YA Summer

I read a lot this summer.I had no idea how much until I went to do this blog. Check them out...




And these...



The pix don't include Revenge of the Homecoming Queen,

Or The Boys Next Door,












Or How to Ruin My Teenage Life,





Those books are currently on loan to my favorite teen reader in the world, Aziza!





My List:

Now and Zen by Linda Gerber
How to Ruin My Teenage Life, by Simone Elkeles
The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Prom Crashers, by Erin Downing
The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney by Lauren Barnholdt
It's Not About the Accent by Caridad Ferrer
Lost It by Kristen Tracy
A Girl Like Moi by Lisa Barham
Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale
Sweet Sixteen by Kate Brian
Private by Kate Brian

Great summer of reading!

Hunting The Demon by Jaci Burton

DUDE!

I was lucky enough to get an arc of the second in Jaci Burton's Demon Hunter's series, Hunting The Demon.

Again I say, DUDE!

There are very few times where I have loved the second in the series more than the first, but this is one of those times. You think Derek from Surviving Demon Island was hot... Nic smokes on him. YUM! And Shay is a fabulous heroine-- smart, tough and vulnerable.

I think the action in Hunting the Demon is even more tautly written than in Surviving Demon Island, if you can believe that.

I loved getting to know the secondary characters better and can't wait for Angelique's and Ryder's story!

Bravo Jaci, for writing such a fabulous second installment of one of the hottest romance series I've ever read:)

The Call You Don't Want to Get

It's every parent's nightmare and it happened to me yesterday. The phone rang and I picked it up.

"MAMA!"

I knew. The strangled cry, the terror, the emotion. "What's wrong?"

"I got into a car wreck! "

My first thought, was "She's making the phone call herself. It's going to be okay." My baby has been driving for three months and she is a great little driver. She's just an inexperienced driver. She rearended someone on Hwy 217 at 3:00 yesterday afternoon. It had been stop and go traffic, but she hit hard enough that both airbags deployed. It took me fifteen minutes to get there because traffic was piling up. She looked so little standing there listening to the policeman tell her what was going on and trying to fill out forms.Everyone involved in the accident (three other cars) was very nice to her, but I will never forget the relief on her face when I finally got there.

She cried on and off yesterday evening. We don't know what's going on with our new car. It's painful to watch your children grow sometimes. But maybe feeling a little less safe will make her a little more cautious.

My Home Away from Home: The Sandlake Country Inn

I didn't want to come back.

Now I know that's always what people say when they come home from a particularly scrumptious vacation, but I mean it.

I didn't want to come back.

And why should I? It felt like home. The kind of home you always dreamed of having, but just don't have the time to make for yourself. At my new home they provided me with matching fuzzy socks instead of mismatched socks with holes in the toes. I had a giant jacuzzi tub for two instead of a tub that you, well, you don't bathe in it. It had a dining room, but no kitchen. A gas fireplace that you flicked on instead of having to construct yourself in an old woodstove. A cookie jar full of homemade gourmet cookies instead of one that hasn't seen cookies in ten years. Instead of running to the store at 1:00 am to buy a bottle of wine that could fuel a semi, they provided you with a selection of wine the God of grapes himself would appreciate. I slept in a feather bed instead of one held together underneathe with a bungi cord. The dishes matched. There was always a silver coffee service with fresh steaming coffee at my door in the morning instead of having to stumble out to the kitchen to make it myself. I listened to classical music instead of the wall of sound that comes from my teens bedrooms.

And best of all, it had a wonderfully attentive, relaxed and happy husband instead of a harried, mean, old grouch.

I remember the guy I met on vacation. He's the one I married. Heck, he's the one I love!

So we are going back for our anniversary in December. Back home.

Thank you all!

This is a blanket thanks for all the cover kudos. I am going to try to thank you all personally, but don't know if I will get to everyone before I take off for our romantic getaway.

Of course, at the moment I would rather drown the dh than romance him. He found out about an unusually high cell phone bill from the son WE TOLD to get off the phone. (One of his North Dakota friends.) Son didn't and now we owe verizon several hundred dollars. I don't blame dh for getting angry... cell phones have cost us a lot of money over the years, though as my son pointed out as we took his phone away, that is usually the daughter's fault not his. However in a state of anger, he asked me if we could get the money back on the Bed and Breakfast. "No," I told him sweetly. "But if you like, I have a couple of dear friends, I could take in your place."

So much for romance.

Other than that, I have been busy taking care of my dad. My dad is 91 and tells the most awesome stories. Yesterday, he told me that when he was a kid, he had a friend who was into crystals and circuits and stuff... I guessed by the story that it wasn't crystals as we know crystals, but rather having to do with radio. Anyway, the friend told dad what to do. Dad had a pair of earphones his uncle had given him. (the uncle had found some kind of old walkie talkie communicator) He climbed as high on the roof as he could and attached the wire to it and ran it down into the house. Then he pulled it through the window. After playing with the headphones, crystal and wire he actually got a baseball game on the radio. This was the first time his family had ever recieved radio in their home. His dad said, "Oh, you did not!" Took the headphones and listened to the whole game. The next evening he asked dad if he could get that baseball game again. LOL! Several weeks later my grandfather went and charged a real radio.

Can you imagine the changes my dad has seen... he was raised in rural Washington and they had horses working the farm years after tractors were invented because the family couldnt afford one. Amazing.

COVER!!!!!

Isn't it simply gorgy???

Another little secret...

I got the final cover for LIPS!

Am waiting to show everyone until I get the word from up high that I can make it public.

But I love it, love it, love it!

Spell is out the door. Dash is being worked on. Articles going swimmingly. Not much else to report.

Countdown to romantic trip alone with hubby: 6

Plea for help...

I need someone to read/crit/judge three Golden Rose young adult entries. Anybody? Anybody? Anybody?

Quickies:

Spell isn't quite done, but almost. I started on Chapter 11 of Dash and it is going well. I have three articles due this week. I sucked on the query challenge last week. I have nine days until my romantic weekend for two. (with hubby)I have a lot to do before then. Should I take my laptop? No, probably not. Hee.

I'm outtie (more teentalk)

The Way I Talk...

I have a problem...

I write for teenagers. I live with teenagers. I read YA books.

So naturally.... I talk like a teenager! Does anyone else have this problem? Their YA voice spilling into other things? I answered an email the other day with "I would so totally do that!"

I say "Not!" "Would you chill?" or even "Chillax!" (A combination of relax and chill.) I have used "As if," in a conversation. I have said, "I'm outtie" and "Okay, let's bounce," when I am taking off to go somewhere.

I refer to young love as their crush or they are crushing. Kissing or making out, I call macing (Not sure how it's spelled but it has a short a.)

Isn't there a 12 step program somewhere to help me? I am Forty(mumble mumble)two (mumble mumble) years old... It sounds ridiculous!

Or maybe I am just really immature inside! HA! Maybe when I started writing YA I was just releasing my inner teen.

Peace out!

You Had Me At Halo!

Holly Evans has just seen her own body laid to rest. If it had been up to her, she wouldn’t have chosen that particular polyester dress for the event. Still, she could live with that (so to speak), if it guaranteed a quick jump to Level 3 of the afterlife, which she hopes will feature both reruns of Friends and reunions with long-lost loved ones.

But Holly has some mortal baggage to unload first, starting with the matter of how she died. Yes, she drowned in her bathtub under suspicious circumstances, but she did not kill herself. Holly had too much to live for, from her recent promotion to taking the next big step in her relationship. Okay, her life had a few loose ends, but whose doesn’t?

Holly's heavenly shrink isn’t buying it. He says she has to return to earth to straighten things out. The thing is, she’ll need to borrow someone’s body to do it—and the body in question belongs to none other than computer geek Vince Murphy. Oh, and although Vince was supposed to have vacated the premises, he apparently never got the memo.

Now, Holly has forty-eight hours to resolve her issues while sharing arms, legs, and...other things...with a guy she barely noticed while she was alive. But the real surprise is what life has to offer when you have only two days to live it...

I must so get this book!

Incorporating romance in your life

My son is away to camp and dd is staying the weekend with friends. Time for a little romance with hubby. I write romance, but have noticed there isn't much romance in my life. I need to not only fuel the muse, but fuel the romance, as well. So I decided to make a romantic dinner for two. The last time I did this, the kids were small. Back then, I surprised him after work(he works swingshift so the wee ones were in bed)with a bubble bath, wine and bread sticks dipped in welsh rarebit. It was fun. Then I guess I got busy because we really haven't done anything since.

Until last night.

He had to work six hours so I planned it for after work, which worked out better because it was dark and cool out on the terrace(it's really a patio, but this is supposed to be romantic.)

I strung Christmas lights up around the picnic table umbrella, covered the table with lace and added fresh flowers and candles. On the menu:

Merlot
Bruschetta
Thick cut pork chops baked with apples and onions
Three cheese risotto
Fresh corn
A small scoop of icecream with a shot of expresso poured over it

When he finally got home, he changed out of his workboots and into slippers. When I led him out onto the patio/terrace, he actually teared up. Said he felt like Jimmy Stewart when he comes home after the run on the savings and loan and his new wife had fixed up the old manse to resemble their honeymoon destinations.

How could you not love a guy like that?

It was a perfect night. And yes, we did talk about the kids. LOL

Unfortunately, I'm still on pain meds for my leg and after two glasses of wine, he had to put me into bed... and not in the romantic way, in the my wife is going to passout, she's so tired way:) He even went and found me a nightgown and put medicine on my poor leg. Now that ladies and gentlemen, is romance.

Don't Try This At Home

Okay, I was going to upload a pix, but thought that would just be gross. In an effort to prepare for my author photos I have been walking from two to five miles a day. Yesterday, I thought I would head to old town to check out the antique shops before heading home. I jogged across the steet and my feet, being sometimes unwilling to do what my brain tells them to, went out from underneath me and I fell forward, sliding across the pavement. I now have about a ten inch patch of roadrash across my shin and the side of my leg.

Can you spell klutz? I knew you could.

In other news, I found the photographer who will be doing my author photos. Kind of spendy, but... I will get a decent package and won't ever have to do this again.

In other, other news... I wrote over a thousand words in SPELL yesterday and am almost done with chapter three! YAY. Then I will polish the heck out of it and send to my agent. Hopefully, she will love it and I won't have to finish it before we sub it.

Crossing my fingers and popping another pain pill.

The Sister Spell

My biggest accomplishment over the weekend? Over 4000 words on THE SISTER SPELL! I am almost finished with chapter two. How's that for mind-blowing? I had nothing on Friday and by Monday morning I have 4000. I also managed to help Dh clean the garage, and walk about two hours.

Oh, oh, oh... Dh and I met friends for pizza at the Flying Pie. If you are ever in Portland, Oregon, you must stop there. Best pizza evah. Then we went downtown to a comedy club. I had never been. What a blast. It was so much fun. I love to laugh. Once the kids are gone and money is a regular thing... I want to do that more often. So, so fun.

Anyway, busy week ahead of me. I decided to put DASH away for a wee bit and get the first three chapters of SPELL finished.

I also have several articles to work on and I'm still doing the query challenge. So this weeks to do:

Get expert article sources for robotics
Get anecdotal sources for robotics
Send out questions for robotics
Get experts for CPP
Find anecdotal sources for CPP
Send out questions for CPP
Get 25 points for the query challenge
finish chapter two of SPELL
Finish rough of chapter three of SPELL

Have a great week!!!

This is where I'm Going!!!!!!

As many of you know, I've had quite the spring/summer. What many of you don't know is that my dh and I haven't been away together in almost ten years. We have always spent the money on our children. Yesterday, I made reservations for the SandLake Country Inn on the beautiful Oregon coast. This is the suite we will be staying in:



I am so excited... Our suite takes up the entire second floor of the house... four rooms. And the house has a fantastic history... It is built from a load of timbers from a shipwreck in 1894. This is what it says on the website: (www.sandlakecountryinn.com)

"At Sandlake Country Inn , we combine personalized service and privacy with amenities that you would expect to find at a luxury hotel. Your suite is fresh and comfortable, and you will be pampered with luxurious bubble baths, soaps, lotions, robes, jacuzzi spa tubs, fireplaces and much more. Imagine relaxing in your double Jazucci tub for two, then enjoying your sumptuous four-course breakfast while sitting in front of your own fireplace. It's a little slice of heaven!"

And this!

"During their stay at the Sandlake Country Inn Bed & Breakfast, guests may enjoy hummingbirds, hot spiced cider, roses, chess, romance, Mozart, fireplaces, deer, cookies at midnight, and a canopy of stars. We now are featuring our special home roasted coffee!" Another picture:

My Dh even told me to order the togetherness basket! "Come together over our now famous romantic picnic basket for two in a returnable hamper. You choose the perfect setting and we'll supply everything else for a memorable interlude (please order at least 24 hours in advance). Basket includes choice of smoked salmon (sliced turkey or roast beef can be substituted), hot soup, potato or macaroni salad, fruit, Tillamook cheddar cheese, fresh hot French baguette, Martinelli sparkling cider and Harry & David chocolate truffles."

We are spending two days there... I am so excited. I have a month to wait and then we are there. How will I ever get any work done???

When to Quit

When do you give up on a book?

I am struggling with my revisions of DASH and seriously considering setting it aside for a while. Maybe a long while. My mentor basically says there is no shame in that. Sometimes it is better to start a new book then waste time working on a book that isn't, well, working.

On one hand, I really hate doing that because I have an editor who requested a full. A different editor requested a partial, but I haven't heard anything. Of course, it's only been about four months and I've heard that HQ can take forever. I really love the story too...but I'm frustrated with it. It sucks to be over 3/4 of the way done with it and have it start to unravel. My agent isn't that enthused about the project, but is, however, seriously excited about the MG outline I sent her. (The reason I'm working on it without agent seal of approval is that I was between YA projects and have always wanted to break into series romance. My agent is okay with that.)

So here I am. Wondering if my time would be better spent elsewhere, right now. My agent would like to go out with the new proposal in September. I would like that too. On the other hand, I can't break into series fiction unless I get something out there. Of course, if it sucks, I can't break in anyway!

Thoughts?

Weekend Ho!

This week I:

Finished and turned in the revisions on LIPS
Edited and polished chapter nine of DASH
Gathered sources for article due Monday.
Sent out 21 pitches and Letters of Introduction to various and sundry magazines.
Got into the 2K8 group YAYAYAYA! (More on that later.)

Damn productive if you ask me!

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen!

So this is me, drowning my sorrows over nationals in a fab book, Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by super writing buzz girl, Stephanie Hale. She is my agent sistah and friend, so go buy her book... will let you know how wonderful it is when I finish it!

Color Me Envious

Of all those who went to nationals. I'm talking grinding my teeth with envy here. I think I even shed a little tear on Friday night when I heard that my cyber friend Trish, won the GH and my other cyber friend Barb, won a Rita for Best Contemporary Single Title romance. (Adios to my Old Life) And that's a Young Adult book, baby! I just wish I could have been there for the drinking, I mean, business opportunities. (Insert big sigh here.)

That's all I'm saying. And if anyone wants to send free books my way to ease the pain, (because I have heard that you all get slammed with books)just email me off list for my address.

(And no, this isn't a big fat ruse to get free books, this is real pain. Snicker. I mean sob)

Day in the life or Procrastination at its Finest

I get up this morning around eight. Way later than I usually get to the computer, but it's been too hot to sleep. So anyway, I have three things that need to be done this weekend. 1. The last few revisions in LIPS. 2. Chapters nine and ten in DASH and 3. An article for my main client.

I get to my computer and I have an email from a magazine that I would love to add to my client list. They liked the pitch, wanted clips. YAY! I know immediately which clips to send that would showcase the type of work I would be doing for them. Look through computer files. Can't find it. Break out the old floppies. Can't find it. One of the floppies, (the one I think it's on), freezes my computer every time I click on the file, causing me to reboot every single time. I do this three times. I've only had one cup of coffee. So I go through my hard copy clips. Can't find it. Run to the filing cabinent in the garage where my magazine clips are. Can't find it.

Breathe. Look up magazine online to see if they have archives. Nope. More coffee. I have now spent almost three hours of my work time looking for a single clip. I quickly find the other article I had in mind to send them. I call the magazine. Can they send me a copy? Yes. Thank god. Next week. Damn itttttt.....

Notice that the file with my hard copy clips in it is atrocious. Clean out file. Then notice next file has all sorts of weird stuff in it. Clean out that file. And on and on and on.

I am now surrounded by a sea of wadded up paper and have not even started one single thing on the list of things I have to get done this weekend.

Nationals, take me away.

Flabbergasted

Because of recent events (mother with cancer, book sellage)and future events (aging and author photo) I have decided that enough is enough and I need to do something about my health. My many year struggle with cigarettes is for the moment being won and it is time to fix the rest of me,namely, my butt, waist, upper arms, and cholesterol level.

I decided on the mediterranean diet because this was the closest to what I have done in the past to lose weight. Basically, lots of fruits and veggies, olive oil on everything, little meat and best of all, wine with dinner. On this wonderful diet I not only lost six pounds last week, but have found that I actually like to cook if it isn't fried meat and potatoes. the texture and flavors of cooking with fresh veggies, fresh herbs and olive oil is soooo fun! Last weekend, I made world class minestrone soup. I've experimented with pasta in creating fresh healthy non meat meals and made some that could be served in a restaurant. (yes, we still eat meat, but are trying to cut back)

I think the best thing though has been discovering how well wine goes with food. I know, it boggles the mind. Now I've had wine with food before, but I have never thought about what kinds of wine go with what foods... turns out merlot... goes great with strongly flavored mediterranean food. And cheese. I know, I know, there is a whole culture dedicated to wine and food, but somehow I missed it. Now I really know what they are talking about. Kind of makes your tastebuds salute your lips when the meal is finished.

On the docket for this week, finish revisions on LIPS and turn into editor. Finish two more chapters in DASH. Write an article and send out a slew of LOI's and queries:)

Is the Week Over Yet?

I hate when holidays fall in the middle of the week... I get all discombobulated. (Or however you spell that)

The mojitos were fantastic. Had a huge fresh vegetable platter, courtesy of my SIL and a huge fresh fruit platter, from my Mom and I cannot believe how much fruit and veggies three teen girls can eat! You'd think they have never eaten fresh food before... I'm like, "Hello!!!! I tell you all the time to have a peice of fruit!" I guess there is a difference when the pineapple/strawberries/raspberries/radishes/cauliflour, etc., is all cut and laid out for you. My mom made potato salad and even though it was good, everyone mostly just ate grilled chicken, fruits and vegetables. But the most of the veggies and fruits had been bought fresh from local farmers, so they were extra tempting.

Everyone took off and went to the local high school for the fireworks... except for me. I pretty much decided that I was too happy, full and satisfied to go someplace crowded, so I waved goodbye and watched the neighbors set off theirs.

So now I am supposed to get back to work? I don't think so! Dropped the girl off at dance camp this morning, have the wee foster girls for the afternoon and pick up my son at the airport this evening. Maybe I'll get some work done tomorrow!

Eyebrows and Trader Joes

No to do list this week. I think my friends find them as boring as I do. So I will talk about my weekend... which basically was a giant waste of time. I didn't write on Saturday. Like at all. I went to Trader Joes to get some vino, protien bars, pasta and various and sundry others. Not sure what all. I do love me some Trader Joes, though.

Yesterday, (when I was supposed to make up for Saturday with major bichok) I ran to the mall and picked up two work out shirts and got my eyebrows done.

Today is nothing but Bichok. Have to finish DASH, LIPS, send out four queries and finish one article this week. Plus our fourth of July BBQ to prepare for. Gawd, I hope there's going to be a a lot of Mojitos. Wait, it's my party. Snicker, oh yeah. Lots of Mojitos.

Snapping my fingers

Doing the happy dance around the living room. Snapping my fingers, waving my arms, wiggling my booty. (Sorry for the visual) Why? Cause I got my first ever revision letter!) And, and, and, I have the bestest editor evah! She gets the book, really gets it and her suggestions are dead on accurate.

I know I only have a few short weeks to get it in. I know I have to finish DASH. I know I have to keep up in the query challenge to drum up more nonfiction... but right now I am reveling!

This business rocks, people.

The Weekly To Do

yeah, yeah, I know. To do lists are boring, but I have to blog about something besides the post coital horror my characters are undergoing... you know that point in the book where they have sex and yet you have to sustain conflict? LOL Love the term:)

As you can see from the list that working on DASH is going to take up most of my week. I think I'll have my revision letter by the end of the week, as well. Not to mention I joined a query challenge to drum up more nonfiction work than I usually get... higher paying gigs:) Like most people I want to work less for a lot more money. I'll let you know how it goes!

My list

Write What’s Next
Rewrite teen article
Get sources for two articles
Make out questions for experts
Rewrite eight
Rewrite nine
Rewrite ten
Study markets
Write and send six queries

Beyond Busy

Yep, that's me. Been sitting here at the computer for days except for time off to water my yard and play scrabble with my teenager. DASH is... coming along. I have some great CP's. I'm also thinking of sending it to an editor I know who has a part time critiquing business... She's fabulous, published, knowledgable, and reasonably priced.

Just a thought.

Hopefully, I will be able to finish with eight and nine today. I have one more article to do, but think I'm going to put it off for another day. I don't have much time to blog but wanted to leave you with a few thoughts.

1. Amanda Ashby wonders why books don't write themselves. I looked at chapters eight and nine and decided that they must write themselves, because I certainly couldn't have written such crap!

2. Coffee and M&Ms are the breakfast of writing champions. I have heard it was true, but never believed it. Now I know just how long they'll sustain you.

3.An hour of yard work can completely remove the aches from six hours of sitting in a chair. Plus, it's productive. Who knew?!!

YIKES!

So like I just decided to put DASH away for a while because it was frustrating me and I get a request for a full. Merde!

I spent most of yesterday plotting a fab tween story I had an idea for and then woke up to an email from a coordinater for the Gotcha contest saying that Susan Litman wants to see the full. And this from 15 pages of manuscript. So I must put everything aside and get this sucker out the door. Trouble is, it is SO not ready. But that's what I get from entering a contest when the manuscript isn't polished yet! It's done, it's just crap.

So guess what I'm going to be doing for the next week or so? How long can I wait before sending without her losing interest? I haven't received the critique package yet, the coordinator said today or tomorrow. What do you think?

Still have two articles to get out the door this week and one for the first week of July. isn't life just amazing?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

To Market To Market

Once the book is sold a writer's mind natuarally turns to things like marketing. How can a writer help to ensure that their publisher will want to buy another book and another one? How can they ensure that the reader will buy another one and another one. Because frankly, you get the reader on board with you and you got the publisher. So number one would be write a good book. Number two would be write a good book.

Got that. Understand it. But this is a business and the business is to sell books. How do I help sell my book? I need to put together a marketing plan. Anyone have a marketing plan they'll sell for cheap?

Actually, come to think of it, I could use a template some kind. Or perhaps just a road map. Something to help me take the ideas I have floating around in my head and organize them on paper in a way that doesn't look uber stupid. Because these things just keep whirling around in my mind... website, group blog, database, launch parties...

I don't have enough room in my head for all that. I still have more writing to do.

So if any of you have any ideas on how to organize my marketing ideas, I would greatly appreciate it.

Weekends End, Road Trip, Strange Dream and Monday's To Do

What do you get when you combine a 91-year old man with I am never satisfied syndrome, a 71-year-old woman with cancer, a two year old wwf wrestler, a three-year old with whyitus, a sixteen year old girl with an I don't want a relationship right now bug up her arse, another sixteen year old lovelorn boy who is devoted for life (with the aforementioned girl), a seventeen year old with a four page final essay due in writing, one stressed out husband and one slightly tipsy wife?

A family bbq at the Browns!

And fun was had by all. Viva le vino!

Which will put me in a prime mood for a road trip tomorrow! Shirley Karr (What an Earl Wants, A Kiss from a Rogue and Confessions of a Viscount) and I will be traveling tomorrow to see our sister writers in the Emerald City! (Seattles Eastside RWA chapter) I think Shirley has a book signing or a workship at the meeting tomorrow night and wanted the company. Since some of my bestest friends and agent sistahs are from that chapter, I'm going along for the ride! Shannon McKeldon (Venus Envy) is going to pick me up at the mall (which one has yet to be determined) and we are going out to dinner with other writers! YAY! Because Shirley has an abnormal love for all things pirate (the pirate scenes in her books are fab!) we will be stopping at a ship wreck somewhere. I CAN'T WAIT!

I had a very strange dream last night. I was following a pair of shoes through the sand. No, it wasn't on a beach, it was in a large gym and the shoes were moving by themselves.(What's really strange is that the shoes weren't even a matching pair!) They disappeared into the sand which turned out to be quicksand. To get them back I had to hangout in the large concrete bunker and have a garage sale. When we tried to leave, we discovered that we couldn't fit all the stuff in the truck. To get everything into the truck, I had to lead a group of children through another maze which morphed into a haunted house.

Me thinks I should abstain from the vino!

And finally, Mondays To Do!

Send DASH sex to a writer freind who said she would look at it for me.
Revisions on chapters six and seven of DASH
Check out website designers
Write adoption after birth
Write constipated babies (don't ask)
Get sources for perineum
Join query race (for nonfiction)
Study some markets and target queries for those markets

What's on your to do list for the week??

Tag Trauma and After Sale Let Down

My editor shot down my tag line suggestion. She said it made the book sound too much like a thriller. I can see that. So I am giving you some different tag lines to see what you think. Here's the marketplace blurb.

Children's:
Young Adult Teri Brown's READ MY LIPS, in which a deaf skater chick moves to a new school and uses her amazing lip reading ability to infiltrate the popular crowd, bust up an exclusive secret sorority, and tame the school rebel, to Caroline Abbey at Simon Pulse, in a nice deal, by Jenny Bent at Trident Media Group (world).


Read my lips (just don't read my mind). (Thanks, Tina for this one.)

Reading lips has never been so much fun.

There are no secrets to a lip reader.

Even when you whisper she knows your secrets.

School gossip isn't safe anymore.

Or how about this one Cindy just sent me?

Some secrets are just too good not to share

Anything? Help me brainstorm people:)

On another note... Has anyone else sold a book and then had trouble getting back into the writing mode? maybe it's just the problems I'm having with DASH, but I haven't so much as opened the file all week. Is this some sort of post first sale trauma?

What's Wrong with this Scene?

I have three scenes in DASH that are not working out well.I get comments from my Cp's like... This is, um, better, but...

That's always frightening. Maybe I'll work on nonfiction today and let them sit. Scary that the book is already written, but I can't seem to get past chapters five and six in the revisions.

Still waiting on help for the tag line. What do you think about Watch what you say... you never know who might be reading your lips. ??? Thoughts anyone?

And congrats to Diana Peterfreund who had a blurb in Publishers Marketplace the same day mine was in. She sold a YA book called Rampant, about killer unicorns. Yeah, I can't wait either!

Waiting for my daughter to finish my My Space. Will friend you all once I am done.

Then on to getting a website. Do I really have to spend a thousand dollars to get a good one? YIKES!

More fun to come and you must read...

Thank you everyone for the congrats and good wishes on my book sale. I could spend an hour writing about how amazing this is and how I wanted to write novels ever since I read Little Women in third grade, but that would be boring. I needed to send my agent a one liner about the book and this is what I came up with:

A deaf skater chick moves to a new school and uses her amazing lip reading ability to infiltrate the popular crowd, bust up an exclusive secret sorority, and tame the school rebel.

Pretty cool, huh? Now I'm thinking about a tag line. Something catchy that I can put on all my signatures. Something like: Watch what you say- you never know who might be reading your lips. Or something like that... Any ideas?


I met my editor yesterday. She called and introduced herself on the phone and I just lurve her. I can't wait to get the revision letter. She says it should be here in about three weeks, which only leaves me about five weeks to get the revisions done and sent back to her.

And now... for the book you must read... STRAY by Rachel Vincent. Go. Get. This. Book. Now. It is so incredible that I read it in two days and then couldn't touch my TBR pile because I kept thinking about the book. So I picked it up and started reading it AGAIN! I have never done that with any book. It's amazing and sexy and filled with tiny revelations of a world I knew nothing about. And don't try to tell me werecats don't exist because I know they do! I can't even imagine the thrill of excitement Miriam Kriss must have felt when she started reading this book. No wonder an auction ensued. It's that good, people. And it has the greatest cover ever. Check it out.



Isn't it the most fab cover ever??

Secret Revealed... Honest!

I SOLD A BOOK!

Read My Lips has been acquired by Simon and Schuster's YA line Simon Pulse. Eight months after it had been subbed! Eight months! Michelle Nagler left and Caroline Abby, who replaced her, happened to come across the manuscript and loved it!!!

So I am officially a contracted author!!

Must go celebrate by doing more yard work! Spring waits for no woman, even a contracted author!

And the Secret Is....

I'M PREGNANT! .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

NOT-- I'm just fat (wink)

Actually, just got the word that the secret cannot be revealed until next week. Because of some damn holiday or another.

Holiday? What holiday?
GAH!

Possibly.

I should be able to reveal the secret today or tomorrow. I thought it would be sooner, but what do I know? I hope I can reveal it because, quite frankly, my head is going to explode all over my computer screen if I don't. (Sorry for the graphic visual image, but it is!)

Have to run mom home today after her docotr's apt. Radiation is done and she needs to help dad pack up. Then another five hour trip this weekend to load up and move her here. GAH.

Those articles? The ones that have to be done by the end of the month? Maybe not so much.

On the up side... dh and I will actually get to see each other for five straight hours! On the down side, my mum will be there. Snort. Ah well, you can't have everything!

Trying to work

I'm still plugging away. It's difficult to work when you are holding your BREATH! No word on secret yet. But my deadlines don't CARE that my entire professional life is on the line. No, deadlines just keep marching on, demanding ATTENTION! I have two articles due this week and two due the next. Which, considering Mom's radiation schedule, moving parents entire home 250 miles and my dh's vacation, (during which he wants to get our entire yard done,) is going to be somewhat challenging.

Then there is DASH, otherwise known as the book that would not get finished. Well, actually it's done, but it's crap. I was revising chapter six and seven when I realized that my hero and heroine CANNOT have sex yet. They wanted to and I let them, but it is far too soon. They need more electricity before they do the deed. So I may have to write a brand new chapter and stick it in there. GAH.

I thought characters were done telling their story when the book was finished, but now I'm finding that they are just as unruly as ever during the revisions. Who knew?

I Have a Secret

That I cannot share...not only can I not share it, but I am sort of afraid to, in case I jinx it.

So la la la la la la la la la!

Monday's To Do

Got a promising email from my agent. Seems that an editor found one of my manuscripts that the former editor had left behind. She's "really enjoying the read" and wanted to know if it was still available. Of course, I don't know how much she's read, could be a couple of pages or it might be a couple of chapters. She does have the full, though, so who knows.


Long weekend. Had a nice Mother's Day, though. Have to get started on this week's work. I hate being behind.

Get anecdotal source for Patient Delivery Room Safety
Write Patient Delivery Room Safety
Get anecdotal Source for Robotic Surgery
Write Robotic Surgery
Get expert and anecdotal sources for toddler language.
Rewrite chapter four and five in DASH.
revise chapter seven in Dash

I was up to seven in DASH, but a CP pointed out that chapter five lacked conflict and I should change a couple of things in chapter four to get the ball rolling there. Not sure I am going to do as much as she suggested, but I am definitely going to have to ramp things up a bit. I hate snags like this, but since I need to add wordcount, this will help.

American Idol, apartment hunting and Oh, yeah, writing.

American Idol

We all knew this would happen. Jordan, Blake, and Shrek. I mean Melinda Doolittle. I am sorry, but my the first time my son saw her he whispered in a stunned voice, "Oh My God, It's Shrek." Now I can't look at her without thinking about that. Great voice... but... Shrek. I think Jordan will win. Incredible voice. Lurve Blake Lewis. So funky and original and I love the sounds of his voice when he is straight singing. Would love to see the both of them in the finals.

Apartment hunting

Must. Find. Apartment for Mom and Dad. Now. They have to be out of their mobile home on the first of June. The problem is they need the following:

Washer and Dryer hook up
Ground floor (mom has cancer, dad is 90! nuff said)
Takes cat
Move in ASAP
Is cheap.
Is not scary

The apartment also has to be close to me since I am the designated caretaker.

And they really need to move out. Cause evidently I don't use enough vegetables when I cook and I don't cook three meals a day. WTF? Does anyone cook three meals a day anymore?

Writing

My writing is actually going pretty well., I am caught up with critiques and am moving right a long with DASH. Am more than ready to be finished with that one and move on. I really do want to write more than two books a year. GAH!

Getting some sleep

With the girls gone, my family and I decided to participate in the first Brown family sleep-in-day ever. Is there anything more lovely in the entire world than waking up and knowing you don't have to get up so you go back to sleep? To wave stuff off for one blissful morning of snoozola? To snore instead of chore?

Then to top off the morning, my brother came and took mom to breakfast while my son and I ate german pancakes alone. Then I stayed in my pajamas till past noon. And I worked all day on fiction. Not a spec of nonfiction.

Not enough adjectives to describe the day. Today it's back to work, but I'm not overloaded this week... just busy. Need to find my mom and dad an apartment close by and get her through radiation and take her home to help dad to pack up his stuff.

I have a bunch of non fiction stuff to work on, but not going to take on a lot of new assignments this month. I want to finish DASH and start on FAT. So that is my main goal for May... finish the revisions on DASH.

And sleep in at least two more times! Good for the soul!

A burden lightened and other happy thoughts

After dropping the children off at my best friend's house yesterday I called her on the phone.

"Don't trip on the weights in the driveway," I told her.

"What weights?"

"The ones falling off my shoulders on my way to the car."

She officially has the girls now. My baby KK and my Zoe monster will no longer be living full time in my home. Those weights. Not that I didn't love and adore them. But having a very needy three year old and a 20 month old in the house with two teens, my dh, my mother and my mother's cancer was just too much for me. My friend Ann, God bless her bones, has turned out to be more like family than our real family. She ended up loving the girls as much as I did and applied to be their foster mom. Good thing, because if they hadn't given them to her, they would have been separated. Unreal. They have already been separated from their mom and their brother and now us and each other? GAH. The system sucks, you know that? This way, they will be able to stay with us often and as they are already used to staying at Ann's home, the transition won't be as traumatic.

Now I can concentrate on the other big things in my life. Namely, my family, my Mom and my career. That's enough for one person.

Back in the saddle...

Am trying to get back into the swing of things, but it's difficult. We still have the wee ones, but I think the state is going to make a decision about that this week. I am finding it challenging to keep my mind on my writing. Not fiction... I managed to finish the revisions on my YA proposal last week, so both DASH and LIPS are out. YAY! But non fiction is another story and since that's where the money comes from... You get the picture! Am having trouble with a source, but can't move ahead without them. Need to get to work on my other articles as well. My editors have been more than patient and I need to reward them back by getting this stuff done.

Which brings me to the next challenge. I've been very dissatisfied with my writing as of late. My nonfiction is boring and my fiction lacks depth. I am thinking both these things stem from the same writing weakness. My lack of patience. I write my nonfiction like newspaper stories... I get in fast and get out. There is no...style to it. This is troubling me. I feel my fiction is the same way. It just feels like it is lacking...something. Without nuances perhaps. And my lack of grammatical knowledge is really concerning me. I have always been one to spout developing an "ear" but lately, I have wanted to understand they whys and wherefores.

I really don't have a lot of time to worry about this right now, but would like to get some ideas on how I can change it. How can I, at 42, pack a whole bunch more knowledge into my lazy little brain?

Now that we know...

Lung cancer. My mom has lung cancer. And she quit smoking over 28 years ago.

Well, crap.

That really pisses me off. All the trouble of depriving yourself for 28 years and you get lung cancer anyway? I would just like to say here-- NOT FAIR!

They can't see the tumor yet, but know it's there and is already sending out mean little cancer tumors. There may be one in her thyroid too. So two weeks of radiation then a round of chemo. It will kill her eventually. The question is...how long. No one knows.

My biological father died two years ago of lung cancer. How much you wanna bet that no one will give me a life insurance policy? I feel like a damn time bomb.

My parents will be moving up here to be near me and OHSU. I'm happy about that. I'd hate for them to be five hours away where I can't help them.

So that's the final word. I think I'll be done blogging about it for a while. I'm depressing myself here. I just want to blog about my writing life. I still actually have one. Finished an article yesterday and my editor loved it. I sent out the DASH partial and hope that HQ editors loves it. Got two critiques on my LIPS revision and need to get that out next week. Need to catch up on my articles. That sort of thing. I like blogging about stuff like that.

Rocking On

Actually been getting some work done. Half an article (which I would finish but missing some information that I'm waiting) on and got some valuable feedback from my CP on my synopsis. Even posted LIPS for my other group of CP's to look over. So I just keep on rocking on.

Been trying to keep up with reading everyone's blogs even if I'm not commenting much. You all rock too:)Thanks for the support!

Bummed it's not breast cancer

After my mom and I left the women's imaging center, I had to tell her. "You know things are bad when you are actually bummed that it's not breast cancer!"

We laughed so hard I thought I was going to have to pull off the road. But it's true. It would have been easier if the results had come back positive for breast cancer... at least then we would have known! Still getting the run around on the most important test, the PET scan. Hope to get that done soon so we know what we are dealing with.

Still working on the synopsis from hell. Almost finished with it and then I can fling it to my Cp's to help me fix and get that requested partial out. Then work on LIPS. I have a lot done on it, but still have a lot to do.

You know, I almost wish I had done it from someone else's POV. It might have been an easier sell. I think people are afraid to have a deaf heroine when the writer isn't deaf because, even though I know a lot because of my deaf neice, I am a hearing person... how much can I actually know? Hindsight is always 20/20.

Oh, well. Onward and upward!

Heath and writing update...

Mom is home with me and doing well. We know we have a long road ahead of us, but are sure that all will be well. That's how you have to go into a fight, knowing you will win, no matter what kind of fight it is!

Am writing the synopsis from hell so I can get my partial out to the editor who requested it. Not going well. The book is so different from the first synopsis I wrote that it needs a complete overhaul. Hope to finish it today while the kids are at daycare. I still have to finish revamping the first three chapters of LIPS for that editor who requested it.

Need to figure out where I'm at with my nonfiction, too. My to do list is so long, I'm not even going to include it!

Must rush off... live well everyone!

The Big C

I arrived at the hospital yesterday and find my mom talking to another doctor. Yep. An oncologist. The tumor was not only cancerous it had come from another source. They ran a CT scan on her and her lungs and stomch were clear but she did have some swollen Lymph glands near her broncial tubes. Since the preliminary stains from the tumor suggested lung cancer they are very supicious of her bronchial tubes. If they can't find the source... which occasionally happens, they will do a broad based round of Chemo. On top of the four weeks of brain radiation she already has to have.

She can't do this in hermiston where she has no one to help her. So she is going to have to do it here. Which means... yeah. But my dad can't stay here. No room. So...

Sigh. Have tons of decisions to make in the next couple of days.

But think of the research I will have done if one of my characters is ever sick!

Mom and GE

Mom came through the surgery fine yesterday. She can see and they got all the tumor they could see. Not sure yet if is cancerous, but they think that it probably isn't a non cancerous tumor. Mine was a menganoma (sp?) and they knew right away that it wasn't cancerous, so we will have to wait to find out what it is.

On the good news front... Dash of Desire took first in the Great expectations short and long contemporary category:) And I got a request for a partial. The score sheet was awesome... got 128 out of 130. Now I have to call my agent and let her know:)

Have an early hospital visit, so have to run.

My tumor's bigger than your tumor...

Actually it's not. Mom's got me beat. And it's far more dangerous than mine was. She has a tumor about the size of a small egg in the occipital lobe of her brain. It's hidden behind the main arteries that feed her brain. They brought in the big guns for the operation, the head Oregon State Hospital University's neurology department is performing the surgery, which is scheduled for Weds.

They let her out of the hospital yesterday because they got the brain swelling down which was causing all the speech and memory problems. We ran around all day yesterday and everytime we forgot something, we would joke about our brain tumors...mine is a dead mass in my head, though, while hers is... well, we won't know till the operation what hers is.

Today my brother and his family came up from the coast and another brother and grandaughter came from the other side of Portland to have Easter dinner with us. Yes, I managed to make Easter dinner. My friend Ann took the babies for the weekend and we picked them up today... poor things have been shuffled around enough. My dh is staying home from work for the next couple of days so he can watch them while I focus on my folks. She will take them again on weds while I'm at the hospital. Almost as worried about my 91 year old dad as I am my mom.

I'm sort of in the twilight zone of my life... Haven't felt like this since preparing for my own surgery.

Prayers and good thoughts

I was told yesterday that my mom has a mass in the back of her brain. She's currently in this little podunk town in Eastern Oregon. They're moving her to Portland today, Thank the Lord. She'll be only about 25 minutes from me. She's 71 and my dad is 91. Friends are picking him up and bringing him to my place. My blessed best friend is taking the girls for a few days so I can concentrate on my parents. My editors are awesome and have rearranged the editorial schedule so I can work without pressure.

HOT and DASH will have to wait. If I thought I was drowning yesterday morning that is nothing compared to how I'm feeling now... Sorta like I'm on the Titantic.

ACK!

Glub.
Glub.
Glub.

That's the sound of me drowning.

Too much to do, too little time!

I have nine articles due this month, the revisions on LIPS and the edits on DASH.

No time.

Even getting up at 4:30 am isn't helping. Two days of daycare isn't going to be enough this month. My house is gross and my teens are melting down. I'm pretty ticked off right now that the state told me they were going to give me daycare then backed out of it. I'm furious off that my SIL told me she would do respite for one weekend a month and then backed out.

All these things would have kept us going and my own family and my career intact. Now I'm just swimming along and going under!

On a good note, the edits on LIPS are going well. We'll see what my agent thinks. I hoped to have it to her by the weekend. Now, prolly not. Oh, well. Maybe next week.

On a better note, Zoe's preschool teacher offered to help out and take the girls for a whole day once a month. That won't help me career wise because I really need to use it to spend time with my own family. But it's still a very good thing.

Off to try to work while I only have one baby. The other one is at preschool!

Teens and teen lit

My life begs the question: Who are these people and what the H&%* are they doing in my house?

That's the question I asked as my dh and I sat out on the curb last night sharing a Sam Adams lager. It was actually nice, to be sitting out on the curb with the man I married. Sort of like we had been transported back to 1989 when we first fell in love. But the problems were real. TEENS!

Don't get me wrong, I have comparatively GREAT teens. We are extraordinarily close and they don't drink, do drugs, lie or skip school. I am grateful for them. Sorta. Because they are not grateful toward us in the least. No, we are the idiots who stop them from having fun and expect things from them. I remember being a teen. I understand. That doesn't mean I don't get to say who are these people and why do they eat all our food, spend all our money and tell us we suck?????

And why are teen girls so flipping dramatic?? Like I said before, "too old to spank and too young to bitch slap."

Ahem.

Oh, and I started my first Scott Westerfield this weekend. Uglies. All I have to say is: Oh. My Gawd.

He is blowing my freaking mind. I've read three new books since the beginning of the year. All by talented authors. But not one of them did to me what this book has done. The voice is so fresh. The story so freaking compelling. It's all I think about. If it weren't for having the wee ones I would be done already, deadlines be damned. It's that good.

Go buy it and read it!

Revisions and Deadlines, or Mama Needs a Brand New Hook!

I finished most of my articles for the month. Have two more which have to get done ASAP and I have three due in the first week of April. Go Teri!

I am in the midst of revisions. Dash is coming along nicely. Am on the fourth chapter of my read through/revising and my wonderful CP's are having a field day with the rest. Have been telling the writing gods that they can make up for my lack of GH nom with a request, but haven't heard yet.

Had a wonderful phone meeting with my agent about the revision letter from the woman I hope and pray will be my editor someday. We took what was concrete from the letter and made a list of possible changes. Number one is from first person to third. Dream editor didn't think first was right for this story and really wanted to see it in third. So yeah. Actually, I went through it and made the change yesterday and also made notes for the next change-- deeper characterization. This one will be interesting, as will the other change...an added scene. At the beginning of the book. So, basically, a brand new hook. I have some ideas but nothing really strong enough. MY CP gave me an idea that might work... I just need to find a way to add oomph. Beginnings must have oomph. Anyway. That's what I'm up to for the next week or so. What about you all?

The Golden Hearts Drove me to Drink

Like most of the romance world, I was glued to my phone yesterday in hopes of a Golden Heart final. When the day began I thought my chances were pretty good. After all, my heroine is deaf. Surely that should give her some sympathy votes, right? Not so much, because by the end of the day I realized that the manuscript and everything else I have ever penned (or typed as it were) sucked. No wonder I have an amazing agent and haven't sold.

So at 3:30 (on the west coast) a writer friend of mine (who didn't final and therefore must suck, too,) and I met at one of our local pubs to have a drink and commiserate. Chambord Kamikazis are perfect for that, by the way. But a funny thing happened on our way to Whinesville. After one good "Grrrrr!" (growled by both of us to the shock and consternation of the rest of the cliental)we ended up talking about our current WIPS: where we were at, how the plotting was going,and what plot twists we put where. Then we discussed agents and editors: who she had queries out to, what editor wanted to see revisions of my work,which agent so and so had and did they like them.

And we realized neither of us are going anywhere anytime soon. We are stuck with publishing, and as frustrating and subjective as it is, we both love it. And if neither of us are contracted by next year (as, of course, we both will be, as brilliant as we both are, especially after a couple of Kamikazis)we will be entering the Golden Heart.

Huge and major congrats to all those who garnered a nomination. Elizabeth, Trish, Kristin... You all ROCK!

I'm Speechless

Um wow.

My life is certainly interesting lately. The wee foster kids. My career. My own children going through all their teenaged angst. My husband who is more forty than foolish, but still manages to be foolish.

Why can't everyone just keep keeping on? The stress of taking care of the wee foster girls, the worry about the teens(though both are great kids, there are still worries!)the worry about my health, the finances, etc, shall all pass. Everything seems bigger because of the added pressure of the babies... why can't everyone just do what they are supposed to and survive. NO. People can't do that. They must always blow everything out of proportion.

Why did God create the family so that the children would be going through their hormonal changes just as the parents were going through theirs? Why does adolescence and middle age have to coincide? Was it so everyone would be ready for them to fly out of the nest?

Don't these people know I have deadlines?????

Food Obsessions AKA More Mac N Cheese Please

As many of you know, I am a smoker masquerading as a nonsmoker. I've been this way since I was 15. I've tried to quit many times in my life but it wasn't until time before last that it actually stuck (for eight years) Then I started again for about six months and quit again.

So basically, I know more than the average idiot about quitting. It all comes down to the hole on the face that needs to be filled with something. Honestly, I think Freud was closer to the mark on this one than either Dr. Phil or Oprah, who tell me it's emotional issues because, quite frankly, I am probably the most emotionally stable person I know. Yes, my best friend's dad stuck his hands down my shirt when I was twelve and that scared the crap out of me, but even then, I figured it was because he was an ass, not that I had done anything wrong. When my dh gets all critical and perfectionistic, I know it's because he is an anal(more Freud)little man with OCD, and not because I'm incompetant.

So Freud, with his oral/anal theories comes closest to the hole on the face, though I don't know if it had anything to do with potty training or not.

But anyway... I am left with this hole to feed. (And no, faith in GOD does NOT fill it, because I have that and this is a damn different hole, so BACK OFF that. Ahem.)

So when not smoking, I fill it with food. Carrot sticks won't fill it either. It's a very particular hole and it wants what it wants. One time when I quit smoking, the hole wanted latkas. Don't know why, but I learned how to cook a mean latke. Honest, a latka so good I could cook them at the Pioneer Courthouse Square Hanukah Celebration and a rabbi wouldn't know the difference between mine and a kosher chef's. Another time, it was homemade hot fudge over vanilla ice cream. It was to die for. (And considering I gained forty pounds in three months that time, it almost killed me!) Once I quit and ate so much home made fettucini alfredo that it almost changed my nationality.

So what is it this time? A weird cross between Cherry Garcia ice cream and the perfect mac n cheese recipe.

And yeah, my weight yo yo's with my smoking status. Sigh. That will be the next thing I tackle. But first, I have to find another recipe. For mac and cheese.

My New CAR!!!!

New to me anyway:)

A 2003 Suziki Areo. I lurve it. Megs and I are sharing this car so I had to get an automatic, but I guess I'll get used to it.

Friday's look back

Am looking back at the week. Meh. Haven't finished as much as I wanted but somehow I become less productive with a cold. I think my brains leak out my sinuses along with everything else.

I still have expert sources to get and two articles to write. Not done with DASH but am moving right along. Only followed up on one query and had a very nice email exchange with the debuty editor of a major national magazine. Would LOVE to work with her.

So not too bad. I do get six hours alone today as the kids go to daycare today. Yes, they are still sick, but since we originally got the sickness from them, I figured I would share the love. (See last post... my best friend and I share just about everything) So technically, if I resist the bed, I could get those two articles done.

In other news, we are in the market for a car! Wanted a small SUV. Can't afford the fuel. Am looking at areo wagons... way cuter than the sedan, though my teenage daughter, who I'm sharing the car with, doesn't think so. So I may be doing that today instead of writing. Depends on what the dh finds.

Buying a car with him is like... Well, there's really nothing like it. Let's just say that we have been working on this for three months. He is insanely cautious.

Wish me luck.

I'm thik

As in sick. One of the many things my best friend and I have shared over the years are viruses. Thank you, Ann, for your continuing, loving giving nature. Of course, I've shared many lovely viruses with you over the years, so we are probably even.

So much for my to do list. Gah.

Fini and Monday's To Do

Before I bring you Monday's regularly scheduled to do list, I have to share with you a little message of joy... I finished the rough draft of DASH! Oh yeah! Who rocks? Now granted, I would actually rock more had I achieved wordcount on the silly thing, but who's counting, really? (Please don't say the people at HQ and ruin my fantasy, really.) Some people go over, I go under. But I have a gazillion things to add, so it's all good. Right now, I'm going over it and making notes and adding a scene here and there if I feel up to writing it. Mostly notes though. Then I will go back and add. But the important thing is that it's done!!! The fun part has begun!

Also, an editor would like to see some major changes in LIPS pre-acquisition so that is going to have to be a priority, as well.

Ahem.

Now without further ado, Monday's weekly to do!

Get anecdotal sources for screaming babies/toddlers
Get anecdotal sources for infant hernias
Get expert sources for teen summers
Get expert sources for labor piece
Get anecdotal source for teen summer
write up questions for teen summers
write up questions for labor peice
write screaming babies/toddler
write infant hernias
Finish DASH read through/note making
Go over first three chapters of LIPS and make notes for revisions
Send reprint to parenting pub
follow up on all queries

Position FILLED

My apologies to all those other top notch multi published writers lining up to be my mentor,(cough) but the postition has been filled.

By one of the best of us all. A woman with such a stellar career and so much talent that if I told you who it was it would boggle your mind the F*&% out. Honest, someone HUGE.

Someone who read my blog. Actually has a feed thingy to my blog and saw the post about mentoring, thought it was funny and read several months worth of blogs and then made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

Which leaves my already befuddled little mind reeling. And this has nothing to do with peri menopause.

And no, I'm not going to name her. But it's someone I admire enough that the email made me do all kinds of loud fangirl gushy stuff (I won't tell you everything because I don't want to embarass myself) before I wrote her back. AND I admired her enough to use spell check on the first email. Not now though. Cause we're just tight like that. Snicker.

But seriously, I'm very blessed. Kind of like I'm learning the force from Yoda.


One clue. She's NOT Jesus Christ.

Wanted: One Mentor

One slightly used writer with only a few run of the mill issues (stalking not included) seeking a multi published, experienced writer to be her mentor. Must understand the ins and outs and complexities of the publishing business and occasional bouts of insecurity. Must be female. Must love romance. If you love pina coladas.... Oh wait. That's a really bad song from the seventies. (And it wouldn't hurt if you knew a few lyrics from the song, either)

This isn't for a critiquing situation, though an occasional read through would be helpful. This would be an open ended relationship consisting of several emails a week, a few stupid questions about the business, and encouragement. (A free arc tossed my way wouldn't be unappreciated, though not strictly necessary.)

I am multi-published in nonfiction, as well as having a host of magazine and website articles to my name. (Including Writer's Digest, Hoorah!) I am already agented and house trained.

In return, I promise to fawn accordingly, buy your books, and pay it forward to an even newer writer. Who will no doubt get an agent and publish before me, anyway.

Must have sense of humor. No intellectual snobs need apply.

Any interested parties can contact me at diddymon@hotmail.com.

Jackass III The Toddler

Starring BABY KAREN

Jackass I made you scratch your head and worry about the future of mankind.
Jackass II made you want to vomit and move to the mountains

But Jackass III The Toddler will have you recoiling in HORROR!!!!!

Watch in Amazement as Baby Karen does a nosedive off the couch onto her head ... three times in one day!

Watch in Terror as Baby Karen turns a domesticated kitty in a raging beast by pulling it's tail... over and over and over.

Watch in Awe as Baby Karen Attempts to shove a stolen, contraband pen up her sister's nose.

Watch in Fear as Baby Karen picks up a toy baby stroller over her head and hits her sleeping foster daddy with it.

Watch in Shock as Baby Karen scoots around her foster mommy with the speed of lightening and tries to touch a hot pan on the stove... twice in a single day.

Don't miss it! Jackass III The Toddler

Starring Baby Karen AKA THE BEAST

Coming to a theater near you

This Week's To Do

It's been a while since I posted my Monday To Do list. Maybe this means my life is leveling out--the first time since the wee foster kids came. Or maybe I'm just getting used to being exhausted and frazzled again. Dh and I did run out for a drink last night once the babies were in bed. Red Robin makes such happy drinks.

I managed to go over 40,000 words on Saturday. I did the happy dance and went to bed.

Okay, without further ado.... the to do!

Write like madwoman in DASH!
Check submission records and make sure they're updated
Pitch editor 3 more articles
Send Dr. Diamond email questions
Arrange phone interviews
Write Dr. Diamond profile
Get expert sources for infant hernias
Get expert sources for screaming babies
Write out questions for screaming babies and infant hernias
Make out new article due list
Send Winter Rose Entries back
Write like madwoman in DASH!


Notice I began and ended with DASH? Yeah. Am super motivated to get it done so I can start revising. Lurve revising.

Yes, I'm Writing

The dearth of writing related blogs doesn't mean I'm not writing. I'm sending out my last two articles of the month today. With everything going on I've managed to invoice for eleven articles. Pretty darn proud of that. In spite of having the wee ones on top of a life that is normally nutso busy. Add some family drama and I can tell you it was more than interesting.

I'm going to be cutting way back this month and do six or seven articles and finish up DASH. This is ridiculous. I have less than 25,000 left to go on it.

In other writing related news... my agent followed up on all the outstanding LIPS manuscripts that haven't been responded to. Turns out that three, yes, three of the editors had lost them. So sorry. Please resend! WTF? I have been waiting six months for that?And all three are editors I would kill to work with. Ah well, maybe the guilt of leaving me hanging for so long and losing my manuscript will put LIPS toward the top of their reading pile. One can only hope.

Must run off to proof the last of the articles and send in!

We interrupt this blog....

For a really shallow Hollywood moment because last night was the Acadamy Awards and I just have to gush and guffaw.

Gush: Reese Witherspoon... You go girl. Make Ryan Phillipe regret it.

Guffaw: Jennifer Lopez... Could you get anymore fat fake (or fake looking) chain and diamond things around your neck? And I'm sorry, your hubby still looks like a serial killer to me.

Gush/Guffaw: Penelope Cruise... From the hips up you showed everyone just why Tom Cruise loved you for years, but why did you pair it with skirt made of a fuzzy Target blanket? Did your designer run out of regular material? Do you suffer from chronically cold knees?

Guffaw: Jennifer Hudson: What a fabulous dress choice. A gorgeous chocolate brown... draping in the right spots, perfect. Then you topped it with a Star Wars inspired jacket? Why, girl? Why?

My Leo, who I didn't used to gush over, but now love, didn't get an Oscar, but did get some kudos from Martin Scorses when he won(about time that old dude won an oscar) and the producer of The Departed when he won, so I guess it's all good. I really wanted Kate Winslet to win an Oscar (What is this? the Titantic Curse? People still pissed off cause they were in a blockbuster?)because she has turned out to be an incredibly talented actress too, stealing any movie she happens to be in.

There weren't enough surprises, though I loved the whole sheet/people/movie shape thing. (You had to be there) and I thought Ellen Degeneress was inspired. Really funny stuff.

And I really liked that it was all over by 9:30 on the west coast. I got to bed early!!!!

Conversation with a three year old

What you doing?
Making waffles for Karen.
Why?
Cause she's hungry.
Why?
Cause she just woke up.
Why?
Cause she was done sleeping.
So she huny?
Yes.
Zoe huny too.
Zoe already ate.
Why?
Cause you woke up at 6am.
Why?
God only knows.
What are you making?
Waffles!
I have wappoos too?
Okay.
Why?
(gritted teeth.) Cause you wanted some.Here.
Tank you.What are you doing?
Making a waffle for Karen cause the one I made us was too hard for her so I am making her a soft one.
Why?
Cause she can't chew a hard one.
Why?
Cause she doesn't have enough teeth.
Auntie? What are you giving Karen?
Waffles!
Why?
(Silence)
Auntie?
What Zoe?
What are you eating?

Oh Yeah!

NTRWA congratulates the following finalists of the 2007 Great Expectations contest. We wish everyone the best of luck in the final round. PROMO -- NT is sponsoring a genuine TEXAS BBQ outing during National Conference. Check out the details on our website: NTRWA.ORG


~~ Long & SHORT Contemporary Category ~~

FINAL ROUND EDITOR: Diana Ventimiglia, Editorial Assistant, Harlequin

Venus in Blue Jeans by Margaret Batschelet

A Dash of Desire by Teri Brown

Illegally Yours by Lora Kenton

Deadline by Donna McGoldrick

The Doctor's Chateau by Mona Risk


That's me! Some judge comments...

Question on the comment section of the score sheet: What are one or two things you feel were well done?

Absolutely everything. I’ve read “cooking and recipe” value-added contemporary romances, and this one is fantastic! Loved the description of the beer cheese appetizers. Loved it!

There isn’t anything I don’t love!

This is absolutely outstanding. I wish the entire thing was here in my hands!

I could only hope that someday my reviews are as good:)

Nine Articles

Yes. nine. Due before the end of the month. I must be insane. So much for working on Dash.

Heard nothing from the HQ American contest so I figure that boat has sailed. Considering they must get hundreds of entries, I'm not surprised I didn't place. Will hear on the Great Expectations contest toward the end of the month and then I'm done waiting to hear on contests till the GH.

I decided I must be doing something wrong because it is really stressful having these warm wee ones in my house. Am I not organized enough? What? I give them tons of time and attention and they still want more. They eat constantly. The three year old can't decide whether she wants to play in the backyard or stay in and the baby discovered her voice and walks around the house shrieking at the top of her lungs. I don't remember this when my kids were young. Now granted, I understand these kids are probably still in shock to have all their needs met in a timely manner, but still. But, it is incredibly gratifying to see how happy they are. They are positively thriving. Their lawyer said as much when she visited.

But I still have to get up at 4:30 am to get anything done.

Hitting the Mark and The Nymph King!

Two great friends - Two February books!

This is the first time Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe
have books out at the same time!

For your paranormal taste, we have Valerian. Females young and old, beautiful and plain crave Valerian's touch. None can resist his blatant sensuality and potent allure until he steals Shaye Holling from a Florida beach and holds her prisoner in his underwater kingdom.

And when you're ready to read something contemporary, there is Hitting The Mark. Danni's a woman with a little revenge on her mind. Romantic Times says Hitting The Mark is, "impossible to put down."

Worth Framing

That top pix is the pix of the evening. One of her best friends took it and I just got it. YAY!

More photos!

Photos are trickling in from the party of the year!

Party of the Year

It was a young adult writer's dream. twenty seven teens between the ages of thirteen and seventeen all converged to have the time of their young lives. I disappeared into Mom mode and kept my ears open as I darted hither and thither doing mom things. Got all the drama. Here's a few pix... will post more as they come in!

Happy Birthday to my Girl

Yesterday, my baby turned sixteen. Happy birthday to one of the lights of my life. I actually think this is one of the first photos in years where she's smiling. First she hid her teeth because they were crooked and then she hid them because she had braces...now she is always smiling!

THE UPCOMING SWEET SIXTEEN

As many of you know, I have been getting up at 5:00- 5:30 am for quite soem time. I am just here to tell you that 4:30 am is not 5:30 am. 4:30 am is inhuman.

So what does that make me?

Had to do it th0ugh. I have to work and shower before they get up, otherwise I resemble something from the black lagoon.

Been working on the birthday party. Here's the list of things I have done/ordered so far

• 32 confirmed teens (There's going to be more. I can feel it)
• lovely venue
• 5 real flower boquets--daisies and one sprayed carnations. (black)
• 3 silk flower boquets (black and white)
• Ribbons, tule, garlands, pillar candles, silver trays, black decorative rocks(to set candles in on the silver trays) and white table clothes for decorations.
• One huge cake
• one limo that will take them(ten) to the best viewpoints in Portland, the waterfront, the chocolate cafe and cruising.
• one gift card to a moonstruck chocolate cafe for downtown portland
• two chocolate fountains and one punch fountain (borrowed from a friend. Still have no idea where to buy the chocolate to run them!)
• Stereo System for venue. (Married to a musician. That was easy.)
• one gorgy sleeveless white dress for dd.

Still have to get/order:

• Food
• Balloon Boquets
• plates and utensiles (Plastic and paper)
• Bunch of Cd's (DD is burning them.)
• stuff for punch
• clothes for me!

This will be the party of the century!

Best Prank Evah

BETTER THAN YESTERDAY PRANK CONTEST

The best prank I ever pulled? I had just gotten together with Dh. (As you read, remember this was the late eighties, Dh had hair and was in a band and I had bigger hair and was skinny. We were also stoned much of the time.)

A friend of mine gave me a little bag of dehydrated fish for my cats. I had like five or six cats at the time and they were eye-poppingly appreciative of the fish. For some reason, I got the idea to throw one of the fish into the shower while my Dh (then boyfriend,) was in there. He didn't see me and I heard him yelling several minutes later. I walked in and to this day have no clue on how I kept a straight face cause he was trying to peer into the shower head while the water was running. (I told you we were stoned much of the time.) Because, well, you know what dehydrated things do when suddenly hydrated.

That night, before heading to bed, I tossed one into the sink and splashed a little water on it. Sucker fattened right up. He got up the next morning to make coffee and found a little silver fish in the sink. He woke me up and dragged me to the kitchen to see. This time I was able to actually laugh because finding fish around your house is pretty freaking funny. High or not.

I did it one more time in the shower before I finally had to tell him it was me. I managed to keep a straight face as he told all our friends over coronas and nachos . I even managed to get through him describing in detail the amazement of the little fish swimming out of the sewer to his mother. But when he was telling the story to our LANDLORD, I finally had to fess up, amidst much hilarity and rolling on the floor. At least on my part.

Better Than Yesterday, by Robyn Schneider, is a novel about four former friends who created an underground pranking society, the Hilliard Hell Raisers. Now seniors at Hilliard Preparatory School, when the friends try to ressurect the Hell Raisers, some unpleasant secrets surface instead. The secrets lead them away from the gated grounds of their prep school and to the streets of New York City, where they figure out who--and what--is worth believing in. To enter the contest, write a description of the best prank you ever pulled, or the best prank you ever wanted to pull, post it in your blog along with the rules to this contest and email the link to robynschneider at yahoo dot com with the subject line "prank contest."The contest is open NOW to US residents only and ends on February 5th at Noon EST.

Prizes are as follows:First Place: The person with the prank deemed the best/most awesome (by Robyn) wins One signed copy of Better Than Yesterday, and 4 other YA titles chosen at random. (That's 5 books!) Plus, their prank will be posted in Queued Paper (Robyn's blog), www.robbiewriter.livejournal.com.
Second Place: One signed copy of Better Than Yesterday and 2 other YA titles chosen at random. (That's 3 books!) Their prank posted in Queued Paper, www.robbiewriter.livejournal.com.
Third Place: One signed copy of Better Than Yesterday. Their prank posted in Queued Paper, www.robbiewriter.livejournal.com.Runners up might also receive prizes if they are particularly witty and beguiling.

Still Alive!

And still writing. Actually did a few pages in Dash yesterday morning. Sent out the Gotcha entry to Susan Litman. Sent out a W9. I'm plugging away.

The girls are wonderful. Had another trip to the ER with the youngest who decided she wanted to smash her upper lip and gum on the coffee table. We walked out of there and she looked as if she'd been in a baby rumble with her broken arm, fat lip and dried blood down the front of her shirt. Her little gray sweat jacket had one arm cut out of it for her cast and we had stuck a stocking cap on her head to keep her warm. As my daughter put it, "She looks like a PIMP!" Not sure what that means, but it's funny.

Daycare is set up for next week, two days a week for six hours each day. They will get to go play on a farm while I get some work done. And I am uber excited because I wrote to a Catholic school up the street and asked for a scholarship for Zoe and I think we're going to get one! She could honestly use the stimulation. I think it will be so good for her. That will be twice a week for three hours each time. Then my respite people will have them like every other weekend for about 24 hours... so it will all be good for them and us.

My nonfiction career is going wacky right now. Hyper PR people and multiple interview reschedules. Craziness.

Off to the race. Must finish an article before it's time for diapers and cereal.