why I’m obsessing about now.

My WIP is going well, or at least it was until this past week. I put it on hold to catch up on everything else I was doing. Starting today, I’m back at it.

I had planned to do more gardening today (blech!) but yesterday I got badly sunburned and my shoulder and wrist are killing me from digging and pulling weeds. (Side note–I hate grass.)

There’s only two months left in the school year and I think I might be almost as excited as my DS to see it come to a close. I have developed a special hatred for his teacher. Now, lest you think this is just an overprotective parent (which I am) who can’t accept that her precious might not be so precious when he’s with his friends (Ha!) I would like to point out that so far two other children in his class have been pulled out because this woman had them so terrified to go school.

DS isn’t afraid of the woman, and perhaps that’s what aggravates her so much about him. Not that he can’t be a brat, but most of my friends have boys and I’ve yet to see one who does what he’s told the first time he’s asked. Anyway, after a few conversations with her, I was concerned enough to go to the principal. The principal assured me that he was doing fine so now I’m coasting to the end of the year–or trying to. Every time DS steps out of line I get a note home.

Like on Thursday. I got a note home telling me that DS saw some newly sharpened pencils and yelled out ‘HOLY SHIT!’ Now, I naturally yelled at him and sent him to his room, taking away T.V. and video games, but I have to admit I did kind of get a chuckle over this. I realize he’s at an age where he’s going to be experimenting with swear words, but I would like to think he would have enough common sense not to use these words in the classroom. DS told me on Friday one of the little girls in his class said Shit while they were playing a game in classroom.

No doubt I’ll be getting a note home about that on Monday.

Music: Honestly - Annie Lennox
Mood: Amused

Can I Salavage the Day?

March 16, 2007 | Writing, life

I am being very lazy today. Aside from some research for the setting on my WIP, I’ve done very little in the writing arena. Actually, I haven’t done much in any arena today. The beds are still unmade and it’s nearly three. I was hoping that updating my blog might help kick my butt into gear, but it hasn’t.

This week I managed to get a number of crits done for both groups that I belong to. Not quite caught up, but I’m getting there. I got a lot of work done on my WIP.

I also sent out five queries for Witch this week. So begins the waiting, but rather than fixate on what’s out I’m determined to stay focused on the WIP and Blood and Bone.

I’ve done very little on Blood and Bone this week, and I really need to get through that rewrite. Truthfully, I haven’t worked on it much since my foolish venture with day job.

Okay, I know what must be done. And I’m going to work on that this afternoon. Or I’m going to curl up with a book. I make no promises.

Music: Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
Mood: Lethargic

A Few of My Favorite Things

March 9, 2007 | life

Here is a list of my favorite things for the month.

Favorite Music: Amy Winehouse — Oh, how I love her. Makes me think of old Motown, but with very dark lyrics. Run out and buy her CD. There isn’t a bad song on it.

Favorite Book: Industrial Magic, Kelley Armstrong — I’m completely addicted to this series. Paranormal suspense stories with a little romance thrown in. What’s not to like. Also for the truly addicted (like me) if you go to her website she has lots of online fiction as well. Yay!

Favorite Website: Well, obviously Kelley Armstrong’s. See above.
http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

Favorite Movie (for the month not of all time): The Prestige. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. And I didn’t guess the ending, which I usually do.

Favorite TV show: Heroes. My only complaint with this show is with so many characters the show could easily be longer than an hour.

Favorite Quote: Change your thoughts and you change the your world, Norman Vincent Peale

Okay, I’ve procrastinated enough. I must get to work.

Mood: Good
Music: Back to Black, Amy Winehouse–Of course

When it’s Meant to be

March 8, 2007 | Writing, life

Now I’m not a religious person nor do I turn myself over to fate, believing what will be will, but I do believe there are certain things in life that are meant to be. When I bought the house I live in now for instance. An older house in a small town was very different from what both me and my husband were used to, but everything just sort of fell into place from the moment real estate agent showed us the house. And we’ve been very happy here since.

Alternatively, I believe you can also tell when something is not meant to be. Like my brief sojourn into the work world. One month to be precise. In this case nothing went right and everything in my family’s lives seemed to get turned upside down. Needless to say the day job was short lived.

The experience wasn’t wholly a bad one. My family and I all learned some important lessons. DH and DS have a renewed appreciation for what I do. And I am more determined then ever to make a living writing. And by make a living, I’m not looking for Nora Roberts’ pay check, (but if someone were to offer it to me I certainly wouldn’t send them away ) but I’d like to bring in the same income I was making in the corporate world.

This isn’t so much a writing goal, but a career goal. The start of a business plan, if you will. Not only have I recommitted to writing, but I’m committed to the career of writer. From what I can tell, it promises to be an interesting journey.