OMG!!! Romantic Times Review!!!

Ok. I'll get to my post about what I did this weekend in just a minute. I promise.
But the good news???

Romantic Times gave The Portrait FOUR AND A HALF STARS!!! *DANCING*

I am so damn excited that I can barely stand myself. I had two reviews for the July Issue. Perfect Timing didn't do quite so hot. But considering it was the second book I ever wrote (I mean literally. The first I never even subbed) I'll take that review with a grain of salt.

I don't have the review in my hot, little hands yet for The Portrait. But as soon as I check my mail and find the magazine...I'll post what it says.
Four and a half stars. I am SO blown away!

*BIG GRINS*
Crystal*

Almost June???

Why yes. My head IS spinning. However did you know?

The good news being the three day weekend that's just around the corner. *looking at clock*
Actually five hours away. hehehe

The bad news? Christmas is only about six months away.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Uncalled for, huh? *grins*

Ok. No really bad news. I plan on spending the bulk of my weekend writing. Cleaning a bit of the house. And, of course, taking the chickens to the Skate Park so they can risk life, limb, and my sanity on their collective rollerblades. Because they are inherently, genetically predispositioned for insanity. *nodding*
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I hope you and yours have a lovely weekend filled with BBQ's and good times.
Grins*

Let the good times roll!

For the chickens.

Yep. It's the last day of school. *sigh* I would have rallied for year-round school, but no one asked. Damn it.
So the chickens will be home for about 2 1/2 months. Then back the academic grind. And I've (fortunately) got quite a few things planned this summer so there will be no whines of "I'm bored!"
*collective Mama groan*
I know you're feeling me. :)~~

I've also finished editing Fire Goddess! Yay!!! Let me just say...I do NOT enjoy the editing process. And by the time I've finished looking at my own story (SEVERAL times)...I just want to scream, "Take it!" and shove it in someone else's hands. Mebbe that's just me. *grins*

It's only Tuesday. A fact which I am in denial about. I've thought it was Wednesday since I woke up. That doesn't bode well for the rest of the week. Know what I mean?
But I've had a good day. And I'm glad for it. Even if *sigh* it's NOT Wednesday.
Have a meeting tomorrow in Norman. One which I think I will really enjoy. It's about Publicity and Marketing. And what author couldn't use a little more info in that direction?

I'm going to go make a difference now. Enjoy the day!!!
Grins*

One damn productive weekend

I gave the chickens options this weekend. One play day. One work day. (Because that's just how I roll. *grins*)
They chose Saturday to be play day.
So...we get up. Go bowl two games. (And yes. For you inquiring minds...I got my ass beat again). Then we head to a grocery store and pick up some fried chicken, potato salad, rolls, and soda. Then we head to a park in the next city over. And they have ramps!!! *insert picture of oldest child salivating as she just got new rollerblades*
So all three chickenbutts rollerbladed at the skate park. Then we zip back to town, and I let them skate at another park which has walkways. Then we go to the sno-cone place where we've gone for the past 7 or so years. Every year. It's a tradition with us. And there is NOTHING like the first taste of the first sno-cone of the season. Seriously. (I always order pink lemonade. Mmmmmm)
Then we travel back to another close city where they skate some more!!! Oh...and we had some Mickey D's.
So there. *big sigh* BUSY DAY!!!

Sunday was work day. Alas. My poor little chickens. *snort* And I worked their tiny collective butts into the ground. *grins* Yeah. I roll like that, too.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
We cleaned. And I mean not just a little bit. Finally got all those clothes out of my laundry room and into the back of the van to donate. Everything swept, laundered, cleaned, and vacuumed. Whew! I even got some writing in. *nodding* Pretty damn special.

So there's my weekend. Busy. Productive. Fun. Hope yours was a good one. And I know I can wake up tomorrow (unfortunately at the buttcrack of dawn) and say...hell yes! I didn't waste a minute.
Grins*

The shucking of the drawers...AKA...Torrid Teasers Vol. 33-Moon Goddess/Sun Goddess

The wonderful Senior Editor at WCP Torrid (Hi Jan!) informed me that we would be switching Torrid Teaser covers between the first one...and this one. My two hot Goddess stories will host the FIRST cover of this kind. Reowrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Gotta love that. I'd love a bit of his cheek even more, but that's neither here nor there. *wink*
Grins*

Yep. That happened.

Horoscope for the day:

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
Today's Moon in Gemini reflects your comfort and you are likely to glide through even the most difficult of circumstances. Even though it's a workday, you can still manage to make time for a fun activity or two. Give yourself the benefit of any doubt. If something enjoyable is presented as an option, go ahead and have the good time you deserve.

I ran up to Norman to pick up a filing cabinet I bought from a co-worker. Then I zipped back to Tecumseh. I called my sister who suggested lunch the other day with her and Mom. She tells me that she has to go pick up Mom so I tell her I'm closer and will do it.
I go pick Mom up and head back to town where we meet and have lunch at the Chinese buffet. (Mmmmmmm. Love me some Chinese buffet. *satisfied smile*)
We eat and are done in about an hour, and then Amber looks at us and says, "Let's go bowling."
LMAO
I have approximately an hour before I have to be at work. Mom has no plans. So off we go. We bowl two games, and I have a headache now because I laughed so hard.
Mom whooped our collective asses. I'm just saying. The woman has bowled a 300 game before and has bowling trophies. Of course, it's been fifteen years since she bowled. Or so she kept reassuring us.
Did I already tell y'all she whooped our asses? Yeah. No kidding. *grinning*
I, um, rather needed those bumper thingies. Mom bowled 100 the first game and almost 200 the second. Amber and I are obviously not recipients of the bowling gene. That's all I'm saying. There shall be no more talk of our rather lackluster performances. *snickering*

Almost too pooped to pop here. I work until nine o'clock tonight. And I'm thinking that'll be just all kinds of fun. *eye roll* But there ya have it.
Had a great day with the Mom and Sis. Ate way too much Chinese. And was schooled by my mother in the art of bowling. Doesn't get much better than that.
Grins*

Grizzly Adams...eat your heart out

I went out on the porch earlier to smoke a cigarette (yes. I know. Awful habit. And one I only recently picked up. Don't worry. Still have time to save myself). Anyway...I sit down on the porch steps and am studying the sky.

The cats are hissing and spazzing. (You know...the two knocked-up strays) And I thought...Good God! Give me a break! Why are you two fighting? So I turned around on the porch and there it was!

A racoon. A very fluffy racoon. Eating the food we'd put out for the cats. So I immediately jump up...because all I see is a bunch of fur. And it takes off. So I scoot up closer to the door, and it comes back. I open the screen and tell the girls there's a racoon in the yard. And the next thing you know...three little faces pressed up to the glass watching little Miss Thing eat. And she's cute. (Well. I don't know if it was a "she" or not. But it was pretty bold. And fluffy. And didn't seem to care too much if she had an audience.)
So I tell the girls never to get too close. Issue all the parental warnings. And we just watch her.
She's just so damn cute. And then she heard something and sat up like a Meerkat. Can I get a collective "Awwwwwwwwwwwww"?
Yeah. I thought so.
So there ya have it.
If they coyotes aren't howling...the wolves aren't baying...and a racoon isn't eating four feet away from you...you just ain't living.
Grins*

Happy Mother's Day

Mothers are special creatures. In fact, I have little memory of my life B.C. (before children). I vaguely remember evenings out and movies that I could go to and not worry about the R rating. Long lunches. And having money to actually buy myself a CD.

But life is altered with children. You are no longer simply a person. You're the heart and soul of someone's world. The protector. The guardian. The one who bandages the boo-boo's and makes it all better. The changer of diapers. The studying of homework. The one who listens. The one who weighs in. The one who loves this child more than anything in the world.

I was pregnant three years in a row. My girls are (for all intents and purposes) a year apart. All born in October--> 1993-1995. And I have never had more fun than when I'm with the girls. (Ok. The PG version. *grins*)

They make me laugh. They have a wicked sense of humor that never fails to slay me. They're goofy. They're loving. They're mine.

One of my favorite stories about the little people: Having three girls so close in age wears on a person. I had NO time to myself. When they were younger, and I had to go to the bathroom, I had at least two children in there with me. At night I would rotate them out in my bed so they could take turns sleeping with the Mama.
NO TIME FOR THE MAMA!

I decide to hop in the shower one day for a breather. And it's blissfully quiet. No yelling. No children talking. Still. Peaceful. I'm congratulating myself on my ten minutes of heaven and turn the shower off. I pull back the shower curtain, and there they are. They've pulled their little red plastic chairs into a row and await my arrival from the other side of the shower curtain.

It's a good memory. A favorite of mine. That's motherhood to me. The mutual knowledge that we are there for each other. And even though there will be breathers, we're connected. Linked. Loved.

The girls' vital statistics:
Oldest Chicken- Born 11:00 pm at night. 8 lbs. 12 oz.
Middle Chicken- Born 4:37 in the afternoon 7 lbs. 3 oz.
Baby Chicken- Born 8:11 in the morning 6 lbs. 5 oz.

60 hours of labor
654 gray hairs
4 body parts that will never be the same
But...3 precious girls. And the gift of being able to look at my grandchildren and tell my girls...What goes around, comes around. LMAO

Grins*

I showed my ass the other day

I'm sure everyone is aware of my dislike of clothes. The running joke used to be to wait five minutes when you knocked on the door of my home because I was busy getting dressed.

Yesterday morning, I went back to bed after the chickens got on the bus for school. Then I got up, still drowsy, and decided to start my day. I pulled on a shirt, nothing else, and stepped on the front porch for a cigarette.
Keep in mind...my house is a bit back from the road. Not a mile, by any means, but I'm not right on the highway. So I'm standing with my butt toward the door because, well, it's uncovered. Mostly.
And then what happens?
Oh sure. Somebody in a red car pulls into my driveway. I hurriedly put my cigarette out and run into the house (showing my heiney on the turn) to pull on my pajama pants. At first I thought it was idiot ex. But it wasn't. It was some guy who wanted to talk to me about trapping turtles in the pond.
And he had a HUGE grin on his face the entire time we talked. Which was brief, I can assure you.

The problem being...I don't have any comfortable shorts to wear since the fire. So I, obviously, must go forth and find some. For the sake of my dignity.
Grins*

It's Rene's fault

*peeling Meme off my forehead*
Apparently I've been tagged. Thanks Rene. You cheesehead.

8 Things Things You Probably Didn't Need to Know About Me
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

OK. I'm skipping three and four. Because I'm a nonconformist Memeer. BUT...if you DO take this Meme upon yourself...drop me a line and let me know. I'd love to read it.

And in no particular order:

1. I skipped second grade. Took a fourth grade SRA in first grade and missed one. Was given the option to skip second grade. Which after much soul searching of my six year-old self said...what the hell? And gave it a go. Altered the course of my life.
2. I stop the microwave timer on odd numbers. My favorite is 11. And I hate to hear the microwave ding.
3. Dandelions are satan's little flower. I can't get near one without turning into a whimpering, sneezing, life-hating individual.
4. I straighten my bangs everyday.
5. I don't wear socks to bed
6. I can read a 500 page book in less than two hours. (OK. As long as it's not itty bitty font.)
7. I used to ride my tricycle naked in my grandmother's yard.
8. I like having my eyebrows waxed. Enjoy other waxing? Not so much.
9. I sleep on my stomach.
10.I can watch the Princess Bride over and over and over and over again. (Oh. And repeat most of the dialogue. It's a sickness, I tell ya.)

Allrighty. It's on you. Copy. Paste. Spill your guts. And then drop me a line.
Grins*

Progress. Sweet progress.

I worked on PCA today. That's about 3000 words a week for me. Well, *ahem*, because I only write on Sundays. But the story is flowing. And I feel good about it. That's the best.

Oldest chicken finally came home this afternoon. She was over at a friend's for the weekend. And baby chicken went with her friend to church. So it's been rather sporadic childwise around here. (Not complaining)

Tomorrow is, once again, Monday. I really don't know why that keeps happening. *scratching head* Seems to me that we deserve a couple of extra Sundays a month to even things out.
I have a long list of things to do tomorrow. Haven't eaten dinner yet. And I picked up makings for strawberry sundaes...so the girls have been on me about that for the last twenty-four hours. *eye roll* Heaven forbid there be ice-cream in the house, and we don't immediately suck it down.

I picked up Hannibal Rising from the library to read. But I read Hannibal and had nightmares. Never mind the fact I couldn't bring myself to watch it. *shuddering* Spooky. But I find the maniacal genius of Hannibal fascinating.
Now if the guy would just quit eating people. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww

(Geez. From strawberry sundaes to cannibalism. I need to work on my segues. Seriously.)

I'm off to oversee the spooning of the ice-cream. I WOULD like to have some, ya know.
Grins*

My blog

See the title of my blog? Chrys' World. Because in this lovely Internet journal, I share pieces of my life. Both personal and professional. Right now, the professional rocks.
I'm editing Fire Goddess. Working on a submission for Ellora's Cave. And also working on a short story and Water Goddess. All good. I'm also thinking about what I want to take with me to the Red Dirt Festival this November. Promo items and the like.

Personally...my life has taken a turn of late. Everything that once was is now no longer. And I like to have my blog to bounce off of and share thoughts on this.
I'd like to thank the co-worker who reads this blog and confronted my ex about making themselves look good but in actuality...it was anything but. I'm sucking the backlash right now, but I appreciate the thought. More than you know.

My ex made promises that they didn't keep. Left a phone bill that exceeds $500 dollars. And continually tries to make my life a living hell. I'm moving on. This person has no bearing on my life anymore. It's a malevolent person who will take a child's security and screw it to the wall because they can. And one in denial who blames everyone but themselves.
I was no model partner. I know this. But I tried so damn hard to make it work. All for nothing. Let's just say this was one hell of an expensive learning experience. That's the reality of it. (A small postnote...I just got a 48 hour cut-off notice for the electric this person was supposed to pay. Just another example of what a worthless ass this person is.)
My ex told me to quit writing about them. About where there living now. About the backstabbing bitch who used to be my friend. Because this ex still wants control of my life. A control I'll never willingly give again to this person. Decisions were made. Words said. Actions taken that altered more than one life. Selfishness rules supreme. And I'm working through it. In my way. On my blog. Through friends and family.
And I'm so much better without this person. This toxic individual full of lies, deceit, and broken promises.

I love my children. My life. My job. And I'm talking to someone right now who gets me. Not the me that they want to support them while giving nothing in return. Someone who hears me. And someone who didn't just want me to "take care of them."

I'm over you.

Bye Chance

This is Chance

He passed away yesterday. He was hit by a van in front of us. Flew into the air and landed in a ditch.

I've got to bury him today after work. This is hard for several reasons. But the one that sticks out in my mind the most is that he was the last piece of my old life. Before the fire. We ushered his great big heiney into the van and carted him off to where we were staying. Man, that dog could ride.

We love you, you big damn doofy dog. Go chase rabbits in Heaven.

Rest in Peace. 5-1-2007

Fire Goddess

Jinger has worked her magic. Again.

Available July 2007 from Whiskey Creek Press.

What do you think?

Crystal*