In need of inspiration

I'm hoping to get some help from my cyber-friends. I'm having trouble coming up with a heroine inspiration for my WIP. She is brunette, cute, natural looking, more comfortable in workout pants and t-shirt with her hair in a pony tail. She's in shape, and as a rock climbing instructor she's pretty tough. Any actresses coming to mind?

My initial though was Hilary Swank, but I'm rethinking that. She not quite cute enough for my mental image (I'm picturing brown doe eyes and a smattering of freckles--but the freckles are negotiable). Here is a picture of the hero, if that helps.

I'd love to hear any thoughts you have. I hope that once I have a clear visual of my heroine, my muse might just start working again.

Winner!

No, I didn't win a writing contest, but I did win a contest run by Harlequin Romance authors Jennie Adams and Donna Alward. The prize...hardcover copies of both of their new releases! Yippee! I always get such a thrill from adding new books to my growing library and reading them will be an even bigger thrill. Thanks, ladies!

On the writing front, the winners of the Instant Seduction contest have been chosen and will be notified before Easter! Since there were over 600 entries, I'm not expecting to be one of them, but I am excited to read the winning entries. Good luck to everyone who entered. It would be so exciting if someone from the eHarlequin community won!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In case I don't make it back here on Monday, wanted to wish you all a happy St. Patricks Day. I'll be working and then going to a memorial service for my Romance Writing teacher who passed away last week, so have a frosty mug of green beer for me!

Something New!

I just knocked off another short story for Woman's World, and I LOVE it. It's got the feel good emotion that I think my last story was missing. And the thing I like most about it...it's believable. I can actually see this scene unfolding...somewhere. And since it involves a couple on the brink of divorce, I think there are many women who will be able to relate to it. The idea just hit me one day, and I wrote it in a few hours. It's funny how quickly things can move along when you love what you're writing.

Hopefully I'll get it in the mail tomorrow. And then it's back to the waiting game. Last time it took 5 months for a response. But at least when I'm waiting I feel like a real writer instead of a 'wanna be' who talks about writing but never really does it.

Maybe this one will be the charm. WW is a tough nut to crack, but I'm determined to do it!

P.S. What do you think of the new blog template? Wanted to change things up a bit but not sure that I love it.

Sad

I had some very sad news yesterday. The man who taught me my first Romance Writing course, the man who got me excited about the genre and made me feel as if I really could make it in the industry, passed away yesterday.

His name was Tom Torrance, and he was a wonderful teacher. At 57 years old, he taught many writing classes at my local college: Romance, Writing for Publication, Grammar for Writing, Writing Children's Stories...and the list goes on. He was so knowledgeable and a wonderful man personally as well. He was always the first to cheer you on when you submitted somewhere and to encourage you to try again if you received a R.

His death is a tremendous loss.
I'll miss him.