Slow Sunday

The chickens are out in the pool. We picked up pizza earlier, so I didn't have to cook. Yay!
And I'm sitting here at the trusty ol' desk typing away on my HOT story. I'd like to eke out 3000 words again, but I'm well with it if I don't. *shrugs*
I think I'm right around 33500 total. I don't want it any longer than 50000.

I can't decided what I want to work on next. Well, the MAIN work. I always have little pieces of things floating around that I tap on now and again. There is another extremely spicy story that I'm targeting Ellora's Cave. But then I have another contemporary that I'll submit to WCP. And then I have a contemporary that I'm targeting Sil. Desire. Hmmmmmm. The possibilities are endless. And there's also a "tween" children's book I'm working on. Oh. And another paranormal. I suppose I really won't get down to it until I finish this current one anyway. It's just more stuff to ponder.

And I can't wait until I can actually type from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm with NO interruptions! That is so incredibly wonderful. But then I'll probably doing homework again for two hours.
It's a trade-off I can live with!
Grins*

Wrote 1500 words

Another review and whatnot

Virtually Yours has received another review. This one is from The Romance Studio www.romancestudio.com

I'll post a snippet:
The scenarios that Sarah gets involved with in the virtual world are truly fantastic situations that are very enjoyable to read about. The contrast between the virtual world of the study and Sarah's actual real life world provides for lots of funny, sad, and plain old memorable situations. Virtually Yours is a sweet gem of a story that will satisfy any romance fan. Get your hands on this book!
Overall rating: 4 hearts
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual
Reviewer: Sarah W
June 22, 2005

Yay!
You know. I have that whole perspective thing going on. I could have done this better. I could have done that better. *laughing* I suppose that will never change. But I'm proud of this book. My first three published are so diametrically opposed, the only common thread is love.
My former boss tells me that she never knew what was running around in my head. Now she's skeered. *snickering*

I've worked my ass off the past couple of days to get in a sufficient word count. I'll work on my manuscript today, but I won't be balls to the wall with it. And tomorrow I'll type at leisure, also. Monday will be busy. I'm helping out at the school, and I need to do some shopping.
Next week will be busy with school shopping and such. *rolling eyes*
Kids are EXCITED!
Grins*

Compensation

I believe I wrote so much yesterday because I was supposed to be booked today. Working at the school and such. But that fell through, so I'm back home. My goal today is 3000 words. My afternoon will be broken up a little bit since I have to leave the house, but I'm sure I can swing the alloted amount of words. I want to finish this HOT story and self-edit at least twice by the end of August.
And there are so many other projects I want to work on! I suppose I'll simply listen to myself and figure out which would be next manuscript to hammer out. And I suppose we all know that I'll be working on three projects at once. *grins* Some things just aren't going to change.

School starts in less than two weeks! That, in itself, brings a smile to my face. heh

Grins*

addendum: finished the 3000 words

4400

Not the show, LOL. That's how many words I've typed today!
WOOHOO! I'm feeling pretty spicy.
Grins*

Reflections

Sometimes I don't realize how far I've come when I'm so wrapped up in the struggles of today. I'm so focused on what I have going on right this second that I forget what I've done up to this point.
And so I take a moment to reflect and remind myself that I have good news. That I can still inspire myself. And that there has been progress even though some days it doesn't feel like it.

I received my first contract last September. I received my second contract last December. I received my third contract in July. I've also received three contracts for three different short stories to be placed in two anthologies. All in less than a year.

This blows me away. How quickly I forget. I hurry up and finish one and then start immediately on another one, two, or three manuscripts. I've already confessed to being the "rut slut" that y'all know so well. When I finish, I don't take a day off. I get up, get a drink, and sit right back down at the computer to open another document and work on it.
If I've had a productive week, I'm harder on myself than anybody else ever thought of being, then I will usually take off Sunday. If, however, I haven't met my word goal or storyline goal for the week, then I work straight through everyday until I'm satisfied.
Driven? Slightly.
And it works for me. But every once in awhile, I need to let myself sit back and remember. And then I'll open my document and get to work. *laughing* Hey! I took a moment!

And I wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to those lovely people I "talk" with everyday. I visit your blog or you visit mine. And I feel better for knowing all of you. It helps. I didn't know what I was missing in this arena until I found you wonderful people. And now I couldn't imagine a day without you.

Grins*

Medical woes and waiting

Still hurting. Going back to the doctor tomorrow. Update then.
Not looking forward to it.

Waiting. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hmmmm. Two months or so until my first release. *checking calendar* *counting* *cursing*
Yes, I'm an impatient soul. It's a cross I have to bear.
The upside being that every little bit of good news I hear from fellow writers gives me an oomph. A boost. Makes me feel like tackling my monstrous manuscripts. And even though I'm not going to RWA Reno, I'm sure I'll love hearing the stories and looking at the pictures. Can't wait!
Until then, I'm asking to borrow just a wee bit of someone's oomph. Please.
Grins*

Conference envy and writing

Yes. I admit it. I have conference envy. Never mind the fact that I'm socially inept and uncomfortable around my peers. Never mind that I literally don't have anything to wear. Never mind that the last time my hair was done, I think it was P.C. (pre-chickens). Never mind I can't afford it. Never mind ALL that.
I'm sure it will be a great time. ;)

And Suzanne brings up a good point on her Romancing the Blog post. (Click the RTB button on my sidebar. It'll take you right there.) Yes, she may be kicking up her heels and having a good time, but the rest of us will spend that time writing.

Writing. The lifeblood of the industry. The reason that all those people are flocking to Reno this year. We will, in essence, be doing our own little literary mambo here in our houses. Would I prefer margaritas and half-naked cover models? Well, hell. Who wouldn't? But I will be holding my own while tapping away at my loverly keyboard. Criminey! I don't even belong to RWA. And honestly, I don't want to. How's that for twisted?
It's the camaraderie. It's the meeting of minds. THAT'S what I envy most. We could be meeting here at my backwoods house over BBQ. The location doesn't matter. It's the people. Always the people.
Oh. And the margaritas.
Grins*

writing addendum: 2000 words yesterday on the HOT story. Hoping to add another 2000 at least today. MUST quit surfing web. heh

My Pumpkin AKA Witch Kitty

Special thanks to Jinger Heaston. She doctored this picture since Pumpkin is gracing the cover of my second book. You can check Jinger's work out at http://www.jingraphix.com/
However, due to Kitty Privacy issues, this won't be the pose she strikes on the book. heh
Grins*

Muses and short stories

My Muse is twisted. She seems to want to be productive at night while I'm attempting to sleep. For the last two nights, she's been extremely persistent. Bossy heifer.

I have good news, though. My short story has been accepted for the Whiskey Creek Press Torrid Anthology. YAY! My first contracted work into the HOT category. Makes me want to finish my longer hot story. heh
As if I need anymore incentive. *grinning*

Enjoy your weekend!
Grins*

New Policy

First, let me state again how happy I am to be working from my home. There are times like these when it's a godsend. I received word from one of my friends that still works where I used to, and there has been a change in policy. From now on...NO jewelry.

A little backstory. Yes, my old job was at a factory. A Fortune 500 company, I believe. And I worked in the lab. But there were several people who had to work around machines all day. And those little suckers can be tricky. Apparently they've pulled necklaces, rings, and such into the machines. Therefore, the jewelry is now a risk.

When I did work on the floor, I was fortunate enough to work with a man I'll call Tim. Tim was a family man. Everyday before we started, he'd take off his wedding ring and slide it onto the necklace he wore around his neck. Every evening, he'd slide it off and back onto his finger. Wise man, this Tim. And I took note of it.
However, there are several individuals (male and female) out at this plant who don't know the first thing about monogamy. It simply isn't in there vocabulary. Pity that. And I really think this "no jewelery" policy is going to be an open door for these "free thinkers." It's a regular Peyton Place out there, anyway. People who wear their wedding bands most often wear them for more than one reason. It means "I'M TAKEN." Peddle your wares elsewhere.
And now that this has been taken away, I'm sure that some individuals will see this as a buffet of people to check out. Think again.

I could understand it if the ring was immensely gaudy and stuck out. Or the necklace hung down to your navel. Or even if you liked those big hoop earrings. But making people take off a symbol of their love just so safety coordinators can say they're doing something...not so much.
The only items they can wear are stud earrings. That's it. And that's far too little considering the environment.

Grins*

Fair to partly crappy

I'm not the only one who needed to visit the Doc. Two of the chickens had to take a trip to the Doctor's today. One has swimmer's ear. One has something a little more severe. So, to say the least, we're ate-up today. But they're fine. Got the meds, and they're resting.

Haven't written anything in a couple of days. My ass drageth. Unfortunately. I think I'll tackle it more this weekend. Have to get up early tomorrow to schedule the dryer guy. My part finally came in. And then my ultrasound is at 9:30. Can I get a woot, woot? *laughing*

Take care of yourselves.
Oh. And as soon as I check out the calendar, I'm putting a countdown to school up on my blog. heh
'Cause I'm a counting.
Grins*

If I ignore it, will it go away?

I'm talking about my email. Dang it. I swear it procreates.
Every day there are more and more of them. I know I'm a catalyst. I'm on four different loops. But good grief! There are days I simply don't want to sift and wade. And this week would be a good example of that.

I usually LOVE to go through my email. But now, I simply don't have the want right now. SIGH
Maybe I'll put it off until tomorrow.
Do y'all enjoy your emails? Or are they a necessary evil? I'm about half and half right now.
Grins*

Good thing I'm not a licensed physician

Well then. I learned it wasn't my appendix. Seems to be my gallbladder. Oh. And I have hypertension. I just don't know when I've had more fun. *snorting*

Talked to the doc. Oh man, I like this guy. He's from New York. Very down-to-earth. Nice bedside manner. I told him where it hurt. And as he's pushing down here and there...he nailed the spot. More than one tear sprang to my eye. It HURT!
So, he's apologizing. And I'm telling him it's okay. Meanwhile, I'm dying.
He advises me he thinks it's my gallbladder. And I have hypertension. And no one is going to operate on me until my blood pressure is lower. Hmmmm. Crystal=wound tighter than a top. *pondering the situation*
And, I'm on a NO FAT diet. That's right, people. NO FAT. I just have to capitalize it. It deserves it. No cheese. No dairy at all. No meat. NO FAT. heh

I'll be eating like the proverbial rabbit here for awhile. Really not a big deal right now because I have NO appetite. Doc prescribed three pills. Two for my stomach and one for pain. I told you I liked this guy, right? *grinning*
I've taken the meds and am waiting for the pain pills to kick in. Kids are swimming. I'm not writing. In fact, the only thing I'm going to do right now is go to a medical site and check out hypertension and gallbladders.

I want to apologize to all those lovely individuals I usely bloghop to. I probably won't be stopping by as often for awhile. I need to see how the meds make me feel.
Ultrasound on Friday. Next appointment on Tuesday. The joy of it all.
Crystal*

THANKS! (and update)

I want to thank each and every one of you for your comments and support. I was going to respond individually, but I just don't have it in me. But HUGE HUGS to all of you. I appreciate everything y'all said. me=still puny. Oh. And now we've added nauseous and fevery to the mix. It's nonstop fun people. :(

Update: I called the nurse line today. *scuffing toe* She said that if I didn't get into the doctor in the next 72 hours, I would qualify for a "dire emergency." Now, if that doesn't scare the crap out of someone. So, I immediately phoned my PCP. I'm in at 2:30 tomorrow. That's central time. Please keep me in your thoughts. Even though it may just be an appendix, I do NOT like going to/being at/being prodded at the doc's. And if I have to have surgery of a sort...*shuddering*...I'm SO not well with this.

So, no writing. Ha. To say the least. I'll be writhing and moaning over here (and not the good kind) until tomorrow afternoon. But, ya know, I'm a blog addict. So I had to logon and share my misery. heh
Crystal*

Broken promises and puniness

1 a : a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified

Ya think?
Unfortunately my friend has now broken the same promise to me. Twice. I'm so pissed you could fry an egg on my forehead. Why do people make promises? Usually a promise is made to either refrain from or do something. This one was refraining. That has since been shot straight to hell. me=boiling

And the puniness? I feel like hell. Literally. I think it's my appendix. I need to haul my cookies down to the doctor and have him/her check me out. I KNOW! I need to. Really. I'll have to pencil that in sometime. 'Cause I feel crappy.

I think I'm going to go lay down. After I go dry four sets of laundry. And make sure everyone has had dinner.
Crystal*

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince

After much scrambling and such, I finally procured my copy. And I finished it in under five hours.
I won't spoil anything for anybody. Because if someone did that to me, I'd be exceptionally pissed. But here's my take on it.

I loved it. I enjoyed it so much more than the last one, it was unbelievable. It was informative. Almost as if you could feel the drawstrings pulling tighter around the story. I believe there are also several clues in this one which will serve readers well in the last book. And everything, as I'm sure y'all will notice, is NOT what it appears. I cling tightly to this theory.

Is it sad? Yes. I'm getting a headache right now because the last sixty pages or so will rip your heart out. No names mentioned, but don't say I never warned you.

I'm sincerely hoping Book 7 is as this one. The fourth movie will be out in November, and that will be great fun to watch. But there really is nothing like the written word. Especially Harry Potter's.
Grins*

Ah. Almost forgot. I have a $10 Wal-Mart gift certificate for the first person who points out the error on page 10. Good luck!

And we thought writing was difficult

There have been two notable additions to the anonymous literary blogs. One is Miss Snark, literary agent http://misssnark.blogspot.com/ and the other is Agent007 http://agentoo7.blogspot.com/.

Miss Snark is just that. A snarky agent with fangs for teeth and a wicked tongue. Highly enjoyable to read. But it seems that all she's dishing is snark. Her slush pile is pathetic. Her time is precious. And don't you dare breathe the same air she's breathing unless your head is out of your ass. So to speak. And who can blame her?
Agent 007 is a little kinder and gentler. He tells it like it is. But his is a softer approach. And more informative as of right now.

The trials and tribulations of being an agent must be enormous. Snark seems to dismiss anyone and everyone she feels isn't worthy. Agent tries to be empathetic. Snark will verbally tear you a new one. Agent will try to explain his side of the story.
I'm waiting for a little empathy to trickle through Snark's blog. She obviously knows her job. But in my mind, I see a baracuda sitting at her desk typing out some of the harshest words known to man. I see Agent as a man with a desk full of papers and a mug to his right.
Quite a different picture.

And on being anonymous? Yes. I'm sure it's a perk. You can say what you want about pretty much whomever you want. But I think we all know that unfounded ugliness will come back around. Never fails. It's karma for want of a better word.
I'll continue to read both because I AM trying to glean as much as I can from those more experienced. Imagine that.
Grins*

Today and tomorrow

Today I've written on both my contemporary and erotic romance. I've typed about 1500 on the former, and 2200 on the latter. I'm almost ready to wrap it up for the day.
Me=tired

And tomorrow? There will be no blogging. Well, depending on when I purchase my Harry Potter book. If I bring it home early enough, I may have time to blog about it tomorrow evening. Otherwise, don't even think I'll be doing anything else but immersing myself in Mr. Potter's story. Can't WAIT! *rubbing hands together*

Of course, this means I must finish all my chores today like a good girl so that I actually have time tomorrow to myself to read. SIGH
One must do what one must do.
Happy reading!!!
Grins*

Melting Pot

When something first forms, it searches for the spot where it fits in. A movie, book, or television show will automatically be categorized. It goes into a certain slot, and it's judged amongst others in its group.

But lately the line is blurring. Country music is finding its way onto pop radio. Rap and rock are filtering through Country. Many television shows are cross-genre now. Books have several different elements in them.
Lines? What lines?
There are no purist media anymore. And those who cling so tightly to it? Times, they are a changing.
Media is evolving. It's taking different pieces and melding them into something even greater. And the resulting product will be sure to change even more.
So let's embrace the melting pot of media. It will continue to shape our thoughts and ideas.
And those that don't meld? Don't fit?
Those are the pioneers. And we need them as desperately as we do the classics. If not more.
Grins*

Boot straps

I watched "Montel" today. It was the episode about self-made millionaires. The owner of Ellora's Cave was on. All the stories were so inspirational, I was enthralled.
These women had NOTHING. Literally.
I love the fact that they had that need, that spark, to find the one thing in themselves that they were meant to do.
More of us need to listen to that voice deep inside us.

Now for an update of my writing endeavors. I'm going to be working on an erotica and a book for a Sil. line. I'm about 20,000 words in on the erotica. I've only just started the romance. I'll also be working on some short stories for a few anthologies. It seems I can whip those out pretty quickly. And once again, I need to FOCUS!!
Oh. And not be distracted by everyday life. Demmit.

Harry Potter comes out Saturday. Book 6. *swooning* Love me some Harry Potter.
This translates into me reading it the first time in one day so I can continue my own writing. Dang J.K. Rowling! She's killing me! Another author who started with nothing and made something of herself. Hmmmm. I'm sensing a pattern here.
Grins*