Hellofa Week! 08/06/2011
 
It's been a hell of a week for yours truly.  Where to begin?

At the urging of a friend, I signed up for one of those on-line dating thingamabops.  It's a new age, people are busy, who has time?  I understand the concept.  But remember, I've been out of the dating loop for over 3 decades.  (God, that makes me sound so old!)  So what do I get right out of the box?  Two, count them, 2 internet predators.  It was quite the learning experience.  Perhaps more so for them, than me.   LOL

Boys, we southern girls didn't just fall off the cabbage truck.  We will find you and it won't be pretty.

So you pick yourself up, dust your bruised ego and climb back on that bronc.  Time will tell if I'll find Mr. Right or not.  I'm in no rush.  Much.
I spoke to a very nice man last evening...

Two job interviews this week as well.  Waiting on the outcomes.  They are still interviewing so I will have a lot of competition.I should know something by the end of next week.

Dare to Dream is out on Amazon!  Yeah, it surprised me too.  I have my release date pretty firm for
Mr. Fix-it--August 30th.  I still need my cover art and line edits, but all systems are go otherwise.  Check My Stories page for blurbs and buy links.

The folks in New York still have parts or all of my urban fantasy series.
~sigh~ New York has their own time table which I am pretty sure will result in my posthumous acclaim. When I said I wanted to be on the New York Times Best Seller's list in five years I didn't mean five after I died.

My fault, I wanted to be a writer.

Speaking of dead.  It's been 105 or more for a week.  Zero rain.  I'm feeding my winter hay.  This does not bode well.

Hugs!
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Geeze Louise! 08/03/2011
 
Feast in the workplace and famine at home?

What the hell is she talking about now, you might well ask.  I have two job interviews this week.  That is a good thing, right?  Sure, unless they both decide to say yes.  Then I have to make a decision.  Just now, I am not sure I am capable.  (Of course, they COULD say no...)

My second book is due to release very soon.  Great!  Yes, it is, but I have to make a decision there as well.   I need a few more naughty words to get into one category and a few less for another.  Yep, believe it or not, publishers count the words in more ways than one.

So there is my professional life.  My personal one ain't no better.  How's that for grammar folks?  (My publisher is cringing.)

My experiences in on-line dating have been eyeopening to say the very least.  Both my first and second "friend" ended up being internet predators. Oh!  Lucky me!  So, ladies check all your files for a man from Nigeria (or possibly Paris, Houston and parts unknown)  who is in some sort of export business.  petercannon44@yahoo.com has many aliases, Peter Cannon, Kelvin Collins, Bradley Jones, Mike Francis to name a few.  He's been on Face Book and all the networking/dating sites.

Lesson learned.

And guys, could you read the profiles before you clink the little button?  No smokers means NO SMOKERS and ditto for HUNTERS.  I want Bambi in the forest NOT with his ass on the dinner table with his head over the fire place.

Rant over.  Work now.

Be safe!
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Yet.  I try to be a good little blogger and keep my website nice and tidy but that may be asking too much for the next month at least.  Why?
I start a new job tomorrow.  Not a writing job, although it is sort of related.  I am going to work for our local public library.  Yep!

And because the fates like to do funny things with a poor mortals, next Monday starts the National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo, to those in the know.  I signed up.

This is a challenge to write 50,000 words in the space of a month, 30 days (29 if you plan to take off for Thanksgiving).  The idea is to be so focused on word count that you don't stop to edit your work, just write, write, write!  Believe it our not, most writers are their own worst critique and can't seem to finish a piece because the are continually editing what they just wrote.

Unfortunately the creative side of our brains and the analytical side do not play well together.  Trust me, I found this out the hard way!

So, having to crank out 1666.66 words (about a chapter for most of us) per day, every day for a month leaves no time for the critical side of our minds to get in our way.

I am a glutton for punishment it seems.  New job and a chapter a day on a brand new novel.  By December 1st, I should have the makings of at least the major part of my time travel fantasy, Dare to Dream and be settled into my new job...or dead.  In the meantime, bear with me. 

There is only so much time in 24 hours ...like 24 hours ... and it takes me at least 6 uninterrupted to write 1666.66 words, (I have to think of the words, put them in some sort of order that makes sense and type them out okay?) then the job, and the dogs and well... something has to give way.  So do not panic, I'm probably still alive.

Probably.
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Someday... 10/22/2010
 
How many times have you said, "someday when...?"   Someday when you have time, someday when you retire, someday when you are rich and famous...Okay, the last one may just be me.  No, I think we all have higher aspirations at some time in our lives, to be more than we are, the dream of wonderful things yet to come.  Dreaming is good, planning even better, but unless you work toward that dream it isn't likely to happen.  Trust me I know.

I know it isn't easy to reach for the stars when your boss is gripping at you, the twins are teething  and the water heater gave up the ghost just after you got the shampoo lathered into your hair, but, that is when you need your dreams most.  When life is beating down to the dirt reach for the stars!

It is great when others believe in you.  I have friends who tell me I will be the next Stephanie Meyer, only for grown-ups.  I smile and say, "Oh pshaw!  You're gonna give me a swelled head talkin' that sweet talk."  Inside my heart grows a little bigger because they believe in my stories.  But here are the cold hard facts: If I don't believe in me, their confidence won't help.  I have to hang tough. 

Be it fortunate or unfortunate, the writing game can often boil down to luck.  The submission they read just prior to yours got a contract and they only had one slot open for your genre that period.  You send your manuscript to editor a who, unbeknownst to you, got her pink slip that morning.  I doubt seriously any ms is going to make an impression when she is wondering how she is going to pay her rent and feed the kitty.

Yes, it sucks, but that is the way it goes.  But, do you know what?  If you give up before you start it won't happen either.  So write that book, invent that thing-a-ma-bob to make dog hair on the floor and upholstery disappear, a car that runs on air, whatever you have been dreaming of.

Hang on to your day job.  Dreaming takes but an instant, fulfilling one can take a lifetime.  Here's hoping all your dreams come true. xoxo
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Do you ever... 10/03/2010
 
Do you ever feel like you are running up-hill, only the "hill" is actually Mount Everest?  I'm having one of those times.  I'm about to whine a little bit, so be warned.

I am one of those people who likes to believe she is in control of her life. Normally I have no problem with this, but for the past few days I seem to be adrift. 

I have things I need to do, but I have to wait on others to make their decisions, make the first move.   Waiting has never been one of my best things.  And, it's not just in my work life, although that is a BIG part of it.  I wait for publishers and agents to respond to queries, partials and fulls.  I need to get Midnight Sun published, there are two more finished novels hinging on the one.  Yes, any of them could stand alone.  But I wrote a series, I want a series, I read series.  I warned you I would be whining.

Now I find myself waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop in my personal life as well.  Will I get hired for the job I applied for?  How will that affect my writing?  My dogs?

I hate waiting.
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