Category Archives: Writing

A Variety of Ramblings

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So you’ll notice my running distance this week hasn’t budged since my long distance run last Sunday. I’ve been ill for just Monday, but the rest of the week I’ve been dizzy as a dickens. It’s improved for any side to side head movements, but every time my noggin moves up and down I weeble and wobble, but then I stop, so I won’t fall down. I’m really hoping it sorts itself out soon ’cause I miss running. :/

All Hallow’s Eve is just around the corner. Do you have your pumpkins? Your candy? Your costume? Pillowcase? Mittens? Touque? Snowsuit? (There’s nothing that says “We live in a cold climate” more than a princess gone pudgy ’cause her costume is over her snowsuit!) Let’s hope the princesses don’t face that particular problem this year.

Tamagotchi. There are 3 in our house. Chloe, Clovr and Krisi. They’ve wasted enough time of mine already so I’m not saying another word. Hmmmph!

I’m just finishing up an online writing/editing course given by Margie Lawson. It was amazing! I learned so much and highly recommend it. Now it’s a mad dash editing run on RISING SIN to ready it for the Golden Heart and then I’ll finish TRAIL of REDEMPTION.

The CROCS fundraiser is gathering steam. We’ve got orders in for 30 pairs so it looks like they’ll be helping us out well on the year end trip we’ve got planned for the Sparks and Brownies. We’ll be taking at least 30 girls and sleeping over at Fort Edmonton Park and learning about the Pioneer ways and days. Then off to to Kidtropolis where the girls can act out a variety of career choices. After that we’ll trundle on over to Build-A-Bear and create a snuggly keepsake of our trip before rounding out the experience at Millenium Place with some rock wall climbing and wave pool swimming.

The girls are going to love it and that’s what it’s all about. :)

Editing

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Do. Not. Edit. When. You. Are. Tired.

It drives you right around the bend bonkers.

So I’m going through RISING SIN looking for what are called throwaway words–words that are there, but don’t need to be.

Example: sat down. “Down” doesn’t need to be there. It’s redundant.

So this is what I’m doing with my FIND function and soon enough, my mind is fogging and I’m staring at my computer screen in a swooning stupor because I’ve realized “up” (after I’ve seen it a million and a half freaking times in only the first 3 chapters because I’m apparently addicted to it) is a rather silly word.

Say it.

Up. Up. Up. Up. Up. Up.

See?

Silly.

So is “some” and God, don’t get me started on that one, because I may not be able to make it back from the depths of insanity.

Long story short.

Do. Not. Edit. When. You. Are. Tired.

Go to bed instead. :)

To Golden Heart or Not

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the ritaI’m finding myself in a bit of a quandary this day.

Each year RWA holds it’s prestigious contests recognizing the best in published and unpublished romance writing (The RITA and the GOLDEN HEART, respectively).

Now the RITA is a given — you can’t enter what you don’t have, but the GOLDEN HEART is a different ballgame.

Last year I judged in the category I’d be entering this year and remember thinking “My story is better than this. I’ve got to enter next year” (and keep in mind that this thought came without arrogance, because we all start somewhere in this business and the learning curve doesn’t ever go flat, no matter how well you write).

And then while attending Nationals in Reno this summer, watching all the winners go up on stage in a presentation completely reminiscent of the Oscars, I thought, “Next year that’s got to be me up there.”

So yesterday I was completely ready to enter RISING SIN, had filled out all my online forms, but then on the last page the website conked out on me and it got me thinking that it was a *sign* of some sort.

But what kind of sign? I asked myself considering both sides of the situation which is, as a few of you know, the ever present affliction I suffer from.

Right there on the website it says, “Check-out may take some time to complete. Be patient,” so perhaps the sign meant “How bad do you want this? Are you willing to fight for it?” or perhaps the sign was “Don’t subject your good story to this contest. You can do well without it.”

Indecision is a terrible thing. :/

But as I’ve written this, I’ve decided that I’m fighting for it. It’s only ever been in two contests, one of which it won (The Golden Opportunity) and the other, The Daphne, where it only missed finaling by a point and damn it, it’s a good story. It should be in the Golden Heart.

If Jessica decides to buy it before the contest deadline is up, I’ll be out $50, but I think I could probably handle it. :)

If she doesn’t and it finals, I guess I’d be off to Nationals in Atlanta next summer to see how far it makes it. That’s definitely not a bad thing.

No guts, no glory, right?

Trail of Redemption

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I bought a laminator yesterday. Yup. A laminator. Just what every writer needs.

Honestly. :)

It’s a great little gizmo and I’ve now got laminated pictures of both my hero and heroine of my current WIP in my wallet. It’s a very nice set-up you see, because the next time I see you and ask,

“Want to see a picture of my characters?”,

you’d better say,

“Yes”,

because I’m now the writer equivalent of the picture toting grandma whose feelings you don’t want to hurt. :)

All right. All right! Enough whining.

I’ll give you an out.

I’ll post their pictures here too, so you can say “I’ve already seen them on your Blog, thanks.”

Damn, I’m thoughtful. ;)

My lovely heroine, Kelly Henricks (actually, it’s Nancy McKeon, but for all intents and purposes, this is what my character nancy mckeonKelly looks like to my mind.

And this handsome guy is Gabriel, Gabe for short (real identity is Josh Lowell — a producer of rock climbing videos).

And for those of you who really are interested in my life as a writer, you could always ask to see them before I offer. I promise, you’ll score some major Brownie points and one day when I’m famous, I’ll remember you in one of my books by naming one of my characters after you (and please God, don’t let your name be Rutabaga Brown).

Deal?

My Good Friend Jenny

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JENNY AND HER BEST FRIEND 2cropSo as soon as I found out I was heading to the RWA conference this year, I checked to see if my most favorite author was going to be in attendance, you know…Jennifer Crusie? My good friend, Jenny?

Turns out she was, so you can imagine what that did to my heartrate. I was going to have a chance to meet her!

As it turns out, I met her several times over the course of the conference and after she signed my book for the literacy booksigning and remembered me from the night before, I knew I was going to have to play it cool.

Cooler than I’d ever been before. Waaaaaaay cool because she’s one forthright lady with a huge personality presence.

By the third time we’d met (in what will forever be known in my memory as the “studies have shown” incident ;) I knew in my heart Jenny and I probably weren’t going to be best of friends after all (especially since it seems there was a long waiting list ahead of me and she seems content with the number of friends she has already).

And besides, I’m too low-key and she’s too exuberant. She’d have exhausted me within the first 5 minutes of any real friendship and I probably would have bored her to tears. I’m not writing it off completely, mind you. Just not pinning any hopes on it. There’s always next year in Atlanta, I figure. :)

Regardless, she’s a great writer and there’s no one in my opinion that can nail down characters and dialogue like she can. The lady knows her craft and is always a stellar read.

She’s got a new book due out in 2006. A collaboration with the YEC (yucky emotional crap) hating Bob Mayer called Don’t Look Down. It sounds terrific and I can hardly wait to hold it my hot little hands. :) 

This was my first JC book. My favorite, I think, but then they’re all great so it’s hard to choose just one.

Kiss of Death Tour RWA 2005

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The photograph is of Franny, a brave and fellow KOD’er climbing a 100 foot rescue ladder provided by the good members of the local fire department in Reno, Nevada.

Right below her, to make sure she didn’t fall or to catch her if she did, was one of the department’s hunky fireguys. You’ve got to wonder why the line up to climb the ladder was so long, hmmm? ;)

Kidding aside though, they were a great bunch of guys and were more than willing to answer our many varied questions about the life and career of a firefighter, as well as show us their smoke tower, their engines and various equipment including the now famous ladder.

Loreth Anne White

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small lorethI’d like to introduce my roommate and friend, Loreth Anne White. She writes for Silhouette Intimate Moments and is fabulous in every sense of the word. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to meet her.

This is a picture of Loreth at the RWA Readers For Life Literacy Autographing where 450 authors signed and sold their books to countless fans in a 3 hour time frame collecting $58 000 to help fight illiteracy across the United States and Canada.

When they opened the doors to let everyone in you should have felt the floor shake!

While Loreth was signing books, I helped people add up their grand totals while they waited patiently in the queues (as Toni would call them). It was a great experience and I had so much fun meeting my fellow RWA members and all the fans that came out to support a truly wonderful cause.

Rendezvoused in Reno

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Toni and SuzThis is a picture of my extremely entertaining friend and roommate, Toni sidled up to her most favorite author, Suz Brockmann. Can’t you just see the glee in Toni’s eyes? It’s there for a reason!

Toni and I attended a get together of Suz’s and this was the point in the conference where I had never laughed so hard! It was a great time and we were well entertained, as well as awestruck over how down to earth and likable Suz really is. Not to mention her husband. And her friend Eric. And her mom. And her dad. (Oh yeah, they were there too!)

Suz’s husband is Ed Gaffney and he’s now published too. I’m looking forward to picking up Premeditated Murder and giving it a go. I’m thinking if he’s got Suz for a critique partner, he’s going to do just fine.

Suz & CrewHere’s a picture of Suz and her crew who entertained us with Eric’s spoof skit of Suz’s books to date.
From left to right back row: Eric, Rob Mann (as Sam Starrett), Catherine Mann, Ed and Suz.

From left to right front row: Virginia Kantra, unknown, Alesia Holliday and a lucky audience participant.

Weight Restrictions

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All right.Everyone on my writing loops is in a big tizzy about how to get all those free books home from Reno, but I don’t get it.

My airline ticket says I’m allowed to bring 2 checked bags (within standard size requirements which to my back packing self seem *huge*) and that each can weigh up to 70 pounds (OMG that’s more than my eldest child weighs) and that my 2 carry on bags can weigh 22 pounds each. That’s 184 pounds of luggage. That’s a *tremendous* amount.What’s all the guff about?

Now I’ve looked at my little pile of outfits for each day (7 in total) and including shoes (5 pairs — just call me Imelda ;) , make up, etc. I’m probably going to max out at 50 pounds. And believe me, that’s being generous. Very generous.
Is everyone just overpacking, packing normal or am I an underpacking freak? If it’s the underpacking freak thing, I guess I’m going to have a lot of good free reads, aren’t I?
This is me off to pack my suitcase with a bunch of books to just see what all the fuss is about.