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I was laughing last night--my cell rang at 8:06. I looked at the number and it was an exchange from my school's neighborhood. I growled and didn't answer because I told them not to call after 8 (dude, ESPECIALLY on Thursdays!) Well, when I listened to my voice mail, it was one of my students. He and his sister had PLANNED to watch Supernatural (just so you know, they just know I love the show. I did NOT tell them to watch) but couldn't because someone came over. I thought it was funny he was compelled to call and tell me this.

I've been watching a LOT of Battlestar Galactica. Yes, for Helo and Sharon, but also it relaxes me. And as I watch (the second season again), I'm seeing arcs and wondering how much Ron Moore knew when he wrote the first season.

First, there's Helo's arc. You may or may not know, he was meant to be in the mini-series and that was all. He gave up his seat on the raptor to Gaius Baltar, who had his own evil/confused/redeemed arc to complete. Helo was left behind on the planet. Only fans wanted to know what happened to him, so when the show started, Ron Moore gave him a story where he was rescued by Cylon Sharon and fell in love with her, and she became pregnant with a Cylon/human baby, the first ever. This child was iconic for the Cylons, terrifying for the human's, though her blood did save the president's life. She was kidnapped, and ended up the series being "Mitachondrial Eve." Pretty big story, considering Ron Moore was going to leave Helo on the planet to die. Now, maybe the baby was going to have a different father--Chief, maybe, who was in love with another copy of Sharon. If that was the case, though, Chief wouldn't have ended up being a Cylon.

That's the other arc that fascinates me. In season 4, we discover who the 5 other copies of the Cylons are. I watched a special where Ron Moore said the writers sat around a table and debated, but I don't remember how long he knew which were the final five Cylons.

I think he had to know about Ellen Tigh. She disappeared after the Cylon attack and reappeared on another ship months later. Some of the things she said seemed to say, "HERE I AM, A CYLON, RIGHT HERE." But apparently she was the last person that the writers thought of.

I believe he knew about her husband, Saul Tigh, though to me the timeline seems off about him. But so many of Saul's actions seem to point in that direction. (I'm becoming partial to the name Saul now. Would you read a book with a hero named Saul?)

And maybe Chief. Chief, who fell in love with Cylon Sharon/Boomer and declared he was not a Cylon over and over, and guess what?

Kripke, who created Supernatural, said he had this five year storyline but never thought the show would last five years. So this season wraps up the arc he began in season one. The actors are slated for another year in their contract, so Kripke may begin another arc, especially as the show's popularity grows, but how can you top raising Lucifer?

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VERY frustrating day. Another teacher and I went to sign up for insurance. We were to fill out health insurance online and it was going to take FIVE minutes. Only every employee in the district (10 elementaries, 3 middle and a high school, plus support) had to go through SIX people with laptops to finalize the paperwork.

Two. And a half. Hours. Standing, the whole time. When I finally got in front of one of the people with the laptop, I'm afraid I wasn't very nice. My back hurt and I was shaking. The worst thing was I didn't want to change anything. Everything was to be the same. And still two and a half hours???

The other teacher and I went to McD's instead of the fish place with the other teachers so we could go back and work in our rooms, which we hadn't done at all. So I call my beloved son to see if he'll come help me but he complains I left him too many chores (litter, laundry and unloading the dishwasher) so he couldn't do both. Well, an hour later he texts to say he's going to his girlfriend's. GRRRRRR.

And my computer is being a PITA again, last night's issue different from tonight's.

The good was that three of my ex students came by this afternoon to hug me and it was so good to talk to them. I dreamed about my new class last night. In my dream I'd forgotten to be tough and I was really paying for it.

I'm really blocked on my RS, too, because I've gone back to the suspense part and I'm not sure how to work it out. I've reached the reversal where they're actively investigating. I have my red herring, but I need them to take a step in the right direction before they get pulled away by the herring. Not sure what step to take there.

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I'm wondering if I should be writing this story now. It's soooo slow going, though I have it plotted. I think it might be the chemistry between the characters. I think this because today was a dance and the first kiss and it was just---flat. I'm going to try something else, but if I don't make some good progress next week, I'm going to put it aside and write a straight romance.

I have a month left until school starts and was hoping to have a novel done so I could work on edits as I ease back into my schedule. If I get 1500 words a day, I can do it, but I've only been able to do that a handful of times on this book.

So why are some books slower to write than others? I thought I was prepared, but apparently not.

This is the new thing I'm trying. Okay, one of them.

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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 blogging at The Wet Noodle Posse today about Nano.

I stole this from Megan Crane

What's the last thing you wrote?
And finished? A short story I submitted to TWRP. Currently working on revisions on last year’s Nano novel, my vampire hunter book.

Was it any good?
I LOVE my short story. Different for me, very, but I wrote it in 3 weeks because I was just so driven. My vamp hunter book is better than I thought, actually.

What's the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?
A book of holiday poems that I wrote probably in 3rd grade.

Write poetry?
Not anymore ;)

Favourite genre of writing?
Depends on my mood. Now I’m reading straight contemporary romance, sans suspense

Most fun character you ever wrote?
Alex in Breaking Daylight. He was such an ass.

Most annoying character you ever wrote?
Oh, I’ve done my share of Mary Sues. The one who ran the B&B in the first romantic suspense, I guess would be the worst.

How often do you get writer's block?
I’ll get hung up on a scene or even a phrase, but I don’t really have writer’s block.

How do you fix it?
I work on something else, or another aspect of the story, like a soundtrack or a collage.

Write fan fiction?
Not as such. My two paranormals were inspired by Supernatural, though.

Do you type or write by hand?
Both. Mostly type these days, though.

Do you save everything you write?
Sadly.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?
All the time. Some ideas just have SOMETHING in them I can’t let go.

What's your favorite thing that you've written?
Something to Talk About. I love love love that book.

What's everyone else's favorite thing that you've written?
So far, Where There’s Smoke, since only it and Hot Shot have been released.

What's your favorite setting for your characters?
The jungle, apparently. Considering I’m not wild about being outside, I’ve written a number of wilderness books.

What's one genre you have never written, and probably never will?
Sci fi. I’m just not that into it.

How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Just the one revision. I did final line edits for my Wayback book and I’m waiting to hear on a couple of submissions and planning my Nano book, but only writing the one.

Do you want to write for a living?
You bet.

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?
My first short story ended up in an obscure magazine. I have a copy somewhere….

Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Two Emilys, 4 Golden Heart nominations and a Maggie nomination, among other contest finals.

Ever written something in script or play format?
Only for school ☺

What are your five favorite words?

“turned,” “looked,” “that,” “he” and “she.” At least, that’s what my editors say. My favorite sounding words are “empathy,” “reluctant,” “trepidation,” “bemused” and “effervescent.”

What character that you've written most resembles yourself?
Some have more aspects than others. Kelly, in my first manuscript, has a lot, Abby, the B&B owner and Veronica, the heroine in the short story I just wrote are the most like me.

Where do you get ideas for your characters?
I love what-if. Where There’s Smoke is a what-if story, and my characters grow from that. What if this person grew up to be that person? What would cause this adult to act this way? Creating characters is my FAVORITE part of writing.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?
My first Nano book, Surface, Ghost Hunters, this year’s Nano book….so, yeah, all the time ☺

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?
Happy endings! I don’t even want to read or see a movie with any other kind of ending.

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Actually, yes, but I’m not too bad at spelling anyway.

Does music help you write?
I love having a soundtrack for each book, to put me right in the novel, and drowns out other distractions.

Quote something you've written. The first thing to pop into your mind.
Right! I wish I could.

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I THINK Bull by the Horns is supposed to be out today. It's not on the coming soon page or my author page, though.



Check at The Wild Rose Press and let me know if it shows up.

Today is a Bad Day. Our Halloween program is tonight and I'm unhappy with the other teachers at school. I asked for someone to bring me a CD so I could burn the songs. No CD. I wrote the play before my MIL died and asked them to work with the three students to learn their lines. No. I threw the scripts away. I wrote the note to the parents, have parents calling me, I bought the music and made up the dances. I asked them to decorate the stage. No. I am not feeling charitable with the ladies who sit in the audience and grade papers while I sweat and ache and get behind in my own grading. Oh, and I have to take one home after the program, and another won't be there because she's going to the Spurs opening night.

Never mind that on Friday is our carnival and two of them (the one I'm taking home and the Spurs-goer) are leaving early because they have little kids, and another is not coming to school that day because she doesn't celebrate Halloween, so only one other teacher and I will be running 2 booths, with whatever parents we can round up.

Some days I hate teaching.

On the plus side, I finished the spreadsheet with all the threads from VH last night. I need to print it out to see it better. I see some definite holes, especially in the romance. And the end. Oy, the end.....

I haven't even thought of a single song for a soundtrack for my Nano book. No idea at all where to start. I have my pictures for the collage but haven't had time to put it together.

I need me some Sammy.

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The dh and I had dinner with Mary Beth and her dh last night on the Riverwalk. It was gorgeous and great fun and of course both of us forgot our cameras. Seriously, we never do the couple dinner thing, and it was a lot of fun!

Baby Brother came over last night to bring me a CD of the pictures, only it didn't work, so he's going to try again. INTERESTINGLY, though, he's talking about writing a historical novel about one of our ancestors, who he's been researching. The interesting part is that I'm toying with two historical ideas. I've NEVER written a historical..the research overwhelmed me before, but I'm having to do quite a lot of research anyway, so....

The first idea I've had since last year, when I was doing a TAKS passage with my kids. The story was about a "school" train that would travel from town to town, making a circuit, staying in a town a few weeks before moving on to the next town. The children would go to school in the train, and the teacher would leave them with homework before moving on. My idea was, of course, of a female teacher, perhaps traveling with her brother, teaching the students and falling for a widower. I think it would be short, maybe for TWRP.

The second idea is more nebulous at this point. I'm listening to Rhett Butler's People and Rhett was a blockade runner and that just sounds so romantic to me. My cp, Linda, says Civil War romances are hard to sell because of the slavery thing, but like I said, the idea is nebulous still. It would have to be WAY down the queue.

Have you written a historical? How did you like it? Was the research difficult?

Oh, and the queue?

Nano Book
Vamp Hunters
Ghost Hunters
Spy Girl
Hostage Negotiator story
Politician story
Antarctica story
Second Chances revision
High concept story (I need some experience under my belt for this one, I think.)

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I thought in honor of Bull by the Horns releasing next week, I'd blog about my first cowboy book.



I was in middle school when I wrote it and it was called Ramblin' Man. Back in those days I had a crush on John Schneider and come to think of it, maybe it was about the jeans....

ANYWAY, I cast him as my rodeo cowboy, though I don't remember what kind. Probably a bronc rider. He would go from city to city, each place a different chapter, and meet different girls. There were at LEAST 6 of them, and to think I had that many "cute meets" in me at such a young age is pretty funny. They would have little love stories, but he'd move on, thus the title. EXCEPT that in the last chapter he realized he'd had enough and went back to the girl in the first chapter.

The book was written in PENCIL on notebook paper and I think I tied it together with yarn through the holes. I don't know how long it took me to write, but I remember working on it when I went on vacation with my dad to south Texas. Unfortunately, I threw it away before I moved out of my mom's house. Boy, would I love to read it.

Since then, I haven't written another cowboy story until now, when one of my cps challenged the other two of us to write a story for Wayback Texas. Even the cp that challenged us hasn't written her story, though I have her heroine in my book! Anyway, it's fun and while it has the common theme of the homebody vs. the traveller, it has some cute twists, too.

I finished the galleys on Hot Shot last night. Please PLEASE let that be the last time I have to read it!!!! Not that I don't love it, but I have read it at LEAST 50 times. At LEAST.

I storyboarded my Nano story last night since the boy was working on the computer, but I'm itching to focus on Vamp Hunters.

Mama Kitty stayed outside yesterday, and was mostly good when we brought her in yesterday evening. Poor thing is scared and pregnant and she was so hungry!

I was falling asleep during The Mentalist last night, made it to bed just after nine and slept till after five! YAY!

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My galleys for the print version of Hot Shot came yesterday, so I'll be working on galleys the rest of the month. At least it won't interfere with Nano.

I went to critique on Saturday to get my mind off everything and we plotted our books for NaNoWriMo. I sent 12 lines of what I had, no names, even, and walked away with pages of notes. One of my cps was just stunned that I could start with so little. But by the time we were done, I was itching to get out my Post-It notes and story board. I don't storyboard the whole thing, but I go as far as I go, just so I can "touch" and "see" the story. Once I do that, I may never look at it again, but I need to do that. It makes the story more three dimensional to me. I can't just write a synopsis and have everything just be on the computer, just flat. That's why I do a collage and a soundtrack and all that, so the story surrounds me.

I know I jotted his name down somewhere but I don't remember. Also, I need a visual for my heroine, a smart, gorgeous politician. Maybe Addison from Grey's....

How do you start a book?

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Okay, maybe not CHEERINESS but not more maudlin talk.

I FINALLY read my July and August RWRs. Virginia Kantra had an excellent article in one of those about the steps of relationships in romance novels. I love Virginia anyhow, but this article really spoke to me.

There was another article about how to describe your voice. The article by Julie Rowe suggested you label your own voice. I don't know how to do this. She had these examples:

"Full of attitude, personality and imagery"

"A Marilyn Monroe kind of whisper. Throaty, sexy, luscious."

"Deeply emotional with a touch of humor."

Can you label your writing voice?

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I got the first disc of Robin Hood Season 2 yesterday and I was So Disappointed.

SO disappointed.

Now, it’s been a year since I saw the first season but I don’t remember the villains being so bumbling. I don’t remember Sir Guy (hubba hubba) being such a lackey. And while I understand that he’s upset with how Season 1 ended, there is NO spark between him and Marian anymore.

I loved the spark. I MISS the spark.



In fact, the only character I still like is Marian. I’m very disappointed.

I’ll give the second disc a chance because, you know, Richard Armitage, but if it doesn’t get me….bye bye.

A show that is just getting better is Psych. The daredevil episode was just brilliant – I had to rewind several times because I was laughing so hard I missed other good lines. And I love that Cybill Shepard is playing Sean’s mom. James Roday and Dule Hill are awesome.

I also saw Nim’s Island. I love that Jodi Foster’s character is stuck like I am on her book. Also, she and Gerry’s characters both use Macs. Oh, and Gerry wears a wetsuit. A fairly cute movie, though it ended where I thought it was getting interesting ;)

I found this website about Breaking Dawn. I only read Twilight, but this review (3 PAGES!!! but so funny) didn't make Breaking Dawn sound so bad. Breaking Dawn

I did the interview and wrote most of the synopsis for Surface and printed out the contest entries and got my line edits for the SPN essay and went to the library and Blockbuster. I got in the car to go on my errands and realized I haven't driven in at least a week! MAYbe last Thursday. I don't remember.

I have a plan for Surface. I can’t believe it’s already Thursday, though!

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Both Jared and Jensen were at Comic Con this year...I wonder if they met up with JDM (probably not, different days.) Kripke was there, too, as were Sera Gamble and Ben Edlund, two of the writers. They showed the first five minutes of the season premier, which will air on Sept. 21. (I'm loving September - my book is out the 12th, SPN and Grey's both returning...)

Dean didn't know he was going to die until he got the script.

Kripke said the Impala looks cool but "handles like a shopping cart."

The Ghostfacers was Ben Edlund's favorite episode, and the Ghostfacers may get their own webisodes. They also showed up during the panel.

Supposedly there will be a love interest for Sam.

We will learn more about Mary Winchester. One episode will show a young Mary and John. Mitch Pileggi from X Files will play Mary's dad.

Jensen actually sings well, though he was told to sing off-key for the season finale. Jared really can't sing.

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Novel Sisterhood is doing a writing challenge. I've fallen behind my goal every day. I do not know what to do with this book.....I don't think I'll finish by the weekend, though I should finish before I go back to school.

Speaking of challenges, Linda Winfree brought this to my attention: Unleash Your Story Neat concept, huh? I'm thinking about it....

Oh, and I caved and am judging three more Golden Gateway entries....I know, I know, but the coordinator is a friend.

AND I'm blogging at the Wet Noodle Posse about the Ritas.

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Here is my project list. I revised my spreadsheet about what I'm working on when so I can give better attention to each.

revise Surface for backstory and paranormal element - target NAL, HQN, Berkley, Dorchester, Kensington, Source, Samhain
revise Ghost Hunters for atmosphere, motivation and to make it not a SPN clone - need to double check to see who has turned this baby down ;)
revise Spy Girl for external conflict and hero and setting (remember, was a Nano book) - target NAL, HQN, Berkley, Dorchester, Kensington, Source, Samhain
revise Vamp story for characterization, plot and setting (also a Nano book) - target NAL, HQN, Berkley, Dorchester, Kensington, Samhain
revise cop story for plot - target SRS and Samhain

write cruise ship story - target SRS and Samhain
write bodyguard story - target SRS and Samhain
write assassin story - target SRS and Samhain
write undercover story - target SRS and Samhain
write high concept story - absolutely need to do a plotting retreat or something with this one

Last night we went to Cindi's to give her son his bday present. We sat out back and ate watermelon and cupcakes and watched the kids and the kitten play. It was really nice. Also watched a TON of Veronica Mars yesterday. I checked the last two seasons out at the library, and, well, you only get them for a week, and that's 10 discs! I still have Season 3 to go. And my Tivo is about to explode, as well. I see another day in front of the boob tube in my future, after I finish judging contest entries.

I also saw Definitely Maybe yesterday, a nice movie from a guy's POV. The concept is that he's getting divorced, and his daughter wants to know why he fell out of love with his mother and he tells her the story of the three women he loved, without telling her which one is her mother. Really sweet, not kid friendly.

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I watched Fool's Gold this week, and while the pratfalls had me rolling my eyes, the reason for the two of them getting a divorce was pretty convincing. I think it's always a tough balance when writing a reunion story, finding a good enough reason to split them up and then being able to get them to overcome that reason to get back together. As Tess's lawyer said in Fool's Gold, "You married a guy for the sex, then expected him to be smart." I really didn't think they overcame the conflict - Finn's immaturity drove Tess CRAZY, but he did prove how much he loved her.



Another reunion movie, one I actually got the beginning of Beneath the Surface from, is Twister. The thing splitting them up is him thinking he wants something and by the end of the movie realizing he had what he wanted all along.



Writing reunion stories is tough. I've written two, one about two cops who split up after their child dies (was THAT hard to write! I still want to go back and fix it, though. It became a bit episodic.) and Surface. I've always felt the weakness in Surface was the reason they split up, so I have a new reason now and I plan to get going on it next week, if I can finish fixing BD this weekend.

What are some good reunion stories you've read or seen?

Today: clean up backyard and back room for dh's bday party, read Trish's chapters, work on BD and do a little promo if my email cooperates. Yesterday all I did was read and sit in the pool - it was HOT!

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I went to SARA last night for the first time in six months. We were voting for the new board and to pass the new bylaws, so I braved the horrible traffic (which actually wasn't too bad last night). Anyway, we didn't have a speaker, so we went around the room talking about what we wrote, what inspired us and what we'd learned in our writing.

A huge percent of them said they'd learned so much from critique. We have two groups, a lot, I think for an organization our size. I've participated, usually with just the beginning of my story, though BD has been through my smaller group almost in its entirety (that story is still kicking my butt - I need 20000 more words to make it ST!!!) Several of these ladies send their whole books through.

Then I started thinking - none of my contracted books have been to critique at all. Hot Shot and Smoke were in contests, and while I revised HS a lot because of that, Smoke is very nearly identical to the way I wrote it. Yes, HS went through revisions with editors and agents, but never went to critique. Trish read Wayback, but she's the only one. Even the cp who's also writing a Wayback hasn't seen it. Yet it got contracted.

So what's your take on critique groups?

Today: take ds to get earbuds, hopefully a haircut, clean living room, work on BD and read Trish's chapters

My first cowboy! Now to discover the release date so I can go nuts at VistaPrint.


I'm also blogging at The Wet Noodle Posse about using promo loops, kind of a "do as I say, not as I do..."


I sent 7 queries yesterday. I want to send BD to Superromance but don't remember how to do return postage. I dug out my submissions chart but hadn't updated it in awhile, so I don't know where stuff is....


I judged three and a half contest entries, did my Supernatural revisions and went back and forth on my cover. I also saw Fool's Gold, which would have been better without the physical comedy. I STILL haven't been in my pool.

Today - the grocery store, post office, SARA and BD.

To JDM for a while....I finished STTA today!!! The last 100 pages or so need edits, but it came in at almost 400 pages!

Today was wild. I went for my eye exam, then to pick up my MIL because she'd taken her car to have a belt repaired. We went to breakfast, then to WalMart to look at glasses, then to check on the car, then to the library, then home to get my old glasses, because I decided to just put new lenses in them, then back to WalMart, then home, where we called the garage. FOUR HOURS LATER, they called and said the car was ready. My poor MIL is 71 and was exhausted. She fell asleep on the couch about 30 minutes. After I took her to get her car, I fell asleep. Hopefully tomorrow is permit and haircut day for the boy, then no more running!

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I got an AWESOME review of Hot Shot yesterday from The Romance Studio. My best one yet! I also saw an advance preview of another from Romance Reviews Today, but it's not live yet. I'm really happy with the reviews I've gotten!

I sent my Wayback story in yesterday, then needed to do two more scene revisions, which I sent back this AM. Now I get to go back to STTA. Yesterday I had a very clear scene in my mind that may be an epilogue, I don't know, but it included a baby. I never write babies. I think it's just that I REALLY love these characters, and I can see myself exploring their lives further along.

The same thing happened with my first book, The Simple Life. Those characters became so real to me because I spent so much time with them. When I drive through the town where I based that story, I half expect to see them. The same with my married cop story, Second Chances. During 9-11, I could practically see Zach pacing, helpless, wanting to go DO something. I think I'll have the same reaction when I finally leave Noah and Ellie behind.

Today I'm doing promo on one of the loops for Wayback, then I'm blogging at Samhain. I also need to clean the laundry room and the mudroom, which shouldn't take me nearly as long as the hour and a half it took me to clean the bathrooms yesterday (I threw out two wastebaskets of stuff, can you believe it???)

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I rewrote the end of Texas Forever yesterday. All these weeks I'd had this one idea, but when I sat down to write it, I had a completely different idea that I think fits more with the character conflict.

Today, I'm back to work on the end of STTA. Then I'm rewriting the end of Breaking Daylight.

I am Not Good at writing endings. Invariably, that's where my book falls apart. I never figure it out ahead of time. I can't bring everything together, I can't make it emotional enough, my conflict is too big and I can't resolve it in a satisfying manner - I always have trouble at the end. And if I'm asked to revise, like with Hot Shot and Texas Forever, the ending I write is COMPLETELY different from my first shot.

I think part of MY problem, at least what I saw yesterday, is that instead of wrapping up the conflict, the characters question, "Well, how AM I going to live with this person forever?" Very frustrating, those pesky characters. Plus, there are paths to take, choices to make. I realize that by the end, those paths need to be eliminated, so there's only one possible ending, but I just can't eliminate them.

Any advice for writing endings?

Today I'm updating my website and rereading my ending before sending it back to my editor. Yesterday I started reading Cotton Queen by Pam Morsi and I'm already to p. 100. Very compelling. The boy also decided he needs a haircut and he wants to get his permit, hopefully today. And I need to get to the library.

Oh, and I figured out how to get RSS feed from blogs, so I've been adding blogs to my reader.