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.

Subs and progress

I'll be subbing something tomorrow. Yay! It's a non-fiction article for a woman's mag, not romance, but the thrill is the same. I get such a rush from putting my words on paper for someone else to read and hopefully love. This story is very close to me since it's the tale of the events that convinced me that my father (who'd passed away 2 years earlier) was with me on my wedding day--a topic that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. I'll let you know how it goes.

On the romance writing front, I've started my new wip and I'm finding that there is still so much I need to nail down about my characters. I know I'll continue learning things as the ms progresses, so I'm just trying to make notes as I go so I can answer the questions early on in the process. Don't want too many surprises later.

Hope your writing is going well too.

Rejection and new hope.

Got a rejection last week for a short story that I subbed to a woman's magazine back in September. At least it was a good R...said that it was nicely written but too close to something they've already published. So I'm determined to find a unique angle.

But on the plus side I'm working on 2 new projects.

The first is another short story. It's rough right now, but I'm just trying to get it all down now. I'll polish it up later.

I'm also very pumped about my new ms. I've been doing a lot of work on understanding who my characters are--something I didn't do enough of with my first ms. And given the R it received, that's probably what was wrong with it. Needless to say I can't wait to get writing.

So much to do, so little time.

I made it!

The deadline for the Instant Seduction contest through Mills and Boon was yesterday, and I made it...just. I was still making revisions a few minutes before I hit the send button. But I think I do my best work under pressure, so we'll see how it goes.

I'm sure the competition for the contest is pretty steep, so I'm not holding my breath. But at least I know I gave it my best shot. Not much more I can do.

Good luck to all those who entered.

Tagging myself

How lame is that?

Saw this on Judy Jarvie's blog and thought I'd share six non-important things/habits/quirks about myself with all of you. So here goes:

1. I LOVE candy. Any kind of candy. I'm not picky. If I buy a bag I can't stop till it's gone. In honour of Vanetine's day, I'm currently enjoying a whole bag of cinnamon hearts. Spicy!
2. I cry easily. Give me an emotional situation, and I have a very hard time keeping my eyes dry. Sometimes I really hate it.
3. I'm a pack rat. Love to keep things for unknown reasons. But what if I need it one day...
4. I hate jumping in the shower first thing in the morning, although I have to do it 5 days a week. Heaven to me is lounging in my pj's with a hot cup of coffee. Drives DH crazy! He's a get up and go kinda guy.
5. In university, I was so afraid to flunk out that I barely went out the entire first year. Then I woke up, LOL.
6. I hate putting away laundry. Don't mind sorting it, washing it, folding it, but hate putting it away.

Okay, it's your turn to post six interesting/quirky things about yourself. C'mon, we wantta know...

The worm is growing...

No, this is not a reference to an erotic romance (ha, ha).

Take a look at the right side panel...see my new word meter? And it's got words in it! I'm making progress!

This is the story for the Instant Seduction contest, but isn't the one I originally started with. Given how long I'll end up spending with the story, I figured I better love it. I didn't, so I moved on.

This new story is based on a short story that I wrote for a contest and loved. It's coming along nicely, but I better put my butt in gear. The contest deadline is Feb 14.

Eek! Only two weeks?
Gotta go...

My baby is growing up

Last night I took my oldest daughter to get her first real haircut...and she's five years old! She had a little trim before, but this time she had her hair really cut...11 inches cut! Yikes.

The reason? She's donating her hair to an organization that makes wigs for children that have lost their hair due to sickness or injury and can't afford to buy them. I have to admit I did shed a few tears before the actual cutting. I feel like like I'm saying goodbye to my baby and welcoming a little lady...and it's a little hard for a mother to take.

But once I saw it done, she looked so beautiful and grown-up that I wondered why we hadn't done it sooner.

And it makes me feel really good to know that someone will be getting some use out of my baby's beautiful hair.

Excuse me while I go hug the pony tail one last time.

Time for reflection

Here I am on new year's eve--alone. Well not alone...I have my kids, but they'll be in bed long before the strike of midnight, so I'll be ringing in the new year alone. DH has to work tonight, as he has for the past 3 years, but usually I have somewhere to go. But the flu bug has invaded our house, so I'm assuming that we're not welcome at other people's houses (I don't blame them...it's a nasty bug that I would want to spread to anyone).

So all this alone time has left me with time for reflection, time to contemplate what I've accomplished this year and want to accomplish in 2008:

2007

• Started the year receiving a year's worth of free books from Harlequin after winning the Ultimate Reunion contest. What an ego boost! And let me tell you, my TBR pile is ready to topple!


• Entered Harlequin's Ultimate Secret contest and won an Honourable Mention and a free book. Nothing to sneeze at.


• Submitted my novel Her Client's Wishes to Mills and Boon/Harlequin Romance. It was rejected in November, but I did it! I wrote a book!


• Wrote and submitted a romantic short story to a woman's magazine. I'm still waiting to hear on that one.


• Started a new wip (Taking Care of Business) aimed at the Mills and Boon Modern Heat imprint and specifically the Instant Seduction contest for which the prize is an editor for a year! What could be better? I feel really good about this story. I learned a lot writing my first novel and won't make the same mistakes twice.

2008

• Finish and polish the first chapter and synopsis of my new wip for the Instant Seduction contest (deadline of mid February)


• Finish and submit my wip to M&B. They can't buy it if I don't submit!


• Get published in short fiction. Writing short fiction allows me to feel as though I'm accomplishing something since sometimes the length of a novel can seem beastly and beyond reach.

There. That wasn't so bad. I can do all of those things in a year, can't I? Well with my spare time tonight I guess there's no better time to start than the present.

Have a happy new year everyone, and most importantly...happy writing!

Tis the season

Tis the season to get all warm and squishy about everything that you're grateful for in your life, so here I go...

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing my oldest daughter perform in her Christmas concert. So there's my baby--the little girl who was so shy she pulled her skirt up on stage last year--singing her heart out in the front row doing all the actions like a pro. I was so proud of her. I think we have have an actress on our hands. That thought makes my husband cringe since he's worked in the entertainment industry for way too long and worked with way too many spoiled actresses, but I keep telling him that our daughter would be different because, of course, she's perfect!

And then today as I watched my two girls having so much fun playing in the bath together, laughing and squealing with delight, I realized how truly blessed I am. I really can't ask for more.

OK, warm squishy stuff is over.

Needless to say I haven't gotten much writing done. Tis also the season for procrastination. I'm hoping that once my shopping is done, the baking is complete, and all the get togethers are over, I'll have some time to sit down and write.

Here's hoping its not February before that happens.

Merry Christmas to everyone. Hope you have a joyous holiday!

Moving On

I've started working on a new story, and you know what...it feels good. Fresh characters, fresh story--it's exciting.

Have all of you read about the new Presents contest? It's sounds like a great opportunity to get noticed, so I think I'll aim this WIP in that direction (more of a Modern Heat vs traditional Presents). What the heck. It's time to mix things up.

Are any of you planning on entering?

Yuck

After 4 months of waiting, I got the dreaded R from M&B today. Yuck. And to make matters worse, it was a form R. So I have no idea what I did wrong. How can I be sure that I don't do the same thing again?

On the plus side, at least I can finally put this story to bed and move on to something new. I've been working on one story for far too long. Maybe that was part of the problem--maybe it had gotten stale.

So onward and upward.

Still sucks though.

It's Over

No, I'm not referring to my writing career, at least not yet (LOL).

My long awaited trip to Disney World is officially over, and I'm having some trouble adjusting to a reality that is not sugar coated and sprinkled with images of Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell. Disney knows how to do it right. Everything about the parks is perfect, including the service. You really can't ask for more. My daughter had the pleasure of having her hair styled like a princess in the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique and everyone in the salon played their parts to perfection. They treated her like a real princess from the moment we walked through the door (maybe a little too much since I had to remind her later in the day that she wasn't really a princess, and I wasn't really her servant, LOL). Here is a picture of my two perfect princesses with someone you might recognize.

Needless to say, I was sad to leave such a wonderful place. Although I wasn't sad to see my own bed and to sit down for more than five consecutive minutes. I think I need a vacation from my vacation!

Crazy for Disney!

Our upcoming trip to Disney has me totally obsessed with everything Disney related...hence the vampire Mickey pumpkin.

The anticipation of our trip is definitely making the waiting more tolerable. I'd almost forgotten that my response from Harlequin could be winging it's way across the Atlantic as we speak.

*gulp*

Frozen

And no, I don't mean the weather.

I've reached the final scene, the point where it all comes together, the H and h realize that they were meant to be together and they finally get their HEA. So you'd think I'd be chomping at the bit to get it finished...

Nope. I'm frozen. Can't seem to find any words that would be sum up what they'd be feeling at this point. So I've avoided the computer. Um, correction...I've avoided writing on the computer but have embraced blog hopping and Disney researching whole heartedly. Not very productive, I know.

On the eHarlequin boards one person posted that she hasn't yet heard back on her partial sent to M&B back in May. I sent mine in July, so I think I have a bit more time to polish this off.

Senseless rationalization, I know.

In the home stretch

I only have one more chapter to go in my revisions! Yay! The problem is that I find the end the hardest part to write. All the loose ends have to be tied, the emotion at its strongest, and above all else it has to be fulfilling for the reader. Not an easy order to fill.

I'm pushing myself to have this done before I leave on my Disney trip. I don't want to have that hanging over my head. If there is anything left to do, I want it to be minimal, so that when I get home from my trip to find a revision request in my mail box (the power of positive thinking), I'll be ready to mail it within a week or two.

As my own form of motivation, I've added some photos of my hero and heroine, Owen and Tess (quite a hot couple, huh?).

Enjoy.

Disney...here we come!

Now that we've spilled the beans about our upcoming trip to our kids, I can post as many pictures as I like. Yay! Although my oldest daughter wasn't quite as excited as I thought she'd be, I think that has more to do with her not truly understanding what it means to go to Disney. And my youngest doesn't understand any of it, but I know she'll love it just the same.

The only time I've been to Disney was when I was 6, and I still remember it as being a truly magical experience. I can't wait to share it with my kids! We're having breakfast with Cinderella, and she is getting her hair done up like a princess at the Bipitty Bopitty Boutique (my youngest doesn't have enough hair for that *g*). It's going to be soooo much fun! *squee*

All I have to do now is hope that I don't get a big fat R right before our trip.

Keep your fingers crossed...

Giving Thanks

In Canada we're celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. And in my family that means turkey, desserts and craft shows...yay!

I have a lot to be thankful for this year: two beautiful, healthy kids; a wonderful marriage; family I love...and in just a few hours, my husband and I will be telling our daughters that we're going to Disney World for the first time! They are going to flip!

Somebody pass the tissues...I'm getting weepy just thinking about it. *sniff*

Time is a Tickin'

Next week it will officially be 3 months that M&B has had my ms. Yikes! Panic is starting to set in. What if they ask for the full? What if they don't? I keep plugging along with my polishing, but I've found some parts that I'm not happy with and have been working to improve them. The progress is slooowww. What if I'm not ready, and they request it? I know they won't expect it right away, but how long is too long to wait?

My husband says that I should stop messing with it, but I can't do that until I know its the best I can make it.

So onwards and upwards I go...

Anniversary

Tomorrow is my 11 year wedding anniversary, but we've been together for 20 years. Yup, you guessed it...we were high school sweethearts.

Actually, my husband was my first serious boyfriend. Many people ask if I feel like I've missed out by not having experienced relationships with other men. My answer: absolutely not. I found the best early on. Why would I throw that away simply because it happened earlier than it happens for most?

And then my husband said something today that was so sweet, and it reminded exactly why I love him so much, why I've always loved him. We were talking about how our lives would have been different if we'd made different choices, and he said:

"The best thing I ever did was kiss you at that bus stop."

That was our first kiss, the kiss that started it all. And 20 years later, he's still my best friend, my soulmate...

...and I wouldn't change a thing.

Free Book

I just received my free book from Harlequin for being chosen as a Honourable Mention for the Ultimate Secret Contest. It's a yummy Debbie Macomber. Can't wait to dig in to it.

I love getting things for free...especially books!

Next Best Thing.

I may not have been one of the three winners of the Ultimate Secret contest, but I did win an Honourable Mention...yay! I had no idea, so it was a nice surprise when I logged on to read the winning entries. And to top it off, I win a free book!

A great way to start the day.

To read the winning entries (which were great BTW), click here.

Sorry...I didn't have a chance to put together a TT list for today.

*hangs head in shame*

But I did submit a romantic short story to a woman's magazine today. They say that their wait times are between 1 and 6 months. So I can add it to my list of reasons to run to the mailbox everyday.

Darn!

Darn--I didn't win the Ultimate Secret contest.

The winners received emails yesterday and my inbox is filled only with ads for Cialis and stock tips. I definitely would have noticed an email from Harlequin.

Oh well. Back to our regularly scheduled program--focusing on my WIP. I think I might also try a short story for a woman's magazine to mix things up. Gotta keep it interesting, you know.

Thursday Thirteen #2

The winners of the Ultimate Secret contest were due to be notified yesterday, but I didn't hear anything :-( So I'm going to distract myself with TT. Thirteen reasons that I looove writing (regardless of whether I win anything): 1. Creating characters and making them do what I want. Hmm...does that mean I'm a control freak? My husband would say 'yes'. 2. The different ways the written words can used in many different ways to express the same thing. 3. It's an escape to an exciting world where everyone is attractive, glamorous, and witty. Not that that isn't around me all the time in real life... *snicker* 4. There's something satisfying about seeing the words on paper (or computer screen). It gives me a sense of accomplishment. 5. I love seeing the look on people's faces when they realize I can write. I'm not just a pretty face, you know. LOL! 6. The endless possibilities for stories. 7. Using something I see or hear in real life in my stories. 8. Polishing something I've written until it's so good it positively shines. 9. Talking with other writers about writing. It's something only another writer can understand. 10. Watching someone I love read my work. 11. Being recognized for my writing (pleeease let me win the Ultimate Secret contest...pleeease). 12. Learning from other writers. Reading is research, you know. So I don't need to feel guilty about it. 13. Blogging about writing. I really love it! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thursday Thirteen #1

I'm jumping on the Thursday Thirteen band wagon...better late than never. One of my Face Book friends recently posted some pictures taken of her in the 80's, and it got me thinking about all of the groan worthy 80's fashion trends. Which ones do you remember? Are you too embarrassed to admit the ones that you followed? 1. Big Hair - Lots of hairspray and teased up high! Gotta love it! 2. Banana clips - I have to admit that I wore these...in my big hair. But the funniest thing is that I saw a woman wearing one this week! Who says the 80's are dead? 3. Colored Mascara/Eyeliner - Always extra thick! Blue, purple were the popular colors used. Guilty! 4. Torn Workout Top - Those maniac chicks, gotta love 'em! Some workout tops were also cut on the bottom to expose the stomach area. Most were worn off the shoulder. I was never brave enough. 5. Skinny Ties - Those leather ones were soooooo cool! 6. Lace crop tops - With bra underneath. If a white lace - white bra. If black lace - black bra. Again--never brave enough. Or maybe it was that my mom would never have let me out the door. 7. T-Shirt Clips - They looked like a ring with a bar through the middle and you threaded the bottom of your shirt through them. 8. Shaker Knit Sweaters - Shaker Knit refers to the type of stitch used to make these sweaters. The longer the better. Yup, I had a bunch. 9. Polo shirts - Shirts with collars (collars usually worn pulled up). Plenty of colors to choose from - pastels were a favorite preppy color. 10. Peter Pan Boots - Short, suede boots that all girls wore with their pin stripe jeans tucked into. Loved these. 11. Reebok high-tops - With no or untied laces. Mostly for the boys--or Tom boys. 12. Penny Loafers - My best friend had these. 13. Legwarmers - Flashdance made these even more popular than they already were! I admit, my mother knitted me a pair. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Love this feeling.

I had the best writing session tonight. Thanks to some advice from a very talented Harlequin Romance author (you know who you are, Trish Wylie), I was able to work through a scene that has been causing me headaches. It's a crucial scene, and it just wasn't working for me--until Trish helped my to tighten up my conflict and now...ta da...it all makes sense.

I love it when that happens. Maybe this isn't hopeless after all.

Fingers crossed.

Done!

I sent in my entry for the Ultimate Secret contest through eHarlequin. Yay! I still have another week before it's due, but I wanted to get it out of my hands so that I could turn my attention back to my WIP.

Winners will be notified by September 5th, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The prize is great...a year's subscription to the Harlequin line of your choice. My current subscription will expire in December, so that would be nice.

But for now, I've got to put it out of my head and get back to Her Client's Wishes.

Check it out!

Check out this video for my new favourite song...

http://music.aol.com:80/video/online/brad-paisley/1933391

Even if you don't like country music, you'll appreciate the cast. It's hilarious!

Back in the Contest Circuit

I've been debating as to whether I was going to enter the Ultimate Secret contest on eHarlequin. With no story ideas banging down my door, I wasn't sure that I wanted to divert my attention from my WIP... until last night.

It hit me like a bolt of lightening. I started typing and typing and typing until I almost had the maximum 1000 words. The only problem...I hadn't yet incorporated the secret (kind of a key element, huh?). So on my lunch hour today I revised, added some more, cut a lot, and now I'm only about 80 words over the limit. I figure I'll let it simmer for a few more days before I do the final chop and polish and then submit.

But I have to say that I'm very excited about my entry. I'm not sure if I'll win, but at least I can say that I gave it my all. What more can I ask for?

Is anyone else out there entering? If so, how is your entry coming along?

Back to work.

Well, my vacation is now officially over. It's back to work tomorrow (groan).

I've been on vacation for two weeks, so you'd think I'd get a lot of writing done, right? Wrong. Having two kids home with me had something to do with that. But that's OK; we had a great time together, and I know it'll be hard for them to go back to daycare tomorrow--about as hard as it will be for me to face the mountain of work that will be awaiting my return (groan again).

But there is a silver lining...I'll have my uninterrupted lunch hours to write again. Yay!

Focus on the positive. Focus on the positive.

Feeling Sunflowery

It's a beautiful August day, and I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy. DH and I are both on vacation this week, and I'm hoping the entire week is as beautiful as it is today.

Thought I'd share a photo of the sunflowers my kids and I grew in our garden (I had to dodge untold numbers of bees to get this photo). They're huge--the plants are about 7 feet tall. It's the first time I've attempted sunflowers and I'm looking forward to harvesting the seeds.

Hope you're having a great summer day!

The moment has passed.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you think, "What the hell am I doing? I can't write! No one is ever going to buy this." I recently had one of those moments... a moment that lasted two days. The result--I got nothing done. Nada. Zilch. No writing.

Well now, avoiding writing is bound to fix the problem--not.

So what changed? I had some awesome feedback from a HR author. She gave me that little confidence boost by saying some very nice things about my writing (*blushes*) and also by telling me that all authors feel that way sometimes. Even published authors. Yay! I'm not a loser destined never to get published.

So I'm back on the wagon polishing away at my ms.

Have you ever had a momentary (or not so momentary) lack of writing confidence? How did you get over it? Please share since I doubt I'll have another's kind words to get me through next time.

My Chocolate Flirtations chapter

Remember a while back I mentioned that I participated in a writing round robin? The story is called Chocolate Flirtations, and this week my chapter was introduced.

It's a quick read--less than 1,000 words--so feel free to stop by the site and check it out. It'll give you a taste for my writing style. And if you do, please pop back and let me know what you think. I never pass up an opportunity for feedback.

Hope you enjoy it!

My baby has landed!

I received a letter from Harlequin M&B today telling me that my partial arrived safely and would be reviewed "in due course." So very British--I love it!

I'm beyond relieved that I don't have to wonder if it got lost in the mail somewhere. I guess the only issue now will be if it gets lost in the slush pile.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that doesn't happen.

"I'm so excited....

...and I just can't hide it."
Strange but that was the first tune that popped into my head *g*.

I am very excited. After reading my first three chapters, my editor (aka my sister) got so excited about reading the rest of my book that she gave me deadlines for getting the rest polished up and ready for someone other than myself to read.

You know what...I love it! I love having a goal to work towards, and I like being accountable to someone else (makes it harder to take a break just because). And I am so motivated that I'm actually ahead of my one chapter a week deadline. At this pace I'll definitely have my full all polished up and ready to send to Richmond just in case they ask for it (the power of positive thinking ;-)

Tagged!

I've been tagged by Sri...

So, here are the rules:
A. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

So here we go. Here's more than you ever wanted to know about me...

1. I was a band geek. Yes, I played trumpet in my high school band. I was pretty good too. But don't ask me to play it now. My lips are out of practice. LOL!

2. I'm hooked on Facebook. My husband says I need an intervention (LOL). But it's so much fun to find people I haven't seen in years. Like a high school reunion without having to get all dressed up. So if you're on Facebook, stop by and say 'Hi'.

3. I HATE cleaning. It's just one of those things that I get absolutely no satisfaction from doing. I get so little free time; why would I want to spend it polishing and scrubbing? We've had a service coming in to do it, but we're going to have to let them go and I'm dreading having to start spending my weekends cleaning the house again. I know, I know: poor me.

4. Apart from my University days, I have always lived in the Niagara Region of Ontario and have no plans to move. I love it here. We have all the amenities of a large city and yet I can drive two minutes and see horses and farms. What more could I ask for?

5. I spend almost every one of my at work lunch hours writing. It's one of the few times that I can get uninterrupted writing time when I'm not too tired to form a complete thought.

6. I'm determined to be a published author. Even if my current ms gets rejected, I know that I'll keep writing. I have to. It's in my blood.

7. I love to travel. I haven't been able to do much of it since we had our kids, but as soon as they are old enough to travel easily, I intend to take them to see the world. OK, maybe not the whole world, but at least the warm parts. We're planning our first family plane trip right now...to Disney! I can't wait!

8. I have a degree in Psychology and an MBA in Marketing. When I talk about making a career as a romance writer, my mother often says "But what about your education?" I try to explain that education is never wasted, and that the discipline I learned will help me to be a better writer, but I don't think she gets it.

Okay, now it's your turn to reveal your inner-most secrets. If you read this, consider yourself TAGGED!

So Sad...

Two years ago at this time, I was getting ready to board a plane to Reno...to go to the RWA national conference. Last year I was too busy with a 7 month old baby to be nostalgic, but this year...I'm really wishing I was going too.

I have to say that the whole experience, if a little overwhelming, was sooo motivating. One speaker in particular sticks in my mind: Debbie Macomber. She told the story of how hard it was financially for her family when she decided to stay home and write. So hard in fact that she almost gave up. But her husband encouraged her to give it a bit longer. And now look where she is. Best Seller. Internationally renown. Ahh. We can all dream.

She also said something that really hit me. Every time she felt guilty for spending time writing instead of spending all of her time with her children, she thought about what it taught them to see their mother trying so hard to do something that she loved. That, my friends, was when I broke into tears. It was like she read my mind. Whenever my husband says he'll take the kids out so I can have time to write, my heart tightens a little at the thought of the fun that they'll have without me. So what keeps me going? The dream of my daughters one day stepping up to the front of their classroom on career day and proudly introducing me as " My Mom, the Romance author."

Sniff, sniff.

Does anyone have a tissue?

I Did It!

I finally mailed my partial to Richmond! I can't believe it's in the mail winging it's way to the UK. I even paid extra to have it get there within 3-5 days. Silly, I know, but I've worked on this manuscript for so long that I can't wait to find out if they want to see more.

If they do, I'll be over the moon...whether or not they end up buying it. Remind me of that in a few months.

My stomach is in knots...already.

Can someone pass the silver bucket? I have a feeling I'm going to need it.

On Track

Thanks to everyone who's offered their support and encouragement. I'm still on track to submit this week. The plan is to put it in the mail on Friday. OMG...that's tomorrow!

Breathe, breathe.

I'm still toying with my synopsis. But at this point, I don't think the changes that I'm making are that significant. Mostly just changing a word here and there. I know that a single word isn't going to make or break the ms, so I need to just get over it and send it in.

I'll keep you posted. I'll need some serious hand holding once I put this sucker in the mail. I'm a submitting virgin (tee hee), so I'm very nervous.

Success!

I gave in.
I sent my first 3 chapters to my sister. So far she's read the first chapter, and you know what...she loved it! And I truly think she's being genuine. As an added bonus, she actually found the funny parts funny! Yay! When I'm writing something that I think is humourous, I never know if other people will think so too. Looks like I succeeded!

I'll be writing my query letter today and will be submitting early next week.
I can't wait!!!

Family Time?

My sister recently asked if she could read my MS.

Not a big deal, right? Then why am I so worried? Worried that she'll hate it. Worried that she'll tell me she loves it, but I'll be able to tell that she hates it. She is a voracious reader, but she usually reads historicals and they always have some...umm...sexual content. I close the bedroom door. She's been such a big supporter that I don't want to turn her down, but I also don't want her to be disappointed with the story either.

What do you guys think? Do you let family read your wip?

Mammy!

The funniest thing...my 18 month old DD calls both me and my DH mommy or "Mammy". Today when DH dropped her off at daycare he said she started crying and calling for him..."Mammy! Mammy!" It breaks my heart to hear that, but knowing that she stops crying as soon as we're out of sight, the day care provider must have gotten a kick out of it.

On the writing front, I am just about to make the final revisions on my partial. I printed out the pages and went through them with a fine tooth comb and was amazed at the things that I didn't notice when it was on the computer screen. So it was time well spent. And I'm still on track to submit by the end of June. Yay! Every time I think about actually submitting I get this excited flutter in my stomach. I'm actually going to do this!

Remind me of this wonderful feeling a month from now when I'm clutching the silver bucket.

Wednesday Writing Romp - Chapter 3

More Chocolate Flirtations comin' right up...

Here's chapter 3

First Page Challenge

As part of Julie Cohen's first page challenge I'm posting the first few paragraphs of my WIP, Her Client's Wishes. I'd love to hear comments:

“Wait, wait!” Tess shouted over the uneven clip-clop rhythm of her sensible heels on the black polished tiles. She hobbled towards the rapidly closing elevator doors attempting to balance the weight of an overstuffed briefcase on one shoulder while trying—unsuccessfully—to prevent the coffee in her other hand from sloshing through the hole in its plastic lid.


If she missed the elevator, she’d have to wait at least five minutes for the next one. She didn’t have the kind of time to spare. Not today.

Please, not today.

Comment: She's frantic, rushing to something very important to her that she absolutely can't be late for. Hopefully this makes you wonder what that is. Also she's the kind of woman who wears sensible shoes--no stilettos for this one.

Tess Morgan scanned the crowd of elevator passengers hoping that if she was able to make eye contact with just one of them they’d have to hold the door for her, right?

Unfortunately, making eye contact with anyone in a busy downtown Toronto elevator was down right unheard of. Avoid eye contact at all cost: the cardinal rule.

Her hobble advanced to an ungraceful scurry, but still no one made a move to hold the elevator.

The doors slid shut in her face.

After five years in this city why did she still hope for the same courtesy she’d get in her hometown? She was always disappointed.

Comment: She's not from Toronto and not used to the ways that people behave in big cities. Hopefully this gets across the idea that she's from a small town.

Wednesday Writing Romp - Chapter 2

So, are you ready for more?
Want to learn more about the crazy woman who doesn't like chocolate? Are you wondering what will happen when she's forced not only to indulge herself but also to spend 24/7 with her pushy client Grant Severson?

Click the link below to read chapter 2 written by Debi Phillips.

Chocolate Flirtations - Chapter 2

Wednesday Writing Romp

Welcome to Wednesday's Writing Romp!
Each week a new chapter written by a different author will be posted (stay tuned for Chapter nine--that's mine). The story, entitled Chocolate Flirtations, is a romance about a gal who doesn't like chocolate (crazy, I know). Check out the Introduction written by Cole Reising, and then come back every Wednesday for another taste written by one of the talented authors listed below.

Hope you enjoy!

Contributing Authors:
Kristi Ahlers
Marcy Bassett-Kennedy
Kendra Clark
Julia Clark
Bronwen Cleathero
Meagan Hatfield
Debbi Phillips
Nicole Reising
Andrea Shuman
Rita Trevalyan

Six Word Novel...C'mon and Vote!

Take a swing by Julie Cohen's blog today and vote for your favourite six word novel. You may even want to vote for number 4 because...ahem...well, I wrote. Okay this is a blantant attempt to scrounge up some votes for my entry.

You can't blame me for trying.

Someone was on my side today

Totally unrelated to writing, but today we had my daughter's birthday party, and miracle of miracles...it didn't rain. The forecast had been calling for rain all week, but it never materialized! Hallelujah! We were able to keep all ten kids (and all their mess) outside for the entire party. Everyone had a great time playing Ariel themed games and playing on the slide and swing set. All in all, very successful.

Now before I pass out from exhaustion, I've posted some pics of the Ariel cake I made (I'm quite proud of myself).

Crossroads

I've hit a cross roads with my ms. Despite my voice being more suited for the Modern Extra line, I think my characters are better suited for the Romance line. What do I do???

There has been lots of great discussion on the topic of sex in the Modern X line over at Natalie Anderson's blog, and it helped me to see that I can't just add in the sexuality required for the line--my characters have to want it. And they don't. At least not as badly as characters from other Modern X books do. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that they want it but aren't forward enough to take it...not right away at least.

So that leaves me with the task of tweaking my voice so it fits better in the Romance line. Not a small feat given that I'm not quite sure how to do that. In the end I guess all I can do is try to revise it to the best of my ability while still staying true to my overall voice as a writer. I like the way I write and don't want to stray too far from it. If an editor sees promise in my writing, I gotta hope that she'll work with me to make it perfect for the line rather than saying "forget it...it's not perfect for the line".

I can hope anyway.

Romance Writers Rock!

I can't believe how helpful everyone in the writing community can be!

As a newbie writer I have A LOT of questions, and I am constantly amazed at the lengths to which published authors will go to help. On top of their writing schedules, their blogging/website obligations, their own personal lives, they find the time to help someone they've never met before.

Are romance writers the nicest people, or what?

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!

The Wedding Singer

Since I've been writing romance, I find myself analysing movies instead of just watching them. I was watching The Wedding Singer with Adam Sandler on TV a few nights ago, and as I watched it I started to realize what a perfect romantic comedy it is. Despite being kind of stupid at times (like all Adam Sandler movies), you can feel the romantic tension building as the hero gets left at the alter only to realize that his fiance isn't the kind of woman he wants, but the heroine is. At the same time the heroine thinks she is in love with her fiance, but it isn't until the end of the movie that she realizes that she is with him for the wrong reasons: security, money--everything the hero can't offer her. It has some great indicators that her fiance is wrong for her--if she were to marry him her name would be Julia Gulia. That's reason enough to give him the heave ho (LOL). Where as the hero's last name flows perfectly with her name (even though his name escapes me right now). Mental note to pay close attention to my character's names from now on. And then when she is on the plane with her fiance and he won't let her have the window seat because he doesn't want to get smashed by the beverage cart even though she's never seen the window view before. I love things like that! Subtle yet very telling. Those are the kind of things that really help to show vs tell in a ms. My favourite part is at the end when he writes the song about her and sings it to her over the intercom on the plane. That made my heart melt, and I don't even really like Adam Sandler! Great writing. If you like the movie or not, I don't think you can deny that it has all the elements of a perfect romantic comedy.

Is there a movie that you think is the perfect romantic comedy, and why?

The Party's Over

My daughter's first birthday party has come and gone, and all in all it was a great day. My kids had so much fun, and the birthday girl got lots of nice presents (her favourite was the bag that some of the pieces came in :-)). Here is a picture of the birthday cake I made (very yummy I might add).

On another topic, today is the day that the winners are chosen for the eHarlequin Ultimate Reunion contest. Can't wait to see if I won. It might take a few days to find out since I believe they are contacting the winners by mail. I felt pretty good about my entry, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. If not, oh well. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I'll keep you posted.

I Did It!

I just sent my entry to the Ultimate Reunion contest. Yay! I'm glad that it's out of my hands. Now I can put it out of my mind, and if I happen to win it will be a pleasant surprise.

With that out of the way I need to focus my energy on organizing my daughter's 1st birthday party that is on Sunday. So many little things to do, but I can't wait. I'm trying not to get too carried away; she'll just be happy to have all of her cousins here to play with her. It doesn't take much to entertain them at this age. And she'll probably get more enjoyment from all of the wrappings than from the presents. It's such a great age.

Almost Done!

My scene for the Ultimate Reunion contest is almost done! Yay! I was surprised at how difficult I found it to write a complete scene in only 1000 words. In a novel you've got at least 10 chapters to tell your story, but to give enough of a plot so that the reader is interested and can follow it all in 1000 words...that's tough. The one good thing is that it teaches you to make every word count. No flowery descriptions here. It's down to business.

I just hope that the judges like it as much as I do. I love the characters so much I could see this scene as the first in my next story. But I've resisted the urge to go any further. I still need to focus on my current wip. It's almost done. Not much more. I can do it.

I've been tagged!

Whether you're interested or not, here are five things you may not know about me (excluding my family...they know everything!)

1) I'm half Scottish (maybe that's why I'm so cheap-LOL). My mother was born in Scotland and lived there until she was 10.

2) I played trumpet for 4 years in high school. It's great for the stomach muscles.

3) I'm addicted to Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy. It used to be Sex and the City, but then they had to go and cancel it : ( Such a dark day.

4) More than a few times I've woken my husband in the night swatting at imaginary spiders in the bed (and yet I'm still sound asleep).

5) Up until 2 years ago, I lived in a hundred year old house that I'm sure was inhabited by more than just my family. I can't tell you how many times my dog, a Shih-tzu that rarely makes a peep, growled at a seemingly empty corner in my bedroom (he had a knack for doing this when my husband was away and I was all alone -- Insert scary music here)

Hope you feel like you know me a little bit better. Now let's learn more about Cariann, Kathleen, and Suzanne B.

Contest Entry Take 2

I've been working away on an entry for Harlequin's Ultimate Reunion Contest. Okay, so my wip doesn't have a reunion scene. So I have to write something brand new. I refuse to think of this as procrastination. Granted I'm not progressing in my wip, but I keep telling myself that if I win it will be a nice little gem to put in my query letter to hopefully move it along in the slush pile. And it doesn't hurt that the prize in one year's worth of books from the Harlequin line of your choice. But that's not why I'm doing it. Honest.

Maybe if I keep telling myself, I'll eventually believe it : )

Birthday Invitation

Okay, so it's not writing related, but I had to show off the invitations that I made for my daughter's first birthday. I can't believe that she'll be 1 at the end of the month. Her upcoming birthday also means that my 1 year maternity leave is almost up. I have to go back to work in the new year. I'm getting so stressed out about leaving them. I've found a nice home daycare, but the thought of leaving them with someone else still makes my stomach turn. At least my work has agreed to let me come back 4 days a week instead of 5. I'll have one extra day a week to spend with them.

I just hope that I'm able to keep up the writing once I'm back to the daily grind (there--I knew I'd find a way to bring the topic back to writing).

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Time for Writing

This week, in a moment of frustration with not having enough time to write, I was kicking myself for not taking writing seriously earlier in life. I mean what did I do with all of my free time before I had kids? At the time I thought I was soooo busy, but I didn't know what busy was. I could have written a dozen novels with all of that time. So, why didn't I start?

It wasn't that I didn't have the interest. I showed an interest in writing starting in grade school.(My first novel, written in grade 5, was called Thirteen going on Thirty. Isn't that a movie title? I think someone owes me some royalties LOL). And even when I was in University and should have been reading about abnormal psychology I was making up characters and stories in my head. So why didn't I write them down? I think to seriously start a novel, there has to be a need within you. For me, that need was the need to feel smart again. I was on maternity leave with my first child, and after 6 months of being out of the workplace I called my husband at work and complained that I needed to feel smart again. I needed to use my brain for something other than changing diapers and amusing a baby. He suggested that since I always wanted to write a book that I should take a writing course. That suggestion changed my life (bless his heart). Since the first night of my Romance Writing course, I haven't lost the desire to finish my novel. Of course there have been times when life has interfered, but even when I didn't have the time to write, the desire still burned.

And now, as I'm nearing the completion of my first draft (after 4 years *gasp*), I've already got ideas swirling in my head for my next ms, but I resist the urge to start it. Even though the need driving the desire has changed (now not only do I want to become published so that I can write from home and not have to send my kids to daycare, but I also love to write--it's addictive!), the desire is still there burning just as intensely as when I wrote my first character sketch.

What was the need that drove you to start writing? What keeps you going?

Happy Tuesday!

I'm finally starting to make head way on my WIP again! Last night I was writing and was surprised when the dialogue between my H&h took a turn that I wasn't expecting. What started out as a friendly lunch turned into a deep and meaningful discussion about the death of the H's parents. It's so amazing when the characters take over and my fingers on the keyboard are merely the conduit for them to tell their stories. I guess that's a sign that I'm truly understanding my characters, their motivations, their emotions.


Could this mean that the end is near? Is it possible that I am actually going to be able to finish this story? God, I hope so. I'm so envious of the other writers who have actually finished and submitted their mss for consideration for publication. Even though I know that once I'm in their shoes and waiting to hear back from a publisher I'll be hugging the silver bucket with the best of them, but at least I'll be able to say that I did it. That I actually wrote a book.

I can't wait!!!

TV Romance

Alright, enough wallowing!

How many of you can't possibly write on a particular night because you can't miss your favourite show? I know that writing is more important than the boob tube, but there are just some shows that I can't do without. My new favourite is What About Brian.
I love the forbidden love thing going on between Marjorie and Brian. I can't help routing for them to get together. But then it wouldn't be much of a show if they got together right now, would it? As a writer I understand that. There has to be conflict. But as a viewer, I just want to see them happy.

They've got to string us along--at least for a couple of seasons--before that can happen. *Sigh*

Is there a romantic TV relationship that you're dying to see materialize???

I found out today that I didn't place in the Where the Magic Begins contest. Normally I don't get so upset about contests, but I was really hoping to final in this one. The final judge is the editor for the line I am targetting and it would be so great to get my ms in front of her. I guess now I'll have to settle for sending it in through the slush pile like everyone else :-(

On the positive side, I did get some useful comments from the contest judges. There were some trends in the comments (and some obscure comments too), which makes me realize that there are definitely some areas that I need to work on. Better to hear about it now than in a rejection letter later.

I Hate Colds!

Like so many households right now, our house has been overtaken by a yucky cold. My youngest was the first to get it (so sad when they feel yucky and can't even blow their nose), then I got a sore throat and my oldest got the stuffy nose. So far DH is the only one who isn't sick (knock on wood). Hopefully he's able to stay germ-free since someone has to take care of us.

I wish I had some energy to get writing, but I just don't.

This sucks!

But check out this game for a bit of distraction.

Some Fun Things for the Long Weekend

You Should Be a Romance Novelist

You see the world as it should be, and this goes double for all matters of the heart. You can find the romance in any situation, and you would make a talented romance story writer... And while you may be a traditional romantic, you're just as likely to be drawn to quirky or dark love stories. As long as it deals with infatuation, heartbreak, and soulmates - you could write it.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

You Are a German Shepherd Puppy

Intelligent, quick witted, and a bit aggressive. You've got the jaw power to take a bite out of anyone you choose.

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

Your Hillbilly Name Is...

Penny Sue Duke

Hillbilly Name Generator

Your Celebrity Baby Name Is...

Sahara Amandine

What's" Your Celebrity Baby Name?

I've Been Tagged

My first time being tagged! Thanks Lainey.
Here I go...

#1 - One book that changed your life: I would have to say the first category romance that I ever read. Can't remember what that was (it was many, many years ago), but it I enjoyed it so much that I started thinking that I would like to write something like that. It would be many, many years before I actually tried though.
#2 - One book that you've read more than once: Writing Romance by Vanessa Grant. Very helpful.
#3 - One book you'd want on a desert island: Only one? I don't think I could choose. I'd like to have a whole box of romance.
#4 - One book that made you laugh: Do Me, Do My Roots by Eileen Rendahl. Has some dark points but definitely made me laugh too. A rare combination.
#5 - One book that made you cry: Fine Things by Danielle Steele. A teacher saying goodbye to her students because she knows that she's going to die--it had me bawling like a baby on a city bus when I was sixteen.
#6 - One book that you wish you had written: Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. Loved the book and the movie.
#7 - One book that you wish had never been written: I can't say. Even if I don't enjoy a book, I can always learn something from it--even if it's what not to do.
#8 - One book you're currently reading: Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell (author of Sex and the City). Three powerful fourty-something women in New York--I'm loving it!.
#9 - One book you've been meaning to read: The Divinci Code. Everyone has read it but me.
#10 - Tag Five People: (How about 3?) Patricia, Colleen, Elaine--it's your turn!

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to all you Canadians!

Wedding Anniversary

My husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last week. I can't believe that so much time has gone by. We are high school sweethearts (yes...some really do stick together), so we've been together for 19 years in total--basically we've spent our entire adult lives together. Even though things are a bit (a lot) different from our carefree high school years (two kids, a house, and car loans have a way of changing things), I can honestly say that we are still very much in love--a fact which definitely helps when writing romance.

Mind you, it's different from that rush of new love, which is all stomach flutters and sweaty palms. But I think it's better. It's knowing that you can count on someone to be there for you, someone who'll listen to you complain, someone who'll still find you sexy when you're wearing your most comfortable (read ugly) night gown.

I wouldn't change a thing.