. . . and the May contest winner is . . . Diane B. Your book is in the mail!

Thank you to all who entered!

March 2008

Is that right? March? Already? Wait . . . as I type this it'll be April tomorrow. So scratch that. April? Already?

I just finished reading Blackthorne's Bride by Shana Galen. Loved it. Laughed, smiled, and drooled at Galen's hero, Jack. If you love fast-paced, road romances with sparks that will make you smile and giggle, get thee to a bookstore . . .

January 2008

Happy New Year!! Hopefully your holidays weren't anywhere near as hectic as mine! My word, I ate too many cookies. I . . . cannot . . . resist . . .

At The Bride Hunt Ball is almost here! I can't wait! Just a few more months now. =)

October 2007

 . . . and now presenting Adventures in Grass-cutting . . .

My goal: to cut grass for husband.

Motivation: he'd had a bad day and I was looking to score some brownie points.

The conflict: Darn it! The dang contraption was out of gas.

Resolution: Found gas and began mowing.

More conflict: So, really, who would have guessed the setting was so slow that I'd cut down to the dirt? It left a neat, bare, grass-stripped row, curving 'round to the front yard, too. What took me so long to figure out the blade setting was too low, you ask? I dunno. One would think the cloud of dirt and clumps of grass flying out of the sides of the mower would have triggered a hint of some sort.

Husband, scratching his head, comes to my rescue (or would that be the lawns rescue?) and teaches me how to adjust the wheels.

And MORE conflict: Oh, yeah. I should've just called it quits at that point, but I think I needed to learn some kind of lesson. Like: Never leave the house again. Anyhoo, I'm coming around the side of the house, pretending the other stuff never happened, when the wheel seemed to have become wedged on the sill of the basement window. I wiggled. I yanked. And then, in true dumbbell fashion, I pushed. Hard. Yep. I tore the dryer vent clean off the side of house. But I'm proud to say I didn't miss a beat. Just scooped up the broken pieces and put them in my pocket and continued on, praying my neighbors weren't watching.

The final report: The rest of the mowing was carried out without further . . . obstacles . . . and after the intial shock, husband realized his wife's actions were well-intentioned. Dryer vent is now fixed, dry patch of dirt is sprouting threads of fresh grass, and wife is now banned from cutting the grass until further notice.

=)

Happy Halloween!

August 2007

Back to school is upon us! Now I don't mean to sound too excited, I love having my kids home and all, however, they're so bored they're driving us crazy.  Truly, all I feel I do all day is cook, clean-up, wash clothes, and settle sibling disputes. My two year-old son will be glad to have a break, as well. With two older sisters, he's plenty tired of being forced to play Beauty Salon. There's only so much purple eye shadow glitter a boy can take.

Oh, sure, I'm all flustered now, but come the first week of school I'll be looking for excuses to keep them home with me to watch cartoons, eat brownies, and snuggle.

June 2007

I've met my first deadline. Yay! And I've learned many things about myself (and others) during this period.

1. Eating three chocolate bars whilst writing does NOT make me a faster writer . . . just a chubbier one.

2. I love my husband . . . even though he hogs the computer.

3. My two-year old son has developed a keen awareness to the sound mommy's computer chair makes when she sinks (sneaks) into it.

4. Willing to weed the spider-infested knot of shubbery growing behind the birdbath does NOT mean I'm tidy and brave, but rather, I'm simply procrastinating about writing again.

5. I make lists when I'm procrastinating.

Up next, I'm going to delve into what I know is going to be a wonderful book by one of my favorite authors. Samantha James's THE SECRET PASSION OF SIMON BLACKWELL.

March 2007

Argh! One more month until Anna Campbell's CLAIMING THE COURTESAN comes out! The wait, I must tell you, has been s-l-o-w going. This is one book I can't wait to read! I've bugged her enough about it, but geesh, with the smokin' hot excerpt she posted on her site, who wouldn't be impatiently anticipating getting their eager hands on this book?

February 2007

To my complete surprise THE BRIDE HUNT BALL won first place in the short historical category in WHRWA's The Emily contest!

December 2006

I have an actual agent! At this point I don't think I'll ever fit in my new writer shoes. Oh, they're nice shoes and I've been looking at them through the window for a long time. But in my heart, I'm still wearing my comfy, familiar flip-flops, my nose buried in a book while far-fetched dreams spin in my head.

THE BRIDE HUNT BALL is a finalist in the WHRWA contest!

October 2006

Well, during the first half of the month, I somehow managed to forget all about it. Maybe it was the hustle and rush of a new school year. Maybe I just mentally stashed it away under the file headed: Give it up already, you big dolt!

And then on a cold afternoon as I was just leaving the house, the phone rings. The caller ID reads: New York call. My head starts buzzing. Who do I know from New York? Hmm? Well, absolutely nobody. Thinking it was probably a telemarketing call, I answered it none to happily, my mind poised and ready to politely decline whatever the caller was offering. I said, 'hello' and the person on the other end started talking. And then . . . my thoughts froze. All I heard was the word "Avon" said in a cheerful, lovely voice. It couldn't be! But it was! My legs went all wobbly and I couldn't get my brain to work. I think I asked Esi Sogah to repeat herself four or five times.  I made it to the kitchen, then slumped to the floor unbeknownst to my editor. My editor? Will I ever get used to saying that? 

I couldn't believe it. I couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't stop worrying my husband was going to remember that stupid bet!

September 2006

Have given up looking for returned ms. Husband still thinks Avon will buy it. I completely disagree, so much so, that I make a STUPID bet with him that THANK GOD he doesn't remember now.

Note to self: Stop making scandalous bets with scoundrel husband.

I enter West Houston RWA's The Emily Contest with first chapter of THE BRIDE HUNT BALL.

August 2006

Yep, I'm still looking for it. Husband starts different tactic--now thinks they're going to buy it. I tell him he's crazy and then scurry back to my corner to await tomorrow's mail.

July 2006

Spend this month in much the same fashion as June. Husband is now looking for returned manuscript as well in order to comfort weeping wife. Kids have no idea why parents run to the door when the mail comes.

June 2006

I spend each day wating for the mailperson to dump my returned, unopened, rejected manuscript on my front step. Husband starts to get annoyed. Kids don't notice.