Happy weekend, guys!

I hope everyone had a productive week. I didn't. *sigh* I found out that I didn't win Donna Alward's contest but she gave me some wonderful advice. Basically...she suggested I do a small amount of emotional layering in a few places. Easy-peasy. We were at the cabin and I didn't even feel like opening my laptop. Been feeling kinda crappy the last couple of days with a little chest cold. No biggie but enough to drag down my energy and motivation. Especially since I didn't have a deadline looming.

So...what's up for the weekend? Any big plans? I think we're going out to eat breakfast in a few minutes and then home to take care of a few small chores. We have to leave out again tomorrow to take Mr. Chelle back to the cabin/jobsite. This afternoon and evening I'll try to work on crits and upload everything. Maybe grill some ribs and smoked sausage when it warms up. Which of course means I have to make my famous potato salad and guacamole dip.

Enjoy your weekend!

Gooooooood Monday morning, beautiful people!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Ours was uneventful. Saturday I had my OKRWA writer's bootcamp meeting and Sunday we had a birthday party here at the building for my cousin's daughter. She needed the room because it was sort of like a miniature carnival. They had a bouncy jump thingy (which I couldn't keep little man out of;) and a bunch of different game stations where the kids won tickets for prizes. They also played games and the kids just had a blast. I even caught a few parents playing along. The cake was screwed up so I ran down to the local market and found a cute American Idol cake that replaced it perfectly. My cousin had a karaoke machine set up for the kids. Overall...chaos but fun.

My bootcamp was great. Drill Sarge read from a current Nocturne to point out how backstory can slow pacing. Amazing how easy it is to see from an objective perspective. One minute the woman was on the verge of having a villain capture her and the next she's discussing why they were picking on her and she was trying to put on her seatbelt. I don't know about you guys...but if an evil psycho was after me--I wouldn't be looking for my seatbelt. It sounded like a great read though.

Off to take teen to school. Have a productive day!

Finally Friday!

Wow. What a week. Lots of ups and downs. I've been home since Wednesday but feel as if I just walked in the door. I don't think I've accomplished anything this week. Left hubby behind in Arkansas and miss him terribly for some reason. I mean...I usually miss him...just ALOT this time. At least I'll see him next week instead of 2-3 weeks or even 4 months. The weather has been cooperating with us and he's been able to work a full week. Looks good for next week, too. Maybe this will be a recurring trend and he won't reconsider going back to Iraq.

Maybe I can get a few things done this weekend. Teen kiddo will be gone until Sunday and with hubby gone...just me and little man. We bought a new US map kit yesterday and will probably set up the computer program so he can start playing with the puzzles. He's so excited to learn which is a refreshing change from the teen.

Just wanted to share a couple of things with you guys before I call it the weekend. A writing friend from eHarlequin has lost her sister tragically this week. It's a heartbreaking story because she lost her brother not too long ago, and when the sister died this week she left behind four beautiful children. Dee has seven kids to care for now. The family is in need of burial assistance and I'm sure a little help for the kids as well. If anyone is interested in hearing their story, here's the link...

Dee Tenorio and Family

Hope you guys had a productive week and enjoy your weekend. Here's a little something that might leave you with a smile...

A Day In The Life Of A Romance Writer (aka) My Cup Runneth Over...With Cat Vomit

Technology SUCKS!!

I know what I said yesterday. And I take it back. The stupid piece of crap charger worked great yesterday. This morning...not so much. The charger tip is loose and keeps losing connection so my battery kicks in. So does my power saver. I'm reading through my chapter, making sure my changes flow well, and every time I get going good--the screen fades. *sigh* $100.

My week has been going ok. Yours? My hubby's...not so much. His job is sucking about now because of the weather. They work outside and it's a little dangerous. And up high. Anytime there is precipitation or wind, they can't work. Which means no pay. So now he's talking with his old boss about going back to Iraq. Please send good vibes for the weather to even out and stay nice. I'm headed back to his job site to bring him home for the weekend. And for Valentine's Day.





See you guys in a couple of days!!

Technology ROCKS!!

Seriously. Ya know...I had a couple of minor issues when I turned 40 last October, but never really felt as if I was getting up there in age. I saw a few commercials with women my age or a little younger doing wrinkle and anti-aging infomercials. OMG. That set me off a little. My eye doctor is younger and it felt a little funny when I had my last check-up and he said it was probably time for people "our" age to start thinking about reading glasses. No, I didn't smack him or pop off about them young'uns that had no respect for their elders. But after yesterday...I feel old.

*sigh*

The power cord on my laptop is already going out. I switched over to the teen boy's laptop (my old Dell) and tried to work on my chapter. The power cord is going out on that one, too. Ugh. I went to Walmart and of course...they were ALL out. Radio Shack is right next door. I hate going there because they're usually quite a bit more expensive. I didn't see what I was looking for and had to ask the sales "girl". She walked me back over to the computer accessory section and handed me an iGo. Apparently it's the new cool gadget. A young guy behind us started raving about how he has one for cell phones. It apparently has a main power cord that goes into the power source. Home or car. Then the attachments vary according to your needs. The system I bought yesterday is for most laptops. I was a little lost as all the techno stuff and explanation flew by me. But the worst part -- they were explaining it to me as if I were a child. Or older. I just wanted to get home and work. I freaked out a little when she rang it up...$100. But then again I knew two power cords for two laptops wouldn't be cheap.

Wow. This gadget is pretty cool. It has a cord that plugs into the powerstrip but has a plastic end which sort of reminds me of a phone cord. That is so you can plug in whatever tip you need to fit whichever laptop you use.

Back to work!! At least for as long as we have power. We're under a severe weather alert for this afternoon. It's freaking February! They're already telling us to use our tornado precautions today. *sigh* It's going to be a long tornado season.

Good Monday morning!

Not that I like Monday's. I do...but I don't. LOL. It means I've got to get the kiddos up early and back to school. And it's raining this morning so I have to trick the dogs into going outside.

But I also get tired of laying around. We didn't have much to do this weekend. I worked on my chapter, a few crits, and started reading a new book. I NEEDED to finish painting the bathroom and trim it out. It was hard to get motivated without hubby here to help. I'll definitely have to finish it this week though, he's issued a challenge. He thinks I'm saving it for him to do. This could go two ways. He could be trying to use reverse pyschology on me. Probably not. He's just feeling his manly need to take charge.

I worked on my chapter this weekend. Hopefully I'll convince myself to quit messing with it and just hit send. But as I get each new crit, new points are being brought up. *sigh* I'm trying to stay true to the Superromance line and it's hard when there are so many different ways I could spin this. She needs to look ineffectual against her teen monster. It'll be part of her character arc. But I don't want her coming off as an idiot that doesn't care that he's drinking and driving. Argh! Back to work...if I can keep the laptop charged enough. I may have to work on the dreaded desktop. Or just give in and buy a new powercord.

Grey's Anatomy

I loved last nights episode! I've always liked the show but have been disappointed recently with the direction they went on a couple of characters. Definitely not a deal breaker though. Last nights episode really struck a cord with me because of my desire to be the best writer I can be.

What makes a love story stand out?

One of the female characters (Yang) went on a bit of a personal journey. She was reading an old journal for Meredith and talked about a love connection that read like a Victorian Era novel. The writer had Yang experience it first hand with her new love interest. Chaste. Sensual torture by eye contact and a soft touch as they pass in the corridor. Awareness.

Dr. McDreamy is trying to find the perfect way to propose to Meredith. Of course people start to discover his intentions and have loads of advice. Does he listen to her best friend? Her actions in the past have been to run when things start getting serious between them. Does he go grand gesture or simple and elegant? Romantic? Symbolic? As more people find out he has difficulty keeping it from her, which sends her in panic mode with worst case scenarios. She's afraid he wants kids...and is scared of her dysfunctional.

Next week is a must watch show. In the meantime. I think I'll go through my chapter and see how I can make my characters more aware of each other.

Contest Finalist

WooHoo! I'm soooo excited right now!! In January, Harlequin Romance author - Donna Alward, presented an incredible opportunity to unpubbed writers. She was accepting pitches for a contest in which the prize was -- she would donate her time and expertise for a three chapter critique and be a mentor for an entire year. I didn't think I had a chance. Especially after she posted that she'd received 48 entires.

Well...you guessed it. I'm one of the five finalists. I've talked with her a few times on the eHarlequin forum, but hadn't had a chance to really know her. She's so sweet and sincerely offers her support and encouragement to other writers on the HQ threads. I had the chance to chat with her when she notified me about the finalist notification...she's so cool. I love her writing style so this is an incredible honor for me. The next phase of the contest is for the five finalists to submit their first chapter.

WooHoo.

See ya! Have a great day!! I've got a little tweaking to do on my chapter before I submit.

One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like everything you're writing is crap? Well...I had one of those weeks. I just love my poor critique partners. They are so good for me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm where I need to be and some how they always manage to straighten me back out.

I'm at the cabin today but will head home tomorrow. My short term goal is to fix my chapter one and finish revising chapter two before I leave in the morning. It'll be nice to be home more so I can connect with the world again. My oldest is needing more mommy time. It's nice to feel needed by him again.

Dreaming Spring

*sigh* I am so ready for spring. The only thing I've hated about spending time with hubby on his jobsite is that I didn't have internet. Well...I'm not liking the northern mountains of Arkansas very much right now. We were slammed with an ice storm and lost power last Monday. The guys couldn't work all week. So not only could I not use the laptop for long without having to charge the battery in the truck, but I had hubby and little man needing to be entertained. And it was cold. Really cold.

We went ahead and slept in the cabin Monday and Tuesday night but ended up in the boss's travel trailer Wednesday night. We came home Thursday. Still no power. Lots of bonding time with family and friends. I used to believe I was born 100 years too late and could've been a pioneer. LOL. Yeah, ok. I'm spoiled. I want heat and air. I want tv, laptop and cooking appliances without having to chop wood.

It took two 4-wheel drive trucks to pull our truck up the hill. That was after the guys spent the morning clearing downed trees off of the road. Now it's time to go back. Hubby has to be back at work tomorrow morning. Waaaah! One positive note...I'm leaving little man home with grandma. I'll have a couple of days alone with hubby and tomorrow I can have all day to write. Maybe we'll luck out and the power is back on.

Hope you guys are keeping your writing goals and plugging right along. I started getting crits back on my chapter and realized it's crap. I was overthinking. LOL. That doesn't happen often. Back to work. Maybe I can fix it. That's what I'll focus on tonight and tomorrow. I need to work on the pacing and take out more backstory.

Hopefully it'll work out and I'll be a happy camper when I come home Tuesday. I'll miss hubby but my oldest needs some family time. Don't want him to turn out like the belligerent brat in my story.

Have a great week!!