Me and Modern Extra?

I recently had some very good advice from a very reliable source that my voice may be better suited for the Modern Extra line than for the Romance line. The only thing missing from my current ms? S-e-x! Well, maybe not the only thing, but the most prevalent thing. So what does this mean? Simply, I won't be submitting any time soon.

As disappointed as I am by this, I definitely don't want to waste the one chance I get to submit this ms to Harlequin by submitting to the wrong line. I want to do it right. So that means going back over my ms, tweaking the hero's conflict to better reflect the line and adding in some juicy sex scenes. I don't have a problem with the last piece. I was actually a little upset that I wasn't able to include any sex scenes when subbing to the Romance line. They're so much fun to write...

...and even more fun to research!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope all of the mothers reading this post are having a wonderful mother's day. My dh just took the kids out to give me some time to myself. Yay! I got some wonderful gifts from my kids including some lovely homemade cards and such.

My most favourite gift was an interview that my daughter's JK teacher did with her asking her questions about me. The first question was how old is your mother. My daughter's response...14! Gotta love it.

My husband also made a video card of the kids wishing me happy mother's day with my youngest blowing kisses. So cute.

Wishing all of you a happy and relaxing mother's day!

Baby Steps

I just submitted a non-fiction piece to Woman's World magazine! It's an article that I wrote two years ago and have yet to find a home for, but I love it. It's the story of my wedding day and the ways in which I became convinced that my father, who had passed away two years earlier, was with me on that special day. It's a story that moves me to tears whenever I read it, and I hope Woman's World finds it as touching.

Although this isn't as big as submitting my romance novel, it's a step in the right direction.

Baby steps, I keep telling myself. Baby steps.

Marcy

Mommy's Toes

Totally unrelated to writing, but I had to share this funny story. I was getting ready to go to the Christening of a friend's baby and since it was unseasonably warm, I decided to wear sandals. However, as all you women know, you absolutely must have fresh painted toes when you wear sandals the first time of the season. And so while DH took the kids out to get some groceries (what a great guy!), I quickly painted my toes a nice shiny red.

When my kids came home I was all ready to go to the Christening. It wasn't until I had my sandals on that my oldest dd (almost 5 yrs old) noticed my toes and commented "I like your toes, Mommy,...." she continued, "...but who painted them?"

How sad is it that my daughter thinks the only way that Mommy's toes get painted is if she gets a pedicure? I do paint them by myself occasionally. Honest! I'm not so pampered that I can get a pedicure whenever I want my toes painted. Although I have to admit...I do prefer to have someone else do it : -)

From the mouths of babes...

What about you? Have you had your first pedicure of the season?

Next blog it's back to writing topics. Honest again.

By George, I've got an idea!

Picture this - I'm sitting alone in my very hip, non-mommy mobile (aka minivan), waiting for the world's longest, slowest train to pass. I'm listening to the radio and my mind starts to wander, as is usually the case with us writers ;). And that's when it hits me - the idea for my next story. It unfurled before my eyes as if I was watching a movie. It was quite fascinating actually. By the time I got home, I was so excited I couldn't wait to share it with my husband, who replied with the apporopriate uh huh's and hmm's but I could tell he didn't get the magnitude of what had just happened. I'd just gotten past the hurdle of my first ms and was ready to move on...finally.

As soon as I had five minutes alone I kidnapped the computer and started doing some research for my heroine's job, and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of info I was able to collect (she's an A&R scout for a recording company). So now I'm itching to get started, but can't. Not until I mail off my partial for me current wip, which will hopefully be within a few weeks.

Needless to say, I'm anxious to mail that sucker off now, and that beats panicking any day.

Chapter 3 is complete!

Yay! I finished revising chapter 3 today. Hooray! And I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I made some significant revisions given changes to the story line that I've made since I wrote it, but not too overwhelming. Just enough to make the story a lot tighter. I love it.

I've sent it off to my critique partner to review, and then I'm sending it into a contest that an author is holding. I want to get all the feedback I can before I mail it off. I figure that I'll only get one chance with this ms--I want it be be everything that I know it can be.

Wish me luck...

I Think Too Much

Now that I'm sufficiently filled with candy, chocolate etc, it's back to work.

It's funny, I wrote a chapter for a round robin writing compilation, and I couldn't believe how quickly I finished it. 1000 words written and polished within 3 hours. Why can't I work that fast on my ms? I think it's because it was new and exciting where as I've been working on the same ms for 4 years. It's changed a lot...but it still has the same characters, same setting, same, same, same. Part of me is excited to just get it in the mail so I can move on to something new, something fresh. But at the same time, I want to make sure that my current ms is as good as it can possibly be before sending it off.

I know, I know...I think too much. I'm working on it.

Marcy
P.S. My daughter never got any spots! Thanks for your good wishes.

The Fever Has Broken

I'm so relieved! My daughter's fever has finally broken after 4 days. Hopefully this means she'll sleep through the night tonight : ) I guess the only thing to do now is wait and see if she gets the spots associated with Roseola. Keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't get any.

Maybe I'll try and get some much needed writing done this weekend.

Yay for the long weekend! I soooo need a break!

No time for writing...

My critique partner now has my revised chapters 1, 2 and my synopsis for review. All I have to do is revise chapter 3 and I'm ready to submit. But I haven't had much time for writing lately.

My youngest dd (16 months) has had a fever for 3 days and has been vomiting. It's so sad. All she wants is to be held. And we just found out that another child at her daycare has Roseola, which starts with a 3-5 day fever followed by a rash when the fever breaks. So, she won't be going back to day care tomorrow, which means I won't be going back to work. Oh well. Maybe I'll be able to duck in for the morning if dh can stay home.

The joys of daycare.

Getting Cold Feet

So, I'm nearing the end. I'm almost done with the revisions on my first 3 chapters, and then I'll be able to send them off to Richmond. I should be excited, relieved, on cloud nine, right? So how come I feel like I'm about to upchuck my last meal whenever I think about it? It might have something to do with the fact that I've heard about several writers on the eHarlequin boards receiving rejections (some of them very positive rejections, but rejections none the less) recently. These are talented writers. What makes me think mine will be any different?

And this is when analysis paralysis takes over. I tend to over think things (go figure--I make my living as an analyst). But I can't help wondering what I'll do if they reject my ms? I've been working on it for 4 years! Will all that work have been for nothing? As long as I hang on to it, it can't be rejected, right? I know that's a stupid attitude, but I can't help that mentality from creeping in once in a while. But don't worry--I don't give in to it. I'm going to submit...and soon.

Get ready stomach. You're in for a bumpy ride.

Short and Sweet - Who Me?

I recently learned that Harlequin Romance line asks that synopses for submission to their line be one single spaced page. One page! How the bleep am I going to boil my whole story with all of its intricacies, down to one page? I mean, I can do it of course, but doing it well is another story. I want to make sure that I still capture the growing emotion without watering it down too much. Does anyone have any tips? Just when I thought I was getting close to having my submission ready, there's another curve ball.

On a lighter note, did any one catch Geoffrey Dean Morgan's (aka Denny Duquette) cameo on Grey's Anatomy last week? Sigh. I just love him to pieces. Every time I see him all I can think about is Owen from my wip since he's who I've cast as my hero.

Which leads me to my question to all you writer's out there...Do you cast actors for your characters? Do you think it helps to write a more believable character?

How much snow???

The forecast was calling for 50 cm. For all the Americans out there...that's about 20 inches! I'm not sure how much snow actually fell, but it was A LOT! So much that we had a snow day today. Yay! I know I'll pay for it later in the week, but it was worth it to stay home with my girls.

The best part of a snow day? Playing in the snow. Here is a photo of my oldest before she started diving into the drifts at the side of our drive way. To give it a little perspective, she's about 40 inches tall. And the other is a photo of the drifts outside our side door. I tried to shovel a little path for the dog (a Shih Tzu -- poor guy has incredibly short legs), but it just kept filling in.

Here's hoping the roads are clear tomorrow since I don't think I'll be able to squeeze another day off out of this storm. But I could try...

The Flu Enigma

How is that that after getting the flu and eating nothing more than 4 slices of toast over 2 days, I didn't lose any weight. I mean not a single pound! I'm not actively attempting to lose weight, but that is usually one of the --I mean the only-- benefit of getting the stomach flu and I got nothin'. So much for the post flu binge.

On the plus side, my work recently transferred me to our office that is about a ten minute drive from our house. How great is that? Since I started my professional career I have never worked and lived in the same city--until now. And I'm loving it! Definitely makes the daycare dash at the end of the day that much easier. If I have to work, this is the way to do it.

Casting Success

Many writers spend hours searching the web for the perfect photo of the perfect hero/heroine to cast for their WIP. I never really thought this was necessary. Surely my time would be better spent writing rather than looking through page after page of photos, I thought. I had a mental picture of my hero/heroine. That was enough, right? I thought so until I had my critique partner read my WIP and comment that my she pictured my hero as headless. That's a bit of a problem. Headless is not sexy.

Needless to say, I have to go back and add more description.

I came to the conclusion that I was lacking description of my hero because I couldn't see him in as much detail as I needed to. So I started looking for a photo of the man that I pictured. I've gone back and forth with who I think best represented Owen as I've pictured him and kept coming up luke warm. That was until I saw an episode of Rachel Ray that had a guest appearance by Jeffrey Dean Morgan -- aka Denny Duquette from Gray's Anatomy...yummm! The minute I saw him I thought, that's Owen! He is so sexy, so sweet, so Owen! Those dimples, that scruff on his chin. He is so hot. And the best part is that I've got an excuse to start printing off photos of him without causing my husband to raise an eyebrow. It's research, dear. Just research.


I love research.

Sign Me Up!

The Pink Heart Society is starting a new club -- the FinDaBoo club, and I'm all over it. Anything that encourages me to write instead of vegging in front of the TV or surfing the internet after I get the kids to bed is a good thing.


Also, I've got myself a fantabulous critique partner who I have really clicked with (yes...that's you Kerrie). Despite the fact that she's in Australia, I really feel as though we have a connection. Our writing styles are very similar, so I hope we can keep each other motivated to submit this year. This is the year!

Back to Work

Today was my second day back at my day job, and I have to say that getting up to go to work everyday sucks. I much prefer my leisurely life of rolling out of bed when the kids wake, watching cartoons as I emerge from my sleepy stupour, and then getting dressed when I'm good and ready. I've never been a quick moving morning person and definitely not a fan of the alarm clock, but unfortunately I've had to become reacquainted with both. And I've also had to get reacquainted with a dear old friend named caffeine. I've been caffeine free since my pregnancy but I've come to discover that it is impossible to get through the work day without it--that is unless I drop my head on my desk and have a cat nap (frowned upon in the workplace). So caffeine it is.

I had plans to spend my lunch hours writing, but in the past two days I've been so busy getting back up to speed that I haven't been able to and have been brain dead by the evening. Hopefully things will calm down by next week so I can finish up the last few scenes in my wip. I'm so close I can taste it. That thought is enough to keep me going. Now if only my work would understand that I have important writing to do even though they're paying me to work *snicker*.

Tuesday is D-Day

I only have four more days before I have to go back to work. Ugh. I am not looking forward to getting back to the daily grind. It's not that I dislike my job. It's actually a great job. It's just that life is going to be so rushed--from dashing out on my lunch to pick up my dd at school and take her to daycare, to rushing out after work to pick up the kids, to making a quick dinner because kids are starving, and finally to giving quick baths and enjoying a bit of playtime before bed. It all moves by in such a blur.

My only hope is that if I keep on writing maybe, just maybe someday I'll get published and will be able to quit my day job in favour of staying home to write. Now that would be a dream come true. So I'll keep plugging away at it. I have to keep remembering...I can do it!

Which leads me to my New Years resolution. In 2007 I vow that I will, without a doubt...

• Finish the first draft of my wip (Jan/Feb)
• Write a new synopsis and polish the first three chapters and send them off to Richmond (March)
• Immediately start a new ms so I don't lose momentum
• Soak up as much knowledge as possible from other authors (which shouldn't be a problem with all of the books I'm getting every month from Harlequin!)

This is not the first time that I've vowed to finish my ms, but this time I mean it! I'm going to do this or go crazy trying. 2007 is my turning point, and hopefully it leads to something wonderful.

What about you? Have you made any resolutions for 2007?

Published!

The day has finally arrived. Harlequin published the winning entries from the Ultimate Reunion contest on their website--including my entry! It was such a rush to see my name on their website. I can only hope that one day it will be followed by " is one of our best selling authors."

I can dream, can't I?

Here is the link to view the contest entries if you're interested. The other winning entries were great! I thoroughly enjoyed them both. Be warned...the last one is a real tear jerker!

Merry Christmas to Me!

I just sent the paper work in to Harlequin to receive my prize from the Ultimate Reunion contest: a year's worth of books from the line of my choice! I can't wait to start receiving them. It will be such a treat to always have a wonderful new story at my fingertips rather than trailing the kids down to the library to get my fix. How wonderful! I couldn't have asked for a nicer Christmas present.

On a separate note, it's officially 3 weeks before I have to return to work from my mat leave. :-( I can't belive how quickly the time has gone. Part of me will be glad to have the adult interaction again, but the larger part of me is sick to death to have to leave my kids. I know they'll adjust and probably thrive in the process, but I can't stop the oh so motherly guilt from gripping my heart at the mere thought. I know...I won't think about it anymore. That will fix it. Done!

I Won! I Won! I Won!

Excuse me while I scream...Ahhh! I got an email this morning saying that I won Harlequin's Ultimate Reunion contest! I'd all but given up hope of winning since it had been a week since the winners were chosen and I hadn't heard anything. I was sure that was because three other lucky and talented writers had won, been notified, and were too humble to come gloat on the website. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from an unknown name today with the subject line of Ultimate Reunion contest. It is such a thrill to be chosen knowing that there were many, many talented writers who entered.

So I'm on a bit of a high today. I know that it's nothing like selling a manuscript, but to me it's the justification that I haven't been wasting my time with all of the writing I've been doing. Maybe I really do know what I'm doing. Now that's a pleasant thought. This is just the kick in the a** that I need to get my wip finished.

You better believe I'll be writing tonight!