Ah, Saturdays

It's a cold rainy day, with the temp hovering right at freezing. I'm glad to be inside and know that by tomorrow, it'll be back up to near spring weather...hopefully without the rain. Okay, we need the rain. It's been a dry winter, except for those crazy snowstorms that dumped on us and shut down school for more days than I can remember.

I love Saturdays, rain or shine. There are no screams of small children trying to murder each other, no lemon juice poured in my cable box (as happened this week), and I can usually do pretty much whatever I want to do. My oldest granddaughter is here on weekends, while her mom is at work and has two weekdays off. It's like the Rolling Stones said in their song. You can't always get what you want. But this particular g-kid is the more quiet one. Being an only child as I was, she manages to keep herself busy watching TV, playing with the cats--or trying to--or getting on the computer to play games. It's not a problem.

So what do I have on my to-do list today? Tons of things, but only a few will get my attention. There's a website client who needs some updates done, a book proposal that needs more work, dishes to wash, house to clean, and other jobs clamoring for attention. A typical Saturday. Hope you enjoy yours!

Hump Day

Yes, it is! I look forward to it every week, believe me!

But this isn't going to be about the fact that it's Wednesday or what it means to me or anyone else. It's just going to be a mishmash. Why? Since Jan. 31, when I received revision notes from my editor, I've been on a deadline to get them done...by Feb. 21, two days ago. They're done, and I've had a little rest. The pressure is off--well, most of it. Fingers are crossed that the changes made to BACHELOR DAD (September 2011, Harlequin American) are what was needed.

And then there's the Oscars or Academy Awards, whichever you prefer, coming up on Sunday night. I'll admit that I haven't seen any of the nominated movies. I'm not much of a moviegoer. I did go to the movie theater three times last year, and all were Sandra Bullock movies. And Mallory (the youngest) and I had kind of planned to go see the most recent Harry Potter this year. (Sorry, I haven't read all the books and don't remember the titles, much less in what order.) But because the last time we forked over the money for HP, we had to deal with kids kicking the back of our seat and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Mallory decided to opt out and buy it when it comes out on DVD. Since we do that anyway, I figure we just saved money and nearly three hours of stress. So no movies this time, and there was really only one that looked even promising to me. I will watch the Oscars Sunday night, if only to see who presents, what the women are wearing on the red carpet, and that all important moment when they show who is no longer with us.

And that's the last three weeks in a nutshell. :)

Twins, Clones, or Are We All Going Mad?

It was bound to happen. There are two Diary of a Mad Romance Writer blogs. There's this .blogspot one...

and there's a .wordpress one that belongs to Harlequin Superromance author Kara Lennox.

Weird, huh? Two Harlequin authors, two blogs with the same name.

It was a fluke that I discovered this. At first I was speechless. TWO of us? How could that be? I considered dropping my blog's name and going with something else...again...but since that can be a real royal pain, I've been dragging my feet on doing it. But now the whole idea of two of us has grown on me and makes me chuckle when I think of it. I hope Kara has a good laugh, too, when she discovers we're both mad!

If you have some time, click on over to Kara's blog. Lots of fun stuff to read there. I love that she and her hubby are remodeling a Victorian house!

Snow and Ice and Blizzards, Oh My!

If you live in the 2/3 of the U.S. that isn't experiencing the enormous winter storm that's creating havoc in the other 1/3, count yourself lucky. After reading comments on Facebook by those getting hit the hardest, I've decided not to whine.

It's strange that less than 10 days ago, my daughters and I were talking about the time we and several of our neighbors were caught in a blizzard 2 miles from home. Home at that time was a farm, where the nearest neighbor was 1/4 mile away.

The snow had begun while I was still at work, and for once the company owner gave permission for those of us worried about getting home safely the choice to leave. I left, drove the 10 miles to pick up my three girls--ranging in age from 3 to 7--from the baby-sitter, then started for home. We were halfway there when the station wagon I was driving decided to do a complete 360 in the middle of the road. Shaken, I made it slowly to a small gas 'n go, where we met up with my husband. We followed him the 2 miles north to our road, then turned west, but hadn't gone half a mile when we learned that the snowplow was stuck on the road...and blocking it. We and 6 of our neighbors who used that road to get home were stranded. The closest house was over half a mile away, and it was blizzarding. Not ideal conditions for small children who weren't dressed for walking around in that kind of weather. But then neither were most of the adults!

A neighbor who lived farther away heard about the trouble and drove his 4-wheel drive tractor to our line of stranded cars. A few at a time, he took us to the nearest house, where those neighbors had made coffee, hot cocoa, and sandwiches. By now we'd been stranded for over 4 hours. My brother-in-law showed up sometime later in a second 4wd tractor and took us home. Believe me, 2 adults and 3 kids in a tractor cab is a crunch! He drove across snow-buried wheat fields that were like washboards, causing us to hit our heads on the top of the cab several times during the 2 mile journey. Finally coming to a stop across the road from our house, he let us out. We tromped through a deep ditch full of snow that wasn't recognizable as ditch, crossed the road, then another ditch, and were finally home. By the time we were inside the house, it was after 10 p.m. Our 6+ hour adventure was finally over!

Times like these don't happen very often in our part of the state, so we're usually caught off guard when they do. I won't lie and say we had a fun time during that long ago blizzard, but we certainly did have an adventure we'd always remember.

Kindle and Me pt. 3

My Kindle is currently resting while I read my new paperback copy of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Fancy Pants. Her latest, Call Me Irresistable, waits on my Kindle to be read. Why? It's complicated.

I haven't even come close to reading all the thirty-some books I've downloaded, and I'm itching to buy more. Such as?

1. The next two books in Amanda Hocking's Tryle Trilogy.
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3. Room by Emma Donahue
4. After by Amy Efaw
5. Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Those last two are YA books. Since discovering and reading Sarah Dessen's YA's, I'm drawn to them again. When I first started writing (as an adult), they were the kind I read and wanted to write. Instead, I ended up in romance, because I love the HEAs!! Still, I enjoy reading in other genres and discovered some fantastic YA and Middle Reader books available that by far surpass anything related to Twilight or The Clique series. Someday I'll compile a list of my favorite books and authors. Someday.

But no reading today, even though it's snowing outside, the temp is currently 5 degrees, and the windchill is all the way up to -17. Instead, as soon as I hit PUBLISH, I'll be making lunch for the four grandkids who are here for the day, because school is closed, thanks to that lovely windchill.

If you're in the area being hit by this huge winter storm, make use of it. Curl up with your favorite blanket, a hot drink, and a great story, whether in hardcover, paperback, ebook, or audio, and enjoy!

Kindle and Me pt. 2

I've been reading more. That's what getting my Kindle has done for me. Will it last? Well, if the list of books I want to get is any indication, and if I actually read the majority of them, I'd say yes. Time will tell.

So what books have I downloaded? I started with the free classics before Christmas, meaning pre-gift cards, which included all of Jane Austen's books and many of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Greene Gable books. I love the free books and the discounted ones, too. Romance novels number high in the freebies, so that's not a disappointment. I'm trying not to overwhelm myself, so in the past month or so, I've downloaded 21 books.

Which books have I read?

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen It was wonderful to read it again. I haven't read it since high school, which is amazing, because I didn't know P&P was written in the Stone Age. :) It took me a while to adjust to the language, since I haven't read any of the English classics lately, but it was well worth it.

2. Switched (Book 1, Trylle Trilogy) by YA author Amanda Hocking I've never read any of this author's books, but I liked this one, in spite of some negative reviews. Another I downloaded by a different author was one I should've tried a sample of first or at least read the reviews, because I was sadly disappointed and didn't get much farther than the first chapter. I won't give the title or author, but I will say that it's probably worth getting the opinion of someone you know or to download a sample of a new-to-you author's work before buying. Switch is a paranormal, so I was susprised I liked it so much.

3. The Year She Fell by Alicia Rasley I've not only known who Alicia is for many years, but have had the pleasure of meeting and spending some time with her. Alicia knows writing, and her website, The Writer's Corner, is one of my favorites for writing advice and help. The Year She Fell was a fabulous book, full of twists and turns. At one point, I thought I had it figured out, only to discover I was only close. It's definitely worth another read in the future.

4. Sweetie by Kathryn Magendie I didn't have a clue what this book might be like, but once into it, I enjoyed it. Set in the mountains of North Carolina, a young girl meets a mountain girl, who teaches her about a different way of life. Descriptions in this book are wonderful. The story is a slow, winding journey through one summer of the lives of Melissa (Lissa) and Sweetie, and well written enough to bring tears to my eyes several times.

Considering I was still on deadline for part of that reading time and that I've started on the proposal for a new book, not to mention those g-kids who require attention throughout the day, I'm thinking four books in just over a month isn't bad, although in the olden days (Stone Age), I might've read those four in a week.

There are stil more to read! Susan Wiggs, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Deborah Smith, and more. Check back again and see what else is on my TBR epile!

Kindle and Me

Yes, I admit it. I finally succumbed to the digital age. To be honest, I surprised myself. Me? read electronic books? I love books. Real books. I like to see them lined up on my bookshelves; I like to hold them in my hands. I've loved books since I was old enough to open them and discover the magic inside. Better than a wrapped present, a book has always had the power to take me to another world somewhere outside of myself--or somewhere deep inside myself. So why did I think a digital copy of a book wouldn't do the same thing?

Books are my friends. I can't even name a favorite. There are way too many to choose from. I tried to pass that love and friendship on to my daughters, and I think I succeeded. They're all readers. I also try to instill the same in my grandkids. It's a little harder. After discovering not long ago that my hardcover copy of Stephen King's uncut version of The Stand had pages torn and scribbled on, we had a little talk. They're getting better, not only with the care of my books, but with reading. Books for the two older girls make great Christmas presents, and even Gavin, in first grade, has discovered the magic between the covers and is already a good reader.

Going digital began with toe-in-the-water sampling, first downloading some of Harlequin's free books to my netbook, then adding both the B&N and Amazon apps to the same, along with several free books, mostly classics. And then I kept seeing the Kindle ads when I stopped in at Amazon to check out DVDs. Or Mp3 downloads. Or to get the latest number on my book sales. Of course I didn't want one of those ereaders! I read BOOKS.

But my bookshelves are overflowing and there are even more books in storage, waiting to be added. I've been purging as much as possible, but the shelves are still maxed out. No, there's no more room for bookshelves. Between my youngest and I, we have six. So I began considering the slim possibility of getting an ereader, but my head, not my heart was all that was in it.

It was author Leigh Riker who finally pushed me over the fence. In an email, she mentioned one of the perks she'd discovered with her Kindle. She could use her treadmill and read at the same time, something that was more difficult when using a real book. And she loved it! What's this? A two-for one?

I decided to take the plunge, saved up my pennies, and gifted myself with a Kindle just before Christmas. Because I'd announced to my family that I'd made the decision to go digital, they took the hint and gave me Amazon and Kindle cards as Christmas gifts. I've spent one and have plans for the other. So what books did I get?

I'll tell you all about it in the next installment of Kindle and Me. ☺