Straight No Chaser
Aren't they GREAT?!
Hello world!
4 years ago
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Holiday Madness
It's ten days before Christmas and I haven't done any shopping, decorating, baking, or anything Christmasy. What I have done is write, so it isn't as if I'm lolling on a beach somewhere in Barbados, although that would be my wish, with the temps well below freezing here.
So far, one book finished, one in the process of being completed, and copy edits on that first. Not all will be finished before Christmas, but it's definitely time to take a break. I had a wonderful time at the Wichita Area Romance Authors Christmas party on Sunday with the super ladies of WARA, so at least a bit of Christmas is creeping slowly into my little space.
But it's only the beginning of the holiday season, right? No? Well, I'm just beginning! Tomorrow night will really set things in motion, and you're all invited!
Would you like to chat with some of your favorite authors? Have a chance to win free books? Then the place to be on the evening of December 16 is at Harlequin's Holiday Open House chat! This is an annual event, and this year there will be nearly 100 authors attending the festivities. The fun starts at 7 p.m. EST at eHarlequin and will encompass 3 hours of chat, followed by Post Parties on the message boards.
I'll be joining many of the Home and Hearth authors during the first hour (7-8 p.m. EST) and giving away 3 copies each of THE RODEO RIDER and BACHELOR COWBOY, the first two of my series set in the fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma.
I'll be joining many of the Home and Hearth authors during the first hour (7-8 p.m. EST) and giving away 3 copies each of THE RODEO RIDER and BACHELOR COWBOY, the first two of my series set in the fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma.
Come celebrate the holiday season with us (and help kick off mine!)
Harlequin's Holiday Open House
Would you like to chat with some of your favorite authors? Have a chance to win free books? Then the place to be on the evening of December 16 is at Harlequin's Holiday Open House chat! Nearly 100 authors will be attending the festivities. The fun starts at 7 p.m. EST at eHarlequin and will encompass 3 hours of chat, followed by Post Parties on the message boards.
I'll be chatting with the Home and Hearth authors during the first hour (7-8 p.m. EST) and giving away 3 copies each of THE RODEO RIDER (Harlequin American Romance, August 2009) and BACHELOR COWBOY (Harlequin American Romance, January 2010), the first two of my series set in the fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma.
Come celebrate the holiday season with us!
I'll be chatting with the Home and Hearth authors during the first hour (7-8 p.m. EST) and giving away 3 copies each of THE RODEO RIDER (Harlequin American Romance, August 2009) and BACHELOR COWBOY (Harlequin American Romance, January 2010), the first two of my series set in the fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma.
Come celebrate the holiday season with us!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Confessions of a Night Owl
Yes, I'm a night owl and have been since the beginning. The story goes that during the first 7 weeks of my life, before I was adopted, the nuns at the hospital would put all the other babies to bed, then save me for last so I could play before I was put to bed for the night. After I was adopted, my dad worked second shift, and I was kept up late so he'd have a chance to spend time with me. It wasn't my fault!
I also don't wake up in the morning well. It takes at least an hour for my brain to kick in. Amount of caffeine intake doesn't apply. I'm just a slow starter. I was up late last night working on revisions, so this morning when my daughter dropped off her three kids, I was asleep. If the g-kids had asked me for a beer in that first 30 minutes, I'd have given it to them. Not that I could find a beer in my fridge, but you get the picture. An hour later, when I drove the two oldest to school, I was just gaining true consciousness. Full, raging consciousness kicked in almost immediately. Three drivers cut me off by turning left into the drive-thru in front of the school, keeping me from turning right, and then they ended up blocking the crosswalk and half the street.
I'm working on a new web design...for me! I'm still not sure I love it, so we'll see if it makes it to the point of being "live." Not that there's a lot of time to do it. Revisions notes on The Lawman's Little Surprise (July 2010) arrived, so I'm in the midst of tackling them--at night.
Two days until Wicked! Yes, I'm going to see the touring Broadway production of the musical, currently in our fair city. I'm excited! Saturday night can't come too soon. (And note that it's night, so I'll be fully awake.) No, I haven't read the book. I've read only one book since summer, and that was Linda Wisdom's 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover, the first in her Hex series. It was great! Love the characters! Winning a copy of the newest in the series, Hex in High Heels, was a delightful surprise! Thank you Linda, and thanks, too, to Cindy Procter-King for hosting Linda on her blog.
I also don't wake up in the morning well. It takes at least an hour for my brain to kick in. Amount of caffeine intake doesn't apply. I'm just a slow starter. I was up late last night working on revisions, so this morning when my daughter dropped off her three kids, I was asleep. If the g-kids had asked me for a beer in that first 30 minutes, I'd have given it to them. Not that I could find a beer in my fridge, but you get the picture. An hour later, when I drove the two oldest to school, I was just gaining true consciousness. Full, raging consciousness kicked in almost immediately. Three drivers cut me off by turning left into the drive-thru in front of the school, keeping me from turning right, and then they ended up blocking the crosswalk and half the street.
I'm working on a new web design...for me! I'm still not sure I love it, so we'll see if it makes it to the point of being "live." Not that there's a lot of time to do it. Revisions notes on The Lawman's Little Surprise (July 2010) arrived, so I'm in the midst of tackling them--at night.
Two days until Wicked! Yes, I'm going to see the touring Broadway production of the musical, currently in our fair city. I'm excited! Saturday night can't come too soon. (And note that it's night, so I'll be fully awake.) No, I haven't read the book. I've read only one book since summer, and that was Linda Wisdom's 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover, the first in her Hex series. It was great! Love the characters! Winning a copy of the newest in the series, Hex in High Heels, was a delightful surprise! Thank you Linda, and thanks, too, to Cindy Procter-King for hosting Linda on her blog.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Update on Payton
Life has been busy and a bit topsy-turvy lately, so news on Payton hasn't been updated recently.
She's home! Even after a second trip to Children's Mercy for nearly a week, because of feeding problems. But the feeding tube she came home with to supplement her bottles has been removed. She's eating, keeping it down most of the time, and gaining weight. In 12 days, she'll be 3 months old. It's been a fast 3 months at times, while at others, it's dragged. We're all so glad to have everyone home and getting back into a routine.
Her first Halloween will not be spent trick or treating. Being out in public and especially on cold nights, is out of the question. With viruses of all kinds around these days, precautions are being taken with her. We want to keep her heatlhy and happy!
Thanks to everyone for the prayers and wonderful notes of encouragement!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Real Meaning of Fall
Whether you call it fall or autumn, it's the same. The air is brisk, leaves crackle and crunch beneath feet, the shouts of children coming out of school can be heard, and there's a scent in the air that's impossible to describe. Those are the first things I think of when the change of seasons from summer to fall comes around.
So why am I surrounded by piles of clothes in all sizes, shapes and colors? How did the simple task of putting away the laundry done last night turn everything into a disaster area?
Let's see. There were 7 loads of laundry last night, a mix of my daughter's clothes and mine, for both hot weather and cold weather. All those clean, fresh clothes needed to be put away. Winter clothes to drawers and closets, warm weather clothes to plastic bins until spring rolls around again. Easy enough. Take the wrong season clothes out of the drawer and put the right season in. That's pretty much a done deal now and didn't take a lot of time.
With not enough drawer space for the bulky items, the obvious task was to hang some in the closet. Easy, right? Uh, no. The closet was full. The few summer clothes were pulled out, only to discover formal wear, some of which hasn't been worn since, oh, 2002. Yikes! All await a new home and are resting on chairs and any other flat surface. Oh, and that formal wear of another daughter who had, I thought, bought a bin to store them in? She'll be taking care of those as soon as she gets home. Why? Because I said so. But I still have to deal with the blankets and who knows what the other daughter left behind in the closet when she moved into a different bedroom. Does it ever end? Maybe.
By tomorrow I hope to have it all sorted, put in proper places, and not have to worry until spring rolls around again. With luck, it won't be so bad. I wouldn't bet on that, though.
Such is fall.
So why am I surrounded by piles of clothes in all sizes, shapes and colors? How did the simple task of putting away the laundry done last night turn everything into a disaster area?
Let's see. There were 7 loads of laundry last night, a mix of my daughter's clothes and mine, for both hot weather and cold weather. All those clean, fresh clothes needed to be put away. Winter clothes to drawers and closets, warm weather clothes to plastic bins until spring rolls around again. Easy enough. Take the wrong season clothes out of the drawer and put the right season in. That's pretty much a done deal now and didn't take a lot of time.
With not enough drawer space for the bulky items, the obvious task was to hang some in the closet. Easy, right? Uh, no. The closet was full. The few summer clothes were pulled out, only to discover formal wear, some of which hasn't been worn since, oh, 2002. Yikes! All await a new home and are resting on chairs and any other flat surface. Oh, and that formal wear of another daughter who had, I thought, bought a bin to store them in? She'll be taking care of those as soon as she gets home. Why? Because I said so. But I still have to deal with the blankets and who knows what the other daughter left behind in the closet when she moved into a different bedroom. Does it ever end? Maybe.
By tomorrow I hope to have it all sorted, put in proper places, and not have to worry until spring rolls around again. With luck, it won't be so bad. I wouldn't bet on that, though.
Such is fall.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Writing a Book is Easy
Some people truly believe it's easy to write a book. They seem to think writers just zip off a 50,000 to 120,000 word story in a matter of days. The fact is, the days--and nights--are many and long when it comes to writing.
I've made it a rule that my family must give me advance notice on anything that includes me. If I didn't, they'd be dropping off grandkids at a moment's notice, expecting me to drop everything. In return, I let them know in advance when I won't be available or my availability is limited. We work things out. Emergencies, like Payton's surgery and hospital stay, can't be expected. I'm there to help, even if it means rearranging my life.
Non-family members are another thing. Of course I can do whatever is needed for whatever they want done. After all, I'm at home all day! My writing is a hobby, right? Uh, no. It's a job--a career--and needed to keep a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, and bills paid. Forget the frills. Yet I've been given the impression that it's far more important that their work gets done, whether as an employee or self-employed like me. And most have a spouse who provides another form of income!
I miss a lot of things I'd like to do. I sometimes regret that, but I know I'm lucky because I'm doing something I love to do--writing. I've learned to say no when people ask if can do something, but there are times I can't do that. When that happens, I put my writing and life aside to help out. But insinuating that their job is much more important than mine means I won't do it with a smile.
I've made it a rule that my family must give me advance notice on anything that includes me. If I didn't, they'd be dropping off grandkids at a moment's notice, expecting me to drop everything. In return, I let them know in advance when I won't be available or my availability is limited. We work things out. Emergencies, like Payton's surgery and hospital stay, can't be expected. I'm there to help, even if it means rearranging my life.
Non-family members are another thing. Of course I can do whatever is needed for whatever they want done. After all, I'm at home all day! My writing is a hobby, right? Uh, no. It's a job--a career--and needed to keep a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, and bills paid. Forget the frills. Yet I've been given the impression that it's far more important that their work gets done, whether as an employee or self-employed like me. And most have a spouse who provides another form of income!
I miss a lot of things I'd like to do. I sometimes regret that, but I know I'm lucky because I'm doing something I love to do--writing. I've learned to say no when people ask if can do something, but there are times I can't do that. When that happens, I put my writing and life aside to help out. But insinuating that their job is much more important than mine means I won't do it with a smile.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
This Shouldn't Be Funny, But...
Yes, it is.
I'm a Criminal Minds fan. I admit it, I'm looking forward to the new fall season on TV because of Criminal Minds. Mandy Patinkin was the reason I started watching it the first season it was on. I'm a Mandy Patinkin fan, too. Yentl is the first movie I remember him in. Then came Princess Bride. Then Chicago Hope (eat your heart out, ER), followed by Dead Like Me and then Criminal Minds. Not that Joe Montegna doesn't do a fine job on CM. He isn't nor was he supposed to be Gideon--Mandy's character on CM--so my mind doesn't try to fit him into that role. I enjoy Joe and all the characters and actors on CM. But I enjoy Mandy in just about anything.
Then I stumbled across this video on a CM blog. Mandy is a fantastic singer. (Remember him singing and playing the piano on Chicago Hope?) But this is just... Well, it just shouldn't be funny. I can't help it. I'm still laughing.
I'm a Criminal Minds fan. I admit it, I'm looking forward to the new fall season on TV because of Criminal Minds. Mandy Patinkin was the reason I started watching it the first season it was on. I'm a Mandy Patinkin fan, too. Yentl is the first movie I remember him in. Then came Princess Bride. Then Chicago Hope (eat your heart out, ER), followed by Dead Like Me and then Criminal Minds. Not that Joe Montegna doesn't do a fine job on CM. He isn't nor was he supposed to be Gideon--Mandy's character on CM--so my mind doesn't try to fit him into that role. I enjoy Joe and all the characters and actors on CM. But I enjoy Mandy in just about anything.
Then I stumbled across this video on a CM blog. Mandy is a fantastic singer. (Remember him singing and playing the piano on Chicago Hope?) But this is just... Well, it just shouldn't be funny. I can't help it. I'm still laughing.
September 23 can't get here fast enough for me!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
An Oldie But Goodie
The title of this post describes me. Yeah, I've passed the first 1/4 century mark. And the 1/2 century mark, too. But let's just keep that a secret for just a little longer.
No, my age doesn't bother me, even when mycharming daughters remind me--which they do whenever they can. I just repeat to myself, "Age is simply a state of mind," until I faint from exhaustion or realize that another birthday has come and gone. Of course Social Security reminds me once a year or so. Then there are those Active Aging newspapers I get in the mail once a month. And let's not forget the offers from AARP, but that really isn't indicative of age. My 27-year-old daughter gets them, too. ::evil grin::
What's really fun is watching how fashion goes around and then comes around again. Platform shoes from the 70's, huge bell-bottom pants from the 60's, and now there are the peek-a-boo toe shoes that I remember my mother wearing in the 50's. Fool that I am, I threw away those platform shoes, don't plan to ever get into another pair of big bell-bottoms, and would never, ever have a pair of shoes that remind me of my mother when I was 5. Well, maybe not ever. I did see that cute pair while wandering through Target the other evening.
Now that I've admitted to being a golden oldie, I'm going to share my decade--the best times ever--on this blog. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I graduated in 1969. High school, not college. I'm not that old!
So here we go! A blast from the past! Enjoy the golden years once again.
No, my age doesn't bother me, even when my
What's really fun is watching how fashion goes around and then comes around again. Platform shoes from the 70's, huge bell-bottom pants from the 60's, and now there are the peek-a-boo toe shoes that I remember my mother wearing in the 50's. Fool that I am, I threw away those platform shoes, don't plan to ever get into another pair of big bell-bottoms, and would never, ever have a pair of shoes that remind me of my mother when I was 5. Well, maybe not ever. I did see that cute pair while wandering through Target the other evening.
Now that I've admitted to being a golden oldie, I'm going to share my decade--the best times ever--on this blog. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I graduated in 1969. High school, not college. I'm not that old!
So here we go! A blast from the past! Enjoy the golden years once again.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Life's Little Stumbles
It never fails. When you think you finally have it all together and things are rolling along smoothly, something or someone comes a long and trips you.
Case in point. The deadline for MORGAN'S PRIDE (w.t.) is September 15. It's done, it's been sent to my agent, who has sent to my (new!) editor and awaits her return from holiday. So now it's time to move on to NIKKI'S SECRET (w.t.). The full proposal is due November 1. Plenty of time, right? Especially since it's written. Uh, no on the plenty of time. I hit a research glitch. :(
For most of my life, I've known about the "Indian Reservations" in Oklahoma. Guess what? There is only one reservation left, thanks to the U.S. Government, and it's the Osage tribe near the Kansas-Oklahoma border. The Cherokee Nation's reservations were "disestablished" some years ago. Color me shocked! Because there was to be a scene set at the reservation in Tahlequah, that just isn't going to happen. I can make the changes needed, but it's messed up my mind. Just a little stumble, and I think I skinned my knees.
Case in point. The deadline for MORGAN'S PRIDE (w.t.) is September 15. It's done, it's been sent to my agent, who has sent to my (new!) editor and awaits her return from holiday. So now it's time to move on to NIKKI'S SECRET (w.t.). The full proposal is due November 1. Plenty of time, right? Especially since it's written. Uh, no on the plenty of time. I hit a research glitch. :(
For most of my life, I've known about the "Indian Reservations" in Oklahoma. Guess what? There is only one reservation left, thanks to the U.S. Government, and it's the Osage tribe near the Kansas-Oklahoma border. The Cherokee Nation's reservations were "disestablished" some years ago. Color me shocked! Because there was to be a scene set at the reservation in Tahlequah, that just isn't going to happen. I can make the changes needed, but it's messed up my mind. Just a little stumble, and I think I skinned my knees.
If you want to see a great trip, stumble and fall, check out the trailer for Sandra Bullock's new movie, out in September. All About Steve
Add the fact that NOTHING has been accomplished this week that should have been. Letters to go out about my class reunion in October haven't been mailed, the trip to the bank hasn't happened, no writing, no cleaning, no nothing. I owe most of it to 2-year-old Jaxon,
who thinks my desk is his personal play area. Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Another One Bites the Dust
Another day, that is. And my apologies to Queen. :)
I'd been looking forward--actually living for--August 17, when the kidlets (grandkids) would start the first day of school. Monday was crazy and would not be the norm, of this I was sure. Lyndsay and Adam were home for the weekend from their stay in KC with baby Payton, so they took Ally and Gavin to school and picked them up. Sabrina took Scarlett to school, so all I had was Jaxon. I swear, that boy can suck up more time than a vacuum cleaner! He'll be two in five days, and with an older brother and sister, he hasn't yet learned to keep himself occupied, so he keeps me occupied, meaning I get nothing done.
Yesterday (Tuesday) Gavin didn't have kindergarten, nor does he today. But he was gone for a while with other grandma to have the staple removed from his head. No, I did NOT staple him to the wall, although that is an idea... He fell and cut his head a week and a half ago and was stapled back together. Only one staple. But when he was here yesterday? YIKES!! He's not in school again today, but will return to school tomorrow. (Can you hear me cheering?) Jaxon didn't want to go to sleep last night, so he's sleeping in. I just might get a few things done today, but we'll see how it goes.
Let's just say I'm trying to stay positive about how the rest of the year is going to go. Well, as positive as I can be about it, anyway.
I'd been looking forward--actually living for--August 17, when the kidlets (grandkids) would start the first day of school. Monday was crazy and would not be the norm, of this I was sure. Lyndsay and Adam were home for the weekend from their stay in KC with baby Payton, so they took Ally and Gavin to school and picked them up. Sabrina took Scarlett to school, so all I had was Jaxon. I swear, that boy can suck up more time than a vacuum cleaner! He'll be two in five days, and with an older brother and sister, he hasn't yet learned to keep himself occupied, so he keeps me occupied, meaning I get nothing done.
Yesterday (Tuesday) Gavin didn't have kindergarten, nor does he today. But he was gone for a while with other grandma to have the staple removed from his head. No, I did NOT staple him to the wall, although that is an idea... He fell and cut his head a week and a half ago and was stapled back together. Only one staple. But when he was here yesterday? YIKES!! He's not in school again today, but will return to school tomorrow. (Can you hear me cheering?) Jaxon didn't want to go to sleep last night, so he's sleeping in. I just might get a few things done today, but we'll see how it goes.
Let's just say I'm trying to stay positive about how the rest of the year is going to go. Well, as positive as I can be about it, anyway.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Latest Payton Update
(Reposted here from Facebook because I'm lazy.)
We've had what we consider good news. The doctors decided the heart cath was a success as far as telling them what they needed to know. They've decided to let nature take its course at this point and let the holes close on their own. At least I think that's what Lyndsay said. (Something about many babies having a small hole that closes on it's own within a short amount of time.) If it's found that there isn't enough blood flow, they'll put in a shunt. If the blood flow is good and they don't need the shunt, she'll be home as soon as she can "eat" on her own. (Gavin was 5 weeks premature and would NOT take a bottle or anything. We should've known he'd continue to be a stubborn little guy.
The ventilator will be removed tomorrow, along with the feeding tube at her belly button. They'll start feeding by bottle after that and see how it goes. If all goes well, she could be home as soon as next weekend. Surgery will be scheduled in 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on how she does. Gaining weight and maturity is the goal. I'm assuming she'll be seeing a cardiologist here during that time. They expect about a 2 week stay in Children's Mercy again for and after surgery.
Lyndsay and Adam will be home tomorrow evening to spend time with the other three kids, then return to KC after the weekend. They want to be here for Ally and Gavin's first day of school on Monday. Plans right now are tentative, so we're waiting to see how everything goes.
More updates when there's news. :)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Baby Payton McKenzy
Yes, she arrived! 4:34 p.m. on August 10, weighing in at 5 lbs. 10 oz. But there was a problem. It was determined less than 8 hours later that Payton has a heart defect. (Check out delaney.blog for more information.) She's currently at Children's Mercy Hospital, gaining weight and getting ready for heart surgery when the cardiologist says it's time.
We're all praying that the surgery fixes the problem and Payton is able to come home soon. Her brothers and sisters haven't even seen her! But whatever it takes and however long it takes, we'll wait. We want her healthy and strong.
It's a little hard to find the fun in this situation. We take the positive track in our family with things like this though, so in the spirit of lightheartedness, I issued an order to my daughters: NO MORE 4th CHILDREN IN THIS FAMILY. You see, my youngest was my 4th, and she was born without a soft spot. There's a technical term for that, but who can remember after almost 20 years? Sure, I could google it, but there are more important things to do. The point is, at 7 weeks, they opened up her head, cut a ridge of bone out from temple to temple across the top of her head, and gave her brain room to grow. We assume it grew, although she can be a blonde, at times. Payton is Lyndsay's 4th child. Now do you see why I issued the order?
Today's update is much the same as yesterday's. Payton is still doing well, but until the heart cath is done tomorrow, no one knows when surgery will be scheduled. It's a wait-and-see thing. I had her brothers and sisters here today, while other grandma got some work done. They've been staying with her, giving me a break. School starts on Monday, so schedules will change. It will be interesting, if nothing else. :)
Prayers and positive thoughts are always welcome. Thank you to EVERYONE who has contacted me via email, Facebook and phone. I love you all.
Baby Day...and more
(Photos will be available when Blogger lets me upload them!!)
Payton McKenzy must have been in a rush to be a part of our family. She was a month early. At 5 lbs. 10 oz, she's the smallest of my daugher Lyndsay and her husband Adam's now 4 children. Although we thought everything was fine, except the need for a little help breathing, we learned less than 8 hours after she arrived that she has a heart defect. It was a miracle it was detected so early. Most babies with TGV (Transposition of the Great Vessel) are a few weeks old before anyone suspects and investigates. We all thank the NICU staff at HCA Wesley in Wichita for being alert.
What's TGV? According to Wikipedia (the simplest to use at this point, Transposition of the great vessels (TGV) is a group of congenital heart defects (CHDs) involving an abnormal spatial arrangement of any of the primary blood vessels: superior and/or inferior vena cavae (SVC, IVC), pulmonary artery, pulmonary veins, and aorta. In simpler terms, the veins and arteries are reversed. (more from Wiki) In a normal heart, oxygen-depleted blood is pumped from the right side of the heart, through the pulmonary artery, to the lungs where it is oxygenated. The oxygen-rich red blood then returns to the left heart, via the pulmonary veins, and is pumped through the aorta to the rest of the body, including the heart muscle itself. TGV means this doesn't happen correctly.
But another miracle is keeping Payton alive. VSD or Ventricular Septal Defect, which means she has a hole in her heart (2, actually) allowing oxygen to mix in the heart. VSD and other defects often accompany TGV.
She was airlifted via helicopter the next morning to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO. She's doing great! They're weaning her off the ventilator and hoping to be able to wait a week or two so she can gain a little more weight. As long as she continues to do well, they're able to do that. Success rate for the surgery is 95%-99%, we we're all being positive. We certainly won't refuse any prayers and positive thoughts for Payton while she's in the hospital!
More news on Payton as we get it.
Payton McKenzy must have been in a rush to be a part of our family. She was a month early. At 5 lbs. 10 oz, she's the smallest of my daugher Lyndsay and her husband Adam's now 4 children. Although we thought everything was fine, except the need for a little help breathing, we learned less than 8 hours after she arrived that she has a heart defect. It was a miracle it was detected so early. Most babies with TGV (Transposition of the Great Vessel) are a few weeks old before anyone suspects and investigates. We all thank the NICU staff at HCA Wesley in Wichita for being alert.
What's TGV? According to Wikipedia (the simplest to use at this point, Transposition of the great vessels (TGV) is a group of congenital heart defects (CHDs) involving an abnormal spatial arrangement of any of the primary blood vessels: superior and/or inferior vena cavae (SVC, IVC), pulmonary artery, pulmonary veins, and aorta. In simpler terms, the veins and arteries are reversed. (more from Wiki) In a normal heart, oxygen-depleted blood is pumped from the right side of the heart, through the pulmonary artery, to the lungs where it is oxygenated. The oxygen-rich red blood then returns to the left heart, via the pulmonary veins, and is pumped through the aorta to the rest of the body, including the heart muscle itself. TGV means this doesn't happen correctly.
But another miracle is keeping Payton alive. VSD or Ventricular Septal Defect, which means she has a hole in her heart (2, actually) allowing oxygen to mix in the heart. VSD and other defects often accompany TGV.
She was airlifted via helicopter the next morning to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO. She's doing great! They're weaning her off the ventilator and hoping to be able to wait a week or two so she can gain a little more weight. As long as she continues to do well, they're able to do that. Success rate for the surgery is 95%-99%, we we're all being positive. We certainly won't refuse any prayers and positive thoughts for Payton while she's in the hospital!
More news on Payton as we get it.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Baby Day?
That's a probably. When Lyndsay, my second oldest daughter, dropped her three kids off at 7:30 this morning, she told me she was on her way to the ER with contractions 5 minutes apart. We're used to false alarms with her, so as she left, I told her, "If you can walk and talk, you aren't in labor." I guess I was wrong. She called about 3 hours ago to let us know she was on her way to get the epidural. The doctor (who also delivered my youngest almost 20 years ago) said it was time, even though it's a month early.
So now we wait.
Updates will be forthcoming.
So now we wait.
Updates will be forthcoming.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Trio of Local Romance Authors to Sign Books
It's always nice to meet with friends, and this time it's meeting with two friends to sign copies of our books on Saturday, August 22 at Waldenbooks in Towne West Square, Wichita, KS, from noon until 3 p.m. I'll be signing copies of The Rodeo Rider, along with Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense author Patricia Davids, who'll be signing her newest release, Speed Trap, and Wild Rose Press author Penny Rader, who'll be signing her debut historical, Sapphire and Gold. Please stop by and chat with us! We'll have chocolate!!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Promo? Yuck!
Maybe it was my mother drilling it into my head that I was not allowed to brag. Because I was an only child, people tended to think I had more and better. I didn't. Nobody went nuts on Christmas or birthdays to buy me everything I wanted. And I darned sure better not try lording it over others that I got what I did. I was taught to share, share, share.
So when it come to promoting my books, I'd rather hide away in a deep cave and hope they sell themselves. That didn't work so well in the past. I know there are a few people (relatives, friends, people who don't have a clue) who don't shop the bookstores or the aisles at Wally World, Target, or other stores each month. If I don't tell them, how will they know I have a book they'll want to add to their (very) slowly growing pile? But if I do tell them, isn't that breaking Mother's Commandment #52?
I don't do book signings. I'm not a chatty person. Yeah, I know, that's hard to believe when reading these long-winded posts, but I'm not, especially with strangers. Let's face it, I've always been on the shy side. (People who attended high school with me are doubled up in laughter at that little gem. Okay, it was a different time, a different me.) But even though I don't do book signings, it seems I committed myself to one for this book. I have lost my mind, but there will be two other authors with me, both more accustomed to small talk and both fairly outgoing. Then there's me. I'll be the one in the middle. The quiet one. The one who looks like she's ready to bolt down the mall hallway, pages flying behind her.
I should be sending out emails and postcards and having bookmarks printed and... The list is endless. I did it with my first book, back in 2001, but there was never enough time to do it all. There still isn't, and I don't feel it's right to shove my upcoming book down people's throats. But if I don't tell them, how will they know? How many times have I heard, "I didn't know when your book came out, so I didn't get one"? I've lost count.
So I'll try to devote a portion of today sending emails to people who will probably delete immediately, thinking I'm some sort of promo ho. I'm on Facebook, the web, at my desk getting and receiving emails. Isn't that enough? Apparently it isn't.
Where is that cave again? I think I've lost the directions.
So when it come to promoting my books, I'd rather hide away in a deep cave and hope they sell themselves. That didn't work so well in the past. I know there are a few people (relatives, friends, people who don't have a clue) who don't shop the bookstores or the aisles at Wally World, Target, or other stores each month. If I don't tell them, how will they know I have a book they'll want to add to their (very) slowly growing pile? But if I do tell them, isn't that breaking Mother's Commandment #52?
I don't do book signings. I'm not a chatty person. Yeah, I know, that's hard to believe when reading these long-winded posts, but I'm not, especially with strangers. Let's face it, I've always been on the shy side. (People who attended high school with me are doubled up in laughter at that little gem. Okay, it was a different time, a different me.) But even though I don't do book signings, it seems I committed myself to one for this book. I have lost my mind, but there will be two other authors with me, both more accustomed to small talk and both fairly outgoing. Then there's me. I'll be the one in the middle. The quiet one. The one who looks like she's ready to bolt down the mall hallway, pages flying behind her.
I should be sending out emails and postcards and having bookmarks printed and... The list is endless. I did it with my first book, back in 2001, but there was never enough time to do it all. There still isn't, and I don't feel it's right to shove my upcoming book down people's throats. But if I don't tell them, how will they know? How many times have I heard, "I didn't know when your book came out, so I didn't get one"? I've lost count.
So I'll try to devote a portion of today sending emails to people who will probably delete immediately, thinking I'm some sort of promo ho. I'm on Facebook, the web, at my desk getting and receiving emails. Isn't that enough? Apparently it isn't.
Where is that cave again? I think I've lost the directions.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Mondays
Unless you absolutely adore your job and your life, Mondays have to be the worst thing that happens. Too bad they happen every week!
Just when I get accustomed to the relative quiet of many weekends and not having to leave to take someone to work, pick them up, or run errands, or any of the other during-the-week activities that can't be ignored, Monday rolls around again.
Which doesn't mean I get to lay around and do nothing on weekends. Au contraire. Weekends can be just as bad as any other day of the week, even those dreaded Mondays. This weekend it was finishing up charts, calendars and schedules. Saturday night is Family Night, so there's no hiding on the sofa to watch a movie or pick up a book and read. Sunday was spent finishing Saturday's tasks, then a first read-through of the first three chapters of the finished manuscript of Book #3. Oh, and cleaning house, which amounted to the living room. Time is short.
Then along came Monday again, after a night when I kept waking up and dreaming some really strange stuff. And then I hit the ground running. Okay, running first thing in the morning would be suicide, but it sure seems like it when I take Willow out in the morning. That's after she's whined and howled for a good ten minutes, while I'm dragging myself from dreamland. Then the grandkids arrive, then checking email, Facebook, Bits & Bytes, and anything else that's become a morning chore. Then Chelsea to work, and back to the computer to update the Ditzy Chix website. After a quick trip to pick up Gavin, whose group play is over for the summer, and a stop with him at Wally World for lunch stuff---a lesson learned, it's lunchtime, so that's the next chore. Who knows what will rear its ugly head after that?
Just when I get accustomed to the relative quiet of many weekends and not having to leave to take someone to work, pick them up, or run errands, or any of the other during-the-week activities that can't be ignored, Monday rolls around again.
Which doesn't mean I get to lay around and do nothing on weekends. Au contraire. Weekends can be just as bad as any other day of the week, even those dreaded Mondays. This weekend it was finishing up charts, calendars and schedules. Saturday night is Family Night, so there's no hiding on the sofa to watch a movie or pick up a book and read. Sunday was spent finishing Saturday's tasks, then a first read-through of the first three chapters of the finished manuscript of Book #3. Oh, and cleaning house, which amounted to the living room. Time is short.
Then along came Monday again, after a night when I kept waking up and dreaming some really strange stuff. And then I hit the ground running. Okay, running first thing in the morning would be suicide, but it sure seems like it when I take Willow out in the morning. That's after she's whined and howled for a good ten minutes, while I'm dragging myself from dreamland. Then the grandkids arrive, then checking email, Facebook, Bits & Bytes, and anything else that's become a morning chore. Then Chelsea to work, and back to the computer to update the Ditzy Chix website. After a quick trip to pick up Gavin, whose group play is over for the summer, and a stop with him at Wally World for lunch stuff---a lesson learned, it's lunchtime, so that's the next chore. Who knows what will rear its ugly head after that?
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Moving
No, I'm not, moving that is. At least not in the near future, but after an evening of hunting for my hole puncher so I can move ahead on the edits of a first draft, I'm not sure that even near future is late enough. Hey, I'm a creature of habit. What can I say?
It all started early this year. We have 3 bedrooms, the largest a very nicely converted garage that Mallory, my youngest, occupied. I had the other 2 bedrooms, one on the small side, the other fairly roomy. This all came about after the other 3 daughters had moved out on their own. My bedroom aka sleeping space was in the larger of the 2 rooms, while my office occupied the smaller. I began to wonder why. I spend more than 2/3 of my life in my office (and the bathroom and the yard chasing grandkids, etc.) and only sleep less than 8 hours in my bedroom. My office was crowded, especially when the playpen was set up for the youngest of the g-kids. And I inherited (although I'm adopted) my mother's penchant for hoarding. There should be a AA-like org for that, believe me. The logical thing to do was switch rooms. I did, which brought about the second breaking of my poor desk, but I rectified that with a broken yardstick and nails. Don't ask. It was a fast move made on a weekend. Remember, I'm switching rooms, not expanding. Furniture and boxes were moved from the bedroom to the living room, then from the office to the bedroom, and then the living room to the office, now the bedroom. It was a nightmare, and I was slowly---very, very slowly---beginning to sort through boxes and toss the junk. Key word? BEGINNING.
Then Chelsea moved home. Chelsea and Mallory get on like cats and dogs, meaning not at all, especially in the confined space of a bedroom, no matter how large or whether on separate planets. They fought, I stressed, until I finally gave in to Mallory's pleas to let them have my office and bedroom. Separately. Blessedly. Luckily, we have an abundance of beds and other furniture. (See "hoarding" above.) I had come to love my office in the bigger of the two bedrooms. I was comfortable, things were within easy reach, and except for the boxes that yet needed to be sorted and tossed and filed, everything was perfect. It had the right "feel". I switched again.
With a hand-drawn floorplan, I mapped out the placement of my things. It looked good. The sleeping and working areas were seperated by furniture (shelves, mostly), and I thought it would work. It didn't. I had to move everything around again, even my poor, pitiful desk, which is nailed together completely now and probably sturdier than it was when I first got it. The room(s) still isn't right, but I'm stuck with it. My back is to the door when I'm at my desk. Bad Feng Shui. Very bad. But at least there's a little room to move. Very little.
And that's where the lost hole puncher comes in. I'm not a neat, compartmentalized person, so when clearning my desk for each move (3), I tossed things into boxes and baskets and bins. None of those moves ever afforded me the time to replace things where they needed to go. The hole puncherer is among those things.
I have no room. I'm surrounded by boxes of my stuff, her stuff, and her stuff, and real moving would be the only thing that would straighten that out. No, I'm not moving, not in the near future, but if I could be blessed with one small miracle--finding the hole puncher--I would be eternally grateful.
Guess what I'll be doing this weekend, while the girls are gone playing?
It all started early this year. We have 3 bedrooms, the largest a very nicely converted garage that Mallory, my youngest, occupied. I had the other 2 bedrooms, one on the small side, the other fairly roomy. This all came about after the other 3 daughters had moved out on their own. My bedroom aka sleeping space was in the larger of the 2 rooms, while my office occupied the smaller. I began to wonder why. I spend more than 2/3 of my life in my office (and the bathroom and the yard chasing grandkids, etc.) and only sleep less than 8 hours in my bedroom. My office was crowded, especially when the playpen was set up for the youngest of the g-kids. And I inherited (although I'm adopted) my mother's penchant for hoarding. There should be a AA-like org for that, believe me. The logical thing to do was switch rooms. I did, which brought about the second breaking of my poor desk, but I rectified that with a broken yardstick and nails. Don't ask. It was a fast move made on a weekend. Remember, I'm switching rooms, not expanding. Furniture and boxes were moved from the bedroom to the living room, then from the office to the bedroom, and then the living room to the office, now the bedroom. It was a nightmare, and I was slowly---very, very slowly---beginning to sort through boxes and toss the junk. Key word? BEGINNING.
Then Chelsea moved home. Chelsea and Mallory get on like cats and dogs, meaning not at all, especially in the confined space of a bedroom, no matter how large or whether on separate planets. They fought, I stressed, until I finally gave in to Mallory's pleas to let them have my office and bedroom. Separately. Blessedly. Luckily, we have an abundance of beds and other furniture. (See "hoarding" above.) I had come to love my office in the bigger of the two bedrooms. I was comfortable, things were within easy reach, and except for the boxes that yet needed to be sorted and tossed and filed, everything was perfect. It had the right "feel". I switched again.
With a hand-drawn floorplan, I mapped out the placement of my things. It looked good. The sleeping and working areas were seperated by furniture (shelves, mostly), and I thought it would work. It didn't. I had to move everything around again, even my poor, pitiful desk, which is nailed together completely now and probably sturdier than it was when I first got it. The room(s) still isn't right, but I'm stuck with it. My back is to the door when I'm at my desk. Bad Feng Shui. Very bad. But at least there's a little room to move. Very little.
And that's where the lost hole puncher comes in. I'm not a neat, compartmentalized person, so when clearning my desk for each move (3), I tossed things into boxes and baskets and bins. None of those moves ever afforded me the time to replace things where they needed to go. The hole puncherer is among those things.
I have no room. I'm surrounded by boxes of my stuff, her stuff, and her stuff, and real moving would be the only thing that would straighten that out. No, I'm not moving, not in the near future, but if I could be blessed with one small miracle--finding the hole puncher--I would be eternally grateful.
Guess what I'll be doing this weekend, while the girls are gone playing?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Two Cases of Mistaken Identity
"How obvious it is now--the gift you gave him. All those letters, they were you... All those beautiful powerful words, they were you!.. The voice from the shadows, that was you... You always loved me!"- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 5
My name came from the above reknowned play. Roxann(e). I just don't have the E at the end, as the character did. Blame it on my mother. My middle initial is E. If you've never read this classic, you can always watch the movie Roxanne, starring Steven Martin and Daryl Hannah. While it's not nearly as touching as the original play, you'll get the gist. It takes a different spin on the mistaken identity theme, something that's come up twice lately in my life.
Not a real common name, Roxann(e), although there was one girl a year younger than me in high school in a small town I shared it with. I never expected to be a part of a small group of romance authors that had another Roxanne in the midst. The Ditzy Chix. Two Mary's? No. Two Linda's? Not even one. In fact, ours is the only name that is shared by two. Weird. Just plain weird. But I digress.
The confusion came about when a friend asked one of the OKRWA members at RWA's National Conference this month in Washington, DC, if Rox won the National Readers Choice Award. My book, Family by Design, was a finalist in the Short Contemporary category, which I was extremely surprised and humbled to learn this past spring. When I say it's an honor, I mean it sincerely. The friend asked and the OKRWA member said, "Yes! She did!" The thing was, it was two days after the announcement of the winners of the categories, and I hadn't been notified. Not expecting to win, I was still basking in the glory of having been a finalist, happy that I hadn't won since I couldn't be there in person. Again, quite an honor. So what was the deal? I was finally able to reach a friend who was attending conference and verified with her that I was NOT the winner of the short contemporary category. "No," she said, "I was there, and I don't remember who did win, but it wasn't you." Mystery solved, right?
Wrong.
Just how did this rumor get started? And it did get started, even though I assured everyone who congratulated me that I did not win, but was fine with the outcome. (That "honored" thing again.) A few days later, I returned to the OKRWA website to check out a suspicion I had. I was right. Roxanne St. Claire was the winner of the Romantic Suspense category of the widely acclaimed contest. (BTW, Huge congrats, Roxanne! And to Michelle Celmer, who won the Short Contemporary category!!) A simple mixup with the names. Nothing more. Not even a disappointment. At least the mystery was finally solved. :)
Then came the second case of mistaken identity. A few days ago I received a message from my fellow Ditzy Chix, Roxanne Rustand, who asked if I'd received the author copies of my August book. I had. But so had she. It happens. Sometimes the wrong books are shipped to the wrong author, although not usually because of the same first name. Today I received a phone call from Harlequin, verifiying that I had received my books. I had to laugh. With only three Harlequin/Silhouette authors out of literally hundreds, if not thousands, sharing the same somewhat unusual first name, what were the odds that this would happen?
Having gone through the majority of my life knowing less than a handful of people with the same first name as mine, having two incidents of confusion in the same month has been, well, weird.
I think I'll change my name to something unusual. Then again, what name these days is unusual? Mine obviously isn't. I'm just pleased that I share it with three lovely women, two of which are very talented writers, that I know. What could be better?
Signing of for now as Rox...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Lazy Days of Summer
Not quite! If you think late July and August are the time for lazying around, you haven't been to our house!
July 4:
One lost puppy. Our Bassett Hound, Willow, disappeared in the midst of pops, whistles and bangs. We suspected foul play. No trace of her or how she escaped the yard. (Did she escape??? Or did she have help???)
July 25:
Three weeks later. We get a call from the animal shelter. Willow has been dropped off. Do we want to pick her up? Uh, yeah. In spite of the fact that she's one more living being to take care of--and don't we have enough?--of course we want to pick her up...to the tune of $70 plus rabies shot plus license plus promise to spay in 30 days at the cost of $50. Uh-huh. Well, like L'Oreal, she's worth it. But just why did I think we needed a puppy? And why did I ever think my youngest daughter, who I got the puppy for, would actually take care of an animal? Four grandkids, a step-granddaughter, and another granddaughter on the way, plus the two new fish, Shrimp and Spock, aren't enough? I can barely take care of myself!
How the mind works:
I was driving home from the other side of town on Friday and saw an interesting billboard. Because I was on the interstate that runs through and around the city, I didn't get to read all of it, but what I read sparked some ideas. It read: CEO OF LARGE CORPORATE...WIFE BEATER. Whoa! It wasn't until a few hours later when I was copying notes down from a hopefully upcoming book set in Desperation, OK, that I realized this was the heroine's backstory! I was pretty much stuck, until that lightbulb went on, so I'm hoping now I can move forward with it. Now you know where ideas come from. ;)
How the fingers work:
As soon as I hear the words "we want to buy" from my editor, I create a schedule. You see, I'm the Queen of Procrastination, and if I don't have a reminder of something coming up...like a deadline...I'll play around and not get it done. With Morgan's Pride (w.t.), the deadline for the finished book is September 15, a very doable date. I set my goal to finish the first draft for August 23. At 3 pages a day or so, that would work fine and still give me time to revise what's needed and polish before sending to meet that deadline. I finished the first draft at 4 a.m. on July 23, one full month before my stated goal. I am in heaven!! Well, for a few days. There are still revisions and polishing and printing involved, but the way seems pretty clear (knock on wood) to be able to get it to my editor in advance of the deadline. But all I have off is a few days, because there's a deadline for the second book, Nikki's Secret (w.t.), too. A full proposal (first 3 chapters and synopsis) is due November 1. After that, I get to write the rest of the book. This means to stay ahead, I can't procrastinate. BOO HOO! I can't sit and veg out, watching movies or reading books that keep calling to me or even stories that have only just birthed themselves in mind and keep whispering write me... No, one must buckle down and do what needs to be done, not what one wants to do. RATS!
How the mind messes with...everything:
Needing to get started on Nikki's Secret is a priority. There's no reason why it can't be ready to send for that November 1 deadline--or earlier!--except it just doesn't want to come together. The heroine is being a willful brat, not following my directions. We've had a little chat, and maybe she'll behave. Maybe. I'd rather be thinking of Garrett's Woman (w.t.), the story mentioned above with the abused heroine. Why? Nikki is just as interesting as Libby. Both are strong, independent women who only have to surmount unimaginable odds to find true love. (Hey, this is romance, folks! It can't be too easy!) Nikki and I will soon come to an understanding. She can be as smart-mouthed as she wants, but she must adhere to my plot. And she needs to realize that Mac isn't glowering at her. He simply has an arrogance about him and knows this woman (or any woman) is, for now, off limits. Poor Mac. Poor Nikki!
So if you should happen to run into me and find me muttering to myself, it's the characters I'm talking to, not pure madness. When I do hit that pure madness state---and it could be soon---I'll be found in a corner in a fetal position, humming lullabies. Or maybe some Michael Jackson songs. Oh, you'll know what it is. The question is, will I?
Happy lazy daze!!
July 4:
One lost puppy. Our Bassett Hound, Willow, disappeared in the midst of pops, whistles and bangs. We suspected foul play. No trace of her or how she escaped the yard. (Did she escape??? Or did she have help???)
July 25:
Three weeks later. We get a call from the animal shelter. Willow has been dropped off. Do we want to pick her up? Uh, yeah. In spite of the fact that she's one more living being to take care of--and don't we have enough?--of course we want to pick her up...to the tune of $70 plus rabies shot plus license plus promise to spay in 30 days at the cost of $50. Uh-huh. Well, like L'Oreal, she's worth it. But just why did I think we needed a puppy? And why did I ever think my youngest daughter, who I got the puppy for, would actually take care of an animal? Four grandkids, a step-granddaughter, and another granddaughter on the way, plus the two new fish, Shrimp and Spock, aren't enough? I can barely take care of myself!
How the mind works:
I was driving home from the other side of town on Friday and saw an interesting billboard. Because I was on the interstate that runs through and around the city, I didn't get to read all of it, but what I read sparked some ideas. It read: CEO OF LARGE CORPORATE...WIFE BEATER. Whoa! It wasn't until a few hours later when I was copying notes down from a hopefully upcoming book set in Desperation, OK, that I realized this was the heroine's backstory! I was pretty much stuck, until that lightbulb went on, so I'm hoping now I can move forward with it. Now you know where ideas come from. ;)
How the fingers work:
As soon as I hear the words "we want to buy" from my editor, I create a schedule. You see, I'm the Queen of Procrastination, and if I don't have a reminder of something coming up...like a deadline...I'll play around and not get it done. With Morgan's Pride (w.t.), the deadline for the finished book is September 15, a very doable date. I set my goal to finish the first draft for August 23. At 3 pages a day or so, that would work fine and still give me time to revise what's needed and polish before sending to meet that deadline. I finished the first draft at 4 a.m. on July 23, one full month before my stated goal. I am in heaven!! Well, for a few days. There are still revisions and polishing and printing involved, but the way seems pretty clear (knock on wood) to be able to get it to my editor in advance of the deadline. But all I have off is a few days, because there's a deadline for the second book, Nikki's Secret (w.t.), too. A full proposal (first 3 chapters and synopsis) is due November 1. After that, I get to write the rest of the book. This means to stay ahead, I can't procrastinate. BOO HOO! I can't sit and veg out, watching movies or reading books that keep calling to me or even stories that have only just birthed themselves in mind and keep whispering write me... No, one must buckle down and do what needs to be done, not what one wants to do. RATS!
How the mind messes with...everything:
Needing to get started on Nikki's Secret is a priority. There's no reason why it can't be ready to send for that November 1 deadline--or earlier!--except it just doesn't want to come together. The heroine is being a willful brat, not following my directions. We've had a little chat, and maybe she'll behave. Maybe. I'd rather be thinking of Garrett's Woman (w.t.), the story mentioned above with the abused heroine. Why? Nikki is just as interesting as Libby. Both are strong, independent women who only have to surmount unimaginable odds to find true love. (Hey, this is romance, folks! It can't be too easy!) Nikki and I will soon come to an understanding. She can be as smart-mouthed as she wants, but she must adhere to my plot. And she needs to realize that Mac isn't glowering at her. He simply has an arrogance about him and knows this woman (or any woman) is, for now, off limits. Poor Mac. Poor Nikki!
So if you should happen to run into me and find me muttering to myself, it's the characters I'm talking to, not pure madness. When I do hit that pure madness state---and it could be soon---I'll be found in a corner in a fetal position, humming lullabies. Or maybe some Michael Jackson songs. Oh, you'll know what it is. The question is, will I?
Happy lazy daze!!
A Very Weird Miracle?
Yesterday I blogged about the disappearance of our dog, Willow, on the 4th of July. Less than fifteen minutes later, the phone rang. I couldn't imagine what the City would be calling me about on a Saturday afternoon. It was the animal shelter! Someone had brought in Willow!!
Last weekend, a cute little lost Pomeranian showed up at my oldest daughter's house. Sabrina created, printed, and posted signs around the neighborhood about the dog, but in a week, she'd had no response. So when the animal shelter called to say Willow had just been found and dropped off there, we decided an exchange was in order. "Muffy" was returned first, then we were off to find our baby. We roamed the holding kennels until we finally found her. There was no doubt who the Bassett belonged to. She recognized us immediately. As we returned to the desk with the necessary paperwork to get Willow released, we could hear her howling. She was ready to go home!
I still find it very strange that it took three weeks for her to be discovered and taken to the shelter. The paperwork stated she was found about five miles away by someone who lived more than twenty miles in the opposite direction. At this point, it probably doesn't matter, but we've decided she can't be left outside when no one is around to make sure she isn't escaping (which I highly doubt happened) or being snatched from our yard.
She loved the backyard and spent both days and nights there, before she disappeared. Because we were still working on house training, when inside, she slept in her kennel or had free roam of the kitchen, which leads to my office. I can see her from my desk, so she isn't lonely...which doesn't mean she isn't going to howl for attention. :)
So to whomever found our Willow, thank you!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Shame on Me!
Almost an entire month has zoomed by, and I haven't stopped in to say hello. Shouldn't summer be lazy? Not here! And not for me!
It appears I haven't been blogging, but that isn't true. Besides here, I also blog at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writers Way, my writers group's blog. The 29th is my day to blog, but I'm constantly posting comments on everyone else's posts. It's very interactive, and we're having tons of fun talking romance writing. If you aren't a writer, that's okay! Readers are more than welcome to share their thoughts, and maybe learn something along the way.
Want to meet your favorite Harlequin American Romance authors? Check out our blog! News, recipes, writers' tips, cleaning tips, and all kinds of good stuff can be found there. My blogging date at HAR is the 19th, but I missed it this month. :( Must do better!
Last weekend, two of my daughters, my oldest granddaughter, and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. I was sadly disappointed. I've only read the first book, so I'm not privy to all the ins and outs, but I have seen every one of the movies. I had a really hard time following what was going on in this one and even dozed off at one point, which resulted in a poke from my daughter. :) Mallory, my youngest, said it was because so much was left out, yet there were things in it that weren't in the book. (Mallory is an HP expert, having read each book multiple times. DO NOT play HP Trivial Pursuit with her unless you want to lose, big time.) Maybe I should start reading those books!
Sad things going on here. I posted earlier about our new puppy, Willow. On the 4th of July, someone stole her from our backyard. :(( She was playing out there in the early evening, while the neighborhood fireworks were going off. I could hear her howling at one point and went out to check who was making all the noise. (The fireworks, not the pup.) Discovered it was a neighbor, three houses to the south and muttered some unkind words under my breath, then went inside. Willow was fine. The next morning, she was nowhere to be found, her collar laying open just inside the fence. She's chipped, so if she'd run away and someone found her, a trip to the animal shelter would be all that was needed for her to be returned to us. No more pups for us. I'll stick to our two cats, Tosca and Mocha. They're tortoiseshell calicos that look like mother and daughter, but aren't related. One of these days, I'll post some pictures of them. Oh, and there are the four betta fish we have. Two belong to my daughter Chelsea, a male (the fish, not the daughter and whose name I forget) and Harley, the female. My two are both males, Shrimp and Spock. Watching them swim around can be soothing, and they notice when I'm paying attention. Maybe a bird someday? Who knows?
I've just finished writing the first draft of the third book in the Desperation, OK series. I hope readers love this one as much as they seem to love the first one, The Rodeo Rider, available in stores next month. Hearing from readers adds such a spot of joy to my day! Don't be shy to let me know what you think!
Last but not least, if you haven't met the Ditzy Chix, my very very bestest friends, stop in at our website. Or even better, come visit us on our Facebook page! We've just gone from 10 of us to 11, and will probably have another new chix or two in the future.
Yes, you can find me on Facebook! (How did this happen?) I love chatting with others there!
Until next time, have a lovely summer! Fall will be here soon--my favorite season--so what's left of the lazy (ha!) days of the last of summer should be savored. Make some memories!
It appears I haven't been blogging, but that isn't true. Besides here, I also blog at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writers Way, my writers group's blog. The 29th is my day to blog, but I'm constantly posting comments on everyone else's posts. It's very interactive, and we're having tons of fun talking romance writing. If you aren't a writer, that's okay! Readers are more than welcome to share their thoughts, and maybe learn something along the way.
Want to meet your favorite Harlequin American Romance authors? Check out our blog! News, recipes, writers' tips, cleaning tips, and all kinds of good stuff can be found there. My blogging date at HAR is the 19th, but I missed it this month. :( Must do better!
Last weekend, two of my daughters, my oldest granddaughter, and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. I was sadly disappointed. I've only read the first book, so I'm not privy to all the ins and outs, but I have seen every one of the movies. I had a really hard time following what was going on in this one and even dozed off at one point, which resulted in a poke from my daughter. :) Mallory, my youngest, said it was because so much was left out, yet there were things in it that weren't in the book. (Mallory is an HP expert, having read each book multiple times. DO NOT play HP Trivial Pursuit with her unless you want to lose, big time.) Maybe I should start reading those books!
Sad things going on here. I posted earlier about our new puppy, Willow. On the 4th of July, someone stole her from our backyard. :(( She was playing out there in the early evening, while the neighborhood fireworks were going off. I could hear her howling at one point and went out to check who was making all the noise. (The fireworks, not the pup.) Discovered it was a neighbor, three houses to the south and muttered some unkind words under my breath, then went inside. Willow was fine. The next morning, she was nowhere to be found, her collar laying open just inside the fence. She's chipped, so if she'd run away and someone found her, a trip to the animal shelter would be all that was needed for her to be returned to us. No more pups for us. I'll stick to our two cats, Tosca and Mocha. They're tortoiseshell calicos that look like mother and daughter, but aren't related. One of these days, I'll post some pictures of them. Oh, and there are the four betta fish we have. Two belong to my daughter Chelsea, a male (the fish, not the daughter and whose name I forget) and Harley, the female. My two are both males, Shrimp and Spock. Watching them swim around can be soothing, and they notice when I'm paying attention. Maybe a bird someday? Who knows?
I've just finished writing the first draft of the third book in the Desperation, OK series. I hope readers love this one as much as they seem to love the first one, The Rodeo Rider, available in stores next month. Hearing from readers adds such a spot of joy to my day! Don't be shy to let me know what you think!
Last but not least, if you haven't met the Ditzy Chix, my very very bestest friends, stop in at our website. Or even better, come visit us on our Facebook page! We've just gone from 10 of us to 11, and will probably have another new chix or two in the future.
Yes, you can find me on Facebook! (How did this happen?) I love chatting with others there!
Until next time, have a lovely summer! Fall will be here soon--my favorite season--so what's left of the lazy (ha!) days of the last of summer should be savored. Make some memories!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Crazy Days
Can things get any crazier? Last week, my front tire blew out on the Interstate and we found a snake in the house. Baby bull snake, but I don't care what the size, they are not my favorite, um, pet. Wrote 20 pages on Friday (big WOO HOO), saw Harry Potter Sat. night (thought it was booooring), and proceeded to have a recurrance of May/June's asthma attack, so Monday netted another trip to minor emergency. Not a cheap thing.
This week? It's already piling up with stuff. Stuff done, stuff needed done, stuff being stuffed into other stuff. I'd like to stuff the stuff and go on a road trip to anywhere. Not possible. :( What's a vacation????
Facebook has been busy with many attendees posting during and after RWA (Romance Writers of America) National Conference in Washington, DC. A conference I was not able to attend and wanted to very badly. Bummer. Next year: Nashville. Maybe a road trip? hmmmmm
Those familiar with the Ditzy Chix might be interested to know that the Chix will soon have a group on Facebook for fans. We LOVE fans!! And we ARE ditzy. Who but a bunch of ditzes would admit to that?
One more chapter to write on first contracted book, then it sits for a week to wait on first read-through. I'm a month ahead!!! While it cools, I'll be starting the proposal for second contracted book and working on a couple of new websites. And all that other stuff, too.
The bright spot in everything has been the temp cool down lately. It was 62 degrees when I got up this morning. Now that's what I call sleeping weather! Too bad I didn't have time to sleep.
Oh, well, another day, another list of things to do.
Crazy days.
This week? It's already piling up with stuff. Stuff done, stuff needed done, stuff being stuffed into other stuff. I'd like to stuff the stuff and go on a road trip to anywhere. Not possible. :( What's a vacation????
Facebook has been busy with many attendees posting during and after RWA (Romance Writers of America) National Conference in Washington, DC. A conference I was not able to attend and wanted to very badly. Bummer. Next year: Nashville. Maybe a road trip? hmmmmm
Those familiar with the Ditzy Chix might be interested to know that the Chix will soon have a group on Facebook for fans. We LOVE fans!! And we ARE ditzy. Who but a bunch of ditzes would admit to that?
One more chapter to write on first contracted book, then it sits for a week to wait on first read-through. I'm a month ahead!!! While it cools, I'll be starting the proposal for second contracted book and working on a couple of new websites. And all that other stuff, too.
The bright spot in everything has been the temp cool down lately. It was 62 degrees when I got up this morning. Now that's what I call sleeping weather! Too bad I didn't have time to sleep.
Oh, well, another day, another list of things to do.
Crazy days.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Crazy and Ditzy
Yeah, that's me.
The week started with a front tire blowing out on the Interstate that runs through the city. I was able to hobble the car off the nearest ramp and pull into a parking lot behind a Dog & Shake drive-in. The trunk was full of boxes of things we picked up from storage over the weekend, so everything went in the back seat. I pulled out the spare and discovered there was no jack, but, hey, the tire was full-size and in super condition! What can I say? I know how to change a tire, but I'm not macho enough to lift up the car to do it.
Called the only one of my daughters available where she works, and she and her hubby came to rescue me. Things were going fairly well until the next discovery: Son-in-law's lug wrench didn't fit my lugs. We're 1 for 3, so we find an auto supply store and buy a nifty new lug wrench, which will stay in the car, along with a small hydraulic jack I have at home. No, I did not know the jack and lug wrench were missing. I'm not that crazy. Unfortunately I don't have two new tires sitting in a closet, so that's a purchase I hadn't counted on. Does it ever end?
Copyedits for Bachelor Cowboy (available in January 2010) arrived on Tuesday, so I made most of the changes needed yesterday and will finish today, then mail them off to my editor. I emailed her this morning to ask a question about one change needed, but totally forgot she's at RWA National Conference in Washington, DC. Obviously I'm not there this year. :( One more ditz moment.
32 days until school starts!! I'm giddy with anticipation. Okay, I'm giddy about a lot of things, but three less g-kids during the day will be heaven! Of course there's a new granddaughter who'll be coming along about the same time, so I shouldn't be feeling all that giddy. Does it ever end? LOL
With a book to finish (Morgan's Pride is the working title) and another to start (Nikki's Secret, working title), there's much to get done in the next few months. Both books are set in the same fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma, where The Rodeo Rider (available next month) and Bachelor Cowboy take place. I love Desperation! No, not the desperate kind, just the fictional town kind. ;) I hope there'll be more, and I hope readers love them as much as I love writing them. Check out my website for more information and excerpts.
Until later, have fun!
The week started with a front tire blowing out on the Interstate that runs through the city. I was able to hobble the car off the nearest ramp and pull into a parking lot behind a Dog & Shake drive-in. The trunk was full of boxes of things we picked up from storage over the weekend, so everything went in the back seat. I pulled out the spare and discovered there was no jack, but, hey, the tire was full-size and in super condition! What can I say? I know how to change a tire, but I'm not macho enough to lift up the car to do it.
Called the only one of my daughters available where she works, and she and her hubby came to rescue me. Things were going fairly well until the next discovery: Son-in-law's lug wrench didn't fit my lugs. We're 1 for 3, so we find an auto supply store and buy a nifty new lug wrench, which will stay in the car, along with a small hydraulic jack I have at home. No, I did not know the jack and lug wrench were missing. I'm not that crazy. Unfortunately I don't have two new tires sitting in a closet, so that's a purchase I hadn't counted on. Does it ever end?
Copyedits for Bachelor Cowboy (available in January 2010) arrived on Tuesday, so I made most of the changes needed yesterday and will finish today, then mail them off to my editor. I emailed her this morning to ask a question about one change needed, but totally forgot she's at RWA National Conference in Washington, DC. Obviously I'm not there this year. :( One more ditz moment.
32 days until school starts!! I'm giddy with anticipation. Okay, I'm giddy about a lot of things, but three less g-kids during the day will be heaven! Of course there's a new granddaughter who'll be coming along about the same time, so I shouldn't be feeling all that giddy. Does it ever end? LOL
With a book to finish (Morgan's Pride is the working title) and another to start (Nikki's Secret, working title), there's much to get done in the next few months. Both books are set in the same fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma, where The Rodeo Rider (available next month) and Bachelor Cowboy take place. I love Desperation! No, not the desperate kind, just the fictional town kind. ;) I hope there'll be more, and I hope readers love them as much as I love writing them. Check out my website for more information and excerpts.
Until later, have fun!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Flying Fingers
Oh, don't I wish?
Each month, my writers group offers a BIAW challenge. For those who aren't "in the know", BIAW means Book In A Week. No, we don't really strive to write a whole book in one 7 day period, but we do try to make headway--even if that headway is only a page or two a day.
Switch gears for a moment:
When I'm on a contracted deadline, I've found that cutting my goal down to bite-sized pieces is the only way to get it done. If I don't do that, just the thought of writing 160 pages in a couple of months can leave me wordless. Imagine that!
The first thing I do after I hear "we want to buy the book" is to sit down and map out a writing schedule. I have to take into account the time of year. While summer is great for some people, it isn't my time to get a lot of writing done. The g-kids are out of school. (Bless teachers and school!) When school is in session, there's the dropping off and picking up to contend with, but it's the same every day, five days a week, so that makes it easier. And there are other things that will always interrupt, but most things can be worked around and time can be made up somehow.
I'm one of those people who, even on a short trip, must have a map handy to see my progression down the roads. It's the same with writing. I have more charts than a cartographer has maps. My charts are my maps. I know when I've hit the 30% finished, when I'm over half-way, what days I wrote and how much, both page and word count. Much of that in duplicate, if not triplicate. There's a name for that. Anal (as in analytical). I'm not like that at all in my everyday life. Not even a smidgeon. But it works with writing, which is why I am more than 2 weeks and 2 chapters ahead of schedule, and unless something comes along to bring me to a screeching halt, I'll gain even more speed--and pages and words--now that I've passed the 60% mark. It's all downhill from here, and I can almost see the light in the tunnel. I'm just hoping, as my friend Kathie D would say, that light isn't a train.
So if I should disappear for a few days and not make it here to blog (and whine and laugh and complain), it's because I'm reaching for that brass ring, that moment I can lean back in my chair and say, FINIS!
Which brings me back to WARA's BIAW. In spite of a gazillion interruptions and moments of absolutely writer's block, and aware that anything can happen, I set my goal for 30 pages. As of this moment, I'm close with 27, and that will be reached if not surpassed later tonight.
Flying Fingers? No, just determination to get ahead of the game and stay there, one word at a time. This is really a no-fly zone.
Each month, my writers group offers a BIAW challenge. For those who aren't "in the know", BIAW means Book In A Week. No, we don't really strive to write a whole book in one 7 day period, but we do try to make headway--even if that headway is only a page or two a day.
Switch gears for a moment:
When I'm on a contracted deadline, I've found that cutting my goal down to bite-sized pieces is the only way to get it done. If I don't do that, just the thought of writing 160 pages in a couple of months can leave me wordless. Imagine that!
The first thing I do after I hear "we want to buy the book" is to sit down and map out a writing schedule. I have to take into account the time of year. While summer is great for some people, it isn't my time to get a lot of writing done. The g-kids are out of school. (Bless teachers and school!) When school is in session, there's the dropping off and picking up to contend with, but it's the same every day, five days a week, so that makes it easier. And there are other things that will always interrupt, but most things can be worked around and time can be made up somehow.
I'm one of those people who, even on a short trip, must have a map handy to see my progression down the roads. It's the same with writing. I have more charts than a cartographer has maps. My charts are my maps. I know when I've hit the 30% finished, when I'm over half-way, what days I wrote and how much, both page and word count. Much of that in duplicate, if not triplicate. There's a name for that. Anal (as in analytical). I'm not like that at all in my everyday life. Not even a smidgeon. But it works with writing, which is why I am more than 2 weeks and 2 chapters ahead of schedule, and unless something comes along to bring me to a screeching halt, I'll gain even more speed--and pages and words--now that I've passed the 60% mark. It's all downhill from here, and I can almost see the light in the tunnel. I'm just hoping, as my friend Kathie D would say, that light isn't a train.
So if I should disappear for a few days and not make it here to blog (and whine and laugh and complain), it's because I'm reaching for that brass ring, that moment I can lean back in my chair and say, FINIS!
Which brings me back to WARA's BIAW. In spite of a gazillion interruptions and moments of absolutely writer's block, and aware that anything can happen, I set my goal for 30 pages. As of this moment, I'm close with 27, and that will be reached if not surpassed later tonight.
Flying Fingers? No, just determination to get ahead of the game and stay there, one word at a time. This is really a no-fly zone.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Music for the Soul
I nearly always listen to music when I write. For one thing, if it’s snappy songs, the writing goes faster. But if I’m writing a deeply emotional scene, I’ll put on my “writing” music, songs I’ve collected over time that put me in the mood. Among the artists are James Taylor, Phil Collins, a little Chicago, several Barbra Streisand, and an occasional country song, among the 169 collected songs.
Music, like fragrance, can recall memories. (The smell of Chantilly perfume will always remind me of the Christmas dance my sophomore year.) Songs from the late 60’s are my favorite among the 642 songs in my player. Those songs dredge up memories of high school. I was lucky. I consider those the best days. Sad, huh? But it isn’t. They’re happy memories, for the most part.
The ringtone on my cellphone is Hello, I Love You by the Doors. One day my phone rang in a store, and a lady near me chuckled. Ha! She got it! Hey, I thought it was appropriate. Truthfully, my oldest daughter is a bigger Doors fan than I ever was and she wasn’t born or even thought of when it played the airwaves. But that particular song reminds me of summer days dragging Main with Sandy in her mom’s red Buick Opel. The one we could ride all afternoon in on 50 cents worth of gas. Of course that was in the days of 18 cent a gallon gas during gas wars and attendants who rolled their eyes at our wealth. That’s only one song. 99% of the time, I can peg the year a song was played by simply connecting it to a memory.
Kicks – Paul Revere and the Raiders 1966: The style show (home ec dept’s little “play”) spring 1967 and dancing to the song on stage as part of the storyline, then getting a pitcher of water dumped on my head…part of the storyline. Saw the band perform two or three times. I lost count. But I did sneak up the center aisle of the Cotillion ballroom with my trusty Swinger Poloraid, avoided getting caught, and snapped a picture. Totally against the rules.
These Eyes – The Guess Who 1969: When I got up the nerve to ask a guy to the prom. (He turned me down. Oh, the heartache!) And then I saw the band perform it live in 1970.
Can’t Help Falling – Elvis Presley: Don’t know when it came out, but a trio of girls sang it at our Jr/Sr prom when I was a junior, 1968. And wasn’t that an after-prom party to remember!
People Got to Be Free – The Rascals 1968: Again, dragging Main with Sandy. Yeah, we did that a LOT. It was a SMALL TOWN with little to do. When not dragging Main, we were sitting in the park, resting the engine. ;) And getting ready to drag Main again.
Okay, that’s enough. I could do this all day, and words are not getting on paper. Well, the right words and the right paper, that is. Music ready, blank page staring me in the face…let’s write!
Music, like fragrance, can recall memories. (The smell of Chantilly perfume will always remind me of the Christmas dance my sophomore year.) Songs from the late 60’s are my favorite among the 642 songs in my player. Those songs dredge up memories of high school. I was lucky. I consider those the best days. Sad, huh? But it isn’t. They’re happy memories, for the most part.
The ringtone on my cellphone is Hello, I Love You by the Doors. One day my phone rang in a store, and a lady near me chuckled. Ha! She got it! Hey, I thought it was appropriate. Truthfully, my oldest daughter is a bigger Doors fan than I ever was and she wasn’t born or even thought of when it played the airwaves. But that particular song reminds me of summer days dragging Main with Sandy in her mom’s red Buick Opel. The one we could ride all afternoon in on 50 cents worth of gas. Of course that was in the days of 18 cent a gallon gas during gas wars and attendants who rolled their eyes at our wealth. That’s only one song. 99% of the time, I can peg the year a song was played by simply connecting it to a memory.
Kicks – Paul Revere and the Raiders 1966: The style show (home ec dept’s little “play”) spring 1967 and dancing to the song on stage as part of the storyline, then getting a pitcher of water dumped on my head…part of the storyline. Saw the band perform two or three times. I lost count. But I did sneak up the center aisle of the Cotillion ballroom with my trusty Swinger Poloraid, avoided getting caught, and snapped a picture. Totally against the rules.
These Eyes – The Guess Who 1969: When I got up the nerve to ask a guy to the prom. (He turned me down. Oh, the heartache!) And then I saw the band perform it live in 1970.
Can’t Help Falling – Elvis Presley: Don’t know when it came out, but a trio of girls sang it at our Jr/Sr prom when I was a junior, 1968. And wasn’t that an after-prom party to remember!
People Got to Be Free – The Rascals 1968: Again, dragging Main with Sandy. Yeah, we did that a LOT. It was a SMALL TOWN with little to do. When not dragging Main, we were sitting in the park, resting the engine. ;) And getting ready to drag Main again.
Okay, that’s enough. I could do this all day, and words are not getting on paper. Well, the right words and the right paper, that is. Music ready, blank page staring me in the face…let’s write!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th of July!
Independence Day. Freedom. So that means I don't have to do any work, right?
Didn't think so. :(
I slept late (hallelujah!), and the house is quiet without the sound of children fighting (hallelujah!), so I'm feeling lazy. No plans for celebrating the holiday, which suits me fine. The best fireworks were already done at RiverFest in May, and the neighborhood is filled with snap, crackle, pop, which I could do without, easily, so it's not like I'll be missing anything.
There's plenty to do today: Get some pages written. The book is "officially" half written now, which means I'm a quarter of the way to my deadline. Huh? (whispers: Three chapters were already written for the proposal.) The living room, especially, is a disaster zone, so something needs to be done today or tomorrow. Or both, more likely. Some kind of nourishment is in order sometime today, but QuikTrip has hot dogs, so... Hey, let them do the cooking!
Sending wishes that everyone has a happy and glorious holiday, spent any way you want. I'll be...well, back at it, just as soon as I can put my feet on the floor and do it. Don't hold your breath.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Oh, Crap
What? Another five years has gone by and it's time for a class reunion? Well, yeah, and it's been ten years, because I wasn't in the mood nor did I have the time five years ago. I have even less time now, but people have been asking, so...
I'm Official Class Reunion Alumni Planner. OhCRAP Which is what I say every five years. How did that happen?!
Don't get me wrong. I truly enjoy spending an evening or even more with old (relative term) friends from high school. Once every five years is fine, although some friends I'd like to see more often. Oh, come on, nobody likes everybody with the same degree. The feet-dragging comes in when it comes to planning and contacting. Because we skipped a reunion (okay I skipped it), it's harder to find where some may have moved. Even with the information highway aka internet, some people just can't be found.
And it isn't like there were hundreds of us. There were like 54 graduates in our class. We do invite some who didn't graduate with us, so the total of invites is much nearer 60. That's 60 email addresses or mailing addresses to track down this year. We're close to having them all, but missing contact info drives me to the edge of insanity. Next comes sending out the infromation, frustrations and all, with hopes that no one will trash it, thinking it's more spam or junk mail. Then comes planning some sort of activity to get things rolling. However, with this group, things are always rolling. Still, some sort of entertainment comes in handy.
So I'm digging in. The first letter is written and will be sent out by the first of next week. (It should have gone out in March.) What I'm really, really hoping is that someone--anyone--will come up for a place where we can have this thing. Right now, I'm at a loss. So what's new?
Hear that sigh? Back to the goals.
I'm Official Class Reunion Alumni Planner. OhCRAP Which is what I say every five years. How did that happen?!
Don't get me wrong. I truly enjoy spending an evening or even more with old (relative term) friends from high school. Once every five years is fine, although some friends I'd like to see more often. Oh, come on, nobody likes everybody with the same degree. The feet-dragging comes in when it comes to planning and contacting. Because we skipped a reunion (okay I skipped it), it's harder to find where some may have moved. Even with the information highway aka internet, some people just can't be found.
And it isn't like there were hundreds of us. There were like 54 graduates in our class. We do invite some who didn't graduate with us, so the total of invites is much nearer 60. That's 60 email addresses or mailing addresses to track down this year. We're close to having them all, but missing contact info drives me to the edge of insanity. Next comes sending out the infromation, frustrations and all, with hopes that no one will trash it, thinking it's more spam or junk mail. Then comes planning some sort of activity to get things rolling. However, with this group, things are always rolling. Still, some sort of entertainment comes in handy.
So I'm digging in. The first letter is written and will be sent out by the first of next week. (It should have gone out in March.) What I'm really, really hoping is that someone--anyone--will come up for a place where we can have this thing. Right now, I'm at a loss. So what's new?
Hear that sigh? Back to the goals.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Goals? You Must Be Kidding!
No, no goals. No way, no how. I don't want to hear the word, at least for a couple of days. Which of course doesn't mean they aren't there, whispering in my ear. And some will get done, only because they must. But I'm not going to think about it.
I am SO looking forward to the weekend. The first person who comes along to mess it up is dead meat. Seriously. Plans? Absolutely NONE! Oh, wait, there is one. No family. As it is, my two youngest live with me, so that's more than enough. I'm NOT in the mood to add the other two daughters, their spouses and especially their kids. I am officially Nana'ed out.
More later...
I am SO looking forward to the weekend. The first person who comes along to mess it up is dead meat. Seriously. Plans? Absolutely NONE! Oh, wait, there is one. No family. As it is, my two youngest live with me, so that's more than enough. I'm NOT in the mood to add the other two daughters, their spouses and especially their kids. I am officially Nana'ed out.
More later...
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Proposal
To a writer, "The Proposal" sounds like it's something about writing. It isn't.
Chelsea, Mallory and I celebrated the end of 5 days and nights of baby-sitting 3 (and later 4) of my grandkids by going to see The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock (my fave) and Ryan Reynolds. It's been killer at the box office and only slipped to second this week to Transformers, but is still going strong.
As we entered the theater, a man exited and loud enough for us to hear said, "The Proposal. Don't see it. Crummy movie." I laughed. Apparently he had expected a more serious movie. I expected and received exactly what I'd hoped for and more--laughs.
Sandra Bullock plays Margaret Tate, editor extrordinaire and hated by all within the confines of Colden Publishing. She's tough as nails, runs roughshod over everyone, especially her assistant, Andrew Paxton, played by hunky Ryan Reynolds. After quickly firing a fellow editor for not doing what she was able to do, she learns from her big bosses that she's being deported. Her passport had expired when she attended a meeting in a foreign country, and she's a Canadian citizen working in the U.S. No more job.
Using her usual tell-em-what-do attitude, she devises a plan to marry Andrew and keep her job. Andrew isn't pleased, but goes along with what she thinks is a simple scheme by bartering for an editorship.
Cut to panoramic Alaska, where Margaret (no, not Maggie) and Andrew arrive to meet his family (Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen, parents) and attend "Gammie Annie's" 90th birthday celebration. Betty White does a great job as the wise-cracking grandmother, and the laughs flow like water throughout. We learn there's some tension between Andrew and his father, and there's Andrew's high school sweetheart to add to the mix.
There were only a handful of movie-goers at the 10 p.m. showing, but it was clear everyone enjoyed the movie. My only complaint with this and most romcom (romantic comedies) is that the romance develops suddenly. Hate, hate, despise, then boom! The Proposal did a little better with this than most others. Much better than How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
This movie is a must for my DVD shelf, added to my Sandra Bullock collection. BTW, for those who might be interested, it appears Sandra has been plumping her lips. ;)
If you're looking for a good romcom, this is it for the summer. And look for another from Sandra this fall, followed by a second movie in November. She's been busy!
As for the guy leaving the theater as we entered? Try Transformers.
Goals Met?
Well, sort of. 2 out of 4 isn't bad, right? It's like this:
I tackled #3 first. Hang the white boards, cork board squares and clipboards so they're readily available and easy to reach. Okay, all but the cork board squares, but the rest are up. In fact, about 1 a.m., there was a crash and clatter. Scared the begeezes out of me until I realized what had caused it. It was my daughter's cat. The one that thinks she's my cat. She's developed this irritating habit of jumping onto the left corner of my desk, getting a drink from Shrimp's fishbowl, charging across the desk to leave cat hair in Spock's fishbowl, bounce onto the scanner and up onto a tall chest of drawers, which she has claimed for sleeping. [Did you know cats sleep 18 hours a day?] Next life I'm coming back as a cat. The crash came from my calendar white board and one clipboard falling onto my scanner. All is well, except for those new grey hairs.
#1 on the list of goals for yesterday? 2 pages on current WIP. I wrote 5 to finish the second scene in chapter 5.
#2 goal on list: Clean off my desk was a washout. So was #4: sort laundry for later. Total zilch.
That was yesterday. Saturday.
Today I worked on a website due soon and enjoyed the quiet while everyone went swimming. Hey, it was cooler inside and I got a lot done, including bringing my blood pressure down to within normal. It hasn't been normal since Tuesday. Not that I've checked it, but with grandkids here 24/7, there's no doubt.
I also wrote the last scene for chapter five (6 pages). I am now a chapter ahead of schedule. [Yes, I make and follow a schedule. This is about goals, remember?] I've written 25% of the 9 chapters needed to finish the book. Deadline? September 15. That's like next week, right?
The desk can wait for tomorrow, as can sorting laundry. So here we go with the new list. [Believe me, there are many more things waiting on the list, but these are the must do's.]
I tackled #3 first. Hang the white boards, cork board squares and clipboards so they're readily available and easy to reach. Okay, all but the cork board squares, but the rest are up. In fact, about 1 a.m., there was a crash and clatter. Scared the begeezes out of me until I realized what had caused it. It was my daughter's cat. The one that thinks she's my cat. She's developed this irritating habit of jumping onto the left corner of my desk, getting a drink from Shrimp's fishbowl, charging across the desk to leave cat hair in Spock's fishbowl, bounce onto the scanner and up onto a tall chest of drawers, which she has claimed for sleeping. [Did you know cats sleep 18 hours a day?] Next life I'm coming back as a cat. The crash came from my calendar white board and one clipboard falling onto my scanner. All is well, except for those new grey hairs.
#1 on the list of goals for yesterday? 2 pages on current WIP. I wrote 5 to finish the second scene in chapter 5.
#2 goal on list: Clean off my desk was a washout. So was #4: sort laundry for later. Total zilch.
That was yesterday. Saturday.
Today I worked on a website due soon and enjoyed the quiet while everyone went swimming. Hey, it was cooler inside and I got a lot done, including bringing my blood pressure down to within normal. It hasn't been normal since Tuesday. Not that I've checked it, but with grandkids here 24/7, there's no doubt.
I also wrote the last scene for chapter five (6 pages). I am now a chapter ahead of schedule. [Yes, I make and follow a schedule. This is about goals, remember?] I've written 25% of the 9 chapters needed to finish the book. Deadline? September 15. That's like next week, right?
The desk can wait for tomorrow, as can sorting laundry. So here we go with the new list. [Believe me, there are many more things waiting on the list, but these are the must do's.]
- 3 pages on WIP [that's short for Work In Progress, btw]
- 2 more website samples
- Try not to completely lose my mind. Grandkids will return in...6 hours. Just enough time to get some sleep.
Hope everyone's weekend was productive...and fun!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Goals
Goals are something all writers must have. It requires working on them, deciding which are important, and actually putting them to work.
I'm a goal maker. Too bad I'm not the best at reaching them, but at least I try. Take this morning for example. When my head hit the pillow in the wee hours of this morning, the one thing on my mind was sleeping in. What the heck, it's Saturday.
I woke up at 8 a.m. Fool that I am, I didn't return to bed for a little more sleep. Nooooooo. I got up, sat at the computer and checked email. Five hours later, I'm still here. I played. Checked blogs, Facebook, and online news. Typical morning, but I got sucked in fast today.
It's nearly 1:30 in the afternoon, so it's time to set those goals!
::yawn::
First up: 2 pages on current WIP. I'm several days ahead, so it isn't absolutely necessary, but if I don't get some words on paper, I'll lose the momentum and find myself behind next week. And next week the goal will be 3 pages per day.
Second: Clean off my desk. Endless chore. I could surround myself with walls of shelves and still have piles on my desk. Call me a multi-tasker, but it has its drawbacks. Currently residing on my desk are:
I'm a goal maker. Too bad I'm not the best at reaching them, but at least I try. Take this morning for example. When my head hit the pillow in the wee hours of this morning, the one thing on my mind was sleeping in. What the heck, it's Saturday.
I woke up at 8 a.m. Fool that I am, I didn't return to bed for a little more sleep. Nooooooo. I got up, sat at the computer and checked email. Five hours later, I'm still here. I played. Checked blogs, Facebook, and online news. Typical morning, but I got sucked in fast today.
It's nearly 1:30 in the afternoon, so it's time to set those goals!
::yawn::
First up: 2 pages on current WIP. I'm several days ahead, so it isn't absolutely necessary, but if I don't get some words on paper, I'll lose the momentum and find myself behind next week. And next week the goal will be 3 pages per day.
Second: Clean off my desk. Endless chore. I could surround myself with walls of shelves and still have piles on my desk. Call me a multi-tasker, but it has its drawbacks. Currently residing on my desk are:
- Notes and charts on current WIP
- Notes I jotted while updating Heather Waters website late into the night. (Go Heather!)
- 2 fish bowls with fish
- Writing how-to books
- A big ceramic M&M candy jar. Empty. Must be refilled SOON
- A tin for bills to be paid. (Oops! missed that yesterday.)
- External harddrive
- small speakers, 'cause the ones on the monitor sound like tin cans
- a bottle of Pepsi, one of the basic food groups
- 2 leftover pill bottles from asthma ordeal
- misc. notepads and sticky notepads
- small Rolodex
- phone
- monitor
- assorted scraps of paper, pencils, pens, hair ties, cup with rings, 3 tall candles in glass pillers, hairbrush from my purse, video of kids' Tarzan movie (where did that come from?), bits for cordless screwdriver, inhalers, music CDs
'Nuff said? I thought so.
Third on the list: Hang the white boards, cork board squares and clipboards so they're readily available and easy to reach. (See? I'm thinking! A place for all those papers!)
Goal four: Take a nap. Okay, scratch that. I'll go to bed earlier tonight. (Yeah, right.) So let's add sort laundry for later. Which raises the question of whether the laundry will actually get done in this lifetime. Probably outcome? Uh, no.
And that's just one room!
Check back later...or tomorrow for an update...if I'm not sleeping in.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Cleaning
No, not CLEANNG cleaning. Not picking up the living room, washing the dishes, scrubbing the floors or mopping up messes with the latest in paper products. No, this is thinking cleaning, as in thinking about what to dump from my inbox.
Yes, I was mad/insane when I decided I should get news updates from the local newspaper, but once in a while, it's nice to know what's going on in the world out there. Not usually cheerful, but good to know, just the same. It's nice, too, when I get a notice from Wordpress telling me that someone has posted a comment on the blog I frequent. No, I won't give a name or directions. It's part of my private life. Not that I have anything to be ashamed of, but I don't often mention writing there, so I won't discuss the blog here. Fair enough? But I like knowing when there's a discussion going on that I'm interested in. Unfortunately, at some time during the day, all topics will be interesting to me, even if it isn't until 4 a.m. Don't ask.
Then there are the notices from Facebook that someone is posting, although not necessarily to me, but to...the world? I don't have all this figured out yet, but it's proving to be two things: The first being that it's a lot more fun than I'd expected. I dragged my feet about getting involved, dragged them even slower about requesting friends, and now can't seem to stop doing it all. The second is how much time it consumes. Okay, not hours or anything, and I've found it to be a great wake-up tool. Somebody during the night or before I drag myself from bed has said something that sets me off. I'll comment without much thought. And maybe that's the best thing. Nothing to filter my brain spasm of words. Sometimes I read the notice in email and don't respond, sometimes I wait, and sometimes the perfect comment springs to my fingertips and must be conveyed immediately.
Now I sit and look at the number of emails in my inbox, currently at 609. No, make that 610. Another FB notice just came in. I can get that number down, but it's such a hassle and time consuming, too, to go through it all and try to decide whether it's something that should be kept (some are) or should be tossed (many are). Invariably there will be one or two that fail my decision making process, whatever that is. Gut feeling works best. Hey, if the former Prez can make major decisions (like war) by following his gut, who's to deny me the same when it comes to trashing email?
So before I bury myself in Windows Mail, pitching and throwing the riff-raff from my inbox and after I've finished 4 1/2 page of writing this afternoon (YAY ME), I'll wish for a nap (not likely) with the assurance that I have only so much time in which to get it all done. Mom dutes will be calling in an hour.
Stay tuned for more rambling... It's sure to come, like it or not.
Yes, I was mad/insane when I decided I should get news updates from the local newspaper, but once in a while, it's nice to know what's going on in the world out there. Not usually cheerful, but good to know, just the same. It's nice, too, when I get a notice from Wordpress telling me that someone has posted a comment on the blog I frequent. No, I won't give a name or directions. It's part of my private life. Not that I have anything to be ashamed of, but I don't often mention writing there, so I won't discuss the blog here. Fair enough? But I like knowing when there's a discussion going on that I'm interested in. Unfortunately, at some time during the day, all topics will be interesting to me, even if it isn't until 4 a.m. Don't ask.
Then there are the notices from Facebook that someone is posting, although not necessarily to me, but to...the world? I don't have all this figured out yet, but it's proving to be two things: The first being that it's a lot more fun than I'd expected. I dragged my feet about getting involved, dragged them even slower about requesting friends, and now can't seem to stop doing it all. The second is how much time it consumes. Okay, not hours or anything, and I've found it to be a great wake-up tool. Somebody during the night or before I drag myself from bed has said something that sets me off. I'll comment without much thought. And maybe that's the best thing. Nothing to filter my brain spasm of words. Sometimes I read the notice in email and don't respond, sometimes I wait, and sometimes the perfect comment springs to my fingertips and must be conveyed immediately.
Now I sit and look at the number of emails in my inbox, currently at 609. No, make that 610. Another FB notice just came in. I can get that number down, but it's such a hassle and time consuming, too, to go through it all and try to decide whether it's something that should be kept (some are) or should be tossed (many are). Invariably there will be one or two that fail my decision making process, whatever that is. Gut feeling works best. Hey, if the former Prez can make major decisions (like war) by following his gut, who's to deny me the same when it comes to trashing email?
So before I bury myself in Windows Mail, pitching and throwing the riff-raff from my inbox and after I've finished 4 1/2 page of writing this afternoon (YAY ME), I'll wish for a nap (not likely) with the assurance that I have only so much time in which to get it all done. Mom dutes will be calling in an hour.
Stay tuned for more rambling... It's sure to come, like it or not.
Fun, Fun, Fun
Yeah, an old Beach Boys song title for a first post. Good song! Great group!
But FUN is what I'm planning to have. Life is taken too seriously. I'm bored, bored, bored with the way days go on here, with no chance for fun. What to do? Make it!
This is not a spot to whine, but truth will be told. Not to the point of being bad, but for anyone who thinks life on the published side of the fence is better, there'll be some straight talk. And there'll be laughs. Oh, lots of laughs! I'm hoping visitors, friends, or just the curious will find a laugh or two, too.
And just so everyone knows, "mad" does not mean "angry". It used to, but now it simply means "insane", because sometimes that's what life is.
Pull up a chair, escape the summer sun, and grab your favorite cold drink, and let's do it!
Oh, and by the way, PINK is not my favorite color. Maybe someday something different? Using a template for now was easiest. Who has time to spend hours on a new creation?
But FUN is what I'm planning to have. Life is taken too seriously. I'm bored, bored, bored with the way days go on here, with no chance for fun. What to do? Make it!
This is not a spot to whine, but truth will be told. Not to the point of being bad, but for anyone who thinks life on the published side of the fence is better, there'll be some straight talk. And there'll be laughs. Oh, lots of laughs! I'm hoping visitors, friends, or just the curious will find a laugh or two, too.
And just so everyone knows, "mad" does not mean "angry". It used to, but now it simply means "insane", because sometimes that's what life is.
Pull up a chair, escape the summer sun, and grab your favorite cold drink, and let's do it!
Oh, and by the way, PINK is not my favorite color. Maybe someday something different? Using a template for now was easiest. Who has time to spend hours on a new creation?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Summertime and the Livin' is...HOT
The official start of summer was yesterday, celebrated by many as Summer Solstice. While we've been dealing with a lot of rain lately in these parts, the forecast shows nothing but 98 and 99 degree days. They don't like to say 100 unless they're sure of it. Guess what? I'm sure of it! Add some sticky humidity and the heat index soars, making moving around at all impossible.
So I'm staying inside today, expect for those brief interruptions when the grandkids escape down the street to play in a small pool at a neighbor's...without supervision. Nana's BP is starting to soar with the heat index. Naps sound good to me. Wish I could take one!
What's on the agenda? Fininishing up one website and putting some final touches on samples for another. After that, I'll be digging into a couple of much-loved characters who never got the story they deserved.
Have a wonderful second day of summer and hope your weather is great.
So I'm staying inside today, expect for those brief interruptions when the grandkids escape down the street to play in a small pool at a neighbor's...without supervision. Nana's BP is starting to soar with the heat index. Naps sound good to me. Wish I could take one!
What's on the agenda? Fininishing up one website and putting some final touches on samples for another. After that, I'll be digging into a couple of much-loved characters who never got the story they deserved.
Have a wonderful second day of summer and hope your weather is great.
Take advantage of the new moon today and start something new!
Friday, June 19, 2009
So Much To Do, So Little Time
I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted, but it has. I really have been busy since then and keep getting myself into new projects faster than I can say NO.
Since the last time, school has let out for the summer, meaning all 4 grandkids are here ALL DAY. That in itself takes up a lot of time, although they aren't always bad and the 2 youngest manage to take a nap at some point during the day, giving us all a little quiet time. But it seems it's never enough to get it all done.
My son-in-law is home from his 4-month long deployment in the Middle East. It's always good to have him back. Nice to have a man's POV on things. Okay, even when I don't agree. ;) I know he's glad to be home, too, and has already done some fishing, along with mowing the lawn. Not his favorite chore, by the way.
I'm finally almost back to normal after a three-week bout with asthma, but I'm not ready to run a marathon yet. Not that I ever planned to. A nice walk would be nice, but, again, when is there time? I do promise to never mow again! Not being able to breathe is NOT fun, and all for a yard where small children don't become lost.
So what else has been keeping me busy? I've added an excerpt from The Rodeo Rider to my website, along with the fantastic back cover blurb! It truly tells the essence of the story, and I love it! My author copies have arrived, so I'm trying to decide whether to throw a contest here on the website for some books and maybe some extras. That may depend on time, too.
If you've ever had the slightest desire to try your hand at writing, my local writers' group has a terrific blog dedicated to how to write a romance novel. Stop in and visit us at Bits & Bytes: Romance...the Writer's Way. We're all having a blast talking shop and love to share!
This past week I've been at eHarlequin.com, leading a discussion in the Conflict Crisis Center on the Write Stuff board on, you guessed it, Conflict. My week of kicking off the new board is officially over today, but don't be shy about stopping in to say hello! I plan to hang around for as long as I can, hoping to pick up ideas from other authors. We're all always learning.
I'm including a special invitation to visit my little spot on Facebook. I dragged my feet as long as I could about joiing and finally capitulated, adding my name and several friends, including writing friends, high school friends, newer friends, and even a few cousins! If only I had that little extra time to play with the applications and quizzes. Maybe later this summer? Who knows what I might discover!
And last, but not least, we have a puppy. Her name is Willow, and she is very sweet. A little too friendly for the grandkids yet, but she's calming down a little more every day and loves to spend all day outside. As long as she doesn't kick up my asthma, we'll keep her. ;) Isn't she a cutie?
So I hope to see you soon and "be your friend" on Facebook. I'll drop in here again as time allows...if it does. Until then, have a wonderful summer!
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Rodeo Rider
I've been remiss in posting the cover for my August 2009 Harlequin American, but life has kept me busy. If you like cowboys, especially cowboys in chaps, you'll love this cover!
I have a hankering for a new website, so the look of this place may change in the next couple of months. Just as soon as I can find something I really like. Until then, I'll post more here on The Rodeo Rider in the future.
I have a hankering for a new website, so the look of this place may change in the next couple of months. Just as soon as I can find something I really like. Until then, I'll post more here on The Rodeo Rider in the future.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Color Me Surprised
Good news is always welcome, especially when things aren't going well. That's what happened today. While picking up by grandson from pre-K this afternoon, after fighting him o
nly hours before about going to school, I received a phone call that turned my day around and brought out the sunshine. The short contemporary category coordinator for the National Readers Choice Award contest called me to let me know that my first Harlequin American, FAMILY BY DESIGN, is a finalist in the contest. NRCA is judged by readers across the United States, so being chosen a finalist is, to me, a very prestig
ious honor. This is my second time as a finalist in this contest. The first time was with my debut Silhouette Romance, RACHEL'S RESCUER, in 2001. I wasn't at all disappointed not to win, because just being among some of the best in the business was a thrill.
nly hours before about going to school, I received a phone call that turned my day around and brought out the sunshine. The short contemporary category coordinator for the National Readers Choice Award contest called me to let me know that my first Harlequin American, FAMILY BY DESIGN, is a finalist in the contest. NRCA is judged by readers across the United States, so being chosen a finalist is, to me, a very prestig
ious honor. This is my second time as a finalist in this contest. The first time was with my debut Silhouette Romance, RACHEL'S RESCUER, in 2001. I wasn't at all disappointed not to win, because just being among some of the best in the business was a thrill.Sadly, I won't be attending RWA's National Conference in Washington, D.C. where the winners of the NRCA will be announced in July. But just knowing one of my books is again among books by some of the finest authors in the romance industry puts a big smile on my face.
Thank you, readers! And thank you, OKRWA!
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