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I'm listening to Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. I got it from the library and am on disc 3. Yesterday I sat in the car listening because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. Oh, so good. It's my first Lisa Kleypas, but I'm already planning on getting Sugar Daddy.



The other one I got yesterday. See, I read an interview with Delores Fossen, who I've known forever, and she said her latest hero was modeled on....guess who? Jeffrey Dean Morgan :) Now, I would have gotten this book anyway, but I wouldn't have put it on the top of the TBR :) Look at the cover-it does look like JDM, doesn't it?



Now to find time to read.....about 100 page to go in Surface, and a lot of new writing. I can keep maybe 50 pages, but the rest needs to be redone.

More testing today, and Dukey, my oldest cat, is going to the vet for a procedure. Seems she has ulcers in her mouth.

I'm keeping up with my Tweets, but not Google Reader and not Tivo. And Appaloosa is on its way from Blockbuster.

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Turns out yesterday WASN'T my day to blog at Romance Studio. It's Friday. DUH.

I went to bed before 8:30 last night! I was just tuckered. I woke at 3:45 or so, but that's okay, I need to write.

I had some crazy dreams. I dreamed my dad was coming to visit (the second time in a week I've dreamed this.) I dreamed I had a brand new classroom (same kids) and a new principal whose name I couldn't remember, and my cat Dukey (who IRL has to go to the vet today) was in the room. This room had three thermostats, which is funny because my current room doesn't even have one. I also dreamed that my brother and SIL moved into a beautiful brand new house, two stories with lots of windows, and an outdoor fireplace, but their neighbor's house was inches away.

I got another good review for Bull by the Horns. I've been so lucky!



I've been working on meeting my goal of promoting better and sent out two requests for interviews, one at I Do Not Want to Wait, I Want the Book Now! and the other at All Romance ebooks. I actually sold a number of copies of Hot Shot in December (maybe because of the Eppie final???) but had one returned. Weird, right? I didn't know you could return ebooks.

Okay, to work I go!

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Did anyone see 24 last night? I always thought Tony was hot, but with the short hair....guh! Also, the FRI agent Renee would be excellent in Nora's High Noon. She was also the mom on the Supernatural episode "Playthings." This season looks gooooood, but has the same kind of plot as Spy Girl, aka the book I will never have time to work on :)

I got up to page 126, almost a third of the way through. I've also cut 20 pages so far. I need to rework the climax, so the closer I get to the end, the slower I'll be working.

I'm blogging about success today at The Romance Studio. Come say howdy!

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My guardian angels were working overtime yesterday. I'd planned to get a new tire, then go to the grocery store, but the tire place was closed, so I went to the grocery store first. When I got home, I unloaded, then went back out to head to the tire store, only to discover I had a flat! At least it waited till I got home! So when the dh came home, he took the tire off, and it was on the verge of coming apart. He was only gone a little while, which was good. Then we went to get toner and lunch.

I didn’t have Internet after 4 on Saturday-got a lot done, but it was frustrating not being able to even get to the revision letters! But I got through the first 6 chapters. I think I need to go through another time, since I don't think I cut enough introspection.

1) Revise-get halfway through Surface
2) Guest blog on The Romance Studio
3) Read through DLB
4) Keep a path through the house, battle back dust bunnies, keep laundry from forming a mountain
5) District assessments
6) Finish grading
7) Exercise daily

At least I got the GH entries done earlier this week.

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This picture is too scary to be funny.

I finally finished my first book of the year, Elisabeth's Stolen Fury! Very action-packed, and about archaeologists, which I love. Also pretty danged sexy.

Okay, so I'm rereading Surface before I work on revisions and yesterday....I got a revision request for my Africa story! Yup, that was my head exploding. So, taking a deep breath, planning ten pages a day on one book at a time....my stomach is in knots, but I don't want to blow this. I was printing out both books (and I have 2 versions of each) and ran out of toner, so that's where I get to go today. And to get a tire. And to the grocery store. :::headdesk:::: Um, need to read my book and REVISE. When, again?

Soooo, since this is the hero model in both stories, you'll be seeing a lot of this guy:

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I've read through the first 100 pages of Surface and I absolutely agree with the editor's comment about the circular development of the relationship. Yeesh, I beat the reader over the head with it.

I read my Google Reader while on the exercise bike. I rode 18 minutes, but didn't make 5 miles. I guess I can't pedal as fast as I read. But I did multi-task.

TV last night-JDM on Kimmel (only watched the interview), The Office and Grey's Anatomy. JDM is really gorgeous. And I love Sloan and Callie's friendship.

Yesterday was interminable....the kids were taking a writing test. All but 7 were done before lunch. 2 were still working ten minutes before school let out. The rest of the kids were pretty good, so I gave them the night off, no homework. They thought I was awesome. Yeesh, I should do that more often :)

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I got a revision letter on Surface yesterday. BIG revision letter. Gulp. Will be busy. But we'll be having Gerry pictures again for a bit :)

Watched an episode of The Office, NCIS and Leverage. JDM was on Jimmy Kimmel and Jensen will be on tonight. Thank goodness for Tivo.

Testing for the kids today. Makes a long day, but at least quiet, and I can think about the revisions.

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Have you ever not wanted to do something that is supposed to be something you want to do? I should want to do this thing, but the idea of leaving my house on my day off just doesn't appeal. I don't know if I'm actually becoming agoraphobic or if I'm just being selfish.

I saw Eagle Eye last night. Complex and action-packed. I'm doing pretty well on cutting back on TV, but not online. I've only watched 2 movies and an episode of The Office this week. I have 4 shows on the Tivo. And I didn't exercise for the first time since I got my bike. My back hurt too much.

The boy drove himself to school in the pouring rain yesterday, and then to his gf's last night. Took him almost an hour to get to her house with traffic. I was a wreck until he got home. Does this get easier?

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I've been riding the exercise bike 5 miles a day for a week and it just knocks me flat. When will it stop????



I know I said I wouldn't watch as much TV, but my Tivo was lonely so I started watching Leverage on TNT. What a GREAT show. To be honest, I started watching because Christian Kane (Lindsey from Angel) was on, but so is Jake from Supernatural and he's a hoot. It's apparently about criminals with a Robin Hood philosophy. The one I saw, they were pulling a con on a corrupt judge to help one of the people who suffered at the judge's hand. Anyway, good writing, quick thinking characters, and a love interest with Timothy Hutton and one of the other crooks.

I watched Diary of a Mad Black Woman. It looks like a comedy, and Cindi thought it was hilarious. Well, it's not. It's pretty sad, actually. Have you seen it? What did you think of the ending? The dh and I were both, "Huh?"

My Tivo isn't matched up with my cable system. Turner Classic Movies and Oxygen are both unavailable on the Tivo, and I like those channels. But yesterday I only watched Little Miss Sunshine.

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Anniversary dinner was okay. Outback was packed but we got a table by the bar. I do love the bloomin' onion, but could have stopped there and been happy. The card the dh gave me shows a couple in a sailboat and says, "The adventure continues...." And a dozen orange roses. Gorgeous.

Came home to an awesome review for Bull by the Horns. I continue to be amazed by the reception of this book. I think I did three drafts, that's it. Compare that to Hot Shot....

Found some other fun links to share.


Joe's Goal Tracker

Goals according to Stephanie Bond

A very fun calendar

Okay, time to get ready for back to work. My goals this week:

1) Get to page 150 in revisions the Texas book
2) judge 1 GH entry
3) read JoAnn's novella
4) finish reading Elisabeth's book
5) do one promotional thing
6) take ds to get his driver's license, stereo and parking permit. Oh, and maybe a new battery. And a tank of gas.
7) exercise every day
8) keep up house
9) get some work in on novella
10) get ready for critique (oops, almost forgot this one!)

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Today's my 22nd anniversary. We plan to go out tonight, which will be nice since I've seen him ONE night this week.

The ds didn't get his license. He didn't have his verification of enrollment form, so Monday I'm going to leave school early, race to pick him up from school and take him for his license. Sigh. Let's start the new year with a race, right?

All other errands were run, including a trip to the grocery store and a quick run to Hobby Lobby (all their garden stuff is 50% off). The eye appt was interminable, but I had Elisabeth's book with me. I read 40 pages!

I came home to find the GH entries to judge and the new RWR. I'll judge an entry a week.

I'm up on the Pred/Editor Poll for romance and author! Votes would be appreciated!

Did I share this most awesome calendar with you? Excellent calendar for writers

All for now....what's new with you?

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The last weekday of my vacay, and it's nuts. It isn't that I put everything off, but I couldn't do anything before today.

The ds gets his license. Since he didn't pass the written test until July 1, he wasn't eligible until yesterday.

The ds needs a parking permit. Since he didn't have his license, he couldn't get one.

The ds needs to go to the bank (okay, this we could have done.)

The ds wants to go to Borders (He just got the coupon.) And since we'll be out there, I will run into Target for new lounge pants, and we'll eat lunch at Firehouse Subs.

Mama Kitty needs her stitches out (10 days after surgery is the soonest we can do it.)

The boy is going for an eye appointment. He gets headaches and I want to see if he needs glasses. If I'd called for the appointment before school was out, I wouldn't have had to wait until 2:30 today, but.....

So I may have to forego my nap, since the dh is playing tonight and has to leave relatively early. Unless I use the crock pot....

Oh, and I'm blogging at The Samhellion and I'm Author of the Month at Texas Authors of Romantic Fiction! Come say hey!

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The kitties decided 8:00 is late enough and woke us up. The dh went back to sleep. I'll just nap later.

I've revised and revised these goals, trying to find a balance between what I can do without stressing myself out and getting books out to publishers. I think I've found a balance. I hope I have.

Overall goals:

1) Revise 4 books (VH, GH, historical, Spy Girl)
2) Write 2 new (one in the summer, one during Nano) and a novella
3) Cut back on online time
4) Cut back on contest judging
5) Learn how to promote better
6) Keep up house
7) Read a book a week
8) Lose 2 clothing sizes (it would be nice to fit back in the capris I bought a few years ago.)
9) Cut back on TV (stop laughing! I’ve already gone to only one movie at a time with Blockbuster online!)
10) Pay off 2 bills

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10) Tripping reviews and winning Nano

9) finalling in the Eppies and placing third in Barclay Gold – my first 2 published contests, and winning the Emily

8) Getting my own laptop

7) Writing and contracting 2 novellas and a short story (5 contracts in 13 months)

6) Hot Shot and Bull by the Horns release date

5) Trish and my booksigning

4) Trish’s visits

3) The ds becoming EIC

2) Holding Where There’s Smoke in my hands

1) Where There’s Smoke release date – everyone made such a big deal, my boss even called the TV station to interview me!

About 50/50.

1) Books needing minor revisions: Something to Talk About, Breaking Daylight, Ghost Hunters, Vanished

Revised STTA, BD and Vanished, Vanished was rejected, the other two are still out

2) Books needing major revisions: Eden’s Promise, Beneath the Surface, Spy Girl, Vampire Hunters

Revised Surface

3) New book: Midnight Sun for Nano – I’ve been wanting to write this book for YEARS.

It’ll have to wait another year.

4) Learn how to promote my books.

Still learning.

4) Always have something out for submission – the way I have my revisions scheduled, I should be submitting every other month.

This I do.

5) Look into contests for pubbed books, as well as for unpubbed manuscripts of pubbed authors.

Entered Barclay Gold, NRCA and Gotcha.

6) Limit time online – I’ve been better about this until this month.

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Thank you Twitter, Good Reads and Facebook. And Google Reader. And forwarding Gmail.

7) Work on flexibility.

Getting better

8) Work on house keeping.

Ummm….

9) Read a book a week.


Read 60 books this year, which works out to more than one a week. Some took me forever, though.

10) Learn how to relax!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

11) Lose 20 pounds and take better care of myself – my skin and everything. Stop leaving the house without make-up!

This lasted maybe a week.

12) Pay off 2 bills.

No.

13) Be better about holiday prep and birthdays – no more last minute stuff.

Did get better.

I also wrote 2 novellas, 65,000 words on a historical and an essay, and judged a ton of contests and did monthly critiques.

Movies I’m looking forward to-you'll notice neither My Bloody Valentine nor Friday the 13th are on here, though seeing the Winchesters on the big screen is very tempting. And I found out yesterday that Jared filmed Friday the 13th in Austin and drove to San Antonio almost every weekend. Wahhhhh!

Defiance with Daniel Craig



2012



Watchmen



Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince



Wolverine



Terminator Salvation



The Ugly Truth



Star Trek



The Wolfman

Sherlock Holmes

Nottingham

Please say a prayer for my friend Lupe. Remember a few months back, I asked for prayers because her son was getting a bone marrow transplant. He lost his battle the day after Christmas. I just don't know how to help her. It's the worst thing I can think of.

Trippy Texas weather yesterday. I was in capris, sandals and a t-shirt when I swept the patio, turned on the AC in the main part of the house, opened windows in the back. The boy needed a ride to band practice, and on the drive there, in the difference of a breath, I felt the difference in the weather. Seriously, from one breath to the next, I felt the weather change, and when he opened the door at band practice, the temp had changed drastically. It was still cloudy, though. The dh and I stopped at the bank and Academy, and when we walked out of Academy, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We weren't in there that long at all! Weird.

Anyway, I made a list of books I'm looking forward to in 2009.

Stolen Heat by Elisabeth Naughton (I just got the first book, Stolen Fury!)

Stakes and Stilettos by Michelle Rowen



A Not-So-Perfect Past by Beth Andrews

Larissa Ione’s new Demonica books





The new Virgin River series by Robyn Carr



Warning Signs by CJ Lyons




Her Very Own Family by Trish Milburn

Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills J



Venus in Blue Jeans by Meg Benjamin



In the Hunt and John Winchester’s Journal





The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb



Black Hills and Vision in White by La Nora

Hotshot by Catherine Mann

Hot Pursuit and Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann



What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips



Dogs and Goddesses by Jennifer Crusie




What books are you looking forward to?

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Here's a list of the best movies I saw in 2008.

3:10 to Yuma

Blood Diamond

Gone Baby Gone-talk about your moral dilemma!

Atonement-Not one I'd watch again but I'm glad I saw it

Dark Knight-have seen at least 5 times

Sex and the City

Juno

27 Dresses-bought it

Iron Man-bought it

Vantage Point-great twists and storytelling

Wall E-bought it

Wanted-innovative

What were your favorites in 2008?

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Here's the thing. I have 8 copies of my book left. There are 3 contests I'm thinking about entering.

The first is

Book Buyers Best

Judges: Industry professionals
Deadline: January 10
Cost: $35 and 5 books

The second is:

The Golden Quill

It includes a Best First Book Category.
Deadline: January 10
Cost: $25 and 5 books
Doesn't say who the judges are.

The third is:

The Yellow Rose

Judges: booksellers, librarians, reviewers and reader group members
Deadline January 24
Cost: $25 and 4 books

What do you think? Is it worth it to enter any of them? Which would you enter?

I finished my Texas historical (still unnamed.) I'm not crazy about the ending, but that's always the case. Tomorrow, the synopsis and query, then I'll start revisions. The boy wants to go spend his money, though...

My dad sent me this while I'm waiting for the guys to wake up!

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After 2 days of running around, I plan to stay HOME today. I've lost my recipe for sugar plums, so will make sugar cookies and braid bread today.

I'm a little lost. For the first time in my life, we won't have Christmas Eve at Mom's, because she, my step-dad and Baby Brother are in OK with her MIL, who is ill. My SIL called last night..."What do we do???" So we decided to do nothing. My SIL is having Christmas dinner tomorrow, so she's going to spend the day getting ready. I'm going to bake and work on my novel. And clean house...again.

Mama Kitty is fixed, and hiding out. NOT happy with us. And she's older than we thought. She's around 5, the vet said. She acts like a kitten, though! But no more heat! YAY! Peace cost us $115. Worth it.

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I’ve been thinking about my grandmother a LOT the past few weeks, mostly because she loved Christmas, and I’ve been reading books I think she’d love.

A few things that remind me of Gigi are
books and reading
Christmas
Pastries/candy
Going to new restaurants/trying new products
Cold fronts
The change of seasons


A lot more things than I realized remind me of Renea.
Calendars (I almost cried at Hung Fong’s because she liked those calendars)
Cold fronts (they’re a big deal down here)
Greeting cards
Tamales
Elvis
Cozy pjs

There’s a tree on the way home from school that I heard Cindi describing one time as her favorite tree. It’s a huge red oak and just beautiful and full. Every time I see that tree, I think of her.

When I go to Guenther House, I think of Trish. (It’s harder to think of things when someone lives far away.) Okay, when I see Twilight stuff. And YA stuff. And SPN stuff.

So I started thinking about what might remind other people about me.

Chocolate, probably
Diet Coke
Reading/books
Pink things
Cozy pjs
Starbucks
Cats

What reminds people of you?