Who’s going to Dallas?

After a lot of hemming and hawwing - I just had this bad feeling that something was going to come up and I wasn’t going to be able to go - I’ve decided to actually bite the bullet and sign up. And if something doesn’t end up coming up, well, I’ll just have to deal later.

I admit that I have less than no desire to go to Dallas. Texas at all for that matter, but with groups and loops abuzz, I’m getting excited.

VP Emma is already planning the Passionate Ink luncheon - and if we go with the place we want, it should be really fun!

RWAOL is planning both a pubbed authors only get together and an everybody get together. I hadn’t been a member that long in Reno so I didn’t really know anyone - but two years later, I’m really excited. Plus, Mel should be dying her hair pink in honor of her first sale!

And apparently the Romance Diva’s just party all the time!

Workshops? What workshops?

So, I’m getting really excited, but I haven’t registered yet, nor have a booked a flight or a room (anybody need a roomie?)

I’ll ask again - are you going to Dallas? What are you most excited about?

Some of you might have noticed, and some of you might have heard the hub-bub around, but I just wanted to officially let everyone know that I (along with many other authors) have left Venus Press.

So the covers and blurbs and such are all gone from my website. But I’m already looking for new homes for the stories because I realized, as much as they were a pain in the butt to write, I’m kind of proud of them.

I know everyone is probably curious as to what happened, but there’s not much to tell - I suppose that in itself was one of the biggest problems. But I’ll let you know if the books ever become available again!

And now, onto more fun stuff. Keziah tagged me…

1. Grab the book closest to you. (I took this to mean the closest fiction book, so I by-passed Roget’s Thesaurus and The Elements of Style).
2. Open to page 123, look down to the 5th sentence.
3. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Include the title and the author’s name.
5. Tag 3 people

She waited a moment to let go of the cglass, looking into his eyes. “It’s all right. I get it now.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for saving Bryce’s butt.”

OK, technically it’s four sentences, but it didn’t feel complete wihtout the last sentence (Actually it felt like it could be every romance ever written without that last sentence).

But, I’m going to change things up a bit from the real tag. Can anyone guess the book? It’s a romance. Released in 2006. I have a signed copy.

(I have more hints if no one guesses).

And I tag everyone who hazzards a guess!

Finally, did everyone watch Nora’s Angels Fall on Lifetime last night? Has anyone actually read the book? (It’s only out in Hardcover so I haven’t). How was it in relation to the book?

I apologize. I’ve kind of been neglecting the blog over the past…little bit.

I’m going to try to get better though. I promose.

Anyway, I re-read Stephen King’s On Writing this weekend. I don’t know how many times I’ve read it now - probably at least four of five.

And the great thing is that no matter how many times I’ve read it, I still get something out of it. I think that if I were to read it once a week I’d probably still get something different out of it each and every time.

If you’re a writer, and haven’t read it yet, get yourself to a bookstore NOW.

If there’s one “writing” book that I think every writer should read, it’s On Writing (the other would be The Elements of Style but since Stephen King pimps that one I don’t need to).

The thing that really struck me this time was the idea of your story being a fossil that you have to carefully excavate. It’s all there, you just have to uncover it. That really stuck with me this time.

Have you read On Writing? What’s your favorite part? Is there any other book you read regularly?

Is at Word Flirts.

I apologize if that’s too much info, but holy CRAP did I feel icky earlier this week. And then yesterday, I was like a whole differen’t person.

I got a TON of writing done (well, okay not a ton but over 2000 words which is good considering Wednesday was 200). The Hubster was actually wondering what I ate and how many cups of coffee I’d had ’cause I was so overexcitable last night.

I’m hoping that the fast writing carries on to today because I might actually finish this novella.

I did do something that I’ve never done before. I skipped a love scene!

Normally I don’t do that because I don’t know, until I write it, how the sex is going to affect the characters. But this scene, I know what it needs to accomplish, and the characters are well on their way. I was having trouble finding the right words though so I skipped it. And I’m totally flying towards the end now.

Of course I’ll have to go back and fill in the love scene but that should be much easier with my newfound hyperness.

So, I’m writing smut today, what are you doing?

I woke up to a winter wonderland today.

OK, not really, there was snow, but i could still see the grass, too. Even without my glasses. But it was snow, damn it!!

I was pretty much completely out of comissin yesterday with a really bad migraine - and it just got worse and worse as the day went on. By bedtime I was pretty much in tears. So, I didn’t get anything done and I ignored most everything else.

Which means even more to do today.

First thing is the grocery store. I was thinking and I’m not sure I’ve actually been to the grocery store yet in 2007. Costco, yes, but I’m not sure about the grocery store. If that doesn’t say something about the crap we’ve been eating, I’m not sure what will, lol.

Of course, I’m on a major “I don’t wanna cook!” kick which probably means I’ll fill the cart in the frozen section - really nutritious.

I’ve got no excitement in my life at all right now, quite obviously, so somebody needs to share fun news with me!

Please?

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so whiney yesterday. Well, I mean, I did, but…you know what I mean.

Anyway…I did manage to get another 1500 words written. I’m really not sure if I’m going to make this Jan 31 deadline or not. Especially considering the words I am writing aren’t great which means pretty hard core revisions.

And the piles on my desk aren’t getting any smaller. If anything, they’re getting bigger! I got all (most) of my tax stuff together and now I’m just waiting on 1099’s. This is the first year I’ve actually made money from writing. Although I’m still not clear on whether or not I’ll come out in the black (I’m thinking not). It depends what I can deduct and what I can’t. That I leave up to Mr. Accountant, lol.

It’s actually hard for me to beleive that it’s still January!! It feels like it should be at least June of 07, lol.

When it was December of 06 came around I was sure it should still be August, now it seems it should at least be 2009 already. Sheesh this January is harsh!!

Am I the only one feeling this way? Is 2007 flying by or dragging for you?

Sorry, until I work out this balance stuff, this blog may become a bit more businessy that it has been in the past.

1. The PI Stoke of Midnight contest is VERY low on entiries (like it has none). If you write erotic romance or know someone that does, please urge them to enter. We’ve got fabulous final round judges! More info here: Stroke of Midnight Contest

And remember it’s a contest for Unpublished Manuscripts (except for the category in which you’re published. So if you are published in contemporary but have a historcal ms sitting around - SEND IT IN!!

2. Both RWAOL and PI have an AMAZING line-up of speakers and workshops for the year. If you’re interested in learning your craft (which really, who isn’t), make sure to check them out.

3. If you’re a member of Passionate Ink, please be involved. Otherwise you make me want to cry, lol (the poor hubster got an earful last night). All I’m asking for is some message board chatter. Really. Make it so I don’t think I’m sucking as President!

I didn’t get nearly enough written yesterday and I, unfortunatly, am not holding out much hope for today either.

Sucks.

I’ve clicked on wordpress to blog about a dozen times this morning, and I keep getting side traced by something else. So now it’s after eleven and I haven’t really accomplished anything.

Sucks.

It was snowing the teeniest little bit this morning. Nothing actually seemed to land on the ground but there were definitely flakes. And it’s freaking freezing. Now I remember why I don’t really like winter.

Passionate Ink is doing a Book in a Week this week and I really need it. I’m working on a novella that I’d really love to get finished by the end of the week - if not sooner!

There’s a whole bunch of stuff piled on my desk that I need to get through - need to gathering up all my tax stuff, too. But my calendar looks mostly empty so hopefully I’ll get through it all.

If you woul dhave told me that being president of PI would consume as much of my time as it it, I would have said you were crazy!

Anyway, off to write now, well, after I check email again, and blog, and check in with all my groups. And make coffee (see how scattered I am this morning that I could forget something as important as coffee?)

What’s up for everyone else this week?

Atlantis also has a little shopping area. The Marina village. All of the buildings are painted in pinks, yellows and blues. And, as the title would suggest, it’s a marina.

But it’s not a marina with little boats. This is where people park their yachts!

But they also have stuff for us normal folk, like a Starbucks and Ice Cream Store.

As I said, we went with the hubsters company, and they hosted a big bash on Sunday night. There was lots of yummy food (I had carrot cake twice in one day on vacation - that’s allowed, right) and lots of entertainment including a cool band (that may or may not have been the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band). Whoever they were, they were cool.

We left at 3 on Monday but spent the morning lounging on the beach. It was much nicer, the ocean much calmer, and the beach was much busier. Locals were hocking their wares, women selling bracelets or offering to braid your hair. There were a few guys offering coconut drinks. They’d cut off the top of a coconut and pour in some rum, lol. A bunch of younger guys were offering Jet Ski rides or parasailing.

I didn’t take anybody up on anything. I was content to just lounge.

All in all, it was a really nice trip. Not as relazing as it could have been maybe, but fun nonetheless. I’d definitely go back (though I hear next year the company is going back to a resort in the Dominican Republic).