see more dog and puppy pictures

Once again I failed to send Trish a birthday card, so here's her card. It's more fun anyway, and we can all enjoy ;)











I hope your day's great, Trish!!!!

I mean, she's HERE, in San Antonio, but she's also HERE on my blog today! I know I said I'd have pictures from our big adventure but we actually didn't take that many (they wouldn't let us take cameras into the rodeo) and, well, I'll give you a recap later. Today is all about Trish's new release as Tricia Mills, HEARTBREAK RIVER. Remember, a commenter gets a chance to win an autographed copy. You have until Monday at, say, 10 PM CST, how's that?



Tricia’s first Young Adult title released this month, an emotional story of a girl who’s trying to find her way forward after losing her dad on the river she’s always loved.

1) Tricia, you write for two publishing houses and you have an incredibly demanding schedule. How do you manage? Do you work on one thing at a time?

I’m fortunate that this is my full-time job now. Granted, I’ve not yet made what I did when I worked full-time, but hopefully someday. I’m pretty organized, so that helps. I don’t tend to write two things at the same time, and so far my deadlines haven’t forced me to do this. I do, however, seem to be writing one, revising another, doing promo for something else -- different stages on different books.

2) Do you find it difficult to switch between YA and romance?

No, actually. I really like switching back and forth. Sure, there are differences such as the style and point of view, but you’re really writing about the same basic things – people’s reactions and emotions to finding love, dealing with external problems, relationships with friends and family members, etc.

3) What drew you to writing YA books? What’s the hardest thing about it? The most rewarding?

I’ve always been a fan of books, TV shows and movies targeted toward teens. I keep saying I have an inner teenager still living inside me. J Hardest thing is probably making sure the books read as authentic to today’s teenagers, not people who were teens when I was in the late ‘80s. Pretty sure today’s teens don’t listen to Duran Duran. Most rewarding – so far, it’s been when I read blogs run by teens who say they love my book. It makes me smile ear to ear!

4) Who are some of your favorite YA authors?

So many! J.K. Rowling, Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Rachel Caine, Libba Bray, Suzanne Collins, P.C. and Kristin Cast. I could keep going, but I won’t.

5) You attribute a lot of inspiration to TV. Was there anything on TV that inspired you to write this book? What about music? Did you have a “soundtrack” for this book?

Strangely enough, TV didn’t really influence this book. Rather, it was a train trip aboard Amtrak’s California Zephyr. For about 200 miles in western Colorado, it runs along the Colorado River. During the warmer months, lots of people go on rafting trips along this stretch of river, and I wondered what it would be like to run one of those rafting companies, what it would be like if you were a teen whose family did this. I love the landscape out West, so I combined those two things (plus my own very real fear of the water) and Heartbreak River sprang from that. I honestly don’t usually come up with soundtracks for my books, which is ironic since I am such a HUGE fan of soundtracks. Most of my CD collection is made up of movie and TV show soundtracks. I do, however, do some shout-outs to some of my favorite bands in my YA books.

6) What are you working on now? What’s after that? When is your next Harlequin American Romance (under Trish Milburn) coming out?

I just turned in revisions on my second YA novel, Winter Longing, which is due out in the summer of 2010. Next up is working on a rodeo book for Harlequin American, which I also think is coming out in 2010. My second Harlequin American is coming out here in a couple of weeks. It’s a May release titled Her Very Own Family.

7) And finally, (since you’re staying at my house) which of my cats is your favorite?

Oh, I wasn’t expecting this question! Hmm, probably YaYa and Skippy, though I like them all.

Who doesn't love YaYa? :)



Or Skippy.



Thanks for the insight, Trish! I hope this book finds tons of success!

see more dog and puppy pictures

I'm posting my goals a day early since they're for all of Spring Break.

1) Finish historical, submit polished partial, go back and polish the rest
2) Finish judging Merritt
3) Taxes
4) Maybe see about maybe doing a booksigning
5) Get ready for critique
6) Guest blog
7) Query agents
8) library
9) Breakfast with Mom (I need to quit putting that because every time I do, something happens to stop it.)
10) Research trip with baby brother
11) Get some plants, play in the dirt
12) Clean house well enough that I can keep it up the rest of the school year.
13) Exercise-walk and ride exercise bike
14) Catch up on TV and with Blockbuster
15) Read 2 books.
16) See Watchmen!

Huh, ambitious for a week, aren't they?

I went to see Cindi in the hospital after school yesterday. They kept her another night because they're running more tests today. She's in good spirits, relieved because there was only a trace of fluid found around her heart. Her sister was there at the hospital with her, and her husband brought her oldest son to visit, but she misses her kids. Before I went, I called to see if she needed anything to stave off boredom, and she said she was fine.

I would be out of my mind, or at least begging for something to read or a notebook or SOMETHING.

This got me thinking how different she and I are. We've been friends for 20 years but have next to nothing in common.

She's a sports fan.
She doesn't read.
We don't watch the same shows except The Office (for that matter, no one at school watches the same shows I do...)
We don't like the same movies. If I love it, she's bound to hate it, and vice versa.
She's impulsive and I'm a planner. In fact, she and Robert were going to take the kids to Disney World this week. Good thing they HADN'T planned it.
She and her dh are ALWAYS together, working at the same school and all. That would drive me nuts.
When my son was little, she was not tied down, and now that I have more freedom, she has 3 kids.
She's a procrastinator (does her grades the weekend before they're due!)
She is not a fan of the computer.

Still, we can talk for hours.



On the other hand, Trish and I are very much alike. You know we even have the same sweater and pajamas, right?
We watch the same shows, often emailing each other throughout saying, "WHAT?" or "YUM!"
We've both been writing a long time, we're both great readers, though I read quicker.
She likes darker movies than I do, and different music, but we are both drawn to the same shows. She's gotten me hooked on several. I don't think I've returned the favor....yet.
We are both planners and love our calendars.
We have similar nerves, though she's way braver than I am.
We both love our computers.



I just thought it was interesting that my two best friendships are so different. What about you and your best friend? Alike or different?

more animals


The Wild Rose Press is running their Sony E-Reader contest for 3 more weeks.
To enter; purchase a title from the sponsoring authors and send the order number, the title and the date of purchase to sonyreader@thewildrosepress.com. I will put all the emails in a random drawing, verify that the winner did purchase something from a sponsoring author and that's it, we announce the winner on March 17.

Details Here

Trish is still not home. I miss her.

I caught up to where I want to be in the Texas book. I need to work on my SPN blog....that's getting to be some work.

more animals

Going back to work yesterday was not as hard as I thought. Most people were just concerned about why I'd been out - they didn't know. A friend from another school had left me flowers, but thought MY mom had died. I emailed her school to tell her differently - I don't want her freaking out if she runs into my mom!

The kids missed me, but this week is district testing so we just hugged and went to work. It was SUCH a long day. They tested until 2:30! It's hard to keep them quiet so long!

Came home and Trish and I went to SARA, where she was our speaker. It was a really good, social meeting, and Trish's presentation on making settings come alive was great. I sold 4 more books.

We stopped at Freddy's Custard on the way home, then watched the debate, which we'd Tivoed. She's leaving this morning, so said she'd get up to say good-bye and so she could make the most of daylight. The sun doesn't rise till around 7:30, though....

It's been so much fun having her. I'm going to miss her! I wished she lived closer.

New Supernatural tonight!

see more puppies

I got a rave review from one of the teachers yesterday. She said she read my book Saturday morning and she loved it. She said it was so emotional! And she said she didn't know how my hero and heroine would end up together. That made me feel so good. She said she's going to read it again because she was reading so quickly to see what would happen. After school I heard her talking about it to another teacher, too!

Then I came home and found two letters in my handwriting - gulp. But both requests, one for STTA and the other for Surface! Woot! Also got the soundtrack to Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which I may go see again today if the boy doesn't want me to feed him before he goes back to school tonight. I love the soundtrack and liner notes :)

I had to take the boy to Wal Mart and saw Trish's book. I bought one to give to the teacher who'd been gushing about Smoke, and told the check-out girl about Trish, and she made note of it. There were only two copies left after less than a week!

And I am sooooo close to finishing my short story. (It's at 21,000 words....is it still short?)

Trish's first book is out TODAY!!!! If you haven't already, go BUY IT!!!

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

I'm adding words to my Wayback story, but not sure how much story I'm adding. I'm seeing some major flaws.

One is my hero's attraction to my heroine, beyond the physical. I'm not sure what he sees in her.

The other is, I know that there's a way to connect their conflicts but I'm just not seeing it. She's essentially a George Bailey character, who's given up her dreams to stay in Wayback to care for her grandmother. My heroine has abandonment issues and he's a rodeo cowboy, so there's that. But it's making his backstory superfluous. Without giving too much away, he's kind of a former child star who fell on hard times and left that life behind. I know there's got to be a way to tie their conflicts together, but I can't think.

Trish and I were up till midnight watching TV ;) She's still sleeping, then we're going to the Guenther House for breakfast. No telling what we'll do after that ;)

In July, when Trish got THE CALL, she called to tell me and I was shopping at the outlet mall with my mom.

Tonight, when Trish got The Call that she SOLD TWO BOOKS TO HARLEQUIN AMERICAN, I was shopping at La Cantera with the dh.

Clearly, I must do this thing more often for her sake ;)

Yes, indeed the Year of Trish continues to roll!!!! Let's take account of her successes this year.

She double-finalled in the Golden Heart (and WON).
She finalled in the Harlequin American contest (and SOLD).
She finalled in the Maggies (and WON).
She finalled in American Title.
She was elected to the RWA board.

Heck of a list, isn't it? I've been on the inside track during all of it, and NONE of it was easy. The book that won the Golden Heart was written after a summer of discouragement. The book that finalled in the American contest had been revised and rejected by Intrigue, then revised two more times (at least) before it sold. The American Title book was considered for Bombshell before it folded. There are other :this close: stories in her career.

She works hard Every Day for the level of success she's achieved. She has a schedule she adheres to, she is extremely disciplined, and that discipline (along with TONS of talent, clearly), that determination, that perseverance is finally paying off in a big way. GO TRISH!!!!!!!

(And I'm not just saying this because I came home to find THIS Published Author Survivor Kit:



Trish said the Pumpkin Pie Paradise was for relaxing after a long day of writing. The truffles are to give energy. The quote picture frame (which says "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined - Henry David Thoreau") is for my picture with my first book (SNIFF!!!) and the journal, which says Dream, is to chronicle the important moments of my career. Isn't that awesome???

This is Trish, after hearing her name announced for the Golden Heart this year.



Focusing on the Positive
By Trish Milburn

Too often we writers tend to focus on the negatives of the day-to-day life of the writer — the rejection letters, the long wait times for responses, editors who are interested in our work leaving publishing houses, lines closing, houses closing to unagented submissions, etc. In the midst of all this negativity, we fail to see the positives along the way. The journey to our ultimate goal would be more enjoyable if we focused on those positives more.

When we receive rejection letters, we often can’t see past the fact that it’s a rejection. But ask yourself if this rejection letter is “better” than the last one. Is it personalized? Does the editor/agent also point out positives in amongst the reasons why she’s passing on your manuscript? Does she say she’d be willing to see something else of yours?

I’ve been down the road of having an editor interested in my work only to have her leave the house. But you never know when that editor might pop up at another house, one that might be interested in your work. Granted this didn’t happen to me the first time I was “orphaned”, but my editor now had been interested in my work when she was at a previous house. Imagine my sadness when she left. But as it turns out, her changing houses was a good thing for me in the long run.

Yes, lines close. But others also open. Be ready to take advantage of new opportunities that arise.

The largest positive for me as a writer, however, is all the wonderful friends I’ve made along the way. These people aren’t just business contacts. They are true friends with whom I share more than writing, but because we share the writing in common they “get” me, and all the ups and downs of the writer’s life. If any semblance of writing success disappeared tomorrow without any hope of being replaced in the future, I’d still count myself lucky because I’ve made wonderful friends like Mary and so many others.

So remember to focus on the positives writing has brought into your life, especially when the negatives threaten to get you down.

~~~

Another positive in my life right now is being a finalist in the American Title contest with my manuscript, OUT OF SIGHT. You can view the first lines of all 10 finalists and cast your vote for your favorite at http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php. Voting for the first round, after which the two contestants with the least votes will be eliminated, ends this Sunday, Oct. 28.

Vote for Trish in the American Title contest!!!!