I was sitting out back in my Adirondack chair reading one of my cps' pages for Saturday and looking at my philodendron and my begonia, sitting next to each other in a permanently shady part of my porch. And I started thinking about moving things around. The next thing I knew, I was on the phone with my mom, queen of HGTV. I told her I needed a redesign. I don't think the words were out of my mouth before she said, "OKAY!" She and Baby Brother were here in half an hour. And stayed for two and a half. (Thank God my step dad called and asked what we were doing for lunch - we sent him to McD's!) We worked hard. I wish I had before pictures.

My new office:





Another sitting area:









My new dining room (if only I could get the guys to eat out here without complaining about skeeters):









And remember a few months ago, I blogged about my aunt Beverly? This is her with her daughter Jennifer. I got to see her this weekend at Jen's shower.

The story I'm writing has been told before. I knew that when I started it. Special Forces soldier meets the mistress of a drug cartel, falls for her despite what he knows about her, helps her escape through the jungle. It's been told a lot, actually, and that gave me pause. But I'm writing it anyway because my hero is pretty darn compelling.

After I wrote Hot Shot, every time I'd see a book about smokejumpers or Hot Shots, I'd have a mini-freakout. That was MY story, MY idea. Duh, Mary! I knew there is nothing new under the sun but still. My Africa story is different, even though Suzanne Brockmann also did an African story (Max and Gina's book), my archaeology story is different. But this one isn't too different but I'm writing it anyway.

I had an idea for a paranormal last week. I emailed Trish about it. I was reading Forbidden Territory yesterday (thanks, Paula, I'm all bleary eyed this morning and STILL can't sleep) and boom. There was my idea. Not in this book, but I suspect in a future book. Well, darn. I thought I was being all different again.

Will I write it anyway? Who knows? Not like I don't have a ton of ideas (including one about crashing on a deserted island --- where have I seen that one?) Maybe I will, depending on how compelled I am to write it.

What would you do?

The party was a smash. Everyone stayed till nearly 10! I have nothing on my plate today but a critique and some writing, a walk and cleaning the bathrooms. I don't even have to cook dinner because we have leftovers! I can live with that.

I got 15 pages on Monday.

Yesterday, I tried to write a working synopsis, realized I had no idea. I revised 20 pages, which I guess is something, but nothing compared to what I wanted to do.

I was derailed by negativity.

There are different types of negativity. Some is bad news you hear from friends that has you worrying about them. I've had that for my mom for a bit, and two of my friends. It weighed me down yesterday.

Some is worrying about things you can't change. One of my email loops exploded yesterday (my fault) and I was just sick by the time I read all the emails. I wanted to read them, wanted to know what was going on, but at the same time, it's out of my control. I mean, I avoid negative blogs. I should know better.

I also have a Gerry movie on DVD sitting there by the couch. I can't watch it because it's about a woman with terminal cancer.

I admit I waited to read Paula's book because it's about a missing child.

So I'm pretty blue, and only a little bit has to do with the fact that my baby is 15 today.

Well, I would LOVE to know how many pages I did yesterday but I can't find the USB cord for the Alphasmart. I can find the one for the camera, the MP3 player and something else, but not for the AlphaSmart. Damn it.

I will try to get to Lane Bryant's this weekend - shipping for the bra is $7!!!

Stolen from Emma’s blog.
I’ve seen 88 of them! Wow, I watch a LOT of movies! They say if you've seen 80 or more you don't have a life...

Section 0: 4

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show

(X) Grease

(X) Pirates of the Caribbean (OWN)

( ) Boondock Saints

() The Mexican

( ) Fight Club

(X ) Starsky and Hutch (OWN)

() Neverending Story

() Blazing Saddles

() Airplane

Section 1: 4

(X) The Princess Bride (OWN)
(X) Young Frankenstein

( ) AnchorMan: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

() Napoleon Dynamite (not all of it, anyway) (OWN)

( ) Saw

(X ) White Noise

( ) White Oleander

( ) Anger Management

( X) 50 First Dates

( ) Jason X

Section 2: 2

(X) Scream

() Scream 2

() Scream 3

( ) Scary Movie

( ) Scary Movie 2

( ) Scary Movie 3

() American Pie

() American Pie 2

( ) American Wedding

(X) Harry Potter (OWN)

Section 3: 8

(X) Harry Potter 2 (OWN)

(X) Harry Potter 3 (OWN)

(X) Harry Potter 4 (OWN)

(X) Resident Evil

( ) Resident Evil 2

(X) The Wedding Singer

( X) Little Black Book

(X ) The Village

( ) Donnie Darko

(X) Lilo & Stitch

Section 4: 6

(X) Finding Nemo

( ) Finding Neverland (though I have it, just sitting here) (OWN)

(X ) 13 Ghosts

( X) Signs (OWN)

( X) The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (OWN)

( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre

( ) White Chicks

( ) Butterfly Effect

(X ) Thirteen Going on 30 (OWN)

( X) I, Robot (OWN)

Section 5: 6

(X) Dodgeball

( X) Universal Soldier

(X) A Series Of Unfortunate Events

(X ) Along Came Polly

(X) Deep Impact

( ) KingPin

(X) Never Been Kissed

() Meet The Parents

( ) Meet the Fockers

( ) Eight Crazy Nights

Section 6: 3

() A Cinderella Story

( X) The Terminal

() the Lizzie McGuire Movie

( ) Passport to Paris

()Dumb & Dumber

( ) Dumb & Dumberer

() Final Destination

() Final Destination 2

( X)Halloween

(X) The Ring

Section 7: 7

( ) The Ring 2

() Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

(X) Practical magic

(X) Chicago (OWN)

( X) Ghost Ship

( X) From Hell

( X) Hellboy

( X) Secret Window

( ) I Am Sam

(X ) The Whole Nine Yards (to my chagrin)

Section 8: 6

(X) The Day After Tomorrow

( ) Child’s Play

( ) Bride of Chucky

(X) Ten Things I Hate About You

( ) Just Married

( ) Gothika

(X ) Nightmare on Elm Street

(X) Sixteen Candles

(X ) Coach Carter

(X ) Bad Boys

section 9: 8

( X) Bad Boys 2

( ) Joy Ride

(X) se7en (UGH)

(X) Ocean’s eleven

(X) Ocean’s Twelve

( X) Identity (OWN)

( X) Lone Star

() Bedazzled

(X)Predator I

(X ) Predator II

Section 10: 5

(X) Independence Day (OWN)

( ) Cujo

( ) A Bronx Tale

( ) Darkness Falls

(X ) Christine

(X) ET

(X ) Children of the Corn

( ) My Boss’ daughter

(X) Maid in Manhattan

( ) Frailty

Section 11: 7

( ) Best Bet

(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

() She’s All That

( X) Calendar Girls (OWN)

( ) Sideways

(X) Mars Attacks

( X) Event Horizon

(X) Ever After

(X) Forrest Gump (OWN)

(X) Big Trouble in Little China (OWN)

Section 12: 7

(X) X-Men (OWN)

(X) X-2 (OWN)

( X) Jeepers Creepers

( ) Jeepers Creepers 2

(X ) Catch Me If You Can

( X) The Others (OWN)

( X) Freaky Friday

(X) Reign of Fire (OWN)

( ) Cruel Intentions

( ) The Hot Chick

Section 13: 3

( ) Swimfan

( ) Miracle

( ) Old School

( ) The Notebook

( ) K-Pax

(X) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (OWN)

(X) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (OWN)

(X ) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (OWN)

() Walk to Remember

( ) Boogeyman

Section 14: 8

(X ) Hitch (OWN)

(X) The Fifth Element (OWN)

(X) Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace (OWN)

(X) Star Wars Episode II Attack of The Clones (OWN)

(X ) Star Wars Episode III Revenge of The Sith (OWN)

(X)Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (OWN)

(X) Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (OWN)

(X) Star Wars Episode VI Return of The Jedi (OWN)

() Troop Beverly Hills

( ) Swimming with Sharks

Section 15: 4

() Empire Records

( ) SLC Punk

(X ) Meet Joe Black

( X) Nightmare Before Christmas

(X) The Silence of the Lambs

( X) Sleepy Hollow

( ) I Heart Huckabees

( ) 24 Hour Party People

( ) Blood In Blood Out

( ) The Virgin Suicides

( ) Battle Royale

My summer is half over. 5 more weeks to go, and one of those weeks is National. I can't believe it. Last week was just a waste - two days of dr visits, one UTI infection, two days of shopping and one holiday. This week, I just have The Boy's birthday (HOW can he be 15 already??? HOW???)

So I'm buckling down. I'm going to restart Alex's story. Some stuff I'll keep, but some stuff needs more focus. I'm going to have my butt in the chair in the back yard at 9, after I clean up the house and take a walk, which I haven't done in 10 days. I'm NOT going to play Scrabble unless I get 10 pages done. I'm NOT going to blog hop. I want 200 pages of this book done by National. That's 10 pages a day.

Let's see how I do.

Stolen from PlotMonkeys:



What do you want to get done before National?

Back to the bra issue --- you know, the one with the clear straps. My SIL told me Lane Bryant has them, so I looked. $34. I've never paid that much for a bra. Do you think it's worth it?

I had the most vivid dream about National this morning and so I got up and started planning. Okay, I already kind of know what I'm wearing, and I have a kind of sketchy outline of what I'm doing when....workshop, editor appt, agent meeting, GH stuff....

I am so going to need to buy the workshop CDs because I'll hardly make any of them!

So before I stress further, this is what I'm looking forward to at National:

1) seeing my buddies that I only ever see once a year, IF that often! (I almost wish I had a clone, though, because, well, I know a LOT of people)

2) the literacy signing - I know I have more books than I know what to do with, but I love meeting authors and browsing books and running into old friends. I already have a list of books I want to buy.

3) the Moonlight Madness - I'm a freak for writer t-shirts. Trish J made fun of me in NYC for walking around with my wallet out, ready to BUY BUY BUY!!!

4) meeting my agent face to face, although this is also nerve-wracking

5) getting dressed up for the GH awards! Something else I only do once a year, if that often

6) The drive - I love road trips. Love them. Weird, I know.

Dang, you know, there were more things, but now I can't think of any. What are you looking forward to at National?

Swiped from Marianne, who swiped from Tori

Ten Elements or Words I Always Use in My Stories (well, mostly - I've written 17!)

1. My characters always realize they’re tired when they can’t control their lusting. I.E. “He must be more tired than he thought to let his desires run loose,” or some such. Trish pointed this out to me in one book and I found it in two others!

2. My characters are always outside. I do not like to be outside. Because of this, they are always wiping the sweat out of their eyes, usually with their shoulders.

3. At least one of my characters is an only child. And the parents are usually not a part of the book.

4. There’s almost always a Land Cruiser in my books. I love Land Cruisers. If not a Land Cruiser, a Toyota of some kind.

5. My hero and heroine tend to work toward the same end rather than against each other. So I have to make the internal conflict strong enough. Ask me how that’s working out ;)

6. I have a lot of black moments in hospital scenes.

7. My heroines always have long hair and my heroes always have short hair.

8. I almost always come up with the hero first…except twice.

9. I have…four books where the characters have a past. No, five. Two divorced couples, one best friends, two where he rescued her in the past.

10. My characters blink in surprise. A lot.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought I'd found the Perfect Bra for GH night - it had clear straps! It was made by Lily of France and it was called a Strappie. Dang if they don't have them in my size!

I read The Pregnancy Test yesterday. In one day. Okay, it's 250 pages, but I was even reading it during commercials of Grey's Anatomy. Y'all know how I love Grey's Anatomy, even when I own the episode on DVD.

ANYWAY, this book, like Dee's book, makes me remember why I love to read romance. You have the heroine whose life is turned upside down by a stick that turns pink. You have a hero who has shut himself off from emotions and has earned himself the name of Demon Sharpton. He hires her as his secretary (and I don't usually like boss/secretary romances). They intrigue each other with email and instant message, because she's hiding her pregnancy from him, fearing he wouldn't hire her because of it. And you have a working vacation to the Caribbean, where both of them agree their affair must stay.

Their longing for each other was so poignant, especially Damien, who was so afraid to FEEL anything, and here he's falling for a pregnant woman. That first love scene was just amazing as he tries to hang onto control for those reasons.

This was a Brava book, so a little hotter than I was used to, but so well done. I was curious about how Brava would do a pregnant heroine, but through the course of the book, she isn't more than 5 months along. I don't remember feeling that sexy, though ;) It WAS a long time ago!

Now, to decide what to read next.

The 2006 Emmy Nominees - Zap2it

Yay, Grey's! But where's Lost?

I was watching Letterman last night. It was a rerun with Halle Berry. She was talking about her bad luck with men and she turned to Dave and said, "What do men want?"

I sat up and stared. She is HALLE BERRY, gorgeous, successful, and she doesn't think being herself is enough? She's willing to change who she is because she can't get a man?

Is it my age that causes this reaction? Will she understand what it is she said when she's forty?

You've got to love women who say, screw that, THIS is who I am.

Don't you wish you could pass that on to the young girls coming up, who will do anything to get a guy? Don't you wish you could go back in time with that attitude? I would probably be a different person. I definitely wouldn't be with my husband, because I molded myself to him. (I was 17, for heaven's sake!) But I wonder what kind of life I would have had if having someone to love hadn't been such a huge focus of my life.

It just seems wrong to put a hunky picture up today ;)

BTW, the book I'm reading? The Pregnancy Test? Pretty awesome!

My dad just sent me this!

You know exactly how to get to the Ghost Tracks from anywhere in town. (Er, no. Trish, I think we were near them on the Mission Trail, though.)

You think pro-choice means flour or corn tortillas. (LOL, yes!)

You've never been to the Alamo. (I LOVE going to the Alamo!)

You think a health drink is a margarita without salt. (LOL, yes!)

You think being able to read the Taco Cabana menu makes you bilingual. (LOL, yes!)

You used to live in a neighborhood you wouldn't even drive through now. (LOL, yes!)

There has been a road crew on your street since before the Alamodome was built. (The highways, anyway)

You remember when Crossroads Mall used to be called Wonderland. (Yes)

You've been to Midget Mansion and the Fat Farm. (No)

You know all about the Dancing Diablo and the Donkey Lady bridge. (yes)

You know that Wheatley and Brackenridge is the same school. (no)

You remember the Captain Gus show. (yes)

You have three rodeo outfits but never have been on a horse. (used to)

You are an expert with the brake pedal, but you have no idea what a blinker is. (HA!)

Your idea of culture is wearing a Hard Rock T-shirt. (uhhh, yes.)

You think the last supper was at Mi Tierra. (LOL!)

You think local politicians are crooks, but you still do not vote. (NO!!)

You have a 'Selena Lives' bumper sticker on your car. (No, but I remember clearly the day she died.)

You care if San Antonio is in the national spotlight. (You bet! Number 7, baby!)

A formal occasion is getting a glass with your longneck. (LOL, yes!)

You believe tacos, barbecue, tequila, and beer are the four basic food groups. (They aren't?)

Your white mother learned how to make tamales & menudo from your neighbors. (How about flour tortillas and chicken mole?)

You know the real definition of Fiesta is 'stay home if at all possible.' (NO KIDDING!)

You have ordered Mexican food at a Chinese restaurant. (Yeah, The Maverick Cafe!)

You had breakfast tacos at Taco Cabana on Christmas morning. (It's the only place open, and I don't cook breakfast!)

You remember the Joske's Christmas display. (Yep)

You remember when JC Penney's had a restaurant. (Nope)

You remember hamburgers from Whopper Burger. (Vaguely)

Your elementary school field trip was to the ButterKrust Bakery. (SEVERAL times - and they'd give you a fresh piece of bread at the end. And a pencil.)

You complain about how cold it is when the temperature dips below 70. (Almost - hey, I had goosebumps last week sitting on the patio, and it was in the 60s!)

Your cholesterol is over 300. (LOL, probably!)

You had a birthday party at Kiddie Park. (No, but I went there a lot.)

You have had nightmares about the giant cowboy boots in front of North Star Mall. (LOL)

You own an album by, have seen or are even aware of any of the following bands: 'Moxy', 'Legs Diamond', 'Trapeze', 'Garfield' and especially 'Ozz Knozz' or 'Heyoka.' (Legs Diamond - didn't see them but heard about them all the time on the local radio!)

You know what people are talking about when they refer to the 'hey-she-b.' (H.E.B) (Or the HEEB.)

Your idea of a tropical vacation getaway is Port Aransas. (Or Padre)

You get defensive when your friends from Austin talk about the great show they saw last night. (Uh, yeah. No one comes here.)

You party with your cousin more than twice a week. (LOL, no, my cousins are way younger.)

You call any convenience store 'icehouse.' (Doesn't everyone?)

You have only seen snow once in your life and it was twenty years ago. (Yep. Have pictures.)

You think a flash-flood warning means 'go drive through a low water crossing.' (No kidding!)

You think the exit ramp is your own personal lauch pad. (LOL - yeah!)

You get annoyed when tourists ask for 'fa-jite-as.' (LOL - yeah!)

You could care less about the Rodeo but never miss the Cowboy Breakfast. (I've never been...maybe next year!)

You don't have to look at the menu when you order at Bill Miller. (LOL - yeah!)

You have never, ever called this city 'San Antone.' (True, true!)

Last night we drove home from our Fourth of July celebration in torrential rain. I mean, when we drove out there at 6, no rain. When we drove back in at 8, the access roads in New Braunfels were closed. 8 inches, the news said. In 2 hours. The Guadalupe River, which has been sluggish because of the drought, is expected to reach flood stage this morning. Welcome to Texas.

I finished the book Saving Cascadia yesterday. I got it because it was about a pending earthquake in the Northwest region of the US. While I was reading it, I was thinking about how to write a natural disaster book. They're hard, and yet they fascinate me.

In Saving Cascadia, the hero was a seismologist, and he was recording these microquakes in a fault line. When he found the cause of the microquakes, he tried to shut down what was causing them to prevent The Big One.

Now, really, how many natural disasters is someone able to stop?

And as a reader, do you really expect the protagonist to be able to stop the disaster?

Does that make natural disaster books harder to write? You know they can't defeat the antagonist? Is saving everyone's life enough?

I have ideas for natural disaster books, but coming up with a good solid story around a tornado chaser or a hurricane hunter is not easy. I mean, tornados are over so quickly, and unless you do something like Twister, where it's a series of storms, that will be one short book.

Maybe I'll just stick to watching disaster movies....

Mary Beth wrote this on her blog, and I thought it was a fun thing to think about. (I'm a shameful thief this week - blame it on a bad bad bad weekend.)



What made me a writer?

Reading my collection of Trixie Belden books until they literally fell to pieces? The ones I hauled with me to California on a road trip, and my dad had a hissy because they were all over the car (I didn’t have nearly as many totes in those days.)

Writing poems when I was eight, copying them over and over and illustrating them to give as gifts to my family? As I recall, I wrote a poem for every holiday. I wish I could remember the Fourth of July one ;) When we were going through my grandmother’s stuff after she died, we found a copy of the book. It was on newsprint, for heaven’s sake!

Memorizing the poem about the fog rolling in on cat’s feet?

My grandmother buying me every Harlequin romance with a horse on the cover (usually Janet Dailey – sorry, Nora) and subscribing me to every horse book club there was.

Seeing Grease and One on One in the same summer and writing a story with elements of both, and handing it to my stepmother to read on that same road trip?

Was it sitting in a motor home out near Eagle Pass and pouring desires I barely understood into a story about a rodeo cowboy?

Was it Mrs. Pollack and Mrs. Stephens who helped me with writing, encouraged me, even sponsored a creative writer’s club for me and other writers in high school?

Or Joey … I want to say Temporelli … sitting with me in Mrs. Pollack’s class, reading my descriptive paragraph (of Charlie Waters, remember that poster?) and saying I was a really good writer.

Writing serials with my buddy Kirsten about our group’s adventures with rock stars.





Then I started reading romance, after I got out of college. Karen Robards was my first, and I devoured her books, then moved to Catherine Coulter. I remember one of her old old books where the hero had tawny eyes. It was such a cool description at the time. Back then, the heroes and heroines were separated for long periods of time, remember? I moved on, and on, and on, and was just ravenous for these books, for the happy endings, for falling in love.

I wrote in spirals when I was working at the drug store, on the back of sales fliers, on anything I could lay my hands on, but I never finished a book.

And then I did. And another one. And like Mary Beth, I found my chapter, with people like me. It’s hard to remember what it was like before I knew people with stories in their heads. I hardly remember what it was like to not have email loops and message boards of people who wanted the same thing I did.

What made you a writer?



Happy Fourth!!!

The Deadline Hellions were talking about this last week. What is the most pages you've written in one day?

I know JoAnn and Michele have both written over 100 pages in a week - JoAnn because the book was requested and Michele to finish her book before the Christmas party, where she won over $100 in our Invest in Yourself drawing.

What I want to know is, what's the most you've written in a day?

Why did you put yourself under that pressure?

Was it any good?

How did the rest of your writing week go? Did you use up all your mojo?

I think my best has been 27, during a book in a week challenge, and frankly, I don't remember if I even kept it.

Okay, off to the dr....no, not THIS doctor.

I’m writing two chiefs right now – well, writing one, revising one. One of them is a born chief, has taken command from the cradle. The other has chosen chiefhood, has taken command of his life after an out-of-control childhood.

Both of them

Seize control
Eye on the prize
Expect to be followed without question
Active
Dynamic
Strong-willed
Need to fix problems
Relish overcoming obstacles
Have the motto: do something or get out of the way
Fiercely protective
Rarely take time from goals to bond with others
Independence vital
Goal oriented
Decisive
Responsible – always finish what he starts
Stubborn – refuse to admit cause is lost
Unsympathetic – unsentimental and impatient
Dominating – need to be right, irritated when decisions are not made right away, believes he’s going in the right direction
Always need to control environment, set goals and moved forward, achievement his top priority, no one stood in his way.
Would rather lead than communicate, didn’t like being taken away from goals, took opportunities presented to him.
Loss of control scares him
No trouble telling people what to do, thrives in his job

My born chief

Was never a rule breaker.
Naturally assumes mantle of control, getting the job done is his right and a privilege
well liked but few friends
Conservative, part of establishment, proud.

My made chief

bullies people into following him
responsibility was his at an early age
Not cowed by heavy load placed upon him, it’s all he ever wanted, his priority
realist
figured out the system
When challenged, he exhibits disbelief and then a ruthless anger, never admits he might lose the battle.

As you can see, a big issue for these guys is control. (I could so never be married to one. I’m the chief over here. So why do I write them? They just come out that way.) As I was merrily writing the synopsis for my born-chief story, I realized the big issue between him and the heroine is control. He has it, and when he exhibits it, he reminds her of her father, who controls his wife down to what she eats and wears. My heroine has vowed never to be controlled like that. Worse, they’ve spent the entire book looking for a woman who ran away from her marriage because she was abused.

So my big problem is … how can he show my heroine that he’s not going to control their relationship?

EDITED TO ADD: Over breakfast, I realized that whatever Danny gives up control of has to be something that he needed to have control of throughout the story. Once I figure out what that is, I think I'll have a good emotional ending.

Other than that, and the romance, the synopsis is good. 10 handwritten pages, but good.

What hero types do you write? Heroines?

Toward the end of the season of Grey's Anatomy, I would say, before each episode, "I hope this isn't the one where Denny dies." And when he did, I cried for an hour. Solid. My dh said, "You KNEW he was going to die. It makes sense that he died. He was a secondary character. You never knew anything about him." I said, "All I needed to know was that he LOVED IZZY - that was enough."

So was I crying for Denny or for Izzy? Who did I know better? All I knew about Denny was that he was well-off, he'd been healthy, he was 36 and he had been waiting for a heart for a long time. He hated being sick. And he loved Izzy. So, point for the dh. I didn't know much about Denny, but I cried like a baby when he died.

How do you make a secondary character that powerful? Strong enough of a character that the reader cries when he dies? Is it bringing him to life through your hero or heroine's eyes? Showing their sympathies for this secondary character that makes the reader have sympathy for him?

I don't write a lot of secondary characters. I like having my hero and heroine running through the jungle or up a mountain or stranded in Antarctica. Having too many people on a page gets distracting for me. I was reading a book not long ago where there were SO MANY PEOPLE. I could not keep them straight. Clearly it was part of a series, but man! And I was talking to a USA Today bestselling author last week (ahem!), she was talking about writing an ensemble book and that she had to cram so much into it. Heck, I have trouble with just the h/h!

Have you written a secondary character that tried to steal the show, that you fell in love with, that you maybe killed and then regretted it? How did you make them someone to care about?

Oh, Trish, I know you say he does nothing for you but check this out!

My friend and fellow WNPer Priscilla Kissinger is in town for a family reunion and we hooked up for dinner and karaoke.

Here's Pris.



Here's me, open mouth and everything. Thanks, honey!



Me and Pris - I don't know what's up with the hand.



Here's Pris's sister Jackie. Can you tell?



My son and Pris's daughters.

Tracy started this one, from Entertainment Weekly.

1. My American Idol audition song would be: 10,000 Maniacs “These Are the Days.”

2. If my life were a drinking game, everyone would do a shot when ... someone talked about guitar equipment

3. The Rat Packer I most identify with is: a) Frank Sinatra b) Sammy Davis Jr. c) Dean Martin d) Peter Lawford
Dean Martin. Apparently I was fixated on him as a child.

4. The first famous person I befriended: Pam Morsi. Did I mention she bought me lunch the other day? How cool is that?


5a. Choose one: A) Demi Moore in Ghost B) Demi Moore in Striptease

What about Demi in St. Elmo’s Fire? I loved her in that.

5b) Choose one: A) Transformers B) G.I. Joe

Transformers – the dh and I used to watch it before I’d go to work, back before we were married.

6) What was your first concert?

Journey, with Bryan Adams

7) Pick a Jessica: A) Alba B) Simpson C) Biel D) Tandy

LOL – Alba. She’s hot ;)

8) If I had to gain 30 pounds for a role, I would eat:

Chocolate cheesecake

9) The first R-rated movie I saw: Werewolf of London

10) You're stranded with your four favorite authors and you've run out of food. Who do you eat first?

Not Nora – too smoky….
Virginia Kantra did give Sean McNeill to the world
Karen Templeton is too funny
As is Jenny Crusie

It would have to be Virginia. Sorry, Virginia!

11) My porn name (childhood pet name + street you grew up on) is: Itsy Sunnyvale (now THERE’S a misnomer!)

Go. Do.

For Trish.

Ohhhkay.

Just got back from The Lake House which was all right. I cried. I loved Keanu's character - could really relate with the whole dad-issue thing. The overalll movie was pretty bleak, though, visually, and the characters were so alone. Sad. And WAY too many close-ups. Hello, these folks are over 40. Either back the camera up or use a filter, please, to preserve the fantasy!

Tuesday night the boy slept over at a friend's house, so we finally saw The Wedding Crashers. I don't like movies where people pretend to be someone they aren't, so this wasn't my cuppa, but the juxtaposition of the two lead characters was interesting and well done. Not a keeper for me, though.

Last night we watched The Pink Panther which was silly, of course, though I admit to laughing out loud a couple of times. Can't believe Clive Owen was in it, and Handsome Rob from The Italian Job. The French dude from DaVinci Code was a hilarious straightman, especially in camoflage. But Steve Martin....eh.

We also watched Failure to Launch, and for the first time since A Time to Kill, I get the Matthew McConaughey thing. Was he HOT or what? I loved the movie, from the structure to the secondary characters and plots, to the motifs. Really, really well done. (Even though she was pretending to be someone she wasn't.)

Two brave souls have stepped forward and volunteered to have their pitches critiqued! Let's give them 1) a round of applause and 2) some feedback!

First up is Sarah.

"Wild child architect Jacy McCormick needs to go straight to earn her promotion, but she gets teamed with straight-laced engineer Rick Champion who's looking to go a little wild."

Great use of conflict - maybe another sentence to tell us how it's resolved? What do you think?

Next is Kristi.

Her first got a request from Blaze (YAY!!!!):

" In a race across the California/Arizona desert, Kirby Jensen and Maxwell Shephard must learn to trust their hearts or risk losing everything."

The questions I'm wanting to know is why are they racing, and what can they lose? (Hey, it really IS easier looking at someone else's!)

Her second one is VERY intriguing!

"What happens when a keep-it-together girl gets wild and accidentally marries a party-all-the-time boy who has turned choir-boy good?"

Man, I want to know about this book - not necessarily in the blurb, though!!!

I had a question end one of my blurbs, as well. What do you guys think about the effectiveness of that format in an oral pitch?

Here's another go at DLB, which Sarah thought had too many pronouns (no kidding - EIGHT!):

Seven years ago, Gerard Delaney rescued Liv Olney from an African warlord and then he disappeared, living in exile after a court-martial strips him of his career. Now Liv's best friend is in the hands of that same warlord. Only one man can help her, the man who saved her. But she has to find him so they can return to the country that stripped so much away from them.

Okay, that's even MORE pronouns, but maybe clearer?

Oh, and I had to share with you what Sarah did for Hot Shot:

"Widowed reporter Peyton Michaels is looking for a hero, but not for the usual reasons. She needs to know what drives a man to become a hero, since her husband was killed in the line of duty. Despite his job as a wildfire fighter, Hot Shot Gabe Cooper doesn't think he's hero material, but he turns out to be the hero Peyton needs."

Great, huh?

Bring 'em, y'all!

Hm, no one is ready to send in their pitches, I guess. (I had 100 hits – I KNOW you’re out there! ;) )To be fair, I’ve known I was doing this for a week. (I still wrote the pitches last minute, though.)

But since no one sent in pitches (or comments on mine), I thought I would bring this bit back. I really wish I knew where I got it.

What makes your work stand out or be unique?

My work stands out because it’s more action adventure, in exotic locations. My characters travel from Africa to Central America to Antarctica.

What are your strengths?

My strengths are sexy heroes, exciting action, and characters that work together toward a larger goal. (Y’all, this is HARD. Maybe if I pulled out contest comments, that would be helpful.)

What risks are you taking?

Um, the exotic locations, maybe? I’m not sure. I would say different kinds of heroes, but that’s not altogether true.

Why do you believe in your story? How would you sell it? (Try
writing the back cover copy to answer these questions.)

Let me try it for DLB:

Ex-Ranger Gerard Delaney’s life was stripped away in the jungles of Africa. Now a woman who looks at him with “hero” in her eyes needs him to go back, to help her rescue her friend from his deadliest enemy. In return, she promises him a life he thought he’d lost.

Dr. Liv Olney feels responsible for her best friend’s danger, and knows Delaney is the only one who can help her – he’s the man who saved her life seven years ago. But traveling through the African jungles

Are there ways to “play with” story structure? Her examples largely related to POV, but her comment was broader.

I’m clueless on this – anyone know what this means?

What are the archetypes readers respond to? Why? Can you engraft those characteristics onto your hero and heroine? (She observed that “bride-baby-cowboy” is a perennially popular formula, but urged that writers use the emotional essence of these characters rather than repeating them.)

DLB: Del is a wounded warrior, Liv is a damaged crusader. Her crusades led her to the worst thing that ever happened to her, but she still tries.

Hot Shot: Gabe is a warrior, a man of action. Peyton is a – wow, I have no idea. Nothing clearly jumps out at me. I think she could be a spunky kid now, but in her past…. I don’t know.

Surface: Adrian is a chief, no question, with a touch of professor – which he is. Mallory is a librarian, with a streak of spunky kid.

Vanished: Danny is a chief and Gabrielle is a spunky kid. I actually worked that one out beforehand. Easy.

Alex (STILL need a title, though I got some pages in last night): Alex is a chief and Isabella is the unlikely combination of survivor and waif. Her actions are those of a survivor, while her motivations are that of a waif.

What is popular now in television and in the movies? She urged writers to see what’s selling and consider new lines being developed.

24 (I remember when Diana Duncan pitched a series about 4 brothers, and each book took place over 24 hours, each chapter was an hour. I loved the first one, enjoyed the second, and the third should be out soon) Lost, Pirates, superheroes, dramedies (Grey’s and Desperate Housewives) – what can you add?

What is the next popular trend?

Who knows? I honestly can’t think that way, though the recent rash of high concept articles I’ve run across are making me nervous. Maybe I need to look at my books differently.

Anyone ready to share a pitch? Comment on mine? I actually like the Surface one, but the Hot Shot and DLB ones are pretty lame.

Okay, if I give you another Gerry picture, will you come play with me?

I found one picture and my brother scanned it. These are the Guess jeans that cost me $60.



He just sent me this one. I think I was already in college, here. My dh (he wasn't THEN) took the picture at the McNay Art Institute, where he later gave me my engagement ring.

Okay, ladies, one month from today signals the first day of NATIONAL! In honor of this, I’ve planned a week-long “workshop” to help us perfect our “elevator pitches.” You know, when someone asks you what you write and you stumble all over yourself, like I did at the Emily conference? Well, we don’t want to do that!

So…I’ve asked some friends to submit pitches for critique, or as an example of a good pitch, and I want your feedback! And if you want to practice your pitch, send it to me, and I’ll put it up this week. If you want to send it anonymously, email it to me at mfechter @ gmail . com (without the spaces.)

Here are some articles to warm you up:

Ready, Aim…Pitch!

How to Pitch to an Agent/Editor

Alleviating the Symptoms of an Editor/Agent Pitch

Ready, Set, Pitch! (I really liked this one – give me fill in the blanks anyday!

Pitch Perfect

All agree you need to know what you write, how long it is, who you’re targeting.

They also agree the pitch needs to be no more than three sentences, and that clichés give a better picture in the short format. The articles suggest comparing your book to a movie or TV show, or better, comparing two pop culture events in a high concept.

I have no idea where these notes came from, but I came across them looking for the synopsis I wrote for Alex. Just know they’re not mine, and if I knew where to give credit, I would.

What makes your work stand out or be unique?

What are your strengths?

What risks are you taking?

Why do you believe in your story? How would you sell it? (Try
writing the back cover copy to answer these questions.)

Are there ways to “play with” story structure? Her examples largely related to POV, but her comment was broader.

What are the archetypes readers respond to? Why? Can you engraft those characteristics onto your hero and heroine? (She observed that “bride-baby-cowboy” is a perennially popular formula, but urged that writers use the emotional essence of these characters rather than repeating them.)

What is popular now in television and in the movies? She urged writers to see what’s selling and consider new lines being developed.

What is the next popular trend? (She observed that the H/S marketing dept has recently received feedback from 11,000 reader, but there was no consensus.)


Colleen Gleason mentions that you should have a short, one line pitch, and a longer but still concise version. She said it’s not only helpful for editors and agents, but once you’re published, readers.

Her one-liner high-concept pitch for The Rest Falls Away, coming in February 2007: Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Regency England.

The one-paragraph follow-up when they want to know more: Victoria Gardella learns that her family legacy is that of vampire hunters, and she's the one chosen from her generation to bear this responsibility. Up until now, she's been interested in beaux and balls, dance cards and gowns...but now her biggest problem is how is she going to get out on the streets at night--and where is she going to hide her stake?

Janet Mullany shared her pitch for her erotic novella based on Jane Eyre: "What if it was Mr. Rochester who was imprisoned in the attic?"

Cool, huh?

And she shared this, the infamous Wizard of Oz pitch, allegedly from TV Times:

"A woman visiting a strange land kills the first person she meets and joins three strangers to kill again."

Hmm, doesn’t have the same tone as the movie, huh?

Wow, this is long! Hope y'all are still with me!

So, I’m going to develop pitches for 5 of my stories: Hot Shot, Surface, DLB, Vanished and Alex (which I REALLY need a title for. I know it’s not done, but I have had editors ask me, “What are you working on now?”)

Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Hot Shot:

Peyton Michaels is a reporter who needs what makes a man want to be a hero after the death of her husband in the line of duty. She’s found the perfect subject in Hot Shot Gabe Cooper, who’s just a man doing a job. She has to show him how special he is, and he has to make her believe in herself so she can live again.

(Sappy, sappy, sappy!) The theme is expectations, I just realized yesterday when writing the synopsis. Hello, I’ve been working on this book 6 years and I just saw that??)

Don’t Look Back:

Seven years ago, Gerard Delaney rescued Liv Olney from an African warlord and then he disappeared, living in exile after a court-martial strips him of his career. Now she has to find him so the two of them can return to the country that stripped so much away from them to rescue her best friend, in the hands of the same warlord.

Beneath the Surface:

(Can you believe I forgot their last name? I had to go look it up. Dang!) Archaeologist Adrian Reeves has found something important in the Caribbean off the coast of Central America. The only person he trusts to help him is the woman who walked away from him two years ago, his wife, archaeologist and ancient language specialist Mallory Reeves. But Mallory is ready to move on with her life after their divorce, unwilling to play second fiddle to his work any longer. Can he convince her she still loves him, and the work they do together?

Vanished:

Tess McCartney and her young son have been missing for two months. Everyone gives up hope, except her twin brother Danny and her best friend Gabrielle. The two decide to work together despite their lifelong rivalry for Tess’s attention, and their need to be in control.

Alex (seriously, need a title!):

When woman-wary Ranger Chief Alex Shepard leads a team against a suspected terrorist’s compound in Central America, he comes up empty-handed, except for the sexy as hell woman who begs for his help, and wields a secret to make sure she gets it. Isabella Canales must get to her son in the United States, but she has to convince the handsome Ranger he can trust her – when he trusts no one else.

Okay, fire away!

I think I'm gonna need this.

What I’m learning about Microsoft Word as I’m revising (which yes, thank you, I finished this morning – on to the sucknopsis):



You can track changes. I’ve done this in critiquing, but never in my own work. You make the changes and it doesn’t save them as permanent till you accept the changes. I tried this because I wanted to tell my agent what pages I changed significantly so she wouldn’t have to read the Whole Thing again. It was pretty handy.

You can save different versions, and write a note to yourself in each. This would have been MUCH better than having HotShot0306, HotShot 0506, Hot Shot 0606, Hot Shot 062506….You get the picture.

How to make a page break, so when I change it from TNR to Courier, I don’t have to go back through to all the chapter endings and fix the pages.

You can compare documents. This would have been so handy Friday night when I was entering changes into 0606 instead of 062506.

There are so many other things I would like to know how to do. For example, how do you change the end quotes to go the right way after a dash?

What is the scrapbook and do I need it?

And I know Kris went to a workshop where the presenter showed them how to use footnotes or something, so you don’t have to search the document for references.

What do you know about Microsoft Word?

I was planning this post on the drive home from the grocery store, where I got some pretty good deals - $130 for 7 packages of meat, nail polish, sodas, milk, bread, lunches for me and the boy....

Then I had to unpack it and by the time I was done, the dh had taken over the computer, and then when I went to take pictures of my flowers, they kept coming out blurry and I'm HUNGRY and the dh keeps playing his stupid video game instead of going for lunch and....

Deep breath.

Seriously, my life is good. Yeah, I feel a little guilty about getting OPI nail polish instead of Revlon, but hey, it's not like we won't pay the bills for that extra $3. Heck, I can still even get my Big Mac for lunch IF MY HUSBAND EVER LEAVES TO GET IT. (Carb crashing here!)

My electric bill is $40 less than my mom's, and we keep it a lot cooler in our house. They have 2 refrigerators and a freezer, but we have 2 refrigerators. They do a lot more laundry - almost double what we do, but I have two guys that play guitar. And my house is bigger. But they have a pool. Anyway, $40 less this month. That's good.

I had a dream that my agent CAME TO MY HOUSE to give me more revisions, said the pacing was off. That's bad. But I have an agent. That's good.

I bought new plants yesterday. 5 plants for $23, including this, my new baby. Notice how it's pink inside?





And this, a mandevilla. I've never tried one of these before - we'll see how it does. We're hoping it will grow up the tree. It was $5 more at the grocery store than I paid for it, and the ones at the grocery store weren't that big. That's good.



My son sleeps in every day till at least 11. Which means I USUALLY have the computer guilt-free in the AM. That's good. (Except I usually sit out back in the AM....but my yard is pretty. That's good.)

Once I got my house clean this summer, it's been pretty easy to keep it clean. I'm already done with both bathrooms, my rooms for the day, except for the floors. That's good.

I have the world's best dog and some pretty interesting cats. That's good.

I have two dresses for the GH awards, shoes and nail polish. That's good.

I have a USUALLY supportive husband and son when they're not trying to get the computer. That's good.

I have incredibly supportive friends, both IRL and online. That's great.

I have less than a hundred pages to go on Hot Shot revisions. And it really is much better because of them. That's great.

And I have a BUNCH of eye candy in my photobucket account. That's great!

Texas Teacher Fighting for Job Over Topless Photos
Friday, June 16, 2006

AUSTIN, Texas — Until they found the topless photos, Austin High School officials considered Tamara Hoover an excellent art teacher with a knack for helping students find their creativity.

Now, she's fighting for her job.

The photos, which were posted on Flickr.com by her partner, depict Hoover in the shower, lifting weights, getting dressed, in bed and doing other routine activities.

Hoover said Friday the photos are art and makes no apologies.

"I'm an artist and I'm going to participate in the arts," Hoover said. "If that's not something they want me to do then I want to be told that. I don't feel as if I was doing anything that was beyond expectations."

Click here for the FOXNews.com Education Content Center

The school district said the photos were inappropriate and violate the "higher moral standard" expected of public school teachers. As she was escorted out of class last month she was told she's become an ineffective teacher.

The district wants to revoke her teaching certification, which would keep her out of Texas classrooms permanently. Hoover will appeal the ruling and is prepared to take the case to court, she said.

Hoover's abrupt dismissal highlights a new concern for employees: Your boss has Internet access, too.

"People don't realize when they put their entire diary out there, they're giving very private information to the public," said Kate Brooks, director of career services for liberal arts students at the University of Texas at Austin.

The photos came to light last month as a result of a feud over ceramics equipment with another art teacher, according to sworn affidavits. Students who had seen the pictures showed the teacher, who then notified school officials.

Austen Clements, one of Hoover's students, noted that many artists have nude pictures, including Georgia O'Keeffe.

"If Georgia O'Keeffe wanted to teach at Austin High, I don't think they'd say, 'No, you have nude pictures online,"' Clements said.

The school was attended by President Bush's daughters, Barbara and Jenna.

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We were flipping channels the other evening and MSNBC had this woman on. The prosecuting attorney was TEARING into her, I mean, really vitriolic, saying that Hoover was the one who showed the kids the pictures, even though Hoover hadn't done - some other teacher found out about it, pulled them up, then reported her.

I get the higher moral standard bit, but where does the line get drawn? Are my romance novels going to get me fired because there are love scenes in them? I mean, heck, Delilah Devlin is a teacher, and her books are erotic. Kendra Clark is a teacher and her books are erotic. Where is the line?

They want to pull this woman's teaching certificate! Her means of living.

What do you think?

I watched 8 Below last night - nice movie, SMART dogs, but if you know an iota about Antarctica, you'll be ripping the movie apart. Like how they FLEW to the continent in AUGUST in BROAD DAYLIGHT. Sheesh.



Still working on Hot Shot....

My mom was upset yesterday because my baby brother went to Starbucks in his Renaissance costume. Okay, weird, but he has friends who like to dress like that, so he wasn't the only one. Plus, all year long he has to wear a school uniform, so this is his individuality coming out.

When I was in school, it was New Wave.

When I was in high school (the 80s) one of the girls’ high schools would have dances every month. A group of us from the public high school would go because, well, we loved music and we loved dancing and my ex-boyfriend was DJ.
We’d get out of the car and people would know where we were from by the way we were dressed.
We were cool. Cora was tall and thin – 5 foot 10, and a size 5, at the most. She favored skinny jeans and ripped t-shirts, Dead Kennedys, Clash, PiL. I remember her spray-painting an anarchy t-shirt.
Kirsten was Belinda Carlisle-esque, and she favored short skirts, tights and v-necked shirts.
We all had those little suede elf boots – remember those? We all wore the same size, so each of us bought a different color and we swapped.
I sewed, and worked at a fabric store, so I had the biggest wardrobe. I would be inspired by videos, and when I’d see fabric, I’d buy it. I had a pink checkered mini, a -black plastic is the only way to describe it- mini, a yellow and black chckered shirt, one of those WHAM shirts in orange dayglo, a t-shirt dress that was yellow but I dyed hot pink, and a cotton trench coat to match, leopard print skirt and blouse, a couple of those knit Belinda Carlisle skirts. I had two polka dot dresses, paisley jeans and Guess jeans (which I used my very first income tax check to pay for - $60 even then!) I didn’t wear jeans much.
We had tights in every color, including yellow and olive drab. I loved my fishnet stockings.
But the most important to me was having sparklies. We would haunt the flea markets for antique rhinestone jewelry, and sometimes settle for imports.
I remember once I had this antique crystal necklace on, but no earrings to wear with it. My stepfather’s mother took two crystals off her chandelier and we fashioned earrings out of them. They were really heavy.
So were you a clotheshorse back in the day? What’s the most ridiculous thing you ever wore?
Yes, I really wish I had a scanner. I was THIN in those days!

I got shoes last night. My friend Denise had given me $20 to Foley’s, and since we were out exchanging some of Fred’s shirts, I decided to go look at the shoes. My MIL found them on the clearance rack for $19, so I paid 51 cents. Price was right. And I would probably be really happy with them if I hadn’t found some SHOES. Oh, they were gorgeous, and on sale for $80 (I am WAY too frugal for that, and my MIL would have had a heart attack on the spot) but my lovely husband offered to buy them for me. I turned him down, but they were GORGEOUS!

These are NOT my shoes.



Neither are these (though the ones I saw were silver and not Jimmy Choos.



So, yeah, I settled, but I'm okay with that.

Guess what I'm working on....again? But I think this could be it, and it's already so much better.