The Bandwagon

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This picture is scarily accurate.

Okay, the other cupcake recipe was GOOD! Here’s the recipe:

Cream 8 oz of cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar. Add an egg and a pinch of salt. Blend. Stir in 8 oz of choc. chips. Set aside.

Make a cake mix according to direction on the box. Fill cupcake papers 2/3 of the way.
Add one spoonful of the cream cheese mix to the center of each cupcake (will sink and act as filling.) Bake as directed on the box.

Mmmm.

We had fun yesterday. We watched the movie INDEPENDENCE DAY while it was hot, then walked over from my mom’s place to my uncle’s, where they’d made a “pool house.” They had an inflatable pool inside a tent. Hey, it kept it clean, which was a problem I had last year. So my uncle and Baby Brother got in the pool, and my aunt, mom and me put our feet in and ate snow cones. Then we ate the armadillo cake (think Steel Magnolias) that Baby Brother made, and watched fireworks from a rise in front of my uncle’s house. We could have seen better if the hills hadn’t been in the way.

It was so windy, and we worried someone might light fireworks and set the dry grass on fire. There would have been no stopping it. Thank goodness people were reasonable.

On our way out, though, my other brother called. They had to take his basset Betsy to the emergency vet. She couldn’t stand and she was shaking a lot and her breathing was labored. I called later and they were on their way home from the vet, who said it seems to be spinal. He suspects a herniated disc. They’re going to try steroids to see if that helps, but if she’s not better in a week, they have to put her down, since surgery’s cost prohibitive. (He’s still paying for HIS back surgery.) This will be terrible. Betsy’s the same age as my dog, Stormy, but she’s like their child. So send good thoughts, please!

This week is going to be another busy one. I hope I can keep up!

1) revise short stories and start revisions on paranormal
2) write synopses and queries for both short stories
3) start busting tail on RS (I want rough draft done by summer’s end) (10000 words)
4) 2 essays for a promotion opportunity
5) One day of JUST DOING PROMO
6) get ready for son’s 18th birthday (WAAAAHHHH!)
7) breakfast with Mom
8) lunch with writer bud
9) make 1 skirt, cut out another
10) grocery store/library
11) nap/exercise
12) keep up house

Already 80 degrees at 6 AM. My electric bill is not to be envied.

I hit all my writing goals yesterday, bought more fabric (need to stop now), and made cupcakes. Let me share the recipe:

Mix large brownie mix. Place foil cupcake liners on a baking sheet and fill 2/3 of the way. Top with Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

YUM.

Also, Rachael Ray's Vacation show on the Food Network was set in San Antonio last night. I emailed Trish that I've only been to 4 of the places she mentioned. The dh and I were making a list.

Oh, and I ordered a bunch of stuff from Vista Print with my cover. Woot! Tried ordering a small poster and mug from Cafe Press, but the image resolution wasn't good enough for the poster, so I will wait.

This evening we're going to my parents' place in the country for barbecue, then are heading into Seguin for fireworks. I need to make another batch of cupcakes before then (different recipe. If it's good, I'll share) and get my goals met. Off to work! Have a great 4th!

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Alas, I don't have permission to put my cover up until it's on the website, which should be next week. Wahh!

I'm on a wedding kick right now, which is weird because I don't write weddings, as a rule. But ever since we went to that wedding in the Hill Country back in March, I've been drawn to wedding stories. In fact, the novella I'm writing now is a wedding story, just not the wedding of my hero and heroine.

Apparently I'm not alone in this. I've already read this:



And I just ordered these, a series about bridesmaids for one wedding. I saw a review and had to have.









And I'm looking forward to this from my friend Meg:




Do you like wedding stories? Do you have a favorite?

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Okay, first of all, I have my cover for Surface, and it's STUNNING. I asked for permission to post, and will as soon as Anne gets back to me. It's reminiscent of a Linda Winfree cover, with the couple on top and a tropical ocean scene below. The hero is touching the heroine's face, and they kinda look like Pacey and Joey from Dawson's Creek. Can't wait to show you. The covers are incredible.

Second, I barely got 1000 words written last night. I'm meeting with my CP in a couple of hours to brainstorm, so today should be better, though it will be another day of running around.

Yesterday, I went to breakfast with Mom and BB in Seguin. We had the SWEETEST waitress. Then we headed to the Wal-Mart (you have to say it like that in a small town.) We drove through the historic district, and let me tell you, this place is the PERFECT small town setting. See, when I was a kid, we'd spend a lot of time there because my grandparents' land is halfway between Seguin and San Marcos. Seguin had a great pool, and we'd go almost every day. Anyway, lots of memories in Seguin, and never have I wished to be rich so I could help restore some of the businesses to the town square.

So we did Wal-Mart. I got Danskin yoga shorts (bliss) and 2 more pieces of fabric (total is now 6, one thing to make a week. Plan to always have something cut out, starting tomorrow.)

After Wal-Mart, we drove out to the land (we call it The Place) and ate our snacks and Mom cleaned up a bit for Saturday's party. I got home at 2 and CRASHED. So yeah, not a lot of writing last night.

Better make up for it now!

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Finished the paranormal at 11:45 last night. So finished two novellas in less than a week. Now, revisions.

I signed up for Book in a Month, JuNoWriMo, at the eHarlequin site. I plan to write 2000 words a day, while working on revisions on both novellas, one at a time.

Last night I went for my walk, since I’d run errands in the morning. And…a dog followed me home. I was ready to put signs up in the neighborhood—dog found—but the dh wouldn’t hear of it. Worse, Skippy and Stormy wouldn’t hear of it. I gave it some water and food, and hope it found its way home.

I’m blogging today at Supernatural Sisters and heading out with Mom and Baby Brother. Then, come home and start a new novella.

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I'm ALMOST finished with the paranormal. Just the big emotional reunion scene, and that's it. Then, revisions. So, last Jensen pic for awhile.

I heard today that Mary Jo Putney has a new book out. I used to LOVE her books. Now, I never have time to read them. Same with Betina Krahn, who has a new Blaze Historical out now. I have a pile of Theresa Medeiros, and Pamela Morsi and JD Robbs. I don't even remember where I left off on the JD Robbs. I would love to read Lisa Kleypas's historicals, but my TBR is already creaking my shelves.

What am I reading? Friends' books, for one. Even those are stacking up. I've only read one Terry McLaughlin, one Anne Mallory, one Diane Perkins, one Stacy Kayne, one Tawny Weber, one Stephanie Feagan, one Colleen Gleason. I haven't even read one of some of the others, but I won't say who ;)

Clearly I need to read faster. After spending 2 weeks on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (from the library), I read Natalie Damschroder's Renegade on Friday, and read Bella Andre's Wild Heat in three days. Next up, Critical Care by my friend Candace Calvert.

Who do you wish you had time to read?

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I finished a short story Saturday night. I'm very happy with it, except the ending, natch. I need more emotion, I think.

My goal for today is to finish my paranormal. I have maybe 4 more scenes, including the climax. I'm already over 30,000 words, though, and need to snip in revisions.

I'm getting ready to set aside my revisions on Vampire Hunters. I think the plot is okay, but there's something missing. I can't put my finger on it. Also, it's very short, only 52,000 words. Who will buy that? One of my cps told me that her author help group, Rose's Colored Glasses is doing an online workshop with Donald Maass's workbook. Hm. I have that workbook. They're doing a chapter a week. I signed up, will see if it helps. Not sure what to do otherwise.

Have you used Donald Maass? This book has been sitting for almost 2 years (it was my second Nano book.) Have you ever not been able to figure out what's missing in a book? I'm just not as proud of it as I should be.