Cover Me...

The Wild Rose Press is updating the covers of the Rosettes, the short stories that I wrote for them last year. Take a peak at the improved versions ::

FOUND :: Arriving home after a girls night out, Eden's realized she no longer needs to look for love. Love is right there, sleeping in her bed. But does he feel the same? (sensual contemporary)

UNWRITTEN ROMANCE :: Given a second chance at life, Mindy Thomas swallows her fear and decides to tell her boss how she feels about him. Except Jared Salazar misunderstands, thinking she's after a promotion. Mindy uses the interview to ensure Jared understands she wants him, not the position. (sweet contemporary)




TREASURED :: Marianne Phillips lost so much in the war ? her brother, father, mother. the family plantation, and with it her way of life. Even with so much ripped from her, her pride and self-respect remain firmly in tact. When a man who claims to have admired her from afar proposed marriage, can Marianne trust his intentions, or will her pride get in the way? (American Historical, post-Civil War)

...AND in other short story news...I got a contract today for Culinary Magic for Love Stories Magazine :) I have no idea when it will appear, so I'll have to keep y'all posted.

It's the day...

Gracie and the Boys

Someone asked how the boys are doing with the baby...so I'll gush again and then stop with the baby stuff...maybe.










The sibling class we had the boys take at the hospital really paid off! Bayley knew exactly how to hold the baby! So much so, he told Daddy he was holding the baby wrong yesterday and needed to use both hands! Hayden likes to hold her with help and give her kisses...which sadly we've had to put on hold as he's had a stomach bug since we brought her home!


We are much more impressed by her than she is by the rest of us.

Pictures To Follow...

For those wondering where I've been off to, it's not the Bahamas! Gracious Mae arrived on Saturday afternoon. This is my first time online...next time I'll bring pictures!

HORROR SCOPES

Do you read your horoscope? Tarot.com sends me mine every day...I read it about 10% of the time. You know, when I'm in need of a procrastination fix. When they see right on, I get kind of nervous.

Friday, May 9th, 2008 -- As argumentative Mars moves through your 4th House of Security over the next seven weeks, you may have to put more energy into defending your point of view. You could feel as if you are under attack by a trusted friend, even if he or she means no harm. You are more sensitive to the anger of others now, so do your best to gently sidestep unnecessary petty ego conflicts.

Yeah, sadly this IS my life right now. Anyone know how to do the gentle sidestep?

Possibly Drafting...

No baby yet, so I'm working on the partial of Mr. Possibly. Thankfully, think most of the first chapter is salvagable. After that...not so much. But, it will be fun since one of the things I'm doing is cutting out as many people as I can...That will make my plan for the story go faster, getting to the good bits.

MR. POSSIBLY...

2622 / 50000 words. 5% done!

RITA Reading

What do the RITA nominations mean to you? I'll be honest, I had no idea they existed three years ago. Now, I love hearing who made the cut. Of course, that could be because now I'm crossing my fingers that I know someone...


Anyway...do you pick up a book just because it was nominated? Do you read all the books in one category to see if you can predict who'll win? I'm working my way through two categories, contemporary series and single title. Which have you read?

2008 RITA for Contemporary Series Romance Finalists

Sleeping Partner by Kelly Hunter Modern Extra/Sexy Sensation

Always a Bridesmaid by Kristin Hardy Silhouette Special Edition

Fall From Grace by Kristi Gold Everlasting Love

Make-Believe Mom by Elaine Grant Harlequin Superromance

Night Mischief by Nina Bruhns Silhouette Nocturne

Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson Harlequin Superromance

The Mile High Club by Heidi Rice (available as The Millionaire's Blackmail Bargain (Harlequin Presents))Modern Extra

The Tycoon's Princess Bride by Natasha Oakley Harlequin Presents


Contemporary Single Title Romance Finalists


Tangled Up In You by Rachel Gibson

Blame It On Cupid by Jennifer Greene

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

Coming Undone by Susan Andersen

Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist

She's No Angel by Leslie Kelly

Tempt Me Tonight by Toni Blake

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer

Review Collecting

A new review for Her Cinderella Complex popped up from eCataRomance. I've been so blessed that everyone loves it as I do. My mom is actually downstairs reading it right now...

Ding Dong, the Draft is Done!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS rough draft

51898 / 50000 words. 104% done!

I wondered if I'd ever finish...now I have the weekend to rewrite the partial of Possibly. Then it's on to editing Impressions...and let me tell you, it needs it! I'd usually work about being 2K over my word budget, but this thing likely has a scene or three that can be tossed completely.

OH...and for those on baby watch. Nothing yet...but my mom who came up to help me? She broke her ankle and is stuck on my couch!

HORROR SCOPE

Get this! Today's Tarot.com version is Responsibilities are heaped on you and you must keep yourself on the straight and narrow path. If you can channel your imagination into the required form of communication, you should be able to relax in just a few days. But not yet. Your boss might move up a deadline on you. Or you may have to rearrange your calendar or alter your travel plans. Try to be flexible, whatever is the reason.

Um WOW. I have a mother who can't walk on my couch, a baby who could be here at any moment and I am trying to rewrite a partial. If I get a note from my editor asking for it pronto I will cue the Twilight Zone music!

Trish came back...to blog tag me?

I am not sure what Trish Wylie is up to...she disappears and throws me off my writing challenge, and shows back up to tag me with random things...

She has an evil plan to take over the world, that Trish.

OK...so here's the cheez.

Tagging Rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you. (That Trish)
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

And now, six random things:

I hate bad breath with a bizarre passion. Everyone gets bad breath, but I'm the girl who will offer you a lifesaver. Take it when I do. And please, if I'm having a vulture mouth moment, give me one!

Headaches scare me more than labor. Other people find this odd. But headaches in me can last for days, while you have a baby and that is that.

I wish my husband would not adjust the seat in the minivan. Every Monday morning I have to change the headrest, seatbelt, mirrors, seatback...and really, who has time on Monday morning when the kids are already running late for school?

I have piles. Oh, and I like to say things that can be taken two ways if one of the ways is funny. But back to my piles. If I don't have time to deal with something, I'll put it in a pile. Until the piles have piles and I am forced to sort them because they have spilled onto the floor.

Cleaning up is no longer my bag. I was a neat freak pre-kids. It lasted a bit through Boy1. But with Boy 2 it really drifted away. Since I developed sciatica with this babe, cleaning does not happen for me. I come by it genetically.

Bubbles are the best thing. Enough said.

OK....Now I have to do some tagging of my own...if you're reading this, you're tagged!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...watch for the update...

Hung Up On High Concept

So I thought First Impressions was like Pride & Prejudice, hence the title...but now that I am winding it up I think it is more like Gone With the Wind without the war...my characters are just not as well mannered as Elizabeth & Darcy. Though my heroine isn't as self-serving as Scarlet. Hmmm. Maybe it's somewhere between Pride & Prejudice and Gone With the Wind? More Elizabeth & Rhett I think...

Yes, I should be writing.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...

50004 / 50000 words. 100% done!

...so I am ALMOST done. Have to get them to finish (ahem) and then wake up and talk. Then I should be good to set it aside and fix the partial of Possibly. It's at the point where I don't want to let them go and have 3 more scenes in my head that could happen after. They do not move the story forward, pure indulgence. So...I should finish up tomorrow...

This makes me giggle

The new and improved logo for the UK's Office of Government Commerce...


Clearly, they either NEED a handful of frat boys on their design team or have a few who are hi-fiving each other right now! If I tried to work a snafu like this into a book, I'd never sell an editor on it!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...

47669 / 50000 words. 95% done!

...and no baby yet...

Exhaustion Won...

I didn't get my writing in yesterday like I'd planned. My morning write went as usual (hence the 700 words in one short scene with Jake, Lily and grandma Thalia) but the afternoon write time was spent at the park, library, grocery store, and hanging out with the neighborhood gang...I think I am in fear of the baby cave. I'm going to miss my people!

The evening write time should have redeemed me...but I couldn't stay awake. And then...and then! I wake up with a headache.

Hmmm...I wonder just how long my list of 'I didn't write today' excuses can get?

BUT on the exciting front (for me at least) I did work in some Jane Austen title banter which made me OH so pleased since it turned out way funnier than I'd hoped. At least to me. And entertaining myself is all that matters, right? Right?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...

45038 / 50000 words. 90% done!

WORKSHOP WITH JAX CASSIDY & Special Guest: SIMONE HARLOW

UNDERSTANDING & BREAKING INTO THE MULTI-ETHNIC MARKET

What do you think of when you hear the words Multi-Ethnic? This has always been a quiet sector of romance that few understand and many are unaware of. Multi-Ethnic embodies more than just the lifestyle, culture, and stereotypes, and has become increasingly visible and more accepted within the last decade.

This workshop focuses on understanding and breaking into a market that most people are afraid to approach, but may be interested in learning more about. From authors such as L.A. Banks, Kayla Perrin, Sunny Chen, Brenda Jackson, to Caridad Pineiro, these women have proven that there is a demand for literature that focuses on the exotic.

...and how is FIRST IMPRESSIONS coming along?...I'll update at the end of the day...

43613 / 50000 words. 87% done!