Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For!

Progress . . .

I love my job. I mean, absolutely, totally, passionately love my job. Believe me, I know how lucky that makes me, because I know so many people who get up, go to work, and hate what they do.

The very thought of such an existence would make me want to slit my wrists.

Today, even though I took a sick day because Monster #1 wasn't feeling well, was one of those days when I really love my job.

See, last week, I gave back the most horrific set of essays you've ever seen. It wasn't that my kids don't know how to write -- they do. I guess, as one of them so eloquently put it, "everything we learned leaked out of our brains over the summer."

Anyway, no one was happy last week -- not me, not my students, not my administrators, not the parents.

Paper #2 is due Friday. We've been working hard to stuff some of that leaked-out knowledge back into their brains before then.

So I went by the school this afternoon to meet with a handful of students who wanted feedback on their rough drafts. Revised rough drafts. With notes on them. I was thrilled. Then, when I started reading the rough drafts?

Color me tickled pink.

The rough drafts I read today are loads better than the final drafts from last week. They're learning. They're improving.

How can a teacher not love that? And how could I ask for a better job?

Whoo-hoo!

I have electricity again!

And papers to grade. Some things never change . . .

Progress, of Sorts

Okay, still no electricity.

But I have emailed my art forms and my blurb forms to my editor.

Now I'm off to get caught up on teacher things.

What have you spent your long weekend doing?

Out of Practice

I've been a bad, bad writer. Writing, for basically the last year, has not been my priority. Now I'm trying to get back into the habit, and boy, is it hard!

I'm picking up the manuscript I'd pretty much abandoned around January. I've been reading, trying to immerse myself in the characters, the plot, the conflicts. It isn't easy. The closest analogy I can come up with is it's akin to not running for months, then trying to get back into condition. Already, I can see it's going to be a slow, painful process.

But I'm trying. And I'm getting there.

Slowly.

Painfully.

But I'm getting there.

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For.

FABULOUS SALE & CONTEST AT MBAM!

FABULOUS SALE & CONTEST AT MBAM!

Lots of prizes this week - all you do is make a purchase to be entered! Winners will be chosen to win a variety of print books!ALSO, from now until September 30, 2006, every purchase will count toward a drawing for an ebook reader! The winner may choose between an eBookwise, a Palm Tungsten E2, or an HP IPAQ rx1950!PLUS, you can enter the drawing without making a purchase by sending a postcard with your name, address, phone number, email address, and how you heard about MBaM to this address:My Bookstore and More2932 Ross Clark Circle #384Dothan AL 36301All postcards must be received by October 31st, winner will be announced on November 1st, 2006


Come see our SALE PRICES on ebooks! http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/


All Trade PRINT books are ON SALE too! 10% off cover price plus FREE Shipping!


Presented by Millennium Promotion Services, Inc. http://www.millenniumpromotion.com

I'm excited!

Got an email from my editor yesterday.

I SOLD THREE MORE BOOKS!

Whoo-hoo!

HOLD ON TO ME, TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES, and HIS ORDINARY LIFE all have a home at Samhain now.

Today's Post (And My News!)

Is over at Romance Worth Killing For.

Note to Self

Don't let the DH help Monster #1 with his homework.

They take forever. It's 12 minutes to bedtime, and are they near finishing?

Noooooo.

Weird, Isn't It?

I have fewer preps this year, fewer classes, fewer students.

I have one more planning period.

You would think I'd have plenty of time.

Noooo.

I'm less stressed teaching-wise than I was last year (I was really spread too thin), but all the department head duties are kicking in. And, man, does that take a lot of time.

I did manage today to get all of my filing done (that's a task I rarely get to -- I'd end up tossing papers in a file drawer to keep them out of sight, then have to sort them at the end of the year or when I needed something.). I'm setting my classes up in our computer program now. I made emergency bathroom passes (I have to handwrite the info on those, or the kids try to forge them). Still have to set up my gradebook. Make a list of kids without access to a computer or a printer.

Finally got all the ballyhoo from this weekend sorted out. DH took care of most of it, since it was his payroll department who basically screwed my entire budget for the month. I have to do some math, but I think they still owe us money, although not nearly as much as they did.

I'm off to make a form parent-contact letter.

What are you up to?

I'm Alive

Which is a positive.

It has not, however, been a good weekend. I'm a total control freak, and this situation is completely beyond my control.

I have to wait until Monday to see how it will play out. So instead of relaxing and getting recharged for school next week, I'm wound tight, my mind like a hamster wheel.

Keep your fingers crossed that everyone who made a promise Friday keeps it Monday.

A Little of This and That

What I'm reading: Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Or rather, I'm trying to read it. I know it's a classic and all, but I'm at chapter three, I don't like Holden, and I'm not all that impressed.

What I'm reading next: Gerald Graff's Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind.

What I'm listening to: Rain, my windchimes and distant thunder.

What I'm drinking: Diet Pepsi. Is there anything else?

What I'm working on: Knocking out my teacher TTD list, waiting on Kristi to send me something to read!

What I feel good about today: My English department meeting went well.

What I enjoyed most today: Lunch with my colleagues at the coffee shop. Joe, your homemade bread and the veggie sandwich were incredible!

What I'm doing next: Putting the Monsters to bed.

Sigh . . .

There's this episode of Little House on the Prairie that haunted me from the first time I saw it. As the show begins, a litter of puppies are being taken from their mother (to be drowned -- Laura or someone saves them, I don't remember it all, just that first scene). As the wagon drives away, with the puppies in a gunny sack on the back, the mama dog watches fornlornly, a sad expression on her little doggie face as she realizes she'll never see them again . . .

Well, tonight I'm the sack of puppies, whining a little, leaving the mama dog of my summer behind, with its shimmering freedom, not to be seen again. (Well, not this summer anyway . . . 190 working days, and whoo-hoo! A new summer!).

I'm packing my teacher bag (which has served as my beach bag all summer -- it's very versatile!), making my to-do list, trying to decide what I want to wear tomorrow.

I'm very aware that I have to be up at 6:00 A.M.

But I'm excited, too. I'm loving the way our high school faculty seems to be finally coming together as a cohesive unit, with the addition of some fantastic new people to an already strong group. I've been waiting four years to see this.

But I wouldn't mind just one more day to sleep in, either.

Goodbye, summer!

Gather Ye Memories While Ye May . . .

Today was a good day. Busy, but good. I have, alas, only one more day of freedom after today, and I was determined I would not show up at school today. I needed to spend my Vote for Sonny Money, plus I wanted to hit Penney's sale today, check the goodies at Old Navy, etc.

So I spent the day with my best friend Pam. After she got her hair cut (and I read part of The Memory Keeper's Daughter), we hit Office Depot. Teachers were everywhere (hey, we got ten million dollars worth of Vote For Sonny Money statewide -- that's a lot of teachers!). We went to the mall, met her DH for lunch at Applebee's (quesadilla burger, yummmm!), went back to the mall.

We will not discuss how many bras I had to try on to find the right one, but find one I did! I bought several in that style. I hate shopping for unmentionables. Picked up three tops at Penney's, two sweaters at Old Navy. Then I spent the remainder of my Vote For Sonny Money at Waldenbooks, buying books for my classroom library.

Tried to take a nap when I got home. Didn't happen.

The Monsters wanted to go fishing, so the DH and I loaded them up and took them to the river. They fished for a couple hours, didn't catch anything, but it was beautiful and quiet. Had a nice conversation with the local DNR officer. Sitting, listening to the river whisper, watching the sun set into the pine trees across the water, was a really relaxing way to finish off one of my last two days of summer. Definitely one of my favorite summer memories.

What about you? What won't you forget about this summer?

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For.

Can You Say, "Awww!"

My great-nephew Porter with me, at my mom's. I think this was taken Mother's Day.

Still Here

I've been scattered lately. I thought maybe, in all the frenzy of Nationals and the resulting explosion of blogs (which are really fun to read), my absence would go unnoticed. However, Kristi says not so much. This is what I've been up to:

1) Unit plans. More unit plans.
2) Typing assignments.
3) Back-to-school shopping for the Monsters.
4) Took the Monsters and one of their friends out for the day, to lunch and to see Monster House. Loved the movie. Go see it.
5) Getting my room ready for school. Preplanning? Uh, yeah. I can't work on my room when there are other people around. Too many distractions.
6) Completing my application for grad school. I'm supposed to start working on my master's in Learning and Literacy *or* Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment in October.

You'll notice there's no writing up there. I'm hoping to do a major push and finish chapter three of TAGD this weekend. We'll see. I have two manuscripts I want to send to my editor -- she hasn't had a chance to look yet at the two I've already sent, but she promised to get to them next week, said to send these on.

What have you been up to?

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For!

What's On Your Desk?

Yes, yes, I've been lazy since I returned from Alabama. All that theater culture exhausted me. :-)

Anyway, I have a meeting at 10:00, so this is a two-minute post (but I promise a longer one later today.).

Thought I'd tell you what books were sitting on my desk right now . . . so you could tell me!

Here we go:

1) Introduction to Theater Arts, Zimmerman
2) 7 Keys to Comprehension, Zimmerman (different one) & Hutchins
3) Understanding by Design, Wiggins & McTighe
4) Deeper Reading, Gallager (my hero!)
5) Play Director's Survival Kit, Rodgers & Rodgers
6) Going to Ground: Simple Life on a Georgia Pond, Blackmarr
7) On Writing, King
8) What's Happening, Hamlet? (script), Chikiar

What's on your desk?

I'm Back!

Had a wonderful trip. Hope to have a handful of pictures up in the next few days to show you.

Remember I'm chatting tonight over at the Samhain Cafe from 8:00 until 9:00 EST with fellow author Kate Rothwell/Summer Devon. Hope to see you there!

These Are NOT My Kids . . .

(Although I could see mine doing this years ago . . .)

From an email my sister sent me and too good not too share!

THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE MASTER CARD COMMERCIALS:

PRICE OF A LEATHER SOFA $1000

PRICE OF FLAT SCREEN TV $1500

PRICE OF WOOD FLOORING $1200

LOOK ON MOM'S FACE................................PRICELESS!

Planning & Plotting

Beside writing this week, I've been working on unit plans for the coming school year. I have fewer preps and fewer students this year (whoo-hoo!), and I can already tell that it's going to allow me to deepen my teaching. I can also see that I'm finally getting the hang of the whole backward design planning concept. I knew I was close last year, but I still had issues, including problems with designing authentic performance tasks. I'm loving my plans so much better this year!

My day is all planned out today -- cleaning, errands, pulling together outfits for this weekend. My best friend and I are going to see a couple of plays one state over -- To Kill a Mockingbird and Trojan Women -- and I am soooooo excited! I love theater.

DH is keeping the Monsters for two days while I'm gone. That should be interesting. I've no doubt he can handle the kids, but I could plot a list of things that won't get done while I'm gone:

1) The toilet paper roll will not get changed. They'll just sit a fresh roll on the back of the toilet.
2) No one will wash dishes.
3) The living room won't get swept.
4) The kids won't comb their hair until church Sunday morning. If they need to go somewhere Saturday, they'll just pull on a hat . . .

I think they'll survive, though.

I'll be back Sunday, to chat with fellow Samhain author Kate Rothwell (Summer Devon) over at the Samhain Cafe. Remember that Reader Appreciation is going on all this week at the Cafe -- with over forty prizes being given away! Kate (Summer) and I are chatting from 8:00-9:00 PM Sunday night, and I'll be giving away a Samhain gift certificate. Make plans to come join us!

Progress

Well, I didn't make my four pages yesterday -- I made two. So my goal for today is 6 -- 3 this morning, 3 tonight. I've found that if I break it up, it seems less daunting. The WIP seems to be coming along, although I know it's really rough. Lots and lots of layers in my future!

I had two of my CP's read the first seven chapters of MOU. Both of them hit on the same thing -- how quickly the relationship develops between chapters six and seven -- and I think that's why I was stuck. Anyway, I deleted ten pages (saved them in case I could use them later) and went back to my original plan for those chapters. Haven't written anything, but I feel more comfortable with the work now.

I did make progress on the teaching front -- I have plans sketched out for the first semester for my 11th American Lit and my 9th Lit/Comp classes. Made my independent reading lists for those classes, too.

Trying to get everything at home done before I leave Saturday for the theater. :-) I can't wait!

Update . . .

Total pages written today: 4

Total this week: 18 (Whoo-hoo!)

Will see if I can stick it out this week. I've got to start hitting those teaching units pretty hard, too.

Days until school starts: 28 (32 for students)

I Am . . .

in the ZONE, baby!

It's been so long, I'd forgotten what it feels like.

It feels weird.

But.

I like it!

I have a rough draft of the first chapter of Through a Glass Darkly, my new WIP, and I'm working on the first chapter of HOTM, revised.

I'm trying something new, and we'll have to see how it goes. In that past, I've only worked on one manuscript at a time. However, my, er, goal (ugh, the G word again!) is to have three chapters and a synopsis on TAGD completed and to add three chapters to MOU by the time pre-planning starts. That's approximately 120 pages, roughly 4 pages a day on to meet my goal.

My goal for HOTM is to outline the revisions (which I've already made copious notes on). Any writing I get done on there is gravy. I'm fiddling with it tonight because I finally figured out how to rewrite my inciting event.

I'm figuring I'll update my progress bars every Sunday (maybe Monday).

***

Oh, and don't forget that Samhain's Reader Appreciation Week begins Monday. Find out more at Samhain Cafe!

***
Updated -- Total pages written today: 7.5

Meet Dani . . .

The heroine of my new WIP, Through a Glass Darkly:

Dani Stuart huddled in the hard wooden chair, her hands wrapped around a foam coffee cup. The sharp tang of antiseptic hung around her; rubber-clad feet whispered against the white tile flooring. She focused on the greasy film floating atop the dark liquid, because if she didn’t, she’d have to think about where she was, what she was about to do.

Oh, God, what if it was true? What if it was her Sophie?

“Ms. Stuart?” She looked up to find Detective Marsh standing in the doorway. “We’re ready for you.”

Clutching the cup with both hands, she stood to toss it in a nearby trash bin. Left with nothing to occupy her hands, she shoved them in the pockets of her thin windbreaker and met the tall detective at the steel double doors.

Sympathy flickered in Marsh’s blue eyes. “Are you sure you’re up to this? We can take another couple of minutes, if you need-”

“No.” The word emerged more sharply than she’d intended. She swallowed hard and shook her head. She needed to do this now, to get this over with. Surely knowing would be better than this . . . this horrific limbo she’d been in for almost two days. She forced a smile, her face aching. “No, thank you. I’m ready.”

He nodded and held the door for her. She stepped into a long hallway, fluorescent lights not brightening the grayish-green walls. A gurney rested alongside one wall, a white sheet covering the body it held. A hand, skin wrinkled and spotted with age, peeked from beneath the fabric.
Dani’s stomach roiled.

Oh, God. She couldn’t do this after all. In her limbo, she could pretend Sophie was safe, merely staying away to punish her for one of the many wrongs she’d surely committed . . .

Here, there was no hiding from the reality that her daughter, her baby, might actually be dead.

Her eyes blurred, burned, and her throat tightened.

Her steps didn’t falter.

Marsh ushered her into a small room, a shaded window running along one interior wall. With yet another sympathetic glance her way, he rapped on the glass.

Slowly the shades opened, revealing another gurney, another sheeted figure.

Bile crowded Dani’s throat. In her pockets, she fisted her hands, nails biting into her palms. A woman in scrubs stepped forward, folded the sheet away from the head, revealing, dark hair, a badly battered face.

Today's Post . . .

is at Romance Worth Killing For!

It's REAL!

I know I got the offer back in May and that I signed the contract and made the sale announcement, but it still didn't seem completely real. I'm not sure why.

But . . .

Today I get to start thinking about my cover art form.

Today I get to start thinking about excerpts and blurbs for the publisher promo.

Today, the fact I sold is REAL.

And I have to confess . . . this reality is pretty darn cool.

Plotting

The last few days, I've been thinking hard about the WIP. I tend to "see" my work as a mini-movie in my head. The nice thing about that is I can rewind or fast forward, freeze frame, etc. With the new book, I don't have a complete film yet, something more of a trailer -- I have the premise and the concept, the opening scenes, some snatches of later scenes. Basically, I have the overall idea of the plot, but not the entire outline. That's not really a problem at this point, because I can write those opening scenes (my normal MO is to write the first 2-3 chapters, then write the synopsis/outline). However . . .

There is that little thing called plot braiding. (Thanks again, Elisabeth, LOL!)

So while thinking about the WIP, I'm focusing on the threads of the plot . . . or should I say "plots"? Because this piece has two external plots, as well as the internal romantic thread. Both external plots are integral to the novel, both involve the main characters, with the conflict of one external thread opening the book and ultimately leading back to the second external thread. (Confused yet? Good, so am I!)

I've begun visualizing my plot as a DNA section rather than a simple braid -- you know how you see those 3-D models of DNA, with the two outside spirals connected and supported by the protein steps? That's what my plot braid looks like in my head. The two external plots are separate, yet joined, and if one is taken away, the entire structure collapses. So as I visualize my movie and get ready to outline, I must explore each step in both plots and how they connect and affect each other.

Is this writing dangerously? Does this show growth as a writer? Or just that I'm a complete idiot?

I really hope it's the former rather than the latter!

Review -- N.J. Walters's THE WAY HOME

The Way Home is a classic marriage of convenience book -- the hero Jake has inherited his orphaned niece after the death of his brother and sister-in-law, and he needs a wife. The heroine Rebecca has loved her best friend Jake for years and sees the marriage as a chance she can't turn down.

However, just as Jake's proposal isn't what Rebecca had always dreamed of -- a business-like proposition rather than a hearts & flowers offer -- the marriage throws her for a few loops. Jake's not immune from the emotional turmoil either, as he tries to adjust to sharing his home and life after years spent alone.

Like I said, a classic MOC plot, but once I started reading, I couldn't put the story down. I love watching a rather clueless hero come to his senses about his feelings, and Walters delivers that in Jake. He's not perfect, and his tendency to speak before considering Rebecca's POV results in his hurting her more than once. But he redeems himself quite well as he realizes his love for her, how close he's come to losing her through his own actions, and sets out to make it right.

Rebecca is a quietly strong heroine, and Walters paints her with very realistic strokes -- I could envision myself responding much the same as Rebecca does in several situations.

The pacing of the book drags some at the beginning, with backstory revealed through chunks of character thought, and I would have liked to have seen more of Jake's feelings for Rebecca layered in during his early POV scenes . . . however, as a whole, The Way Home is a fantastic read, earning three stars on this teacher's grading scale.

It's All Sharon's Fault . . .

. . . that I'm behind in writing. She keeps pointing me toward great books to read!

My current wish list:

The Way Home by N.J. Walters

72 Hours by Shannon Stacey (this one sounds GOOD!)

Hunted by Amilia Elias

Hmmm . . . where to begin?

Tag, I'm It!

Courtesy of Elisabeth:

1. A song by the first band you liked: "Skyhigh" by Jigsaw. (My older sister had their LP. I think I was six.)

2. A song that makes you think of your best friend: Ack. Some dance mix. Heard it on the radio yesterday, can't think of the name!

3. A song by the first band you saw in concert: Foreigner - "Juke Box Hero"

4. A song that reminds you of college/school: "Parents Just Don't Understand", Will Smith, UGA!

5. A song that makes you think of a boyfriend/girl (love) past or present: "When You Say Nothing At All", anything by the Eagles

Tagging . . . YOU! What musical memories will you share?

What Makes You Go, "Augh!"

I bought a bad book.

Now, you have to realize I very rarely meet a book I don't like. But I bought a stinker this time. $4.45, because I liked the cover and because I'd heard good things about the author and because the first couple of pages along with the blurb caught my attention.

So I'm out the cost of a tropical latte with whipped cream from the Java place, when I could have had another book from my wish list.

Gah!

What makes you go "augh!"?

I think I'm going to go watch Bridezillas.

We're Home

500 mile round trip.

Husband has boat.

Husband is thrilled.

Monsters are thrilled.

I'm exhausted.

More later.

Today's Post

Is at Romance Worth Killing For.

(And Anonymous? Of course I know who you are, AC!)

Oh. My. God!

I had a post all planned out for tonight . . . definitely saving it for tomorrow now!

A few minutes ago, I got up to set up the coffeemaker for the DH (in exchange, he doesn't wake me up when he leaves for work).

I kept hearing something munching in the kitchen, and I figured it was the cat, although it was very noisy munching.

I walk in my kitchen . . .

And there's a POSSUM eating Kitty Baby's food!

A POSSUM!

In my KITCHEN!

I was not a happy camper.

Heck, I'm still not a happy camper.

I chased him out, didn't wake the DH (hey, he has to work tomorrow).

But I left him a big note on the fridge about how we really need to further secure the bathroom with the torn out floor, so POSSUMS don't come through there, climb over the partially removed wall in the laundry room and eat the kitty's food.

I bet Amie had something to do with this! She's sending me possums!

(And oh, my Lord, my mama warned me about "something" getting in through that floor. Now I have to tell her she was right. Hmmm. Maybe I just won't tell her!)

Following The Rules

If you're following all the rules, you're missing all the fun. -- seen embroidered on a towel at a gift shop today.

I love that, and it got me thinking. I'm pretty good at deciding which "rules" of writing I want to flout. As a teacher, I like rules . . . although I use them more as "guidelines for behavior." My students call me a comfortist, and I'm sure they're right. I don't like conflict, and following the rules can help one avoid that.

After browsing the gift shop with my best friend, we went to the new local coffee shop, run by the parents of a former student of mine. It's in a historic building, and the proprietors did most of the renovation work themselves. Renovating took months, but the shop is absolutely gorgeous. It gives me hope for my own house. (BTW, I've been taking photos of the in-progress renovations this week, and I'll be posting those soon.)

The funny thing was, the combination of that "rules vs. fun" towel and seeing Joe and Patty at the coffee shop helped made a recent nebulous realization concrete. For months, no visitors except my mom and dad have been allowed into our home. I freaked out last week because I cut the corner of the kitchen to find my DH's best friend in the living room, borrowing a tool. He'd actually allowed Mike into our house, the way it looked!

Later on in that same week, Monster #1's best friend invited him over to play. He went, with me assuring friend's mom that we'd reciprocate with an around-town activity and apologizing at the same time for the ever-growing evidence of renovating at our house. Renee laughed -- she and Mark just spent three years doing what we're doing now. She understands how I feel, but she also said that even though they're not completely finished (they're down to finish trim and some electrical stuff), she'd told her son that Monster #1 could come over for a sleepover soon, with the realization that kids didn't care what the inside of their friends' homes looked like.

And you know, she's right. Both of my Monsters have newly renovated, decorated rooms. Their bathroom is also newly madeover. Their end of the house is clean and attractive. The living room is full of boxes and furniture from rooms we're working on, and we pulled the carpet up months ago and are walking on plywood, but who cares? Would their friends look at the plywood, the plastic-and-duct-taped hole in the ceiling where we ripped out the fireplace, and judge us?

Lots of people would, but my kids' friends? Surely not.

Then I thought about my best friend, who loves me dearly. About my sisters, with their lovely homes, who've been banned from my home because I was ashamed to let anyone see the chaos.

Did Mike think less of the DH because there were tools and pieces of paneling scattered across the living area the day he came to borrow a hammer? Probably not.

So what am I so worried about?

A rule, that's what. An old ingrained, Southern rule that anything less than a perfect house isn't fit for company (a high school friend's mom used to say it wasn't convenient for anyone to die when the house was a mess . . .). And believe me, my house was and continues to be a mess . . . probably will be for at least six more months.

If you're following all the rules, you're missing all the fun.

So for the next six months, until the house is finished, here's the deal: the house is relatively clean, despite the chaos. It isn't the prettiest thing ever (in fact, right now, it's pretty darn ugly still.), but I love my sisters and my friends more than having a perfect house. I want my children to have their friends over. I want the DH to be able to have his friends come in without my having a duck fit afterwards.

I'm thinking I may break that "a less-than-perfect house" rule. I'm tired of missing out on the fun. And if anyone wants to think less of me for walking on plywood right now, well, who needs him/her, right?

What rule are you ready to flout? C'mon, you know you have one. Share.

The Story of My Life (This, That and the Other)

My best friend and her DH have this ongoing power struggle . . . if one of them spends money, the other has to spend an equal amount, or more. My DH and I tend not to have this struggle, because most of the time, all of our extra funds go into the Monsters' tummies.

We've been baaaaad the last week or so, though.

Over the weekend, the DH bought THAT:




Buying That involves a 500-mile round trip to pick it up. That's when IT decided not to cooperate. So I spent a lot of $$$ on parts. Didn't help.

Although I love IT, i don't think IT loves me.

So since we needed a second vehicle again anyway, we went shopping today.

I came home with THIS:

This is my first-ever-in-all-my-life brand-new-off-the-showroom-floor car. I've never had one before. Somehow, I think I got the better end of this deal. What do you think?

Well!

Now how am I supposed to stalk Karin's blog when her bandwidth is exceeded?! Obviously, other stalkers had the same idea I did.

Splitting Hairs

I like words. Obviously, right? I like the connotations of words, the shades of meaning within similar words.

I've been tinkering today with a new template for my business cards. When my laptop crashed last week, I lost the old ones. (PSA -- Back up all your stuff, now!) I loved the old ones, which my friend and CP made for me. They had this cool reddish double line, my name, and beneath that the title novelist.

Webster defines novelist this way:

"one who writes a fictional prose narrative of considerable length, typically having a plot unfolded by the actions, speech and thoughts of the characters." (By the way, "novel" comes from Latin, novellus, which means "new.")

Yep, that was me. I wrote all that. Still do. So I'm a novelist.

I pondered that while playing with the new design of my business cards.

There are others who would call me a writer. I tend to call myself that more than novelist, although novelist sounded pretty darn good on the business card.

Webster defines writer thusly:

"1) one who has written (something specified): the writer of the note. 2) an author."

But wait. I can't be an author! Only people who've published something are authors, if you are to believe the scuttle abounding on blogs and lists everywhere. Or even more specifically, only if you've sold to a large print house. Maybe a small print publisher. (<-- that's me being facetious, which my students could tell you is defined as "mildly sarcastic" or "flippant.")

I had to check out this whole author thing.

Flipped through Webster's. Found this definition:

"1) The writer of a literary work; a writer. 2) The beginner, originator, or creator of anything."

Hmmm. Yes, completely splitting hairs on the connotations there, but to me, sounds like I'm a novelist, a writer, and yes, even an author.

So what do you think I should put on the new business cards? ;-)

First the Dog, Now the Cat . . .

Have I mentioned I have a psychologically damaged dog? Her name is Sallie. I didn't want this dog. Our beloved lab Hunter had died, and I was adamant we were not having another dog. Nope. No more dogs.

(Unless, maybe, a cute little Schnauzer . . .)

So this stray dog had puppies in our yard. I found homes for all but one, and then mama dog got hit by a car. Hence, this sad little lonely orphaned puppy, which my son named Sallie.

I was still swearing that we were not keeping this dog. No way, no sir, no how.

Guess what? We ended up keeping the dog, she fell in love with me, I fell in love with her, we all live happily ever after, right?

She has separation anxiety issues.

She chews things. Not small things. Big things. Drags them right in front of my porch and chews them up, makes a nest. We're home, no chewing. Leave her alone, chews everything.

I solved that by making sure she had a comfortable, secure kennel so I can pen her while I'm gone and she won't destroy everything (Did I mention she shredded the mosquito netting on my new garden gazebo? And the seat off DH's bike? What's next?!).

Obviously, it's not enough that I adopted one mentally damaged animal. Nooooo. Now the cat is in on the act. Her name is Kitty Baby. Our neighbors gave her to us. We love her.

I think she has agoraphobia.

She's always been an in-out kitty. She comes in at night, goes out in the morning, stays in the yard, she's a happy kitty.

Except some feral cat had kittens over at the empty house next door and keeps trying to run in our house to steal her food. She doesn't want to go outside, so she hides in the bedroom and sleeps all day.

And now she's borrowing tricks from Sallie's book . . . when I went to put my pj's on earlier, after hearing major thumping from the bedroom, I found said Kitty Baby in the middle of the floor . . . eating my navy Old Navy flip flops!

I now have cat saliva and teeth marks on my navy flip flops. Do you know how hard it is to find navy flip flops at Old Navy this time of year?!

Did she attack DH's ratty tennis shoes? Noooo. My shoes.

Darn cat.

Does anyone want to recommend a good pet therapist? Maybe one who gives group rates?

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For.

Back Up!

First, consider this your friendly reminder to always back up your work. My laptop crashed and burned over the weekend, and fixing it required reinstalling everything . . . which means I lost everything not backed up.

The weird thing is, I didn't lose much of my writing. But teacher-wise? Oh, my heavens. I keep a paper copy of everything, but I realized this afternoon that all my performance standards files are gone, as well as my rubrics file, and all of my teacher web resource links.

If you've emailed me in the last few days and I haven't replied, I'm not ignoring you -- there are over 300 emails in my inbox and I'm trying to make sure I don't delete something important without reading it first.

Anyway, the good news, before said computer crashed, is that I had written the first four pages of my new WIP -- and even though those pages didn't get backed up and are now gone forever -- I have a handwritten copy so I can (pretty much) recreate them.

So go back up your work. And anyone have suggestions for me on more convenient ways to keep my work backed up, just in case?

My Reading Buffet

My new favorite place to read, since I've been displaced from the bedroom by construction, is in the gazebo by the pool. I do a lot of reading for school and also quite a bit for writing/research purposes.

The weird thing is that I don't read a lot in my genre -- romantic suspense. Now, I know authors who only read in the genre they write. I can't do it. I get bored easily (I also tend to read more than one book at a time, as well as a daily newspaper and several magazines a month), and I want variety in what I read.

So just for fun, here are the last ten books I've read (two I'm finishing now, so I'm putting them here) along with the author and genre. (I also didn't include any school or research-related reading -- this is just-for-me reading).

1) The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood -- literary fiction
2) Going to Ground: Simple Life on a Georgia Pond, Amy Blackmarr -- nonfiction
3) Seducing Simon, Maya Banks -- contemporary romance
4) Sweet Mercy, Jean Brashear -- contemporary (category) romance
5) A Family of Her Own, Brenda Novak -- contemporary (category) romance
6) Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden -- literary fiction (?)
7) The Untelling, Tayari Jones -- literary fiction
8) Cell, Stephen King -- horror/suspense
9) Derailed, James Siegel -- suspense
10) Pompeii, Robert Harris -- historical fiction/suspense

What's next on my reading plate?

1) A Break With Charity, Ann Rinaldi -- historical fiction
2) The House of Gentle Men, Kathy Hepinstall -- literary fiction
3) The Mermaid's Chair, Sue Monk Kidd -- literary fiction (actually, I read part last year, put it down, and now I'm going back to it)

I have some reading to do for school as well, but right now, I'm reading for me.

What's been on your reading buffet lately? Anything I should add to mine?

Building from the Ground Up

For the last year or so (oh, heck -- thirteen months to be exact), I've been involved in the complete renovation of our home. Every room we tackle ends up giving us unexpected and pretty much unwelcome surprises -- more work to be done, hidden problems beneath the walls and floors. There have been times when we've been tempted to just give in and give up, go for the huge mortgage and build from the ground up.

The last day or so, I've been looking at my planned revisions on HOTM with the same eye. It's the book of my heart, and the characters have been with me forever, it seems. I believe it has potential, and I've spent the last month or so identifying the structural problems with it.

The problem is that every time I sit down with a hard copy and try framing it (my preferred method of revision with a completed manuscript), I can't do it. It's too much; I get frustrated and put it aside. Instead, I started outlining revision notes within my much beloved Carribbean-blue notebook, where I also keep my budget notes, promotion notes, and renovation ideas. That's helped me stay focused by streamlining what needs to be done.

And it pointed out one very scary reality: I'm going to have to build HOTM from the ground up. Again.

That means instead of working within the original manuscript, I'm writing a new book. Starting with a blank document, old ideas blended with new ones. It's the only way to make this monster work. For the most part, I have to pretend the 411 pages that I've already written about Tick and Cait don't exist, and you know, they really don't -- with the new backstory line I'm looking at, Tick and Cait have both changed. They're different people. Hopefully stronger people. Their story will be different.

Only the ending, that shimmering promise of an HEA, will remain the same.

I guess I need to go lay a foundation.

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For!

Just One of Those Days . . .

I was busy today (heck, when am I not busy?!). Laundry, cleaned out the fridge, cleared yesterday's demolition debris from the yard (Monster #2 was quite impressed -- "Mama, you're strong."), vacuumed the pool, etc.

So while I was busy today, Monster #2 gets ahold of a can of shaving gel. Okay, you'd think at some point we'd move beyond shaving gel disasters, right?

Oh, nooooo!

I walk into my bedroom, where there's no furniture anymore, and shaving gel is oozing out of the wall where DH has disconnected the outlet boxes. Huge, oozing amounts of green foam.

I sigh. Call Monster #2, because I know who did it, into the bedroom. Ask him, because I really want to know at this point, what he was thinking.

He covers his eyes, sighs bigger than I did, and says, "I wasn't."

Smart kid + High impulsivity = some of the stupidest actions I've ever seen.

What was he thinking?

Missing Girl

The daughter of author Marjorie Jones is missing. Please visit the link below for more information and contact details.

http://www.marjoriejones.com/staci/missingx.html

Marjorie, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Almost Afraid to Say It Aloud

But I wrote this tonight. A whopping 116 words, the beginnings of my revisions to HOTM.

Where it goes, I have no idea.

***
It wasn't a matter of him kissing her or her kissing him. One second, she was staring into the dark depths of his eyes; the next, his mouth was on hers, and she was lost, melting into his lean form, soaking up the warmth and contact she'd hungered for since he'd walked out of the nondescript hotel room sixteen months before.

He pulled back, sudden anger blazing in his gaze. "No."

An immediate chill filtered through her. Move. Now. She couldn't, though. Her legs refused to work.

"Not this time, Cait." He stepped away with a deliberate motion and ran a thumb over the corner of his mouth. "I'm not letting you suck me in again."
***

116 words. Wow. Can't wait to see where tomorrow takes me . . . 120? 130? Whoa . . . what if I manage 200?!

I don't think I could stand the excitement.

My Other Newest Hobby

Now that the remaining lines are up at Karin's blog, I'm still stalking . . . marveling at how awesome some of those second lines are and seeing who I know!

D'Ann is there.

So is Kristi -- loving the bubble bath hook!

Saw Jan Kenny, from Writeminded, there, too.

Can't wait to see who else shows up!

But first, I have to go clean out the laundry room. Sigh . . .

My Newest Hobby

Stalking Karin Tabke's blog, seeing if the 45 finalists in her first line contest are up.

I lead a sad, sad life . . .

Writing Dangerously

An issue I've struggled with the last few months has been a deep-seated sense that something was wrong with my writing. Not the technicalities of it -- I've got a grasp on the mechanics of grammar, thanks to my day job, and I've never had difficulty stringing words together to fit my voice. However, every single time I began toying with something new, I'd end up stopping dead. I couldn't go back and rework old manuscripts, I couldn't move forward, and it seemed I was forever destined to stay in this one place.

A place I didn't want to be.

I couldn't write.

In the end, there were many factors at play, some having nothing to do with writing, keeping me in that place. I'm just beginning to move out of that holding pattern. But I've come to the realization that one big problem was I was trying to write safe.

Last night I read Lydia Joyce's blog on "dangerous" writing, and it resonated with me. From the beginning, I've wanted to write with gritty realism, to create characters who were real people, to formulate situations that weren't always wrapped up cleanly.

No problem, right?

Well, at first I was targeting SIM, which is an excellent line and reads I've always enjoyed. However, that meant toning down the grit and reality, and when I was lucky enough to have a very talented, multi-published SIM author read one of my manuscripts, the one I thought was my it book, she was very quick to point out that the hero's defining moment, his choice, would probably have to be changed before SIM would look at it -- the choice placed him in the position of being unheroic.

Aren't we all sometimes?

That encapsulated my choices for me -- write safe for the line I'd researched endlessly. Follow the rules. Be safe.

Or be me. Stretch for the dangerous. Write real people with real problems. As Jennifer Crusie says, write my good book.

Let the rest take care of itself.

I feel better about writing now than I have in a long time. I'm feeling eager again.

And that is a great place to be.

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For.

All the Comforts of Home

We've retreated to a local motel for the night. Why?

Renovations from Hell!

For the last month of so, I've had no A/C. No biggee -- it's been temperate and I can use window fans.

Last week, we lost the hot water. Well, it's hot, so a cold shower isn't much of a trial.

Today? Lost the electricity. Won't be fixed until tomorrow.

So I'm ensconced in a rather nice room, with air conditioning, lights and yes, hot water!

I'm a very happy non-camper.

Writing Process: Thinking

The mountain of laundry has been reduced to one sheet, a pair of khaki shorts, and one brown T-shirt. Those will have to wait until they have matching loads to be washed.

I've been busy, busy, busy the last couple days -- laundry, packing things up for Goodwill, discarding other items, getting ready to paint furniture.

And believe it or not, the whole time I've been immersing myself in the writing process at the same time. A large part of my process is thinking about the book. Or, in this case, thinking about the revisions.

I started with thinking about how the changes in backstory and external plot would change things. It changes a lot, with the most significant change being in the hero's characterization and reactions to the heroine's presence. The plot changes will hopefully tighten up the external structure of the book (hey, I'm telling you -- that whole distance and perception thing works for me).

Today, I've been thinking about scenes -- or rather, visualizing scenes. Listening to the dialogue. Getting into the characters' heads. I finally, finally feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Maybe soon I'll be putting words on paper!

What Inciting Event?

I finally settle on a summer progect -- revising an existing manuscript. Completely changing the backstory. I think it will make for stronger conflict. Working on strengthening the external plot as well, making it more unique.

I might as well right a new book.

Want to know where I'm hanging up?

The inciting event.

The problem is that if you write romantic suspense, you have two plots -- the suspense/mystery and the romance. Hence, two inciting events.

Now I don't know if scene one needs to be inciting event for the suspense/mystery plot or the inciting event for the romance plot.

Suggestions, anyone?

Whoo-hoo!

Sharon has great news! Go congratulate her!

Distance and Perception

Ever notice how events and passages in our lives seem like horrible trials at the time, but as we gain distance and a different perception, they often turn out to be the gifts and blessings? I've already blogged here about how I believe not selling to a large house last year turned out to be the best thing for me, as I know I would have messed up the opportunity with everything going in my life then.

For various reasons, I spent the last ten months cursed with a crippling inability to write. I tried all the tricks to jump-start my process, and nothing worked. I. Could. Not. Write. I was devastated.

And now I'm beginning to see, I was blessed.

While I struggled with not being able to create, rejections on HOTM trickled in. I got one on TAC, too. The nasty little plot word kept cropping up in those letters, forcing me to look at my entire concept of plotting. I mean, I thought I knew how to plot. But what did it matter anyway? I couldn't get words on paper, so obviously plotting was the least of my worries, right?

Well.

Not being able to write kept me from falling into the trap of continuing to write and continuing to make the same mistakes.

Not being able to write compelled me to go back and look at my existing work and really analyze pacing and plotting.

Not being able to write urged me to read, in different genres, and compare the various ways authors plotted.

Not being able to write didn't solve my issues, but it's given me a new perception, along with some uncomfortable, enforced distance from my own work.

I'd call that a gift. Wouldn't you?

101 Must-Read Books

Filched from Lydia -- the ones I've read are in BOLD.

1. Bastard out of Carolina, by Dorothy Allison
2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
3. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
4. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
5. Waiting For Godot, by Samuel Beckett
6. Farenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
7. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
8. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte
9. The Baron in the Trees, by Italo Calvino
10. The Stranger, by Albert Camus
11. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, by Truman Capote
12. Cool Salsa, ed Lori M. Carlson
13. Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
14. The Cherry Orchard, by Anton Chekov
15. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
16. The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros
17. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad
18. The Inferno, by Dante
19. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
20. Poems, by Emily Dickinson
21. Ragtime, by E.L. Doctorow
22. Crime and Punishment, by Fydor Doestoevsky
23. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
24. The Beet Queen, by Louise Erdrich
25. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
26. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
27. Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
28. Grendel, by John Gardner
29. Unsettling America, ed Maria Mazziotti Gillian and Jennifer Gillian
30. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
31. Mythology, by Edith Hamilton
32. A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry
33. Tess of the D’Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy
34. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
35. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
36. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway
37. The Holy Bible
38. The Odyssey, by Homer
39. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
40. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
41. A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen
42. Rhinoceros, by Eugene Ionesco
43. The World According to Garp, by John Irving
44. Daisy Miller, by Henry James
45. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce
46. The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka
47. The Liars’ Club, by Mary Karr
48. Schindler’s List, by Thomas Keneally
49. On the Road, by Jack Kerouac
50. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
51. Annie John, by Jamaica Kincaid
52. The Painted Bird, by Jerzy Kosinski
53. Angels in America, by Tony Kushner
54. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
55. Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt
56. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers
57. One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Garbriel Garcia Marquez
58. In Country, by Bobbi Ann Mason
59. Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller6
0. In Search of Color Everywhere, ed E. Ethelbert Miller
61. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
62. Harper’s Anthology of 20th Century Native American Poetry, ed Duane Niatum
63. The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien
64. The Complete Stories, by Flannery O’Connor
65. Long Day’s Journey Into Night, by Eugene O’Neill
66. 1984, by George Orwell
67. Metamorphoses, by Ovid
68. The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
69. Tales, by Edgar Allan Poe
70. Hunger of Memory, by Richard Rodriguez
71. Earth Shattering Poems, ed. Liz Rosenberg
72. The Ghost Writer, by Philip Roth
73. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
74. No Exit, by Jean-Paul Sartre
75. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare
76. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
77. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare
78. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
79. Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw
80. 100 Best-Loved Poems, ed Phillip Smith
81. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, by Art Spiegelman
82. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
83. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson
84. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, by Tom Stoppard
85. The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan
86. Walden, by Henry David Thoreau
87. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy
88. Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
89. Candide, by Voltaire
90. Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
91. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
92. The Double Helix, by James D. Watson
93. Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton
94. Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman
95. The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde
96. Our Town, by Thornton Wilder
97. The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams
98. This Boy’s Life: A Memoir, by Tobias Wolff
99. Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf
100. Native Son, by Richard Wright
101. The Autobiograpy of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X with Alex Haley

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For!

Dreams

I'm very much the realist. I do, however, not only believe in dreams, but in the wonder of achieving a long-worked-for goal.

Tonight, I've been watching the premiere of Last Comic Standing. I don't watch American Idol, but I imagine the concept is pretty much the same -- many talented people make the show, many talented people do not, you end up with one winner who gets a step closer to achieving a dream. Along the way, LCS gives you glimpses of those people who attend each and every open mike call -- those who refuse to give up.

I like those people.

One of my most favorite students of my entire teaching career stopped by to see us today. He left school earlier in the year, took his GED, and he's preparing to leave for a major city to pursue a career in ballet. He knows he has a long, very hard road before him, and realist that he is, he knows achieving his dream is not guaranteed. However, he has the drive and the courage to try, and I couldn't be prouder. Besides, how many teens get the opportunity he's undertaking?

Because that's the funny thing about dreams . . . even if you never achieve the dream, would you want to miss the journey?

It's Here!

Summertime is hovering on the horizon . . . school's out and we have three days of post-planning, then I'm free until the beginning of August. Well, kinda/sorta free. I still have department head stuff to do, mainly tweaking my unit plans and making inventory/order lists and other menial, mind-numbing yet necessary tasks.

But with the teacher hat temporarily shelved, I have room for my other roles.

I blogged Friday at Romance Worth Killing For about my rather sketchy promotional plans, and I need to begin putting those into play. First up is updating my website and my links here. Then I think I'll plan out an online read to be used for promotional purposes.

I'm also sketching out a mom-plan -- stuff to do with the Monsters to keep them from going berserk with boredom (because, you know, boredom + really smart kids = chaos).

On the homefront, I'm still obsessing about the house. I've been laying out floor plans for the furniture placement in the living area and designing the armoir I want the DH to build to house our television. Next week I start painting furniture!

Off to do laundry. Check in often . . . I'll be here much more regularly this summer!

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For!

Countdown

Three more days of school.

Two more exams to give today.

Forty discussion exams to grade by tomorrow.

Graduation tomorrow night.

Summer with all its glorious freedom is almost here!

Ever Feel Like Screaming?

Augh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel better now.


Well, not really.

Being Non-Productive

I had plans for the weekend. I have approximately 40 poetry books to grade. Know how many I've touched? One. I was going to clear the living room and get the furniture ready to paint. Know how much of that I got done? Nada. I did get Monster #2 moved into his newly renovated room, and I completed around eight loads of laundry.

So what got in the way? Life.

Saturday morning, 4:46. Phone rings. It's my mom, telling me my dad, who runs a local morning paper route, had had a wreck (he'd hit a cow, in Mama's new car). She was on her way, but I was closer. I toss on clothes, jump in the truck, run out the rural highway, not nearly as fast as I'd like to, because, well, there could be more than one cow.

I knew Daddy was talking and said he was okay, but at the same time, I wasn't prepared for my first glimpse of Mama's Alero either. The hood was crumpled, the windshield smashed and twisted inward, the roof was dimpled and crinkled. When Daddy hit the cow, after dodging 5-6 others, it went over the roof of the car. Daddy could easily have been killed.

He has one scratch. One. On his hand.

He was irritable because I was fussing over him, and of course, his first worry was that his customers wouldn't receive their papers on time. Mama's car is totaled. But it could have been so much worse.

I did manage after that to do laundry and move Monster #2 into his room. Today, I had a three-hundred-mile round trip to do, driving the DH and a friend of his to pick up new trucks. Six hours or so on the road. Didn't get any poetry books graded.

So . . . tomorrow I have to be productive.

But there are only five more days of school! Whoo-hoo!

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For.

By The Numbers

Days of school left: 8

Poetry Anthologies left to grade: 15

Poetry Books to be turned in Friday: 37

Exam papers to grade next week: 110

Pages I'll manage to write in the next two weeks: 0

Unless you count those exams I have to make out so I can give them next week . . .

I'm giving two exams next Wednesday. The last one ends at 1:00. My grades are due by 4:00.

Not giving a seventh period exam so my drama kids will all go away and leave me to grade 37 exams? Absolutely priceless!

The Details

There isn't that much to tell . . . you know how once you begin writing seriously you have all those fantasies about The Call? Well, I didn't get The Call. I got The Email.

It was still pretty cool, though.

Last Friday, I went to dinner with the DH and the Monsters. Dropped by the movie store, rented a couple of DVD's, hit WallyWorld for a few items. Came home. Watched television. Decided right before bed to check my email.

Saw Jessica Bimberg's email address in my inbox. Thought, "Here it is . . . another rejection for the file."

Open the message. Read:

I absolutely loved What Mattered Most and I'm happy to offer you a contract . . .

No screaming, no jumping, no crying, like I'd expected. More of a "Oh, wow, this is cool . . . it's not a rejection!"

Walked into the living room, grinned at the DH, said, "I sold." His reply, "You're kidding." Monster #1 immediately starts writing his own book while DH and I talk about the contract and company and stuff.

So. There's the story of my The E-Mail moment. All the nitty gritty details. I've signed the contract and mailed it, so I guess it's 99% official . . . soon I'll be published with Samhain Publishing.

More details to come . . .

Today's Post . . . And a Cat out of a Bag . . .

Today's post is at Romance Worth Killing For.

Oh, and about that cat in the bag . . .

Did I mention I SOLD?!

Down to the Wire

Twelve more days of school. Seven actual class days. Three days of exams, softball day and honors day. That's it.

And I am so ready.

I love teaching, but I love summer, too -- staying up late, sleeping in, lazing around on the front porch reading, hanging out with the Monsters, catching up on the stuff I let slide during the school year.

I'm looking forward to summer for another reason this year . . . I'm finally feeling that tingling itch to write once again, and I'm hoping that the summer will bring with it relaxation and inspiration.

I've started plotting on a new WIP, and that's going well so far. I have revision plans for another book, and it appears the Muse is dragging her lazy self off the couch, giving up the Cheetos and donning her diaphanous robes yet again . . .

Now if I can just get the renovation stuff to fall into line, too!

Wish Me Luck!

I have to speak in front of a crowd tonight. Yes, yes, I know . . . I do it every day, right? Except tonight I have to speak in a front of a crowd of adults. Somehow, it's not the same.

I'm afraid.

Maybe this year I won't fall on the steps again!

26 Secrets to Happiness

A friend gave me these. Thought I'd share.

***

1) Live beneath your means.
2) Return everything you borrow.
3) Stop blaming other people.
4) Admit it when you make a mistake.
5) Give any clothes you haven't worn in three years to charity.
6) Every day do something nice and try not to get caught.
7) Listen more; talk less.
8) Take a daily 30-minute walk in your neighborhood.
9) Strive for excellence, not perfection.
10) Be on time.
11) Don't make excuses.
12) Don't argue.
13) Get organized.
14) Be kind to other people.
15) Be even kinder to unkind people.
16) Let someone cut ahead of you in line.
17) Take time to be alone.
18) Reread a favorite book.
19) Cultivate good manners.
20) Be humble.
21) Understand and accept that life is not always fair.
22) Know when to say something.
23) Know when to keep your mouth shut.
24) Try to go 24 hours without criticizing anyone.
25) Learn from the past and plan for the future.
26) Don't sweat the small stuff.

I Feel Fizzy, Oh, So Fizzy . . .

You know that great deep-down giddy feeling you get when good things are going on?

I have that feeling today. :-)

Plus -- there are only fifteen more days of school! Summertime is on its way!

Lists, Lists and More Lists

I admit it -- I'm a list maker. I like seeing things on paper -- goals and budgets and TTD lists. I need that visual reminder of what I need to be focused on. I make plot lists for books as I write. I make lists of future book ideas. For the renovations from hell, I have a master list as well as a budget sheet and a prioritized list for each project.

I make TTD lists for my students so they know what step to go to next in a project or assignment. I make school and home TTD lists daily and weekly. I make lists for what the Monsters need to accomplish during a week -- chores and other responsibilities, things I need to do for them.

So when we started planning the changes to our home, I knew that for my office I was going to need a huge bulletin board -- a place to put all those writing and teaching lists. I found what I wanted in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine -- a home office redo where the homeowner made her own wall-length bulletin board (she's a freelance photographer -- I bet she has lists, too!). Now I'm making a list of materials I need for that project.

Last night I started another list, one I've been dreaming about for a long time. Planning for. I'll share more later this week, hopefully. So check back. :-)

So . . . are you a list maker? Or do you find them constricting? If you do, what's on your TTD list?

Review -- Sweet Mercy, Jean Brashear

A week or so ago, I went looking for Amy Knupp's Superromance. I didn't find it, but I did find Sweet Mercy by Jean Brashear, also a Superromance release. I'd seen an ad for it in a magazine while waiting for my Monster's to get trimmed, and I'd been intrigued, wondering if the ad campaign increased sales.

Anyway, I picked the book up, read the blurb, paged through, and ended up taking it home with me. With a heroine named Jezebel and a hero named Gamble, how could I resist?

Once I started, I couldn't stop reading, either. Jezebel and Gamble both have troubled backgrounds -- she was orphaned at an early age and grew up on the streets; he lost a beloved wife and his unborn child. All she wants is a place to call home. All Gamble wants is to forget the home he made for a family gone forever.

Brashear does a fabulous job of painting a pair destined for one another. Gamble is my kind of hero -- a tortured soul. Jezebel is a strong woman, a positive woman, who doesn't back down from a challenge, which Gamble certainly is at times. I'm not giving away more of the plot, but the emotion and need is palpable and the attraction between the two sizzles. It's a story of home and healing, and I strongly recommend you find a copy soon!

Today's Post . . .

. . . is at Romance Worth Killing For!

Changes

A few weeks ago, after yet another rejection from H/S, I was talking with Elisabeth and she asked, "If SIM had said yes, what would be different?" At the time, she meant my infuriating inability to get any words on paper, but the question has stuck with me, resonating on a much different level.

I pondered the question while sitting on the beach back in April, and this week I've had a ton of time to think about it while proctoring state testing. If I had sold already, what would be different?

Well, for one, I'd probably be in a world of hurt. I even came to the conclusion that I'm glad I haven't sold in the last three years since I came back to writing after a long sabbatical. Why?

I wasn't ready for it. Trust me, although I thought I was, I wasn't. If I'd gotten the call, the opportunity, I'd have messed it up, for a variety of reasons.

Now, here's the weird part . . . yes, my life will change somewhat if I sell. How could it not? Deadlines and copy edits and promotions . . . we're talking a complete full time job here.

I already have a career I'm passionately dedicated to. This last year, while learning a new state curriculum as well as working with a prep that was completely new to me, I couldn't have handled being a published author as well. I'm okay with that. I'm okay with not selling yet. Because when it does happen, I want to be able to mesh the career I love, the teaching, with the career I dream about, the writing. I know a lot of writers who have a primary job, one that pays the bills, and I know many who long to quit that job, to write fulltime. I can't see walking away from my classroom and the fantastic kids who fill it and make up a big part of my life. Already, I'm blessed with having a profession that I enjoy, one I (most days anyway) go to cheerfully, motivated to take on each new challenge.

Which is why when someone finally does say "yes," I can tell you the day job is one thing that won't change.

Tagged

Sharon tagged me days ago and I'm just now getting to this (actually, I've been thinking about it. Er, yeah. That works!).

So . . . six things about me:

1) We posted a 100% pass rate on the Georgia High School Graduation Test this year. 68% of those kids posted a pass-plus score in English/Language Arts. You're right . . . not really about me . . . but they're my kids, I've taught them for three straight years and I'm proud of them!

2) I know how to roof a house. And I've done it.

3) I was once involved in a high speed chase on 1-75 in Florida.

4) In two years, I will have been married exactly half my lifetime.

5) I'm not very well-traveled. I've been to . . . Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

6) I'm afraid of snakes. Get the willies from looking at photos of them. Ick.

Okay, I'm not tagging anyone . . . I know you're busy . . . but I'd love it if you left six things about you in the comments section!

Obsession

Hang around me long enough and you realize I tend to be a tad on the obsessive side. Usually, the obsession revolves around teaching (hey, what can I say? I'm passionate about my chosen career!), my Monsters and writing. Or rather, it used to revolve around writing. The well has been quite dry lately, and I must admit I've been most worried.

Except I think I figured out why.

And you're gonna laugh.

My waters of creativity are being siphoned.

I figured that out this week while proctoring the state end-of-course tests. To me, proctoring is actually harder than teaching -- I get bored. I mean, come on . . . all I'm doing is walking around the room, making sure no one is on the wrong screen, in the wrong section of the test, cheating, etc. So I usually let my mind wander to whatever story I'm working on. This time last year, I was immersed in Anything But Mine, and characters and ideas were bouncing around in my head.

Not this year.

This time, while watching kids panic over the Biology EOCT (my heavens, that test was hard!), I found my mind wandering creatively, except the images in my head had nothing to do with creating scenes.

Want to know what I've been up to mentally for the last couple days?

Arranging furniture in my soon-to-be-renovated living room. Planning paint colors for said furniture. Trying on different types of curtains.

Yep, I'm virtually decorating. I'm having a blast, but it's like having an alien life form sucking your brain out. No room for writing-related matters right now. I have to decide -- am I painting the coffee table red? Or a more sedate ivory? Brown, maybe? Heritage blue? See, I've waited longer for these renovations than I have to sell a book, so maybe it's only fair that for now I'm obsessing about making the most of them. It's kind of the way I feel when I'm writing -- I need details hammered out before I put words on paper (I'm a polished first draft kinda gal, after all!), and I need the same attention to detail focused on the rooms where I'm going to live.

So.

There you have it -- my current obsession.

Any suggestions on how to get the house obsession to take a back seat to the writing obsessions again?

Stuff and Nonsense

James came home this week and we're hoping to see him back at school next week. We're very grateful. :-) My classroom has been quiet without his slightly smart mouth.

I have a book and movie review I want to share with you this week -- a Superromance by Jane Brashear I found while looking for Amy Knupp's book and Elephant, a movie recommended by one of my juniors.

We have state testing this week, and I have no planning period, so if I'm scarce, you know why. :-)

So what do you want to hear about first -- book? Or movie?

Aftermath

Tuesday and Wednesday, I was okay. Shocked, a little upset, relieved, grateful.

Today? I've had this low simmering anger that just won't go away.

I don't think it will for a while.

Monday afternoon, one of my students was biking on the rural highway I live on. He trains for triathlons and does this regularly. He's a smart, savvy kid, a very personable kid, one teachers love.

Someone hit him.

We were blessed that despite the fact he wasn't wearing a helmet (although he owns two) and despite being knocked into the air and slammed into the asphalt face-first, he survived with no broken bones.

He survived. We're all thankful for that. I've reminded his upset classmates repeatedly that it's going to be okay, that he's going to be okay, that things could have been so much worse.

But today I woke up angry. Furious. The knot of anger stayed at the back of my neck all day. Now it's pounding at my temples. I'm angry that this kid I like, who is such a good kid, got hurt.

I'm furious that the person who hit him paused long enough to go around him after he'd hit the road and then left the scene.

Left.

How do you do that? How do you strike a human being with your car and drive away? How do you see the results of your actions, however accidental, and leave a child -- yes, a fifteen-year-old child -- bleeding in the road?

I'm so thankful this particular boy will be back in my classroom soon.

I'm very grateful for the teachers from another school who witnessed the accident and stopped to care for him.

But today . . . I'm very angry with the unknown person driving that gray minivan. I think I will be for a very long time.

Today's Post . . .

is at Romance Worth Killing For.

Do You Know . . .

What happens to Styrofoam packing peanuts when they're shoved into a window fan?

I do.

Monster #2 decided to find out while I was outside mowing the lawn. Needless to say, it can snow in Georgia in April . . .

Where I've Been . . .

Dauphin Island, Alabama

I'm Home!

Had a fantastic trip (although the drive over was rather trying -- it's four hours and took us nine -- I'll tell the story later this week).

Now I'm going to be swamped by "coming home from a trip" life instead of "getting ready for a trip" life.

You don't even want to know how many unread emails are sitting in my inbox. Eek!

I'm Tired . . .

Been catching on grading.

Adjusting to the idea of being suddenly, basically agent-less.

Trying to get my mind wrapped around revisions on an existing work. It's kicking my butt, freaking me out a little.

Counting down days to spring break.

What are you up to?

Where I've Been . . .

Being held hostage. (Actually, administering the high school graduation test for four days.)

Yesterday was errands.

Today was laundry and housework. It was supposed to be grading papers, too, but I didn't get that far.

Last night was fun . . . I judged a small-town beauty contest. I'd never done it before, but it really was interesting. I went with a friend and her aunt (we were the judges). They fed us finger foods (which I love) and we talked, laughed, had a good time. Judging was interesting -- difficult at times (we had three ties) but fun. The best part was I got paid a little bit (enough to buy those shorts from Old Navy I've wanted but wouldn't let myself splurge on, plus enough to buy my new bathing suit.)

And we got a goodie basket. That was the best . . . like Christmas morning. We weren't expecting that, and we received some really cool things. I have to write a great thank you note for both the experience and the gifts.

What have you been up to?

My Latest Post . . .

Is up at Romance Worth Killing For.

I'll be back here more regularly now that state testing is almost over. Pinky promise!

Today's Post . . .

Is at Romance Worth Killing For!

Oh, Wow!

Steph and Larissa have more news. Go congratulate them!

Sigh . . . I can say I knew them when. How cool is that?

I'm Tired!

Today has been one of those great "work around the house" days. I didn't go anywhere, didn't put on makeup . . . I just cleaned, did laundry and cut the grass. It was nice.

But I'm tired.

And my feet are green from mowing the lawn while wearing flip-flops.

I think I'll take the first shower tonight . . . and use all the hot water.

Ever Had One of Those Days . . .

You know the ones -- where you know worse things could happen, but the small bad things keep coming and coming so it's more like a tsunami than a gentle tide of daily irritations?

I have so had one of those days. Nothing huge, nothing life-altering, but by 2:30 this afternoon, I was thinking, "What else can possibly happen today?"

Tomorrow . . . well, tomorrow should be a better day.

After I make a phone call and straighten out one of today's little unpleasantries.

If my kid decides he's going to cooperate and have a good day at school.

If the other kid's immune system shakes off the cold or virus currently trying to attack him.

If all 110 teenagers I teach suddenly develop great attitudes and stop whining.

Yeah. That would be nice. :-)

Creating a Monster

My husband did it. At least, I'm blaming him.

The Monsters' bathroom renovation is finished. That means we have two rooms completed, and again I can see what the potential of what our "new" home will be.

The room is gorgeous.

And it's clean.

I tried banning everyone from using it. I mean, it's pretty. As I told DH yesterday afternoon, I've never had pretty before. I've always had functional and practical, so pretty was different. Totally cool.

And I didn't want to share.

He did finally convince me tonight that no, we couldn't just look at it, and yes, at some point I did have to let the creatures I gave birth to actually use the room.

The tub.

The toilet.

Shudder.

I gave in. But I rinsed the tub after they bathed, and woe be to them if someone doesn't ring the toilet.

My dad knows how to build an outhouse.

You Win Some . . . You Lose Some

Well, SIM doesn't want TAC. I'm okay with that, surprisingly. A little confused as to my writing direction right now, but okay. Weird, huh?

On the plus side, I can now say I've coached a region champion in Literary. Whoo-hoo! This is a first for me, my Literary team, and our school. We're excited.

Friday's Blog . . .

Is already up at Romance Worth Killing For.

Sigh . . .

I had this great post planned. I even had a title: "He Said What?!"

Alas, Literary competition is Friday, grades are due Tuesday, and I'm grading a set of essays on The Crucible.

Obviously, very few of my juniors know what a comma is or care to learn how to use one. I would make some crack about how someone never taught them English, grammar, etc.

Except I've been their English teacher for three years.

More obviously, maybe I haven't taught them anything. That's sobering, with state high-stakes testing a mere eleven days away.

Back to read more. Talk later.

The Busy Stuff

I love this time of year -- it's warming up, the days get longer, it's only a few months until summer vacation . . .

It's also testing season, and I'm swamped. Grades are due next week, I'm trying to make sure my kids are prepared for the graduation test and the end of course test. Literary competition is coming up and another of my competitors dropped today. I'm really thinking of coaching only the drama team next year and letting someone else have literary. It's just not my calling, I don't think.

I'm wading through essays and Julius Caesar tests. Preparing to teach transcendentalism -- what fun!

So if I'm scarce the next few days, you know why. But I will have a post up Friday at Romance Worth Killing For.

Joan's post on success is up today. Go take a look!

Things Are Looking Up

I have energy again. I started running again.

Man, my legs hurt. Actually, they tingle.

But I feel good. :-)

Tomorrow's post will be at Romance Worth Killing For. Go read Elisabeth's and Joan's posts while you wait.