more animals

Squeee - another awesome review for Bull by the Horns! Fallen Angel Reviews gave it 5 Angels. Bull by the Horns

I went to spend my B&N gift card and ended up spending double. Sigh. Then went to get the Christmas soaps at Bath and Body, and gifts for my kids at the dollar store. Expensive night.

I also got my Christmas cards done. Just need my address lables and stamps. And FINALLY finished the boy's driver's ed paperwork.

1) Get used to an alarm again, though the latest I slept over the holiday was 7.
2) Finish up Nano book
3) Work on Vamp Hunter revisions
4) blog at the Samhellion blog
5) keep up house

more animals

Yesterday was nuts. I could not focus. There was so much to do, and I couldn't settle to do one thing.

I went to Office Max, and good thing. They only had 5 of the printers I wanted. I was the third person.

I went to Home Depot and Walgreens, then came home and started decorating. The dh and I went out to breakfast at our favorite restaurant, then I came home and started laundry. Then I revamped my website and decorated some more. Then I worked on the ds's driver's ed stuff. He's a little short on behind the wheel experience. Then I decorated some more. I have my decorations in 3 places and I'd run between them. Then I napped ;)

And my computer came, so I had to update it so it had everything I need. And I can decorate my desktop with Winchesters ;)

We ate at 4:30. Weird for us. Then I worked on the ds's driver's ed stuff. And did laundry. And decorated the tree.

We watched an old Mystery Science Theater movie and I wrote until my battery died.

I'm still not done decorating, and I didn't even get out all of my stuff. I'm taking a bunch to school because I just don't have room for it. And I had some UGLY tree ornaments. WHAT was I thinking?

Oh, and Mama Kitty? Definitely not preggers. How do I know? Because she's wild in heat. The dh wants me to take her to get her fixed NOW. Yeesh.

Today I want to go to BN to get Pagan Stone and Bath and Body (have you tried their Lavender Chamomile soap? Soooo good.)

more animals

First, go to Trish's blog and congratulate her on her GOOD NEWS!!!

then come tell me if you got any good deals on Black Friday. I'm heading to Office Max now....

My laptop should be here today!!!

And I finally updated my website. Pretty! MJ Fredrick I can only use 3 pages with this new program, but I can fit all my bookcovers.

more animals

This year has had a bunch of highs and lows, but on the whole I feel very blessed.

I'm blessed by my family and friends, near and far.

I'm blessed by my writer friends who get me.

I'm blessed to be published, and having more projects out, and more I'm excited to work on.

I'm blessed to have a job I enjoy (most of the time) and a class I love.

I'm blessed to have a house I love, that I'm able to open up to friends and family.

I'm blessed to have a smart boy who takes initiative. Sometimes.



I'm grateful for my kittehs, even when they fight. And my sweet puppy.

I'm grateful to be able to go out to eat when I want.

I'm grateful for computers and email!

I'm grateful for DVDs by mail and Tivo :)

I'm grateful for a rocking season of SPN.

I'm grateful for JDM being back on Grey's.

I'm grateful for cozy pjs and fuzzy socks, Diet Coke and Nestle brownies.



I'm grateful for low gas prices, a low electric bill and a full pantry.

I'm grateful for my TBR pile and my DVD collection and my iPod.

I'm grateful for my library's hold service and internet search engines.

I'm grateful for blue jeans and yoga pants.

I'm grateful to have won Nano early ;)

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and have a chance to count your blessings, not just today but every day.

I hit 50000 at about 11 last night. I still have 2 huge plot points, so I'll be working on this some more until I go back to work. Then back to Vamp Hunters.

Yesterday was actually my most productive day. I think I wrote 7000 words, went to the cleaners, library, Lowe's, the grocery store, Blockbuster and got lunch, and cleaned both bathrooms. I also signed up for my free month of Netflix, since so many movies come out in December and so many shows will be on hiatus. I should be getting Tropic Thunder, Fred Claus and a Mystery Science Theater movie today.

Today I clean the laundry room and the mudroom. Maybe the kitchen a little, since I'll be getting Christmas stuff out on Friday. Oh, and I need to blow the leaves off the patio and run to HEB again because I forgot a pooper scooper for the litter box.

We saw Hancock last night and I really liked it but thought it was WAY too short. And the twist they'd kept so carefully hidden all summer is in the previews for the DVD. Urgh. But......I wonder at the message, you know? Anyway, I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But it was worth watching, and only 90 minutes.

My laptop should be here Friday - yay!

Oh, and how cute is JDM here? I know people are sick of this storyline, but....

see more puppies

Baby Brother pointed something out to me yesterday - I've developed a thing for guys with dimples.







And the architect of this obsession:



Yep, 6 of my last heroes have had dimples. What about you? Do dimples do you in?

see more puppies

I've been to breakfast, to the nursery, to a cute little boutique and JoAnn Fabrics. I've done my newsletter for the first time since August, tried to update my website and fed all the animals. Oh, and I replaced my laptop. I believe I can sell the broken one back, and the new (used) one should be here by early next week.

I also bought the Sexiest Man Alive People. Other than Hugh and Javier, I didn't agree much. Michael Cera was in there and none of the J's were? (That's Jared, Jensen and JDM. Oh, and Justin Chambers.) Also, only a teeny picture of Gerard Butler. Hmph. They need to consult me.

I haven't written a word, though, and I'm going to take a nap. I need to cut 7000 words! But I did get Baby Brother to help me with some research. And we discovered the man who we thought was one of the Old 300 (the first Americans in Texas) was actually here 11 years before that. And he was an herb doctor. Cool.

more animals

I jinxed myself yesterday. I didn't get hardly ANYTHING done after the dh came home, and I napped for more than 4 hours.

I do know where to go next in my Nano story, but it might make it impossible to sell. Sigh. Story of my life.

I got my first review for Bull by the Horns! Squee!

I've decided I'd rather fix my laptop than buy a new one, but the dh was supposed to take it to the repair guy yesterday and didn't. Shocking.

Last night I was sitting down with dessert (pumpkin pie cheesecake from Marie Callender's, which my dh got free from work) and my cell rang. When I saw the number, I knew it was one of my kids, but not which. I answered and all she said was, "Mrs. Fechter. Pirates of the Caribbean is on channel 31." Isn't that funny? I still don't know who it was!

Okay, this week I'm off, but not off, you know?

1) Complete Nano story
2) update website
3) send out newsletter
4) decorate for Christmas
5) help Trish with new blog we're starting
6) get the boy's drivers ed paperwork taken care of
7) breakfast and shopping with Mom
8) work on promo idea for WNP
9) judge Emily entries (arrived Friday night)
10) paperwork for WRP
11) make a MySpace for MJ
12) Watch Hancock
13) go to library, cleaners and post office
14) clean house

more animals

The first scene of a new story woke me at 4 AM. I've only been writing my historical for three weeks! How can I be seduced away so easily?

So yes, I'm writing that first scene while it's fresh.

I can't decide if I like Fringe or not. I do like Joshua Jackson, who I saw was one of People's Sexiest Men Alive.

I do like The Mentalist. A lot.

I saw Grey's, and as much as I love JDM coming to my TV every week, Denny and Izzie are having the same conversation over and over. I have to say, the last scene broke my heart. I would have made a different choice, and not just because it was Denny. If the love of my life returned, I would want to spend every moment I could with him. (Okay, I'm married to that guy, but if anything happened....)

I think that's the problem I'm having with my Nano book, come to think of it.

Today should be a productive day for me. The first day of vacation usually is. Already I've edited 50 pages of my short story, entered the NRCA, changed the litter, done a load of laundry and paid the bills.

more animals

So Dean is sleeping with an angel and Sam is sleeping with a demon. Interesting. Haven't seen Grey's yet, it's not on iTunes yet.

The bad thing about Nano is all the stuff I'm putting off to complete when it's over.

I have to do the boy's drivers ed paperwork.

I have paperwork to complete for TWRP.

I have to update my website and do a newsletter.

I have some WNP promo stuff to try.

I have to go to the post office.

We'll not even talk about Christmas shopping.

I hate thinking about all that, which is why I'm using Nano as the excuse for putting it off.

What are you putting off? Or do you get it done as soon as it comes in? At least next week is Thanksgiving break....and I don't have to dress up again until December.

more animals

If this book sells and you read it, you will know when I wrote it. I have some serious projecting going on, starting with the Little Red Hen syndrome and, um, some frustration with the husband. Hmm, I wonder where that came from.

I do think I've written myself into a corner. Something that I'd meant to happen later in the story happened a couple of evenings ago. I don't know if I have enough story to make it to 70,000 words, which is where I need to be for Harlequin Historicals. All I can do is keep going....

Great TV night tonight. I am Not Answering The Phone.

more animals

Had a big package waiting for me when I got home from tutoring yesterday. Yup, an R from Silhouette. Unsympathetic characters and dark elements. Le sigh. BUT I said I'd move forward and I already had a request for it from my Hot Shot editor. I hope she loves it.

Funny story, though. After tutoring, one of my students said, "Don't forget to go to Blockbuster." I asked him why. He said, "You always tell us to remind you to go to Blockbuster after tutoring." See, because new movies come out on Tuesday, and I tutor on Tuesday. This week, though, Wall-E came through the mail. I may trade it for Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants today, though.

And speaking of - how amazing was Wall-E??? I LOVE him!!!

more animals

I had five kids out yesterday! It made for a quiet day, but FIVE?

And my class won a field trip for raising the most money with the fundraiser. I don't know if you remember, but I loathe field trips. But the kids were sure happy. No idea where we'll be going.

My mom pointed out that I never relax, that I'm always working on something. I told her I'm afraid to stop writing. I couldn't explain why, exactly, but I still don't have a second book ready for Samhain, or for TWRP Champagne line. I'm still aiming for NY, now with my contemp romance, my historical and my paranormal. I have 3 books to revise, not counting the historical, and 2 more books plotted out, not to mention a ton of ideas that I'm itching to write. I don't see a time when I could take a break in the immediate future, lest an opportunity passes me by.

Do you feel that pressure? Do you give yourself a break? If you do, do you feel guilty?

more animals

I wrote over 8000 words yesterday - a personal best! And I have less than 20 posts on Google reader. I made my goal of 30,000 words by Saturday!

1) Get to 40,000 words in Nano
2) Go to arts and crafts show with Mom
3) SARA meeting
4) teacher luncheon
5) enter NRCA
6) do paperwork for TWRP
7) go to bank
8) go to grocery store
9) clean house


So it's a pink shirt. Look at his shoulders.

more animals

I'm going to copy Natalie this weekend and make a schedule. I also found this website, which is cool, but I lost ALL my formatting when I copied and pasted. Okay, I went back and copied what I wrote before I clicked "Done" and the formatting is still there. I had a widget, but I lost it when I went back.

Write or Die

Here's my second hour:

	1003
41
lab.drwicked.com

Third hour:

	1050
40
lab.drwicked.com

After my nap:

	1004
33
lab.drwicked.com

After dinner:

	1439
48
lab.drwicked.com

After I realized I was too close to Natalie's count to not try to catch up!

	1059
39
lab.drwicked.com

I'm going to change the litter, then go again.