I've MOOOOOOVED!!!

All that whining and cussing paid off, folks! I've mostly figured out WordPress and you can now find your favorite whining cow over at:

http://www.deetenorio.com/Blog/

The front of the site is built as well and I'll be adding to that as we go! Come check out the new digs!!

Consider me...launching!
Smooches,
Dee

*Scratching Head...*

So, okay, I finally got my own web domain. :) Which is exciting! But, I prolly won't get it all transferred over until this weekend. So, I thought I'd look to see about adding wordpress and doing my own blog on my own site.

Who knew Wordpress was such a pain in the ass?

So, after much annoyance getting my blog formatted mostly the way I want it, I discovered that my "categories" don't really seem to work. I can make them...I just can't use them. Wordpress seems to be another one of those programs that requires you to find a template so that you don't actually know what's going on. Want a new function? Get a plug-in. Everything is on a separate page.... sigh.

What do y'all think? Is it smart to change my blog? My website, yes, but should I just keep going on this one?

Smooches,
Dee

TTT: Learning To Adventure

Welcome back to the second part of the my Hero’s Journey rundown. As before, we’ll be using quotations from Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey”. :) This week, we’re going to cover the first very large section, wisely titled “The Call To Adventure”.



When we last left your hero, they were in their “Ordinary World”. Things are the way they have pretty much always been. Think of Harry Potter at the Dursley’s. He’s unhappy, they like him unhappy. Such is life.

But the whole purpose of a story is to take your hero--and thus your readers--on an adventure. Take them out of their regular existence and widen their horizons. That widening, in effect, will change how your hero will see the world and the way it works. And, inevitably, the hero will come home again and realized that the things that were once so big and daunting don’t have the power they once had. But, that’s me getting ahead of myself.

First, the hero must hear the call in the first place. This is very simple to do. Introduce your plot. Evil overtaking the universe? War going on overseas? There’s some hairy chick in a tower, begging for help? Those are all clarion calls. Something is happening somewhere and the hero hears about it. They don’t have to care yet, but they do have to hear about it.

So, you’d think that it would be a simple “Sure, I’ll come!” (they are heroes, after all!), but when’s the last time you met someone who threw themselves into drastic change without a drop of hesitation?

Yeah, not too often.

Most heroes are going to drag their heels just a wee bit. They’re not stupid, the have no reason to go flinging themselves into the unknown when the currently known is safe enough, thanks. This is the period referred to as the “Refusal Of The Call”.

A few things can happen here to jumpstart your hero whether they like it or not. The adventure is coming, and heroes do not get the luxury of saying no.

1) A hero can jump right in--sick and tired of their current existence, or (more commonly) facing death, they’ll take any other option. (Brendan Frasier in the Mummy.)

2) They will meet what is called a “Threshold Guardian”: "Heroes who overcome their fear & commit to the adventure may stll be tested by powerful figures who raise the banner of fear & doubt, questioning hero's worthiness to be in the game."

Few things will inspire a hero like a thrown down gauntlet. They have no desire to join the adventure, but damn if they’re going to be mocked for not joining the adventure. Examples of Threshold Guardians would be, perhaps, Robert Loggia’s role as Richard Gere’s father in “Officer & A Gentleman”, telling him that he can never be an officer.

Ultimately, a Threshold Guardian is simply whatever is the obstacle between you and your hero taking that first step into the adventure. It can be a person, a fear, a place or a thing. Often, the first guardian is not the strongest your hero will encounter--you know, they gotta practice on something.

3) The Secret Door can happen. Often times, heroes get themselves into a mess of trouble based purely on their own curiosity. "Heroes inevitably violate limits set by Mentors or Threshold Guardians, due to what we...call the Law Of The Secret Door." ie: Belle & West Wing, Pandora & box..."...the powerful drive to know all the hidden things, all the secrets."

Any of these three can be the way to push your hero toward their adventure, usually despite their better judgement. Thankfully, there are guides to the adventure. Someone who knows what they’re doing a little bit better than our newbie heroes. These are called “Mentors” and the next section of the Call is “Meeting With The Mentor”.

Once your hero begins listening to the advice of the more knowledgeable soul, they begin accepting that the adventure is part of their destiny. Expressing this turn, this overcoming of their reluctance, can be done by learning a few things from their mentors--even accepting gifts (Obi Wan Kenobi handing Luke his father’s lightsaber, anyone?)--that can bring some excitement to the call. Basically, your hero wants to know what they’re going to get out of it and a Mentor is usually there to tell them.

Be careful, though, when creating your mentor. Just about everyone pictures the same old guy in white hair with a beard, using his trusty walking stick as he staggers his way across the story, berating his young, useless apprentice. But mentors can come in all shapes and sizes. Peter Pan was a mentor, when showing Wendy how to fly and how to enjoy Neverland. And, mentors are people too, with their own agendas. A mentor can just as easily be the father your hero never had...or the villain in disguise. Ask yourself what kind of mentor your hero has and how have you turned the archtype on it’s head.

Now, once your hero has begun to accept his fate to start the adventure, has taken a step towards it and learned a few things about how to go about it, they must “Cross The First Threshold” and commit to the change.


But, young paduwan, we’ll cover that next week!

Happy Friday!!

I know, blogging late again. Sorry about that!

So, I've just finished editing the first half of the WIP. The one I was lamenting single title status? Well, it's still going to be over 60k easily, but I doubt it's going to hit the 100k I was stressing out about. Once I managed to work in all the fixes and goals and proper stuff to the first three chapters, the next three came fairly easily. The book is now a solid 36k completed. Since I have only a few weeks until it's due, I'm pretty sure I can shape the rest in time. I told hubby to get good and comfy in the shabby shape of the house until this book--and any possible surgery--are complete. :)

You gotta love a man who doesn't bat an eye when he agrees to such statements.

So, I'm prepared for a weekend of hitting the book with both paws. :)
What are your weekend plans?
Dee

Lazy Day...

Yes, I'm going to be bad.

Yesterday, I did a quiz to wake myself up. It was about checking on your inner child. Apparently, according to them, my inner child is ANGRY. (She seemed perfectly fine to me, lol, maybe a wee bit cynical, but come on, seriously??), then I realized that would make a lousy post. I mean, do I WANT to look insane? (Well, more than usual?)

So, anyway, my old boss saves me with a really interesting writing challenge:

"A college class was told to write a very short story in as few words as possible. The instructions were:

The story must contain the following things:

1) Religion
2) Sexuality
3) Mystery"

I challenge y'all to give it a shot! The only A+ answer will be posted in the comments. :)
Lemme see what y'all got!

TTT: Not So Ordinary World

How many of you have heard of the Hero’s Journey? And how many of you have made much sense of it?

Yup, that’s about how it goes for everyone. I’m not a particularly deep cookie sheet, so it took me a bit of time to understand how the Hero’s Journey could change my writing. Did it only apply to heroes? What could it really do for me? And why, sweet lord, was everyone talking about it?

Between you and me, it’s because it’s very worth talking about. (And reading. If you get a chance, pick up the book “The Writer’s Journey” by Christopher Vogler. Brilliant book that made it simpler for this cookie sheet to make some better cookies!)

And also between you and me, I’m going to be dedicating my TTT for the next several weeks to help you break it down and see if it helps all of us with our WIPS!



The Hero’s Journey has many stages that can help you develop your character arcs, arrange your story into acts and help you build a pace. The most important way thing to remember is that for your characters, in their own minds, they are their own hero. So, you can use this Journey to guide your heroes, heroines, villains and even secondary characters.

As we work our way though this series, I will be using quotes from the book listed above to ask questions and give guide instructions. And, of course, I’ll be adding my own hopefully helpful tips and explanations.

The very first stage of the Hero’s Journey is what is commonly called “The Ordinary World”. This is because you always want to show where the hero is from, what is the world as he knows it.

Things are about to happen that will send your hero on an adventure, be it a love adventure, a physical adventure or a mystery adventure. Something will happen to the hero in question to change them from the world they knew to an experience they’ve never known, possibly even never wanted. Ultimately, this adventure is going to change them. A hero that has not changed at the end of your book simply has not finished their adventure. You cannot come out of an adventure without becoming different in some way.

In order for your reader to understand how drastic those changes are, you need to first show them where the hero feels comfortable, the world they know. Then begin working your way through the functions of the Ordinary World--afterall, we’re showing it for a reason :)--and try to incorporate these within your first chapter.

• Raise The Dramatic Question: Give your hero something for the reader to be concerned about. "Will she achieve the goal, overcome flaw, learn lesson needing learned? Dramatic questions hook audience & involve them with the emotions of the character."

This section is where you introduce the Internal and External Conflicts, usually they are what create your Dramatic Question. Don’t be afraid to simply lay out what your hero’s problems are. But how do you go about creating the question? Here’s some more functions to look for to see if you’re getting enough done at the very beginning of your story.

• Make An Entrance: When you first introduce your hero, they should be seen in a way that best shows who the character is, deep down, in the world as they know it. "The first action should be a model of the hero's characteristic attitude & future probs or solution that will result. The 1st behavior should define & reveal character, unless intent is to mislead & conceal true nature.”

What this means is that you should show the hero the way you want the reader to think of him or her. Create a first impression. Remember the movie “Tombstone”? The first time we see Wyatt Earp, he’s happy and looking pleased with himself...until he sees a workman whipping a horse. He takes the whip in hand and wallops the workman saying, “Hurts, doesn’t it?” Immediately we are shown that he’s a man who is excited about his future, fair, if rough, and decent at his core. We’re going to need that impression to sustain us as he begins doing things that aren’t so fair and decent, and it does it’s job. We are now interested enough to follow him whereever he leads, convinced of his inner goodness.

• Introducing The Hero: Like a social intro, establish a bond between reader & hero, commonalities so they can relate to him.

Again, using a movie reference, when you introduce a character, you’ll want to immediately prove to your reader that we’re following someone they’d like to make friends with. The character can be cranky, quirky, goofy or even rude, but they should have something a reader and empathize with. “Terms Of Endearment” begins with the heroine deathly concerned that her child isn’t safe in her crib, filled with first mother anxiety. We relate to that urge to protect, that sense that if we stay by their bed all night long, we can keep the child safe and alive. We probably wouldn’t pinch the kid until she cries and leave satisfied, but the writer’s job was already done. We related.

Establish What's At Stake: What does the hero stand to gain or lose in the adventure?

This is a highly important question. If they just go running around for the hell of it, why do we care? You’d think they were idiots and not waste your time. Most things in life have a price. Every story you ever read is simply a tale of what price people are willing to pay for their heart’s desire. Show what a hero can lose if they take the adventure and here’s a very special tip--make sure it’s outweighed by what they can gain. Heavily outweighed.

There are also certain facts that are needed to be shown in The Ordinary World. Information you must impart with your reader.

1) Backstory & Exposition: Backstory: facts that explain what got the hero HERE. Exposition: graceful--preferably slow--revelation of the back story and pertinent plot facts; explanation of all aspects of plot pressures.

Backstory can be a few lines or even a flashback. I’m of the “few lines” school of thought myself, but what’s important is why your hero feels this Ordinary World is home. Show us why they have a level of comfort here. Now, by comfort, I don’t mean that Cinderella particularly enjoys sleeping in the fireplace. I mean, she knows the ins and outs of her world. She knows that if she wakes up early and cleans all day long, she stands a pretty good chance of not getting beaten. Why wouldn’t she leave that world at the drop of a hat? Because she doesn’t know that doing everything she’s told will increase her odds of getting through each day if she goes anywhere else. A rat in a trap may not want to die, but it knows the current danger. Setting it free can get you bitten because you are the Unknown and nothing in the world is scarier than that.

2) Theme: State it HERE. "If you had to boil down it's essence in a single word or phrase, what would it be?"--ie: "Love conquers All"

Ever write a thesis in your high school essays? That line you’re trying to prove at the bottom of your first paragraph? Something in there that says “This is the way things are” and you go on to present concrete details that show you’re right? Believe it or not, you should have one for your story. It doesn’t have to be epic, but it can be the thread you come back to when you can’t find your center and your characters seem to be aimlessly wandering around. Find a way to place what you’d like to show your reader somewhere early in your book. First chapter, most preferably. In fact, if you can fit all of this in chapter one, you’re definitely on the right page.

Next Week: The Call To Adventure!

Morning Report!

Well, a lot of stuff I wanted to get done on the weekend didn't get done...but other, more valuable things did, so that's okay. One of those things was finally hanging some stuff up that didn't fit in my closet. This was achieved by completely rearranging my closet. And a good portion of my bedroom. And I'm not done.

Other things that got done were some cross-platform fixing of my website. Rae--helpful PC spy for me--informed me that my grand attempt at revamping my site had failed miserably on PC. Pet's computer arrived and we were able to take a look. It should now work reasonably well for all viewers. Interestingly, I learned that on a PC, you see Yahoo ads when you go to my site (thus the whole "free" site aspect). I didn't know about that as my Mac doesn't see them, lol. But don't worry, resizing shouldn't be a problem there, either, anymore. Sooner or later, I will master the whole em line sizing and so on, but until then, HTML will have to handle it. It's not exactly perfect on all points for PCs, nor is it exactly perfect for Macs, but as long as it's slightly--but equally flawed--and still useable, lol, it wiill work for now. I also created an author newsletter for my future releases. There's nothing to it at this point, but I'm hoping soon I can use it to let people know when the book will be out and so on. It's another important step is all. :)

Most importantly, the taxes were completed, filed and accepted. PHEW! I figure you can only go over them so many times before admitting that it's all as done and complete and correct as you can do it. I'm just glad it's out of the way. :) Now I can concentrate on other things, like writing, work and putting my house together. It feels like a good week for me, so I'm going to get done what I can and try not to sweat the small stuff...like that load of laundry I never quite get done. And dammit, I'm vacuuming today and no one is going to stop me!

Many smooches!
Dee

Holy Conflict, Batman!

So, late last night, my CP and I were considering what was wrong with my current WIP. Basically, it's boring as hell. I mean, I like everyone. And there's a definite pull. But the current plot is not holding up the fat ass on this puppy, and I say that with love. It's just not doing it. If ever a book needed and ass bra, this is it.

Thankfully, my CP had one or two handy and we're back in business. (You know, when I stop procrastinating and actually get back to working on it.) Alas, the more I work on it, the more I realize that this book is really a Single Title. Not an epic or anything, but there is a lot of weaving to be done and all of it actually DOES need to be in there, and 60k just ain't going to cut it. This is a Single Title.

But I'm not ready!

At least, I'm not sure I am. Most of my story ideas are big like this, but--as I lamented to another CP--I haven't written a big book in years. Not one that made any sense, anyway. When I was a kid and writing was easy (you know, when I didn't know what the hell I was doing as opposed to now, when I REALLY don't know what the hell I'm doing). And I admit it, I'm scared. Single Titles are a dream I felt I had to grow into and I've been writing for a really damn long time, always telling myself I'm not ready. But, this puppy is contracted and the story has to go this way. So, ready or not, here I come.

BUT, before I do, I'm going to post the conversation with Lorie here for a good laugh and a little encouragement. Read it through, because it's funny, and see if you can take on the challenge at the bottom!


Dee says: I stayed up really late last night with X trying to figure out how to fix Sky's pacing. Dumb-ass has gone and made himself more Single Title than I expected. Wondering if I shouldn't go for the whole shebang

Lorie says: why not?

Dee says: well, I've never written a full size single title. At least, not on purpose. My endless childhood tomes really don't count, they had no craft.

Lorie says: right, although, you know, following the craft rules too closely can lead to lessening of voice

Dee says: lol, these were bad. When I say craft, I mean they were devoid of any kind of skill, possibly even talent, lol, they were BAD

Lorie says: ah

Dee says: Perfect example, my book "Faith": epic tale of a woman who escapes her sociopathic husband only to bring death whereever she hides as he follows her. oh, and every man who meets her falls in love with her

Lorie says: which knowing what you know now you could actually work with without making it all .. formula

Dee says: did I mention she's just short of catatonic for the first part of the story?

Lorie says: lol

Dee says: oh, lol, this has just begun! that part would almost make sense

Lorie says: lol

Dee says: so, her lawyer, who was the first born "legitimate" son of a massively rich man, decides to take her to his father's mansion to hide and recover. she doesn't really do more than blink a few times here

Lorie says: lol

Dee says: when she arrives, she's now thrown into the mix of the lawyer's convoluted family situation

Lorie says: lol of course

Dee says: Dad, from Ireland, apparently was torn from who true love--who is now his maid--and married a harridan of his father's choosing. oh, and she has a gorgeous son of her own...by that Dad, who, upon seeing Catatonic Chick, claims her for his own

Lorie says: lol, a real web huh

Dee says: and begins another battle with lawyer dude--who's ex-wife, btw, once had an affair with Hot Illegitimate, Oh, and did you know she's pregnant? With a heart condition! Oh MY!

Lorie says: lol, holy conflict batman!

Dee says: Catatonic Chick awakens under loving ministrations of Hot Illegitimate's warm brogue and rejects overtures of Lawyer Dude, which displeases Evil Harridan, who connects (Miraculously) with Evil Socio Hubby to make a deal to get back at Catatonic Chick

Lorie says: catatonic chick alone is too much sometimes... although, hot illegitamte's warm brogue stirs interest

Dee says: I'm pretty sure Evil Hubby kills Evil Harridan (and she LIKES it!) before attacking Hot Illegitimate, who has finally come to terms with Lawyer dude after Ho-Wife dies giving birth to Lawyer-Dude's baby (despite having aborted Hot Illegitimate's)

Dee says: I think, right about then, Catatonic Chick wakes up and finally connects with her hidden Weather Control abilities and runs out to the cliffs to draw Evil Hubby to his death by hitting him with lightening and tossing him into the sea far, far, far below where his body is never recovered and though she marries Hot Illegitimate (who's parents finally marry after Evil Harridan is dead), she never stops looking over her shoulder, sure that someone is watching...and waiting...

Lorie says: lol of course, lawyer dude

Dee says: oh, Lawyer Dude raises his daughter in peace--he never gets any ever again

Lorie says: lol

Dee says: I forgot what happens to "Completely Unnecessary and Oblivious" Sister, though

Lorie says: lol

Dee says: I'm pretty sure she gets raped and tries to steal Catatonic Chick's schtick

Dee says: the bitch

Lorie says: lol

Dee says: I dare anyone to have MORE conflict and less plot than THAT book!

Now, Lorie says she had a horrid Sci-Fi that could rival the terrifying cheesy smell of the above stinker. Bring me your worst, your smelliest, your over-erotic, your under-plot developed! See who might have the worst possible, actually somewhat written book hiding under their bed, from any age and I will offer you a cool graphic for your blog to tout as Queen Of Cheese for a Week!

To Call 911...or not...

So, I have this slightly annoying neighbor. I've never seen him. I have no idea what he looks like or which front door is his. I have no idea what his name is. And I doubt I ever will. But still, he features in today's blog because of a very interesting event last night.

So, it's late. Just about to go to bed, check my email. Remember my boss, the one with the funny jokes? Well, he sent me to a maze. I like puzzles and so I'm thinking, okay, I'll do that real quick and go to sleep. You're supposed to manuever the maze and not touch the walls. I get through almost all the way through the third page. I'm about to make it, but I touch...

AND BAM!!

Full screen image of The Exorcist screaming like a banshee.

Now, Linda Blair doesn't scare me. But I didn't realize my laptop had mysteriously been pushed to full volume. And I didn't realize it was Linda Blair. I thought it was the wrinkly witch from The Ring, who incidentally DOES scare the shit out of me. So, of course, I scream. LOUD. I jump back so hard I nearly knocked hubby off the bed, which sets him yelling, "OMG, what's wrong? What happened? What's wrong with the baby?" (Moo reverts to the "baby" when hubby is half asleep) I hit the screen on my laptop and I'm desperately trying to hit Command+Q to quit and shut the program down. Finally get it done and by this time there has been at least three minutes of seriously loud screaming.

Note my neighbor, outside my window, who is loudly on the phone after midnight.

Does he ask if everyone is okay? Does he come over to knock on the door? Does he call 911 to report mysterious screams in the night followed by eerie silence?

Nope.

He waits ten minutes to make sure I'm not going to disturb his phone call again,then gets back to business.

There's not a lot of point to this post, lol, but seriously, wouldn't YOU at least call out to make sure people don't need help? I mean, he HAS a phone.

Or is it just me?

Husbands

I think part of the reason I enjoy writing romance is because my husband makes such a great character. He's manly, he's artistic, he's caring, occasionally he's thick as a brick. He's funny and he's romantic. He's annoying. He's cute. I love his feet, not because they're pretty, but because they have so much personality. I love how he cooks and that he doesn't mind that I snitch off his plate--he makes extra because he knows I will. I love when he knows to hold me. I don't love that sometimes he doesn't. He's a very real guy with layers and problems and issues. I think a lot of my heroes are based on him, or at least, the reality of him.

I wonder if he were not so good to me if I would be so enamored of romance. Would I be bitter because I hadn't found some fairy-tale guy who can overcome all with the flick of a page? Or would I just be lonely looking for one? I know for a fact I wouldn't be writing them--my hubby is the one responsible for my continued writing and submitting. I never would have bothered without him. (That's not romantic, he was yelling at the time, lol.)

I know single women write romance. Shoot, I know men write romance. But I do often wonder if my husband makes my heroes work out because he provides a level of reality that I have to include. I have no illusions of men without a rough edge or two. Couldn't write one if I wanted to. And I really don't.

So the question of the day is mostly this: Do the men in your life shape your imaginary heroes too?

Every Now & Then...

Something goes right with the world!

Go check in on Larissa Ione and congratulate her! Girlfriend just sold to Red Sage's "Secrets" series!!! Way To Go, Larissa!

EDITED:

Okay, I'm lazy. One, I don't want to blog again, but more importantly, I don't want to push Larissa's great news down the blog page or it'll get missed. That one sounds highly noble, so I'll stick with that. :) (But seriously, SOOOO happy for Larissa!)

So, I did several blog stops this morning as I attempted to wake up and make sense. Moo has been on a psuedo-vacation all week and finally goes back to school tomorrow. I am miraculously feeling pretty good but as you can imagine, no writing has really taken place. It just doesn't happen amidst all the mommy-mommying. And that's okay. I've had a lot of stirring ideas and thoughts and I imagine I'll be able to hit the pages hard tomorrow.

Today, we're going out with Moo's best friend to give them some playtime so us Moms can get a little breathing room. This is new to me. I've never done the play-date thing. This sucks for Moo, I know, but what is so commonplace these days is laughably ridiculous to the previous era of childrearing. You know, the one my mom raised me in? Her idea of a playdate was locking the kids outside so they'd play and she could clean the house without interruption. We were only allowed to come in to pee. Grudgingly. Then again, there were six of us. And we had a yard. And a neighborhood of kids to play with. Moo has no sibs, no yard and no neighborhood.

Hello, have we met? I am Crappy Mommy.

So, I am about to get over my fear of crowds and people who I don't know and wander out with my more-socially-adept-than-me autistic child into the land of Play Dates.

God have mercy on my soul.

(I'll let y'all know how it goes!)
Dee

Not A Teach Day...YET!

But I have made a good start on one of my other goals. I've made a committment to do a project or two for Romance Junkies, which I'll post about when I have it set. Suffice it to say, I'm very excited and glad that Cat has the opportunity available!

I'm hoping to get teach day restarted next week but for now, I'll be working on my other goal of writing and working. Then it's tax time. Those things WILL get done, daggnabbit.

A friend at eHQ, during a really great craft discussion on the Writing Blaze page said something particularly stirring about keeping the story from lagging and maintaining the tension by working on the characters fears. It's not something new--Internal conflict, "Trample, Trample, Trample" after all--but it's something I deeply needed reminding of. They're doing some writing exercises and some Golden Hearts valuing, lol. (I'd comment, but as I don't do contests for the very reasons they're mulling, I'm not really a voice of any knowledge.) Might be worth peeking in for you.

As for me, I'll head over there a bit later. I'm going to go poke my hero in the eyes a few times. :)

Smooches,
Dee

BlogSlap!

I'm tired of myself. I really am. Since the move, particularly, I've managed to whine, complain, explain and maintain a blog filled with pretty much no value whatsoever.

I woke up the other day and realized, I need a blogslap. I need to focus my blog, my writing, my life and my work. Now. No meandering here, meandering there. I need to get back to Tuesday Teach Days because, dammit, I need to start learning again. I need to plan out exactly how my future PR plans must roll out to give my book the best chance and show my publisher that I'm willing to work to make it a success. I need to get my ear back to the railroad and pay attention to the Industry. I need to widen my scope and approach the world I'm hoping to become known in like it's a battle plan, not a walk in the park.

So, I need to set some goals.

1) Finish the fricken taxes. Our refund is going to go a long way toward my goals of paying for my website and RWA registration, which I deeply want this year. (I want a pink ribbon, I want to fantisize about RITA noms someday, so I need to get into position.) I want to take my boy to Disneyland.

2) Finish the fricken book. I'm halfway and I've made a lot of progress. There is no reason to slow down now.

3) Work out a daily schedule. Each day of the week needs to be given a number of duties including days for specific modes--Website work, Scheduling, PR development, Fresh Proposals--and each weekday must include a minimum of 2 hours writing time. It must also include blog reading, as this is an important part of keeping up with the Industry.

Now, each of these goals is pretty large, so I'm going to stop at 3.

Anyone out there have a list of goals they need to make? Lets make a list and see if we can keep each other on them.

Halfway Mark!

Phew! I broke 30k! I love half way, somehow it all seems downhill speed from there! Sky is rambling along and it's really becoming one of those stories that you had to get to a certain maturity to understand what you were trying to say. A long time ago I came up with this man with all these hidden depths and colors to him. But 8 years ago, I didn't know how to convey those depths or colors. I just said he had them.

Have any of you come across a character YOU had to grow up to understand? Is that what makes us writers look back on old works and revamp them? What do you think?

Dee

Anyone Got A Map?

Okay, so, I'm starting to realize there's quite a bit to promoting your book than I anticipated. Or rather, I knew there was, I just wasn't sure how to begin. I mean, it's not like I can go on eHQ and blather on about my upcoming release. So, where does an e-girl go for other reader communities?

I tried to check out All About Romance...I'm sure it's great but I can't seem to navigate it properly. I just can't seem to tell what goes to where or why.

Romance Junkies--am I wrong, is that only a chat and contest site? Not that I'm adverse to either, but I'm not quite ready for them since the book doesn't hit until Summer.

Romance Divas I've been to once before and I'm pretty sure I can get the hang of it when I have some more free time.

Are there more?

I know the point is not to go scream "Buy my book!" even though, hey, I'm not too proud to admit I'd like to do that. But I'm utterly unaware of other communities on the web and methinks that's not a good trait. Anyone got a clue or a direction to send me to find out more about what's out there? I'm ALLLLLLL eyes. :)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

For the first year ever, I've sent Gio off to school with his Valentine's and treats ON TIME!! YAY!

Usually, something goes horribly wrong and I forget to get him something to take to his friends. This time, I had cards from last year (his class only had 6 kids last year!) and I remembered to make fudge cupcakes. Mind you, couldn't finish them. My pill was making me sleepy (second? Maybe the third one I'd had that day) and I wanted to stay awake and do it right. So, I stood up (that usually helps) and got started. I made the first batch and sister Pet had to take care of making sure they baked as well as the second batch. Sadly, I crashed. BUT I did get the decorated this morning and packed off to Moo's school!

So, here's to starting Valentine's Day on the right foot and wishing you all a great, romantic day!

Smooches!
Dee

Vicodin and Progress!

Well, ladies, after much scientific experimenting, it appears that drugs DO help you to think!

LOL, mine did anyway. After three days of steady vicodin use, the cramps are now at a tolerable enough state that I can stand upright and remain that way. There's some complaint in there, but nothing that requires the power of that kind of pain killer, I don't think. I guess the area just needed some rest instead of new pain compounding old pain.

That said, I got quite a bit done. Organized and sorted my books and the shelf they go into. I've probably got it down to about two or three hundred books now and I've packed up the other 2-300 books into a box for a friend of my mothers who has a father who is bedridden and loves to read. Hope he likes the frisky stuff!

And, along with about 8 small loads of laundry, I've gotten back to Sky. We had quite a dark breakthrough and though the couple has yet to even kiss, they've managed to have a great big passionate explosion! I also had the realization that this series has become something of a collection of my favorite classic tales. Sky is really a version of Hades and Persephone, Raven is Cinderella and Tara is really something of a Sleeping Beauty. Once I had that breakthrough, so much more that I was trying to relay came into stunning focus!

And that's how I ended up with 3441 words from this morning's session!

Even better, it brings my new total to 27,000 words out of 60k. That's a whopping 45% folks!
Talk about channeling Jimmie Hendrix!

Dee

Good News, Bad News...

Okay, so I'm back from the doctor, who was wonderful.

Good news--I've been referred to a surgeon. The doctor says there's no reason I should be in this kind of pain and that as it's so debilitating, odds are surgery (even just exploratory) is obviously needed. She agrees, I've pretty much been in labor for a year. Still, the surgeon will be the guy to decide for sure.

Bad news--I've not had an actual menses since roughly September. Dr was a titch horrified by this as my going this long leaves me open for infection and possibly even endometrial cancer, so I'm going to have to take some meds to bring it on. Unfortunately, this usually feels like I'm giving birth to a ball of razor blades. However, I'll tell you the reason I love my new doctor. She prescribed me pain killers, unlike my last doctor who believed advil was all I should ask for. So, I can't promise I'll be blogging all that well the next couple of weeks. But I'll do me best. :)

On the whole, I'm happy. SOMEthing is getting done instead of my being told to just live with it. There's finally some hope again that it doesn't have to stay like this. Even if I don't get pregnant again, I stand a good chance at walking without pain. :)

Big smooches to everyone!
Dee

PS: Got this on Tanya's site!

I am 58% Evil Genius.

Evil courses through my blood. Lies and deceit motivate my evil deeds. Crushing the weaklings and idiots that do nothing but interfere in my doings.

Take the
Evil Genius Test
@ FualiDotCom

See, this is how I get in trouble...

I played with my blog. Discovered some new things and liked the look better. I was content. (Well, as content as I get.)

Then hubby had to work REALLY late last night. He came home for dinner, then headed back in. I promised to stay up. I don't trust myself to write when I'm tired, so I thought, well, I'll just work on that annoying header resizing problem on my webpage.

You'd think I'd realize by now that I don't just work on one thing when I hit the HTML. There's about a thousand "While I'm here...."s and before you know it, you're neck deep in some serious updating. Thankfully, hubby didn't get home until nearly 2 am, so I had plenty of time to dig myself out of my hole (take that however you please).

Unfortunately, it was a really big hole.

But a worthwhile one!

So, this morning, up at 7. Remember that "morning person" post? Yeah, once I'm up...I'm up. I'll pass out sometime tonight, I'm sure, but since I was foggy, I hit the HTML again and got most of the pages back in order. There's a lot that needs fixing (I'm making use of subdirectories to make all the sections have their own page IDs. :) ), but it's moderately operable for now. :)

So, if you're inclined to look, the site has been revamped yet again. Not so drastically, though I did off the Black background y'all hated so much, lol. Now it matches this one. :) I solved the resize problem (and feel moderately dumb, but it was tricky, I'll save the REALLY dumb feeling for something else.) and I think it came out pretty cool. :)

Much love to everyone!
Dee

PMS Rage...over?

I know, shocking! I've redefined the word bitch for more than a week, but I think--like a fever--it's finally broken. Yesterday hurt, I'm not going to lie. But I could think clearly. I laughed with my son, even when he interrupted me. It's like my brain cleared, though I'm not sure when it happened. Today, I actually hopped up and walked around and made tea and felt like a reasonable woman. Not sure how long it'll last, but the heebie jeebies about writing have faded along with the pleas for death and the 8 month waddle!

I'm probably going to have to take it easy for a bit longer, but at least this bout is on it's way out!

That said, I went trolling the blogs I know--and a few I didn't--and discovered much of the world is at peace today. WOW! To that end, I have only a fun quiz I picked up at Julie Cohen's blog. I'm SCOOTER!!

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

And if that wasn't enough to thrill you, lol, here's the Online Fortune Cookie of the day:

Good advice will be given to you; do not ignore it!

Hmmm, wonder what THAT will mean!
Smooches,
Dee

Anniversary?

It occurs to me that this blog is now, technically...a year old! How's that for a shock? I'm not sure if it really counts, I was TOTALLY spotty for the first four or five months (which I feel really bad about). But this blog has been good to me. I've met a lot of great people and found out I'm only half as boring as I thought. Plus, if it weren't for this blog--or the act of blogging and the great advice of my CP, X--I wouldn't have sold. How do you not love a blog that works so hard for you?

So, here's to a great blogsite that is every day somewhere to unload my itty, bitty brain. :)

But, I'm officially out of Tuesday Teach Day topics. Anyone have some ideas for good conversation? Y'all are more than welcome to teach me. :)

Smooches,
Dee

Grumble...

I'm not used to fighting with my writing too much. Not that I haven't had rough spots. Or that I haven't pushed the damn book away and done something else. Often times, writing can be a battle and I admit, it's hard to get back in after such a long bloody time off. But I spent hours trying to get back into my groove...and ended up writing a comedy scene for a serious book. Worse, it was slapstick. I HATE slapstick, and yet, I had my resolute and reluctant hero accidentally tear off the bottom of my heroine's dress with his truck door and throw water on her silk dress when she accidentally lit her sleeve on fire.

Have I lost my mind?

Apparently.

Thankfully, I've been blessed with a delete button.

Oy ve....

Friday, God Bless You!

Ah, up from the penniless scraping! Today's payday--for hubby!

Also, the new fridge arrived and it's virtually silent, particularly compared to the nearly violent rambling groans of the last one. It ain't fancy, of course, but it works and that's all I can really ask. I'm pondering how much it might cost to have an external small freezer, just to keep meats and such in because this puppy has a much smaller freezer than my old side-by-side. Someday, I plan to have a really dream fridgy. Not with a computer in it or anything, lol, but something silent and lovely and roomy.

Even better, have redone my lovely computer and the baby runs like a dream now. Much love to the comp's restore disks and the joy of software updates!

Also, much of my home is put away. It's still a disaster--my desk is overrun with so much crap I'm actually afraid to look at it--but most things have a place now.

The only downside is that hubby will be responsible for purging quite a bit more of his stuff. It took me ten years to get him to get rid of what he dumped before the move, so I'm not really thinking I'll get very far...but wish me luck anyway. I'm hoping his attraction to being able to enter a room without falling down will help in this aim.

Also, I'm hoping to have some time to update pages and edit this weekend. Not holding my breath, but at least I've caught up on so much already!

Off to make tea and dig into the rewrites!
Dee

Take THAT, Pop Ups!

I kept trying to figure out why my blog had all these annoying pop up ad things. It's been bugging me but I couldn't figure it out. Finally, I realized last night in a fit of cleaning that it was my tagboard! After eliminating that, I've now got a clean blog, so many apologies on that if it was bugging you too.

Also, while I was looking around for things to steal...I mean, TRY, I realized that you're able to use regular hexadecimal codes for color instead of the odd three number combinations that are so limited. (I'm new to blog codes), so this page will soon be adjusted more to my liking! :) Sorry it's taken so long to get back up to date.

Alas, prolly not til the weekend. Moo surprised me by projectile vomiting last night. The last time he was like that, he had pneumonia. Have no idea what brought it on, but he's home today. And fine. Seriously, what is it about kids that makes them bounce back in half a night's sleep?

Well, off to more catching up. With any luck, I'll unbury my desk today. :)
Smooches,
Dee

I WROTE!!

It wasn't murder I wrote, lol, but it was words! And sentences! And hallelujah, PAGES!! For the first time in three weeks, I was able to settle down and write! Bliss! Sweet heaven! Now maybe I'll stop biting people's heads off, lol.

Well, let's not get carried away...

Anyhow, I'm now firmly on my way to Chapter 5 of Sky. Woohoo! I found several things I needed to repace from my partial and it's moving MUCH smoother now. Added one other thing about my heroine's secret past and current present, so I'm thinking it should go pretty good from here. Back to my two hours of writing time or someone dies rule. I'm rebuilding the middle and I've taken SO much out, but I'm really pleased so far.

As for interesting things...well, I am a housewife, I don't expect there will be a ton of that stuff anytime soon. Laundry, kidlet and most likely, the joy of cooking will be my daily schedule now. But at least I'm going again. It's kind of like being told you can eat ice cream again! Oh, the fridge we have here is sorta half dead and needs replacement. It's being delivered Friday and I'll be needing to cough up half the money for it. Assuming I can FIND half the money for it. With any luck though, that will be the last thing to break down for a while. :)

Big smooches all around, I also hope to return to blog rounds this weekend. :)
Dee

Bad Monkey

Oy VE, has it been a thrilling last couple of days?

Nope, not here, lol!

Apologies for not getting back to my blogging earlier. It's been crazy with last minute move screw ups, one of which was the fact that my computer crashed and I have it up so I can back up all the info I can get. Then, I'll have to restore it. WHINE!

But, after that, I should be right as rain. For the time being, I have to tilt it every now and then so I can keep it running smooth. (NO idea why that is, but it works, who am I to complain?)

Back soon!
Dee

Morning!

I'm one of those horrific people that drive the rest of the population crazy: I'm a morning person.

I wake up and it's instant. I get going--worse, no coffee, since I'm allergic to caffiene--and do what needs to be done. I wind down somewhere around 1pm, most likely because I forgot to eat, then I'm at it again until 8. I sit down, relax once the kid is in bed and eat with hubby. I occasionally get to read. Or we watch tv or a movie. Or we work. We're up anywhere from 9 to Midnight. Then we're back up at 6:30, 7am.

My sister, Pet, who is visiting because I'm at the point where I can only get up a few times a day without need for some pain killers (which I don't have), however, is a night person. She likes to stay up until 3 or 4 am...and sleep until 12 or 1pm.

So, since I can't move a lot, I do get the utter enjoyment of waking her up with cheerfulness at 7 in the morning. Picture Wednesday at Summer Camp, lol, and you've got Pet at my house.

Ahhhh, bliss!

Second Contract!

Okay, woohoo! I've mailed out the contract on my second book, Midnight Sonata, to Samhain! That's it, folks, the first of the Remington's is finally going to have his day! I'm so excited about this because this is a real heart story, about redemption and love and family and healing. :) It also involves a hot guy, his shower and a view. :)

Big smooches,
Dee

Overdo? Me?? Nahhhhh....ow

Okay, I hit the wall. It was bad of me. I can't help it. Some things needed to be done and in order to know they're done right--and in a timely fashion--I did them myself. Assembling our desks, making the beds--though I was good and had sister help me move the mattresses on one. Boxes had to be shifted. And I had to fall into a lump. By 7pm, I could barely move my legs and the cramping was so bad even laying down didn't help. (Sadly, have not unpacked the heating pad yet.)

So, I'm on Hubby's orders to take it easy today. Is he a wonderful man or WHAT? :)

I'm hoping to have some pics of the new apartment soon. Just want to get mildly set up before I do that.

In the meantime, I'm going to work and watch Full Metal Alchemist again. LOVE that series!

Smooches All,
Dee
(the lump)

RTB Day!!

Howdy everyone!

I'm ALIVE! And moved in! And up to my eyeballs in boxes, but I did manage to get some snaps and use them in my RTB column! Click the box and see what happened to my desk! I should be back to blogging tomorrow!



Smooches!
Dee

Karma's A Bitch, folks...

Sorry, lol, but it is. I was just discussing with hubby that when we do things wrong, karma is a bit more instantaneous for us. Cut off a car in the parking lot...can't do what you went to the mall for. Or someone ruins your movie. Or you fall down and break something.

So, I got happy and bragged about stealing signal.

And not ten minutes later...my neighbor locked up their signal.

Apparently, life IS fair folks. People just think that being fair is equivalent to getting their way, lol.

So, now I'm at the coffee shop and prolly won't be able to take the time to blog.

Smooches!
Dee

Okay, so I lied...

I really didn't think I'd be able to post. Turns out, if you can continue to work with the use of theivery, lol, you CAN steal other people's internet signal and not care. :) Okay, it's not totally theivery. One of my neighbors has unprotected signal. It's low, but totally workable. Can't get on MSN, but my Yahoo messenger is working quite well.

So, snags in the move.

1) My prepaid phone won't work and I'm not paying 50 bucks for three days of phone service.

2) As Moos tend to do, my Moo decided to come down with a vomitous flu three days before the move. SO, he's here next to me, giggling at Spongebob Squarepants. Thankfully, the fever seems to have gone away, but the miracle is that he let me medicate him. Correction: he opened his mouth, allowed me to squirt in 2 TBSPs into his mouth a half a tbsp at a time. This is the kid that usually fights, claws and spits drops at a time, even when he had pneumonia. He's also taken to eating hamburgers and hot dogs...with buns. Considering he considered bread sacrilege until two months ago, that's a miracle.

3) I discovered the game Cubis on yahoo. It's evil how fast a clock can move but my OCD is in love. :)

Wish us luck as hubby hopefully gets his annual review from work today. It's rare for his work to last over a year, so he's understandably nervous, but I feel he's going to do well. And we were talking the other night and realized that in the many moves of our life together, this is the first move we're making by choice. The job didn't fall through. The apartment isn't worse. And in my gut, I know this is just the beginning of a great year.

But in more important news, lol, I'm thinking up all kinds of new features for my webpage this year, which includes getting a domain and setting up a links page. Joining a webring. Plot, plot, plot! AND my muse is gnawing on my leg so I know I'll be able to write when we get settled!

Okay, back to work for me!
Dee

Last Day of Posting

Hi Gang!

Woohoo! Moving week! Sadly, this means my phone service is going out tomorrow. I'll be online for emails and the like, but I'll have to set the blogging aside. I promise to have tons to say next week. Wish me luck with the move--would like to be able to move without agony next Monday, lol.

Also, hey, I'm open to requests for Tuesday Teach Day. If you've got a topic that boggles you, I can see if it's anything I know anything about, lol.

Big smooches!
Dee

Friday Funnies

First things first, I'm posting notes about some seriously good book prizes in my Special Event's feature, so look to the right for details and a link.

***

Now, as I've bragged continually, I am moving. Thus, I've already packed many of the non-essentials. Moo's stuffed animals, toys, books. Videos, linens and keepsakes. My books....

Now, I didn't think this would be a problem, until yesterday Moo opened my vault/cabinet and gasped, horrified. "Mommy! No Books! Where Books?? Mommy!!!"

I have yet to figure out if this worse for me or for him.

***

So, last night when I was working, it was pointed out on the message boards that I had referred to myself as a cow. As you no doubt know, I do this kind of a lot. I have something of a self-depricating humor. This isn't to say I believe everything I say about myself--though I am rather mooish--just that I'm really, really comfy with myself. Still, I was scolded. Not sure that I feel bad, but I sure don't know what to do with it when people try to shore up my pathetic self-esteem in response. I mean, call me fat or something and I know how to handle it (with my foot up their ass). Call me pretty and I'm pretty sure you're up to something and I grab a knife. Take a nice middle ground and say, "Oh, you look nice" and I'll probably love you forever (Look at hubby, he said something like that once and the man never saw freedom again.).

***

And, last but not least, a joke or two from the former boss. Lubs ya, Richard!

A CLASSIC

Two little boys in second grade were chosen to be the leads in their first school play. It was to be a Shakespearean play.

The first little boy was to say, " My fair maiden.... I have come to snatch a kiss and fill your soul with hope."

The second little boy was to reply by saying,
"Hark!, a pistol shot."

Well, on opening night in the school auditorium, the two little boys were a bit nervous, knowing that all the seats were going to be filled with grown-ups. The teacher told them to take their places on the stage and to remember to speak very loud as soon as the curtain goes up.

The curtain rose and looking out upon the audience the two boys were terrified. They stood there frozen. So the teacher whispered for them to begin.

The first boy yelled out these unforgettable words....."My fair maiden......... I have come to kiss your snatch! And fill your hole with soap."

The second boy screams out..... "Hark! a shistol pot, a postle shiss, a pot of shit, horse shit, this is bull shit........ I never wanted to be in this lousy play anyway!!"

The audience left howling.

***

Interesting facts...and a warning!

Interesting Year 1981
1. Prince Charles got married
2. Liverpool crowned soccer Champions of Europe
3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament.
4. Pope Died

Year 2005
1. Prince Charles got married
2. Liverpool crowned soccer Champions of Europe
3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament
4. Pope Died

Lesson Learned? - the next time Charles gets married, someone warn the Pope.

Anyone Else Have Blog Probs?

It was a weird day yesterday. The few blogs that loaded for me wouldn't allow me to comment! Me! I mean, my God, what if I'd had a witty moment? You all might have been ROBBED!

Aside from that, the only thing coming to mind this morning is how freakin' bad I need a bag of chips. Cheetos. Cheese Nips. SOMEthing. I'm almost tempted to drag my fat ass out to the store, but thankfully I'm broke so the ass has the tiniest opportunity to shrink.

I'm thinking writing is possibly the most interesting thing there is about me. My only other major accomplishment is that I can crack a joke in .2 seconds and I can wash (but not fold) laundry.

Update: I have decided to save the boy from death by gnawing and raided the kitchen for something salty. Bacon! In a fit of guilt I stripped the meat from the fat...and came up with a lot less bacon. But, I'm satisfied and the child will be thankful.

So, in an effort to stand myself, I'm probably going to break my writing moratorium and screw the packing. :)

Back later!
Dee

Wednesday Wonderings

For the first time in months, I'm purposely not writing. This isn't to say that I haven't skipped days. (snort) Just that I intended not to write. I've got my subs off and I've got a week and a half to pack up my apartment. It seems oddly silent and I'm allotting myself today's writing hours to be blogging, hopping, reading and webpage trolling for errors. There's always plenty to do, but not always plenty to talk about.

Kid is off to school. Yesterday I realized that this motherhood thing is kind of nerve-wracking. I mean, I KNEW it was, but you don't get much opportunity to sit down and ask yourself why you go through this. Or, in my case, why I want to get started all over again. It's insane. I know instincts are hard to overcome, but really, why do I WANT this? I mean, my instincts claim that cream puffs are good for me, expound constantly that sex is more important than work or food and that I can too live on donuts alone. Instincts are not to be trusted.

Still, I miss those little eyes and those quiet moments when it's just you and the baby. There will probably be less of that since Moo is allergic to silence. I mean, I don't think I ask a whole lot of life. I've learned to just get used to physical pain. I'll be in it for the rest of my life, I'm resigned to twinges and tweaks. I can be made happy with the right look, truth be told, from either hubby or son. My ambitions are being met, step by step and there's a huge chunk of satisfaction in knowing that I'm doing it on my own. But I still long for one more little face to look at. And worry over. Two more little hands pulling and pointing and waving. And two more little eyes to stare up at me while she nurses, a world of questions there to discover.

Moo blew me a kiss from the bus window. He waved with both hands and a goofy smile. When he woke up this morning, he ran to my bed and cuddled into the blankets so he could close his eyes again, his skinny arms around my neck and squeezing tight until he could sigh with peace.

And I wonder how can I NOT want to start this all over again?

Here's wishing luck and patience to all the lucky moms out there.
Smooches,
Dee

Le Apartment!

Okay, I admit, I'm WAY too excited about this. But...it's lovely. This isn't the unit, but it's in the same community:



Here are a few pics of the inside, to give you an idea of what it looks like:



The Kitchen:

You may or may not see what I mean about "ickle". But usually, I'm not the same height or taller than my fridge. I think my hips are wider than the dishwasher. Don't worry though, the oven can still fit a full size turkey (that would have been a deal breaker, believe it or not)!



View from the Living Room



Can you say BOOK SPACE??? Ok, prolly some sheets and blankets too, but...nahhhhhh, BOOK SPACE!!!



And I can say that because THIS is the closet! One in each room! Plus, that's only HALF the closet. I could prolly live in just the closet alone...but I'm not gonna! :)

Okay, now that that bit of bragging is completed, I am going to say I've now gotten out my last proposal of January. Woohoo! That one is headed to SamHain. :) In other writing news, I must admit to having removed Raven from consideration to Cerridwen. I believe it might find a home elsewhere, which is what I'm looking for, but the response from the very kind editor there also informed me that the current wait for Cerridwen "is now two to twelve months before response". I was hitting 8. Just thought I'd lay that biscuit out for anyone still waiting. I'm not sure if that amount of time applies to EC, but as they are linked, I'm thinking that one should consider it when waiting for a response from them as well. (Which works out for me as I totally don't have time right now to work on my EC submission. Maybe in March or April. We'll see. :))

Big smooches all around!
Dee

Belfry Day!!

Believe it or not, I did some meaningful blogging over there today. Definitely worth a looksy!



I should be back this afternoon with another post. Lots to catch up on!
Smooches,
Dee

I got the apartment!

I'm so excited! I sign the papers today and by the beginning of next month, I'll be in a townhouse! And it's such a CUTE one! I think the word Julie Cohen uses is "ickle", because everything is ever so slightly smaller in some places. The appliances, mostly, but that's okay. There's just three of us. :) The closets are huge, though, and both rooms have their own bathrooms! PLUS the half-bath downstairs! I just can't wait! Promise, when I have time, I'll post some pics.

Also, have my subs and the overview ready for submission. Just have the 1pg synops to do. Should be able to ship out to Blaze tomorrow. :) That'll free me up to pack!

Oh, and in case somewhere you missed it, I'm insane. I enjoy packing. Placing everything just so, labeling til my heart is singing, listing, organizing...it's an OCD paradise! Finally, the house will be utterly, completely SPOTLESS!

Yes, I'm sick, lol.

But I'm taking my sickness to a new place! haha! No more middle of the night car alarms! No screaming people at all hours. No one throwing up outside my window or having lovers spats at 3am! No more kids putting three inch nails behind my car wheels or Doorbell ditching! I'm freeeeeeee!

Well, at least I will be when I'm done packing, lol!
Smooches,
Dee

Bleck!

So, here I am, laying in bed, trying not to throw up.

I'm not going to claim anything significant here. Just that I can't seem to stand up without attempting to pitch my insides into the nearest recepticle. It's abating somewhat, as I eat some tea crackers because the kid ate the regular ones, but suffice it to say, I'm not sure how much is going to be achieved today.

I DID manage to prep my partials for Blaze. Now to write the synops and project overview. Maybe I can get it mailed out by Friday.

Also, MSN has made a habit of kicking me off. I'm now tired of it and won't be signing back in. At least, not today. Today I'm a Yahooer.

Also, just wanted to send anyone interested over to SAMHAIN so they can take a look at the launch books for this new and exciting publisher! Big congrats to everyone involved and all the launch authors!

Big smooches!
Dee

Discipline? We no need no stinkin' Discipline!

It's generally the first thing anyone says after the first of the year: "I need more discipline!" And you see it a lot in writer's circles. Almost as much as in dieter's circles. Discipline for writing time, for blogging, for social functions, for housekeeping. And I have to be honest, I've made mention of it more times than I'd like to count.

But if we really need discipline, it's most likely in our ability to say no.

Me, I'm a big one for over-committing. Speaking in minimums, I'm committed to five hours of work, six days a week (30 hrs/wk). Three hours of writing, five days a week (15 hrs/wk). 2 hours of cooking, every day (14 hrs/wk). 1 hour minimum of cleaning house each day (7 hrs/wk). 1 hour for grooming each day (7 hrs/wk). If I'm feeling okay, I have to have at least 6 hours of sleep per night, or bad things happen (42 hrs/wk). As a mother, I need to dedicate at least 2 hours to the care of my son--bathing, brushing, playing, teaching, watching--per day (14 hrs/wk), leaving me 39 hours to spread in an entire week. That needs to include billpaying, paperwork, household shopping/repair, grocery shopping, research and so on. But if you look at those, individually, I've already got 20 hours of my day booked. If any one of those things shifts...I'm out of time in a heartbeat.

And yet, I commit myself to more things. Sure I can do this. Sure, I can do that.

What I really need to decide is...what I can't do.

I can't quit my career--though it may well change directions in the coming years. I can't quit my son or my husband. Sadly, I cannot stop paying bills. (Though not from lack of effort.) Should I streamline? Yes. Can I? Not really. So what does that mean?

It means, dear reader, that I'm going to train myself to say no a little more often. I'm going to really work on not feeling guilty if someone else doesn't do their job. My resolution this year is not to have more discipline. It's to have more respect for the value of my time. And, particularly, for the value of other's time as well.

What are your goals for the new year? Can you fit them in?

Mystical Monday

Every now and then, I like to take a look at my horoscopes and see if any of them make any sense. Particularly...when shown together. There's no better time than at the start of the year. :)

I start at Susan Miller's site, AstrologyZone:

Now that the holidays are behind you, it appears that you'll soon be hitting the road, either for work or a vacation, and the distance appears to be quite far.

This could be taken two ways, since I never get to take a vacation. One--I'm hoping to move. My apartment is taking a moderate dive toward the Projects and I'd rather not be here when it completely makes the splash. Or Two, my career, as I'm just starting it and there's a hell of a lot to do.

Mars has been zooming through Taurus since last July, so it's apparent that you've been moving at the speed of light.

That would explain the exhaustion.

I am particularly enthusiastic this month to see that the Sun and Saturn will work together in what is called in astrology a mutual reception. That happens when two bodies work in a particularly close, buddy-buddy way. This month the Sun will be in the sign that Saturn rules (Capricorn) and Saturn will be in the sign that the Sun naturally rules (Leo). That will make Saturn act just like the Sun and the Sun act like Saturn. That kind of blending and reciprocal help between the two is called a mutual reception, considered a rare and special help.

Not to be cheeky, but...if the Sun acts just like Saturn and Saturn acts just like the Sun...doesn't that mean nothing changes?

These two heavenly bodies - the Sun and Saturn - will create a link between your ninth house of travel, legal matters, publishing, and higher education, and your fourth house of home, family, and general real estate.

But not my fifth house of cooking? Damn...

Looking closer at your chart, it seems that something you put on a back burner during the last quarter of 2005 will heat up again. With Venus out of phase, you will be encouraged to rethink, redesign, and readdress an endeavor or relationship that seems to have come off track or that is being investigated.

That's probably the two books I was editing, Vetta and Sky. I have to go over them again to make sure I'm headed in the right direction. Plus, I'm deeply considering yanking Raven from Cerridwen, as they've now taken more than a month to get back to my question of whether or not they have a clue what's going on with it. And, of course, I'm prepping the Lonnigans to take a stab at Blaze before this month ends.

Publishing projects are covered by your ninth house too, because this ninth house deals with the gathering and disbursement of information. So, with Venus retrograde, you may go back to finish an old writing project that was sidelined, or if it is done, you'll now work through the editing process.

Yup. See?

As you get closer to month's end, you will begin to see that your career brings enormously good news, thanks to the new moon that will occur at month's end, January 29. This is a trend that will be more about February than January, for a new moon sets up two weeks of opportunity. If you plant seeds either in the last two days of January or in early February, you will have the ability to change the course of your career for the better, and for an entire year moving forward.

Well, I could live with that, lol.

Alternatively, Saturn's presence in the chart may indicate a very responsible position that will mean long and possibly arduous hours on the job. You've never been one to be afraid of hard work, so you seem ready to say, "Bring it on!"

Why is it that every month I visit this woman, she's telling me more work is headed my way? And that I'll like it?

You'll have to see what comes up and decide when you know all the facts.

Oooh, look! Permission to think for myself! WOW!

One thing seems certain - the job would be prestigious and come with true responsibility, but you will feel some measure of push-pull between home and work. I still feel it's worth considering seriously, no matter what the obstacles. No other point in the year will bring anything this special.

And she gives good news....and takes it away. So, the best point of my year ends this month? That's nice. 11 months of misery here we come?

Astrology.com is a bit more succinct, though I love Susan's detail. They also don't seem to agree with her too much.

The 1st-3rd will reportedly have me tired. Check.

7th-9th will make me out of sorts with the infallible tip, "Figure it out, you old bullfighter, and you'll feel better. "--I'm sure I wouldn't have figured it out without them.

"Look out on the 26th, when you have an insight that could shape your whole year."--Could it be to stop reading horoscopes?

Myhoroscope.com:

The people you deal with will detect your anxiousness. If things get to be too much for you, back away and do things by yourself. A partnership may take a turn. Don't make a promise, commitment or comment that could cause you grief.

So...in other words...you're cranky, take a pill and isolate yourself so you don't ruin anyone's buzz. Oh, and whatever you do, don't talk to people. Only God knows what you might say!

Astrology-online.com:

Take care of any pressing medical problems that you or one of your parents may be suffering from. You may be experiencing emotional turmoil in regard to your mate. This is a great day to spend with family. Do not be surprised if your partner doesn't understand your needs.

Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

So, I'm supposed to handle my medical stuff, but spend time with my family. Hmm, oh, and while I'm spending time with my family, my husband won't understand what I want....which begs the question, WHY would I want to spend time with him? Lucky events are all happening on a Tuesday? Well, there goes today....

And finally, a new site for me, Joylight.com:

You will be dealing with issues on a few fronts and how you use them will be different for each case. This will insure that you are, not only learning patience and right use of resources, but, being flexible and seeing all the options.

So everyone agrees...I'm gonna be busy.

Right now you are feeling like you're caught between a rock and a hard place. Digging in and weathering the storm, like you always do, is not going to get it this time. It will be too physically trying on you. You must be out on the firing line to make sure others' choices don't box you in.

But I have my hole all dug!

And don't get paranoid about how you appear. All things are not what they seem.

You mean I'm going to wake up and realize my ass was all a dream??

The instinct is to overdo all creative action almost to the point of hurting yourself. We know that you're an all or nothing person. Don't go overboard. Career issues finally seem to be leveling off. Where you are is where you are...no deceptions.

Funny, Susan seemed to think Career was about to take off. Who to trust? I'm so confused!!! Oh no! Mr. Bill!!!!

Actually, lol, I plan to just listen to my editor, who mentioned I wouldn't get edits until February, good and wonderful woman that she is. Still, here's crossing my fingers some of this stuff happens.

Here's wishing you all a great new year!
Smooches!
Dee