I work in a building that houses a warehouse. Our offices are in the front of the building and we have very little interaction with the people in the back most days. There’s only two people who work back there, one is a cankerous elderly man who I get total hoot out of, he’s very old school in some of his ways but in others he’s just downright male. Then there is a young guy, maybe out of high school a year or two, he’s new, replacing the last one a month ago. That job never carries someone more than a year or two at most.

Well this new guy I didn’t even know his name until I had to write his cheek a week ago. He doesn’t speak unless he has too and I’ve discovered he has another strange compulsion. He replaces the bags in the trashcans every time there is something in them. Seriously. I mean yesterday we ate Subway in the front office and no sooner had we finished eating, he was there changing the bags. Today? I had a sandwich from home I ate it on a paper plate with some fruit, tossed it in the garbage can and next time I went to get water the bag had been changed. He eats his lunch outside, so he must toss his ‘food garbage’ into the dumpster. I had to make copies last week and some didn’t come out right, so I chucked the crumpled pages in the trashcan, same thing, it was changed immediately, so it’s not just food he’s getting rid of oh and he’s always fooling with the coffee pot and he always talks with his cell phone on speaker and it makes me nuts because it carries all over the warehouse.

Okay, I feel better now J

12,250 / 60,000 (20.4%)

Seems like the blog has turned into a counter thread for now. But I guess that’s not such a bad thing. I’m focused on my WIP completely. I really like where it’s going and where it’s been. I’m having fun with this one, letting the characters have their way – for now.

My friend Shannon posted a question that basically boiled down to give an original, one line piece of writing advice.

Mine was… Finish what you start and fix what you finish. I guess that pretty much sums up where I am writing wise right now J

You can find the other’s words of wisdom here.

10,250 / 60,000 (17.1%)

Sunday Sven check in.... so far so good :)

8,750 / 60,000 (14.6%)

Saturday Sven check in - I acutally skipped Friday, because I have a horrible headcold, but I did include todays pages. So If I get a good burst of energy later I might make up for Friday this weekend anyway!

4,750 / 60,000 (7.9%)

Quick post for progess! Have a Happy Wednesday!

I was home today with a sick kiddo. But I just could not get in the writing groove. Nothing doing. My morning had been going good until I get the call (text really!) that the oldest was sick. So I guess it just threw me off my game.

I had stuff to do (of course) around the house, but I was determined to get my word count in early, so I could do other stuff later!

I was sweating it… trying to get the words out and they were fighting me. I finally gave in and just started typing. I ended up getting some great stuff from the villain – who until today was not a planned POV. But now I have to use her. A few plotting issues worked out with her help to boot!

A reminder to Thank all those who serve, have served and will serve our country.

Another note... Sven, I made it through day one (with 5 pages) and even wrote one page this morning. Oh and uh, I've chosen to take the whole sweating thing literally and started back on an exercise routine yesterday too. I figure I'll need the extra strength to make my word count :)

1)      S&M In the Morning

2)      Shepard Stein, Radio DJ

3)      Lucy, Bakery Owner

4)      New Orleans

5)      90-95K – need 65K

Today I'm doing a little prep work getting ready for daily writing again I'm going for 5 pages a day which should get me the 65K in the 77 days! Keeping my fingers crossed and putting my faith in this WIP through the end of the year. I want it finished. At that point, I will make up my mind where to put my focus. Once this is finshed I can take some time and polish up it and my last WIP and get back to the very serious business of queries and submissions.

Edited. Monday  5 pages. Yay it's a decent start :)

Making list, staying focused and reaching goals. It’s already November. It’s so hard to believe how fast time seems to fly at different periods of your life. Lately I find it amazing how much the little one now knows. Sure we read to her and she goes to a daycare that has a fantastic pre-school program, but it seems she’s all of a sudden a font of information. And at time a very opinioned font… like with her Christmas list.

Make list is about the only way I can stay focused on what needs to be done, and when. I have lots of goals to reach before the end of 2008. I think I’ll be doing the 77 days of sweat with Sven even though I haven’t actually registered, hey I have until 11/10 to do that. I chose not to do http://www.nanowrimo.org/ because I need more focus and plan to do some editing along the way besides, I’ve never done nano and it just doesn’t seem like the right fit for me right now. I want to finish my current WIP because I believe it is something I could successfully query and I want it ready to go for the beginning of the year.

Other list… well my brother is getting married at the end of December. Weddings take some planning and well my SIL to be is a full-time student and works and is currently applying to pharmacy school on top of that. And her mother speaks very little English and is out of town. My brother works full time and well, he’s a guy. So I think I sort of volunteered to help over the weekend and of course I’m happy to do what I can since I’m very excited for both of them and look forward to having a new member in our family. The wedding is December 28 and that is really close. It’s taking place at a local (okay not exactly local, 1 ½ hour away) castle where lots of the little details are being handled by the venue, so that certainly helps.

Happy Monday. Happy November!

This is the little one this morning for pre-school, she was very excited about being a "RED BAT" at least that's what she's calling it... I gave her the choice between princess, angel or uh, red ummmm.... bat :)

She was very excited because she LET me take her picture... below is what usually happens when I TRY to take her picture:

The oldest plans to be her "Pops" (my FIL) for Halloween, but we won't see her as an old man until tonight - but since little bit let me take her picture I had to share :0

Happy Halloween!

Me, The Male Model (sorry, don't remember his name, Jason maybe? seriously, who would?) My friend Jo, and the ever lovely Cynthia Eden 

This was taken at Muriel's, it was part of Heather Graham's Writers for New Orleans Conference (that Gustav interrupted!). It was the Friday night event hosted by Helen Rosburg. It was a super fun event... and okay a little on the spooky side. I mean there was a table set up when you walk in for their resident ghost and umm... this picture was taken in the séance room (really good thing I didn't know this until after ;P We just got the picture a couple of a days ago and I figured it would make a nice pre-Halloween post and besides I just posted about Cynthia's Spellbound from Everlasting Bad Boys - you've got to love a bad boy!

EVERLASTING BAD BOYS

Spellbound, by Cynthia Eden

This was the first story I read in the Anthology and my favorite. It was about a modern day witch and an immortal soul hunter who helps save her coven, after she summons him. It was well written and the characters were very likable. The dialogue was fun and snappy. The interaction between the hero and heroine hot enough to throw sparks off the page. I love the way Cynthia is able to weave these paranormal characters into such contemporary, everyday settings. It amazes me!

Can’t Get Enough, by Shelly Laurenson

Okay so in a recent post I made flippant comment about a blue-haired dragon shifter. Yes it was my first dragon shifter and it the voice had not pulled me into the story within the first few pages I might not have continued to read it. But I’ve heard several people recommend this author’s work (this was the first time I’ve read her), so I knew I had to give it a try. It as a different, but totally enjoyable and by the end I had really been sucked into the dragon world!

Turn Me On, by Noelle Mack

I have read several of her books, mostly be cause I got her whole backlist via the Novak auction this year. And I’ve enjoyed her work, but not enough to make her an auto by (yet). But this was the best thing I’ve read by her so far. Seriously, most of what I have read has been Aphrodisiac titles and I do enjoy those, but more so her contempt vs. paranormals. This had a totally contemporary setting with a unique hero who was basically made of light. Fun read.

I think the anthology as a whole as diversified and fun read. It offered variety and stretched my reading base a little wider, which is one reason I love and highly recommend anthologies. I have found many favorite authors this way, Cynthia Eden being one - I can’t wait to for Cynthia’s next two releases in December!

We are well into the forth quarter of the year. I tend to break the year down into quarters because when my husband was in business for himself I did his bookwork. I have keep up the habit but now it’s more a way to look back each quarter and see what I accomplished. In January I said 2008 was going to be my year of determination writing wise. It’s been a whole lot harder than I ever thought to remain focused, but I feel like I’m doing pretty okay. Honestly I needed the focus this year, it’s been good for me. And I do feel like I have made some headway. I might not be where I want to be – yet, but at least I know what I have done and what I have not done to help accomplish that goal.

Saturday I drove with my writing friend, Jo, to the SOLA meeting (Southern Louisiana Chapter of RWA, New Orleans group). Jo was scheduled to speak. Like me she works full time, she works for an accounting office, group of CPAs to be exact. So she’s the queen of spreadsheets and she’s devised a spreadsheet plotting system, so that was her topic. She did a good presentation and made it into a hands on workshop – my favorite kind J

I’m not a plotter. I’m write by the seat of my pants for the most part, but the more I write the more I’ve come to realize I plot, it’s just by the seat of my pants too. I gleamed a few things from Jo’s workshop, as did everyone in attendance. It’s was a very nice way to spend my Saturday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Happy Monday!