A Few Thoughts...

A Long Few Days

2012-01-24T09:10:00.003-05:00

That's what we've had in my house over the last week. A looooong few days.

My mom used to live with us. Now she is in an assisted living facility, in her own little apartment. My brother and I usually go up to see her once a week or so, schedule permitting. And since my other half is currently working second shift, that means that if I go up to see Mom, the kidlets have to go with me.

So Tuesday, we're up there. Along with my brother. Unbeknownst to us, there was a stomach virus going around the place. You know where this is going, right?

Not twenty-four hours later, we are all sick as anything. Now my brother lucks out - it's just him. But in my house? No such luck. The Boy fell victim first. Every 15-30 minutes, poor kid. Then the Girl. Then...

it got me

Awful.

Whatever this bug was, it kicked the crap out of my son. He couldn't keep anything down for three days and all he did (when he wasn't throwing up) was sleep. The Girl and I fared better, but still... it knocked me for a loop.

But we're all on the mend now - thank God. It's no fun being sick like that. Give me a good head cold over a stomach flu any day of the week. I can deal with stuffy and sniffling and coughing and all that. Stomach flu sucks. Just. Sucks.

VOTE NO ON SOPA & PIPA

2012-01-18T11:29:00.006-05:00

The single most important amendment to the US Constitution is the first one, which protects freedom of speech. That amendment is being threatened by the introduction of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Congress is set to vote on these bills on January 24th, and if they pass, websites all around the world will go dark. They will be censored. They will be silent.

You can read more about SOPA and PIPA here. You can help keep this from happening by contacting YOUR representatives to tell them how terrible passage of these two bills would be.

Many websites have gone dark today in protest of these bills. Google, Wikipedia, and Wordpress are several. There are online petitions you can sign.

So if you value the freedom of speech and despise even the idea of censorship, let your representative know it. Tell them to VOTE NO on SOPA/PIPA.

Holy Carp, Batman!!

2012-01-14T12:50:00.003-05:00

Has it really been a month since my last post???

Really?!?!?

Really?!?!?1111??

Well, that's certainly not good, is it?

To begin, happy 2012 everyone! Judging by what I've seen around teh interwebz, few are sorry to see the end of 2011. I'm one of them. What a sucky year (personally, that is. Professionally, it was pretty good, actually.)

But even with the professional goods, I'm glad to see the new year finally roll around. How's everyone doing with their resolutions? Do you even bother to make resolutions. I do, but I know I'll only keep about 1/3rd of them. Oh well. One-third's better than nothing, right?

So, my 2011 ended with some good news - Tiger Eyes was nominated by The Romance Studio for their 2011 CAPA Award in Best Historical Romance category. Yay! Keep your fingers crossed on that. This is the first book I've ever had nominated for anything, so even if it doesn't win, I'm still happy about that. :D

The good news aside, this last month has been a hectic one - what with the holidays and all, but I'm also happy to say I've rediscovered how much I love to read, thanks to my Kindle. I've been blazing through Sabrina Jeffries Hellions of Halstead Hall series over the last two weeks. In the six weeks since getting my Kindle, I've read something in the neighborhood of fifteen books. Yay reading! And earlier this week, I got myself a Kindle Fire as well, which I'm slowly falling in love with. I don't think I'll like reading books on it, but I do like reading magazines, checking my email, and playing Angry Birds, so it all evens out in the end.

I've also been working on revisions on several WIP that I hope to have out in the next month or two. So hopefully 2012 will turn out to be as professionally good as 2011 was. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

The Holidays

2011-12-15T18:42:00.002-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Although I have to wonder, whenever I hear that song, who tells scary ghost stories at Christmas?

Nonsensical Christmas lyrics asides, I love this time of the year. From Halloween to New Year's Day is my favoritest time. I love the holidays, I love the music, I love the decorations. In some ways, I even love the craziness that accompanies this time of the year.

Normally, I wait until the first week of December to decorate, but for some reason, this year was different. It seemed as if people didn't even want to wait for Thanksgiving before putting up their Christmas decorations. I don't know if it was people taking advantage of the warm weather (it was sixty degrees today, and it's been more warm than cold since summer.) I tried to resist, but it was futile. The day after Thanksgiving, I dug out the Christmas decorations. My husband held out on the lights (put them up last week) but the rest of the house was already finished.

The one part I don't like is baking. I love to cook, but I'm not a big baker. I try. Really, I do. But I end up getting all snarly and cranky and don't even think about poking your head into my kitchen. I'm liable to rip it off in a fit of rage. At least, until the last batch of cookies comes out of the oven. Then, all is right in the world. My cookies will look like mutant relatives of what they're actually supposed to be (my candy canes never hook right, they unroll, and I always have too much of one color. :D My cutouts are missing body parts because I tend to roll the dough too thin and it breaks. You get the point. :D)

And then there's shopping. Ugh. That about sums up my enthusiasm for shopping. On a good day, I run into the mall, get what I need, and get out. If everything's going my way, I can be there and back home in under half an hour. But at this time of the year? Ugh. Fortunately, I can go during the day - back before I had the kidlets, when I worked, I suffered with the mega-crowds and managed to make it to New Year's without killing anyone. At least now, the chances of committing homicide are greatly reduced. And since I don't leave my house on Black Friday, even more people are safe. :D

But all in all, I do love this time of the year and I do miss it when the holidays end. And I always wonder just where the year went, because every year seems to go by a little faster.

Hopefully, I'll be able to work in one or two more posts before the end of the year. But just in case I don't (and judging by my posting history the last year or so, it's entirely possible I won't) Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and enjoy the rest of the season!

Do You See What I See?

2011-12-05T12:32:00.003-05:00

Everyone in my family wears glasses. But I'm the only one who's far-sighted. That means, I can read a street sign from 5 miles away, but I can't really see things that are right under my nose. Well, I can but not very well.

That said, I'm notoriously terrible about seeing my optometrist, though. You'd think I'd be more on top of that (especially since I've gone to the same guy since I was 12.) You'd think it, but you'd be wrong.

I was good about it as a child (of course, that was probably because I had no say in it) but as an adult? Not so much. True, I do have a reason, but unfortunately, it's not a good reason. I generally avoid going because I don't like having my eyes dilated. It's tiring. It gives me a headache. Not to mention, I spend the rest of the day looking like something out of a Pokemon cartoon. Japanimation really doesn't suit me.

So, the only time I go is when I absolutely have to. I will confess, I did cheat on my optometrist once and went to one of those 1-hour places in the mall. I could sweet-talk them out of having my peepers dilated (score one for me!) and got a much-needed new pair of glasses.

Life was good.

Until last Wednesday.

Normally, I keep my glasses on my nightstand or on my desk. But not last Wednesday. I'd been sitting at the kitchen table, reading my Kindle (have I mentioned how much I love my Kindle? No? Well, I do) while my son played on the computer. At dinner time, I moved everything off the kitchen table and for some reason, instead of putting my glasses on the counter (or better, upstairs) where they'd be safe, I put them on the desk. Right where the corkboard hangs. On that corkboard is our calendar. And yes, that is an important detail.

My son likes to change the calendar (you do see where this is going, right?) So when he asked to flip the page, I said sure. Never stopped to think that my glasses were there (because they NEVER are.)

Next thing I know, he's apologizing like a madman. And my glasses are now sans one lens.

You know that scene in A Christmas Story, where Ralphie takes his Red Ryder bb gun out and shoots his eye out? How he thinks, Maybe I can fake it? and wear his glasses with only one lens?

Stupid as it sounds, that's what I thought. Although really, who was I faking out? They are my glasses and I'm the one who has to replace them. Like I'm gonna fool myself?

I tried to put the lens back, but the frames are the ones where the lens are held in by fishing line (or whatever it is) and no matter how you line up the line with the groove in the lens, a mere mortal can not put that lens back in place. Can't be done.

And of course, I don't have a spare pair.

And did I mention this happened after my optometrist's office had closed for the day?

That's what I get for cheating on my eye doctor.

Karma.

It's a bitch.

So I called my eye doctor and made an appointment. And then I casually mentioned my lens-less frames and did they think they could fix them?

Sure. Just pop in. We can probably fix them for you.

I ran down there Thursday morning, the tech fixed my specs and lo and behold! I could see! And yes, I kept my appointment on Friday. Spent all afternoon Friday looking like a Precious Moments figurine. And my shiny new glasses (because who doesn't like getting new glasses???) should be ready tomorrow.

And I learned my lesson. I will not cheat on my eye doctor again. :D

A New Toy!

2011-11-27T10:52:00.002-05:00

Ah... when it comes to technology, I'm usually about five years behind the rest of the world. By the time I got around to getting a cell phone, they did a LOT more than just make telephone calls (you mean, I can take pictures??? What's this internet thing I keep hearing so much about?) I finally got around to getting an iPod just this past summer (okay, I did have a Shuffle, but did you know they make one that holds every song ever recorded???? See? That's what I mean.)

I've been writing for epublishers for almost 4 years now. I did have MSReader on my very first laptop, but even then, I only had five or six ebooks on it. I spend so much time on the computer that the last thing I want to do is read for leisure on one as well. Can we say eyestrain?

So while I write for epubs, my heart was firmly in the paperback book corner. I love books. Always have, always will. I love bookstores - the smell of ink and paper and coffee... Love. It. Blindfold me and take me into any store, and I will know when I've set foot inside a Barnes and Noble, just like I'd know if I stepped into my mother's house.

It wasn't that I disliked ebooks, but reading something from a screen? No. Thanks.

But then last year, we got my mom a Kindle for Christmas. We bought one for my father in law as well. And for the first time, I saw what a book on a Kindle screen looks like. It's not like reading from a computer at all. Hmmm...

I wanted.

But I'm cheap... er, that is frugal . So I waited, figuring prices would come down eventually. I was already behind the times (my brother was amazed - no aghast - when he and I were talking about Kindles and I confessed I didn't have one.) And finally, I caved and ordered a basic Kindle (the one with the free offers, because I heard so many people talk about how awesome some of those offers were. Besides, who cares what the screen saver looks like? Special offers. Dead authors. What's the diff???)

It came yesterday and within five minutes of opening it, I had it up and running, and bought three books. I don't think I've bought three books in the last year, which is really sad, considering how much I used to love to read. I used to read 1-2 books a week. This summer, I read one book. One. Book.

And that is going to change now. I think I'm in love with this Kindle. It's awesome. Absolutely awesome. It's not like reading on a computer at all, so there's very little eyestrain, and it's the perfect size. The main deciding factor in finally breaking down and buying a Kindle was when I spent three hours at the car dealership a few weeks ago. I finished my book about halfway into my car's service and had nothing else to read. Ended up restarting the book I'd just finished. And although it was a good book (Stacia Kane's City of Ghosts if you're interested) I really didn't want to reread it right away.

The only drawback is my wallet is going to suffer for this. :D Oh, and I could use any recommendations. In any genre. So, if you have any suggestions, let me have 'em!

I'll be curled up on the sofa, Kindle in hand. :D

NaNoWriMo

2011-11-18T20:02:00.003-05:00

Ah... every November, NaNo fever strikes.

If you don't know, NaNo is short for NaNoWriMo, which is short for National Novel Writing Month. It takes place every November, and it's a contest with the goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days. It's basically a challenge to write a category-length novel under pressure of a looming deadline. The prize? Bragging rights to anyone who will listen that you wrote a novel in 30 days or less. It's fun, it's crazy, and I look forward to it every year.

I think editors probably dread this time of year, however, because I wouldn't be surprised if they are inundated with NaNo novels (er, kind of redundant, I guess, but you know what I mean) every December, of which only a very small percentage would be even close to publishable. Some people can write fast and churn out good material, but I think it's safe to say that that is the exception rather than the rule.

I've been fortunate. Tiger Eyes began life as a NaNo draft. So did Devil in Disguise. And Stolen Promise. And this year's NaNo? It's a follow up to Stolen Promise and I think it will be quite good when it's polished (I'm working through first revisions now. This one won't be ready for quite a while, though.)

This year, I did it in 13 days, my average was 3500 words/day. I don't know for certain, but I think that's my personal best. I just got into the zone and the story told itself, which was nice. Other years, I've struggled but this year? Smooth sailing. It is just a rough draft, but I think it's a solid draft.

I love doing NaNo. Even when it's a struggle to get those 1667 words (the average needed to finish in the 30 days), when it's all said and done, I'm glad I did it. It's helped me power through writing blocks, it's given me the chance to write something different (Stolen Promise started out as a straight historical romance, then veered off into paranormal elements as well.) It's given me the excuse to just write and not worry about being perfect (at least until December, anyway.)

And now that I'm done for this year, it's time to go and sit and veg a little. Oh, and work on those revisions. :D

The Eleventh Hour...

2011-11-11T00:46:00.000-05:00

*Note - this blog post originally appeared November 11, 2008*

Of the eleventh day.

Of the eleventh month.

Yes, today is that day. It's Veterans Day.

I could go into a long, winding post about how important today is, and you'd hear the patriotic music swell in the background and see flags waving all over the place.

But I'm not going to do that.

You don't need me to tell you what today means. Or why it's important. Or why you should take one moment out of your likely busy day to stop, and think about the significance of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Or why you should thank a veteran for putting on that uniform, even if you don't agree with the cause.

You don't need me to say any of that, right?

I hope not.

Happy Veterans Day.

And to all who have served - or are currently serving -

Thank you.

So Many Things...

2011-11-07T16:31:00.003-05:00

And so little time.

Really, that's how my life feels these days. I have so much to do, I need probably another ten hours in my day. Once the school year gets underway, my days have a way of filling up within the matter of a few hours. I'll look at the calendar on Sunday and see a mostly free week (YAY!) but then by Monday morning, this has been penciled in and all of the sudden I'm committed to that and doncha know it? BAM! Week's entirely taken up.

But I have a routine. And that helps.

I wish I had a nickel for the number of times someone has said to me, "You know, I would love to write a book. But I just don't have the time."

Excuse me whilst I call 'bullshit' on that.

Yep - I said it.

Bullshit.

I could use another 10-12 hours in my day but you know what? I don't get them. I have the same 24 hours as everyone else. Now, I'll admit, I don't work outside the home. I'm a full-time mom, but when I did work, I still managed to write.

What's my secret?

I wanted to write.

When my daughter was an infant, I would get up with my husband at 5AM every morning (he's in construction, so his day begins and ends early) and after he went to work, I'd put a fresh pot of coffee on, go down into my office (baby monitor in hand) and I'd write from 5:30 or so every morning, until she got up. I was fortunate. Once I managed to convince her that she wasn't really missing much by sleeping, she'd snooze until 9 or 10AM most days. Which gave me 5 hours of writing time.

By the time my son was born (almost 5 years later), I had to deal with getting the Girl to preschool and a newborn. There went getting up at 5AM. I was just too tired and I am NOT someone who does tired real well. So, I wrote after the kidlets went to bed. I'm a night owl by nature, so that was easier for me right from the get go.

Well now, they are 11 and 6 and in school. The Boy will go full days next year, when he starts first grade, so he's half days now. And now my routine is something like this:

7:50AM - roll out of bed, shower, dress, etc.

8:20AM - stagger downstairs for much needed coffee

8:40AM - take Girl to bus stop. Usually with Boy in tow.

8:50-11:45AM - do morning chores and hang with the Boy.

11:45AM - Wait outside with Boy for bus.

12PM - Boy goes off to school

12:01PM- BICFOK (Butt in Chair, Fingers on Keys)

12:01 - 3PM - Write. Research. Revise (it all depends on what stage in what project I'm at, or what deadlines I have.)

3-5PM - hang with kids.

5PM - start getting dinner ready

7PM- Clean up

8-9PM - Get kids in bed

9:01PM - BICFOK and I'll write until I can't see straight or I want to kill the characters.

The thing is, I want to write. I need to write. And in some cases, I can get sued if I don't, so it's in my best interest to write. So for anyone who claims they would write if only they had the time, I say:

Put up or shut up. You have the time. It's up to you what you choose to do with that time.

It isn't that we writers have magical extra time packed into our days. It's important to us, so we find a way to fit it in. Before my kids were old enough, I would write whenever I could squeeze it in - during naptimes, or I'd bring my Alphasmart and write while my daughter was at gymnastics or swimming or whatever. I still do it. I get strange looks sometimes, but who cares?

And now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to get dinner started. CCD tonight. :D

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:44:00.002-04:00

BOO!

Did I scare you? ;-)

NaNo starts tomorrow (yay!) so my posts may be sporadic, since I'll be writing furiously for the next 30 days or so. My NaNo project is the second book in my Mordainia series and I'm hoping to finally get it finished. In the meantime...

Happy Halloween, everyone and don't overdo it on the candy!

And The Winner is....

2011-10-24T12:23:00.002-04:00

Sebrina!!

Congratulations and I'll get those copies of A Perfect Lady and Playing with Fire to you ASAP!

Thanks to everyone who followed and commented! It's great to see some new faces around here and I hope you'll all come by and visit again!

Happy Birthday, Aurora Regency!!!

2011-10-14T20:19:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe but Aurora Regency is turning one already! So, we're getting this anniversary started by -- ta da! - giving stuff away!

I don't write traditional Regencies, but I do write historical romance under the Aurora Regency Historicals imprint, and now the Clio Imprint at Musa Publishing. And to help Aurora celebrate this milestone, I'm giving away a copy of A Perfect Lady - my newest release from Musa Publishing, and Playing with Fire - the second book in my McKenzie Brothers series.

To win these books, all you have to do is just follow my blog and then leave me a comment. Make sure you leave an email address, since I need to be able to get in touch with you if you win.

If you want to participate in full blog hop, here are the official rules from Musa Publishing:

TOUR RULES:
1) TOUR STARTS: Saturday October 15th
THIS TOUR ENDS: October 22nd, at Midnight (PST)

Final Celebration October 22th 7pm -11pm (EST) at Two Lips Reviews Chat

***Individual Winners from Authors contests will be drawn and posted October 23rd on their individual sites***

1) Prizes at individual Blogs are completely at the discretion of the individual authors and are not in association with Musa Publishing and its prize system. To enter the Contest on any given blog you must follow their contest rules and objectives.

2) By commenting on any blog on the tour the participant is agreeing to these rules and policies.

3) All prize winners will be chosen randomly using Random Line Picker.

To get to the next blog in the hop, just click on the banner below and it'll take you there!

Good Luck!!

Note (added 10/15/11): The prize has changed in this blog, due to the Aurora Regency blog offering a copy of The Pursuit as a prize as well.

Happy Sixth Birthday to the Boy

2011-10-14T16:18:00.001-04:00

**Note - this post first appeared last October

At about 12:30PM today, my son, The Boy, officially turns six.

How is that possible? It seems like only yesterday he was born. Small, but stocky, he was quickly nicknamed Tank. When Tank because mobile, look out. Nothing was safe. Unless you made him laugh. I wish I could describe his laugh because it is the most infectious, silvery giggle I've ever heard. He still has that laugh and it is impossible to hear it and not join in. And he has a charmer's personality to boot. I can just imagine the endless stream of girls who are going to be calling my house in the near future. Not looking forward to it.

But now, he is still my baby. He hates being called my baby boy, but he will always be my baby boy. Always. That's how it works for us mothers. Our babies are always our babies, right, moms?

So, putting the silliness aside, I love my boy. He's come a long way in the last five years - when we first thought he might be autistic and began working with him to get him to speak. Now, he never shuts up and that's a good thing. He's becoming a normal, happy, healthy little boy with a little extra energy who loves a good hug every now and again. He started kindergarten in a regular ol' school. He's amazing and I love him more than I ever thought possible to love another person. He's my boy.

Happy 6th Birthday, my little man,

Mommy loves you.

New Digs!

2011-10-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

Way back before we bought our first house, when we lived in the townhouse, I had an office built in our basement. We had a two bedroom unit and a partially finished basement, and I used that second bedroom as my office. But when the Girl was born, I had to find new digs. So we had the basement finished into my husband's mancave, and in one corner, I had an office built. It had no windows, since there was a main sewer pipe right behind the wall, there was a door on the back wall that lead to nowhere (anyone in my office for the first time would inevitably want to know where the door led, and had to see for themselves when I said it went nowhere. I guess it never occurred to anyone that the front wall of my townhouse didn't magically expand at the basement level.)

I loved that office. I had a writing table that I'd gotten for nothing from a place where my mom used to work (they did advertising, so it was just a big table. Perfect.) And I had the crappiest, most un-ergonomically designed chair ever. Like I said, there were no windows and just enough space. Perfect.

Well, I gave it up when we moved, which was fine because our house has four bedroom, we only needed three, so I'd still have an office. And this one has a window - yay! My table cracked a little more when we moved (it was already falling apart when I got it. Why do you think I got it for nothing?) But it was my own space. Just slightly bigger. :D

When my mom got sick last summer, I gave up my office so she could stay with us. The table and chair went, and bit by bit, box by box, file by file, my office was dismantled.

By this summer, my mom required more care than I could give her. So we got her settled in an assisted living facility. Which means I have an office once more. And that means I spent the weekend putting together furniture (my hand is bruised from the screwdriver and my left knee is bruised from kneeling on the hardwood floor. Once the desk was built, everything else got assembled in the carpeted hallway.)

So now, I have a new desk (I miss my raggedy table and crappy chair, though.) My bookshelves are back. I just need to bring up my stereo and move a few more things, and then it'll be finished. I spent last NaNoWriMo with the laptop on my bed. This year I can work at my desk (in my new, not-crappy, totally comfy chair.)

It's nice to have my space back, I like my space. I'm possessive of my space (kind of like I'm possessive about my writing time.) I've missed it. My mom is happy where she is (she wants to keep as much independence as possible) and I'm happy because some of the stress that was on my entire family is gone.

So when it's finished, I'll post pictures. It's a cozy little writing space. And everything is together again (never mind my bedroom isn't in total chaos any longer, either.) It's a good thing.

Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011

2011-10-06T09:46:00.001-04:00

I don't own an Apple computer, but that's only because they are out of my price range. I keep promising myself that as soon as I can afford one, it's MINE. My next cell phone is going to be an iPhone. I would have gotten one instead of a BlackBerry, but Verizon didn't get the iPhone until three months after my contract expired and unfortunately, I needed a new phone. But when this contract is up, I will be there.

I do however, own an iPod. Two actually. Well, three if you count the original Shuffle I bought way back when (the one that looked like the pack of gum), and then promptly washed. I replaced that one with a newer generation Shuffle (don't ask me which one because it was that long ago and I don't remember.) I then saved up to buy myself a classic iPod. It will hold all of the music I could ever want. I love it.

When I heard yesterday that Steve Jobs had died, my eyes actually teared up. The world has lost an innovator, a visionary, someone who gave new meaning to thinking outside the box and selling those ideas to the public. He made our lives easier, made them more enjoyable, made them better.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

-- Steve Jobs (Stanford commencement speech, June 2005)

Thank you, Steve Jobs.

Rest in peace.

Trying to Keep Up With It

2011-10-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

Blogging, that is. I've been good. So far.

So today, my other half and I went oven shopping. When we bought our house four years ago, the oven, dishwasher, and microwave came with the house. We were in the house for about a two days when the dishwasher died. So, off I went to replace it. I wasn't happy about it, but what can you do, right?

Well, since about that same time, I've had a love/hate relationship with my oven. I suppose it was a nice oven -- a JennAir, which is pretty good. It's a convection oven (which really means very little to me, because the woman we bought the house from took the owner's manual with her -- but left the installation manual, for some bizarre reason. Probably the same reason she took the bag for our pool cover, I dunno -- I don't know who or what convection is.) But while the rangetop is gas (and for that I was thankful for when the power went out after Irene) the oven is electric.

I don't like electric. You don't cook with electricity. The broiler leaves everything kind of... gray-looking. No matter how high I have the heat.

But the oven. Wouldn't. Die.

Well, that's it - we finally decided the time's come to replace it. I've suffered long enough. My husband knows I love to cook (and I've come a long way since the hard-as-a-rock-and-about-as-tasty meatloaf I made for him right after we got married) and he knows how much I hate this damned oven. So we went shopping today.

My new oven will be here this week. It's all gas. It's convection (so I'll finally find out what that actually does.) It has five burners.

I'm in love. :D

Oh, and the over the range microwave is twenty years old and the handle is held on by electrical tape, so that is being retired at the same time. It's earned a good, long rest. I actually hate to get rid of it (I think the electrical tape gives it a certain je ne sais quois. And I know that isn't spelled right. And I. Don't. Care. :D) because I don't like to throw anything out that still works or might have some life left in it (my husband should consider himself lucky, for that, :D) but at the same time, the time's come.

And now that my edits for A Perfect Lady have been turned in (now I sit back and wait for the final proof. Yay!) I actually have a little bit of free time, and that's good. I can catch up on my blog reading (I've been terrible about that of late), I can get back to Six-Sentence Sunday, and I might even be able to read a book. Of course, my current WIP, Don't Tempt Me suddenly picked up again. I shelved it while I did edits and polished something else that will be going on submission tomorrow. Then, when I was putzing around over the weekend, I took a peek at it and BAM! The words came almost as fast as I could type them. I love that. So I will probably work on that as long as my muse and I are on speaking terms.

And that's where I am now, and it's good to be back.

To Celebrate...

2011-10-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

Musa Publishing's launch, go and check out the contest on the Musa Publishing blog!!You can win free books (and who doesn't love free books?) and check out the two grand prize drawings coming next week!

It's ALIVE!!!!

2011-10-01T10:34:00.001-04:00

That's right! It's finally here - Musa Publishing has opened its doors and gone live! Check the Musa Publishin g blog to learn more about them, their philosophy, and the people behind Musa.

Want to read some great books? Pop on over to Musa Publishing's bookstore. Want to read one of my books (and you know you do, right? Wink wink) well, they can be found right here!

So why are you still here (not that I don't love having you here because you know I do) but go! Scoot!

But come back real soon, m'kay?

A Post About Nothing

2011-09-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

Actually, that's not true, of course. Obviously there's something here, or else you'd just be staring at a blank page. Do that for too long and people begin to whisper about you behind your back.

But since I'm trying to get back into the swing of regular blogging (or at least something a little better than once-every-six-weeks blogging) here I am.

So let's see... Hurricane Irene was what? A month ago? (yikes, has it been that long already?) Aside from being without power for almost five days, the worst of our damage was to our pool.

It's hard to tell from these pictures, but the vinyl liner bubbled and pulled away from the surface and the bottom (in one part of the shallow end, the bottom of the liner rose to break through the water's surface.)

The pool guys came out about a week after the storm to assess the damage. Now, this liner is only a year old so having to replace it really wouldn't make me happy. Fortunately, it doesn't need to be replaced (for now), but the pool did need to be drained, the liner reset, and then we could refill and close the pool.

Now, this pool is huge. I've tried to get pictures of it emptied, but I need something in the bowl for scale and no one is brave enough to climb down into it (except the Boy, but the temptation to just leave him there might be too much to overcome. Kidding. Or am I?) But it holds somewhere between 35,000 and 40,000 gallons. So trust me when I say, this pool is huge.

It takes about a day to empty, and then almost a week to refill. We use the garden hose, and let the water run. And run. And run. It gets shut off at night, but that's pretty much it. It takes about 6 days to fill, as long as it isn't too hot out (the pool gets afternoon sun from about 1 until sunset. When we had that heat wave at the beginning of the summer, the pool water was like a bath. It was nice.)

So, we drained it, the liner was adjusted, the vacuum was set in behind the liner to suck it flat against the walls. And the refilling begun.

Until...

(you knew it was coming, right?)

My husband noticed there were new creases in the floor at the slope of the shallow end. So we shut the water off and called the pool company. This was over the weekend. We're still. waiting. for. them.

So I'm not real happy. I'll be even less happy if the walls of my pool end up damaged because there's no water in it. I don't know if this will happen, I don't even know if it can happen. But, since I'm a big believer in Murphy's Law, I know that if it can, it will. Especially with this pool. In 4 years, we've had to replace pretty much everything but the ladders.

I'm really hoping to have this pool filled and covered before the first snowfall. When I was a kid, I thought the coolest thing in the world would be to live in a house with a pool. Let me tell you, they are pretty much more trouble than they're worth. I don't think I'd ever buy a house with a pool again. Never. Again.

It's Coming!

2011-09-29T13:09:00.000-04:00

Musa Publishing, that is!

I can't tell you how excited I am about being a part of this - so spread the word and check out the great books, terrific authors, and maybe even win a prize!

Well Hello There...

2011-09-25T22:03:00.000-04:00

Good Lord, is it really almost October? Yikes. Bad blogger is bad and then some. I'm so far behind on reading blogs, never mind posting in my own.

So to catch up...

You might have noticed my Aspen Mountain Press books are no longer here, or on my website. Or anywhere else, for that matter. I no longer write for them. There are some serious issues with that publisher with non-payment of royalties (mine included), books being sold after the contracts on them expire, the owner dodging rights-reversion requests and basically vanishing from view. It's been a mess, really, and I feel for AMP authors who are still being held hostage over there. What the owner is doing is terrible and childish and frustrating and I hope those authors can get themselves freed as soon as possible. Check out the thread over at Absolute Write, especially the last few pages.

But I'm one of the fortunate ones. Musa Publishing bought out (and promptly released) the contracts of Aurora Regency and Aurora Regency Historicals imprints (Well, they bought the imprints themselves, as well.)

Have no fear, though. The Pursuit and Playing with Fire are back under contract with Musa and will be released in the near future under their Clio imprint.

Remember A Perfect Lady? Well, I'm thrilled to announce that it will be released in October from Musa, which is kicking off their launch next week. I'm so excited about working with this publisher, it isn't funny, and I should have shiny new cover art to show sometime this week.

I've also finished the first draft of Midnight Angel, and the (hopefully) final draft of To Dance with the Devil. That one will be going out later this week, or so I hope.

So that's it for now. I will be posting with a little more frequency as the clock ticks down to Musa's launch. I may even give away some books. I'll never tell. Well, okay, I will tell, but not yet. :D

September 11, 2001

2011-09-11T00:00:00.004-04:00

Never forget.

September 11, 2001

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-30T21:13:00.001-04:00

We survived. Our power went out for three days (it's still intermittent as of tonight), our water has cut out every now and again, I've thrown out God only knows how much food from my refrigerator (that almost made me cry. I hate wasting food,) our pool took a beating and is probably done for the summer, but we didn't have it nearly as bad as some people in my neighborhood.

Central Jersey took a beating. Entire towns have ended up under water. The lower half of my neighborhood has about ten houses that were condemned this afternoon. The river overflowed its banks and spilled about a quarter mile into my neighborhood. People have literally lost everything they own. Total strangers are helping each other cart out furniture and ruined toys, clothes, carpets - all to be thrown in the dumpsters the township dropped off today. Police are stationed at the entrances to my development because lowlife pieces of garbage are actually coming in to loot from these people. On Sunday, after the rains stopped and the sun came out, the only noise that could be heard was the growl of generators (we don't have one. We WILL very soon. I will NEVER throw food out because of a power outage ever again.) That first night, there was a festive air about my neighborhood. People were outside, talking and drinking beer, cooking out on grills, sharing with each other - anything to make it a little less terrible.

By yesterday, that festive air faded, replaced by people getting to work cleaning up. I was going to take pictures of some of the damage, but I couldn't bring myself to photograph my neighbors' misery. Instead, I took impersonal photos - and this wasn't even the worst of the flooding. That came late Sunday night, when the river crested and the water rose even higher. It isn't any better yet, as the water overflow from north of us spills in to our waterways.

Irene sucked.

Is It Over Yet?

2011-08-14T09:26:00.000-04:00

Summer, that is.

I'm not a summer person. Never have been, never will be. Summer in NJ is hot. And sticky. And did I mention hot? And sticky? Imagine if you will, you've just showered, gotten your hair to look good, makeup's on and you step outside...

And wet sheet just wraps itself all around you like a boa constrictor. Hair frizzes. Makeup melts. And you can actually see the air.

Welcome to Jersey in August!

Fall and spring are my favorite seasons here. People make fun of New Jersey (some of it we deserve - **coughcoughJerseyShoreCastGoAwayAlreadycoughcough**) but when you take away the high taxes, toll booths, and crowds, it's really a beautiful place to live. Just not in the summer.

About this time every year, I'm wishing I could just fold summer up and stuff it in a trunk. I'm tired of sweating. Of dreading the electric bill because we have to run the A/C. Of listening to my kids fight (do kids even go outside anymore? I never see anyone around in my neighborhood. Thank God we have the pool, or else I'd really go insane. No kids are ever outside playing. What is that about?)

So I'm ready for summer to go buh-bye. I want my turtlenecks, my jeans, my boots, to sleep with the windows open at night and need a blanket. I. Want. Cold. Or at least not suffocatingly hot and oppressively muggy. Blech.

There's this one tree (according to Wikipedia, it's a Black Tupelo maple tree) in my backyard that reminds me of why I love the fall so much. As the leaves change colors, it goes from brilliant red, to fiery orange, and it absolutely beautiful. I'll try to remember to post pictures when it starts to turn. It's amazingly beautiful to watch.

Besides, fall means Halloween (my 2nd favorite holiday) and it means Christmas (my favorite) is right around the corner. Fall is when I want to make my house look nice, so I do all kinds of projects (I've recently begun stenciling my kitchen. Which makes me wonder if we're going to have an early fall. Would be nice, no?) and I've got my grandmother's hope chest that I'm hoping to restore once the weather is a little cooler. I found it in the attic of my mother's house last November, when my brother and I cleaned it out. It needs to be refinished (which I've never done before, so it should be an adventure) but aside from the cosmetic aspect, it's in perfect condition (I'm a little peeved that anyone could just stuff it in the attic and let it get to the point it's in now, even if the damage is only superficial.) It dates back to the 1930s and I'm curious to see what it'll look like once I get through with it. :-)

So that's it, in a nutshell. Go 'way summer. I want autumn. Like, now.

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-07-31T09:00:00.001-04:00

And I'm back for Six-Sentence Sunday again. Yay!

In honor of finally finishing (and turning in) A Perfect Lady, today's six picks up where we left off... With Rebecca and James after their first... ahem... encounter...

Enjoy!

“McKenzie. Although I prefer James, love. And may I say, this has been the most memorable an evening I’ve had in a long time.”
As he spoke, he crept closer to slip his arms beneath her. A sharp, airy squeak rent the air as he lifted her from the floor. With very little effort, he pulled her from the darkness, into the bed, where he caught the blue ribbon of her chemise between his thumb and forefinger.

Don't forget to check out all the other terrific six at the official Six-Sentence Sunday site right here! And if you want to join in the fun, it's easy to do! Here's how it works:

1.Sign up at the Six-Sentence Sunday blog.

2. Pick six sentences from any work you've written - it can be a WIP, an unpublished manuscript, a latest release, or a work under contract.

3. Post those six sentences on your blog by 9AM on Sunday.

That's all there is to it!