What Are You Reading?

I have piles of books scattered all over the family room.

Really.

Piles.

As if it's not bad enough I continue to buy – I gotta have the latest from my favorite authors – I also have my daughter's library to contend with.

First there was Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Not a fan of first person point of view, but I like these books. I'm waiting for my daughter to read the last two (three?), then she'll give them to me to read.

Next was Kerrelyn Sparks' Love at Stake series. I went through those faster (when is the next one coming out???). I just LOVE that series.

Now it's JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

I'm not even finished with the first book and I'm hooked (and my daughter is super excited, too).

I keep looking at my piles of books and wonder when I'm going to ever get back to them. I have a feeling I'll be reading JR Ward for awhile.

And who are my favorite authors – books I buy and read as soon as they come out? Let's see:

Lynsay Sands (Argeneau Vampire series)
Meg Gardiner
Tess Gerritsen
Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse series)

So, do you have piles of books, too? How do you decide what to read next?

Canada - Part II

I can't believe we're doing it again. We're actually going to Canada.

The first and last time we ventured into that country, we visited Montreal and learned they don't like English much. Which was a disaster since we also learned our Garmin didn't have Canadian maps. Yes, we got lost. Major lost!

This time we'll be armed with a new Garmin, and I've been told Toronto isn't part of France. Yes, I know Montreal isn't part of France, either, but try telling them that!

Our reason for this trip (on a weekend where we'll actually be spending the night in Detroit to and from) is to attend my daughter's Footy game (that would be Australian Rules Football). A long drive for one game, but my baby's worth it.

I hope the weather is great. I hope we can drive with the top down (yes, we have a convertible). I hope I take lots of pictures. Who knows when I'll make it to the country again? Who knows when I'll want to?

A Joke

JOKE OF THE WEEK - courtsey of suddenvalues.com

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well was dry and needed to be covered up anyway, so it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then to everyone's surprise, he quieted down. A few shovels later, the farmer looked down the well and saw something amazing! That with each shovel of dirt that hit the donkey's back, he simply shook it off and took a step up! As the neighbors continued to shovel dirt down the well, the donkey continued to shake and climb!

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

The Moral: Life is going to shovel all kinds of dirt on you. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping! Never give up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Enough of that crap. The donkey later came back and bit the s_ _ _ out of the farmer that tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from the infection.

Moral 2: When you do something wrong and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Couldn't resist posting this. Sometimes I get some good ones in my e-mails. Most of the time, not so much. Hope I put a smile on your face!

ADOS

First off, I have to say – Happy Birthday to ME!! Yes, it's my birthday. And I'm trying to enjoy it. Even if I do feel like crap. Guess my body isn't enjoying getting another year older. But what can I do? It's better than the alternative!

Now on to my blog…

In a conversation with my offspring and a dear friend, we got to talking about funny things and sayings, i.e. "You know you have ADHD – oh look, a chicken!" That prompted my son to tell us his friend told him she had ADOS. So of course, we had to ask.

ADOS = Attention Deficit Oooh Shiny

Insert laughter here.

Now, don't get me wrong. I feel for those who truly have ADHD, but don't we all suffer from it to some extent? Maybe that's why we can joke about it.

I never really thought much about ADHD, but now that I've opened the door to the voices in my head (in other words – wrote a book), I can see how a lot of writers can be labeled as such.

Sometimes that great idea will grab ahold of you and whatever you were saying or whoever you were listening to, go by the wayside. Your mind is on that idea and you must write it down!

So I can say I, too, have ADOS. And I jump at the chance to catch that shiny new idea.

And I still think ADOS is funny. Sorry!

I'm Back At It

I thought the second time around I was immune. Ha! Fooled me.

What am I talking about? Querying – and constantly checking my e-mail – that's what!

I laugh at myself. How pathetic can I be? I mean, I just sent out the queries. I know how busy agents are. I know it will take several weeks before they get back to me (if they respond at all, that is). Yet, as soon as I hit "send", all reason flies out the door.

I know it's unrealistic to think every agent will love my story, but I hope it anyway. And I know it only takes one "yes", so am I wrong in wishing for more than one? Am I greedy? Or just normal?

I so much want this book to be the one for me. The one that starts the ball rolling. So I'll post my query here and you tell me – would you want to read it?

When Committee Member Jack VanAllen wakes up in a snow bank with no recollection of how he got there, he's a little concerned. Vampires don't black out and they don't forget anything. When he discovers the woman who resembles his late wife lying beside him in the midst of turning, he's outraged. Unauthorized turnings are punishable by death.

Sunshine Petersen's New Year's resolution did not include immortality, but that's what she gets whether she likes it or not. She could come to love her new life if it included Jack. If only she hadn't accused him of turning her. It was an honest mistake. How was she supposed to know the difference between a bite for feeding and a bite for turning? Unfortunately, she doesn't remember who turned her.

While Jack is almost certain he didn't turn Sunshine, his lack of memory, her resemblance to his late wife, and his growing attraction to her isn't helping his case any. Could he have turned her or is someone setting him up? Should he do the honorable thing and turn himself in, hoping for leniency or take Sunshine and run, ensuring the death penalty if he's caught?

MY SUNNY VAMPIRE is a paranormal romance of 98,000 words.

I welcome all honest opinions!

Stormy Weather

We went to the Dragons game last night (they are the Single A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds). During the day I was bombarded with heat warnings and thunderstorm warnings. Then the thunderstorm warning was cancelled. Yay!

But boy! Was it ever HOT!!! I think I melted out there (the heat index was over 100). The wind was practically non-existent and fanning myself with my program didn't do much good. What a miserable night. But hey, it was the 5th inning and the Dragons were winning.

Then they started the 6th inning. Clouds rolled in. Dark, ominous clouds. Wait? Was that lightning? Uh oh!

The Silver Hawks went up by one run (rats!). We kept waiting for the officials to stop play, but noooo. We decided not to wait and left.

The wind kicked up then (which really felt good by this time) and dust started flying (from the vacant lot across the street). You know, gravel doesn't taste so good.

We made it to the car just as the sky decided to open up. The driver (our friend) pointed out the swirling clouds in the sky. I voiced my opinion that I didn't want any swirling clouds! It looked downright scary outside – and we had to drive into the storm to get home.

I'm surprised our friend could see where he was going. Lightning boomed overhead (it was that close) and the rain came down in buckets. Thank God there wasn't hail.

He made it to our house (almost missed our street) and then my husband had to get out into that rain so he could open the garage (this is what happens when you don't have your house key and rely on the key pad for the garage door). Even in the short amount of time I ran out into the open garage, I got good and wet.

Thinking I had some time to check my e-mails and maybe send out some queries, I found that we didn't have internet, or phone, or cable. Yes, we have one of those package deals. I think the phone is working now (I called it and got the answering machine). I sure hope the internet is working. I really want to start querying!

Oh, and by the way, the Dragons lost by that one run. Pookie!

Breakthrough!

Wow! It feels strange and wonderful all at the same time.

After having a wonderful meeting with a writer friend of mine, my brain got a nice jump start, and so did my ideas for GHOSTLY LIAISON. I've actually started to add words to the WIP.

It also didn't hurt that I sent  MY SUNNY VAMPIRE out to the editor and agent who requested it. So now I'm free to write new stuff once again.

Good thing, too, since I decided I will have the first draft (roughly 80,000 words) finished by the end of October. Will I succeed? Only time will tell.

But I'm stoked. That's what's important!

Write on!!

Writing

I'm so afraid to get back into my current WIP, GHOSTLY LIAISON.

It could be because I'm having problems figuring out a story, but that's never stopped me from writing before. I just write and let the characters take me wherever. Writing helps me get to know the characters better. That's what revising and editing is all about anyway, right?

It could be because I want to wait until after I've sent out MY SUNNY VAMPIRE to the editor and agent who requested it. I want that book to be at the best I can make it before submitting it. Can I do that AND write a new one at the same time? I don't think I want to try.

But I want to write. I want to write something new.

Yes, I would prefer to write another vampire story. I love my vampires. But what if MY SUNNY VAMPIRE doesn't sell? I can't continue to write a series that is dead, no matter how badly I want to. It isn't logical, or feasible. Not unless I don't plan on ever selling. Or I plan on self-publishing.

Thing is, I want to sell. And I've become greedy. I want an agent. I want to be published traditionally. I'm too lazy to go the self-publishing route. I love to write – not promote. Yes, I know I'll be expected to promote the traditional way, too, but not to the extent if I self-publish. I just don't have that kind of time, not working a full-time job, too.

So I'm stuck right now. Between polishing MY SUNNY VAMPIRE and writing GHOSTLY LIAISON. There's no way I want to rush submitting. My vampire book is too important. I started a short story, and maybe that's what I should concentrate on while I wait on feedback for my vampire book. Plus, I have this blog to write. It could stand to have more activity!

For you writers out there, what do you do when you're stuck between projects? Can you put all your creativity into a new one while polishing up the old? Or is that something that comes with practice? Maybe if I had twenty books under my belt it would be different. I'm on my fourth and still feel like a newbie.

I'm Back!

I'm glad this is a long weekend. I need time to recover before going back to work. Man, I wish I didn't have to do that!!

The drive to NYC went well. I was surprised we didn't hit a lot of rush hour traffic (it was on a Monday). However, arriving in Times Square at 9pm was a bit harrowing (thank GOD I wasn't driving).  After having problems locating the hotel (the Garmin stated it was on Broadway, but we couldn't find it – too many lights!), we headed to the parking garage and walked. Three blocks up and four blocks over, we managed to weave our way through the crowd (there were three of us) and found the blasted hotel. If the Garmin had said to go down 46^th Street, we MIGHT have been able to location the driveway. As it was, we never ventured down that street.

Needless to say, we got our exercise right off and had hardly been in the city for an hour!! But at least we knew where to go when it came time to leave (there was no WAY we were going to haul our luggage back to the parking garage).

As I suspected, internet was at a premium in NYC. The McDonald's across the street had free Wi-Fi, but it was soooo sloooow, I nearly ran out of battery time just checking my e-mails! It wasn't worth going over there every night. I know, I know, if I had one of those smart phones like my husband has (iPhone), I wouldn't have had a problem, but I just can't justify owning one of those – yet.

I had a good time at Nationals and my agent appointment went well (she asked for the full – yay!). I didn't take many pictures, mainly because I forgot to take my camera when I should have had it with me. Or I didn't pull it out and use it when I could have. I mean, I had lunch with Allison Brennan and didn't get our picture taken together. I'm such a dunce!

I did get Lynsay Sands' autograph on one of her Highlander books. Now, watch me get hooked on that series (yes, I will be reading it – I love her books).

While I attended many workshops (some good, some not so good), I also attended the many book signings and came back with over 30 books (only paid for 2). My husband doesn't think I'll read them all. I think I will – eventually. Sure, I still haven't read all the ones I got from RT last year, and I keep buying new (I do have some favorite authors), but I really believe I'll get through all my books (especially when I no longer HAVE to work). I've read 32 books so far this year, and that's WITH a job.

I'm in the final fixings of my book. My plan is to send it to the editor and agent this week. I've done some minor fixes already, but for some reason my brain can't function all that well and we have a friend visiting. Every time I think it's quiet and start working on the book, that's when someone decides to want to talk. It never fails. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I can get this blog written!

I also have homework from a class I'm taking. Overwhelmed is too light a word for how I'm feeling right now. I think I need a vacation from my vacation!

But I'm back now, and hopefully I'll be blogging more often. I can dream, anyway!

Happy Independence Day! Hope it's a fun-filled weekend for you.