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

Write or Die

Here's my second hour:

	1003
41
lab.drwicked.com

Third hour:

	1050
40
lab.drwicked.com

After my nap:

	1004
33
lab.drwicked.com

After dinner:

	1439
48
lab.drwicked.com

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

	1059
39
lab.drwicked.com

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

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I picked up the ds from school around 5:30 and he drove home after we got dinner (Church's). We were turning into the neighborhood, having assessed the oncoming vehicle was far enough back. And the car in front of us STOPS in the middle of the road to CHAT with the person in the car coming the opposite way! We're hanging in oncoming traffic! I told the ds that THAT was when you use your horn. Yeesh.

So, yeah, I didn't even sit down to write until 7. I'd been home about 20 minutes when the ds called me to get him, since yesterday was tutoring and my last student was picked up 15 minutes late. And then, well, it was Thursday, so I watched The Office and then switched over to Grey's. I had NO idea JDM would be on again! And talking this time! I am so buying this season on DVD. AND he'll be on again for a long-awaited love scene with Izzy.

Only on SPN, we'll have part 2 of last night's episode, and Dean will have a romantic scene with the angel whisperer. And, you know, Supernatural and good vs evil and all that.

I think I'll have to Tivo Grey's and watch SPN. I did lose audio for about 8 minutes on last night's episode of SPN. Was not happy.

Oh, also there's a new Watchmen trailer! Woot!

So anyway, not a lot of writing yesterday. 179 of the words were during lunch, though, and I did delete some stuff, which you aren't supposed to do, but if I can still meet my goal while doing it, why not just make it cleaner? I should be able to get some catching up done today.

Today I'm all over the place. I'm at Samhain at 9 AM and Trish interviewed me about my latest release, Bull by the Horns. Come say hey!

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I wish! But I did take off part of tomorrow. These last three weeks have been too stressful (we won't talk about the NEW paperwork they're now requiring us to do at school.)

Dinner last night was nice and thank goodness my cp drove because I hate driving downtown. I didn't drink because I didn't want to mess up my sleep (sleep=sacred) but I still didn't sleep well.

And I'm starting to get twitchy. I have several submissions out and I want to hear back so I can move forward (okay, what I'll do differently, I don't know. I just want to hear.)

Don't Look Back is at Silhouette Romantic Suspense. 13 months now, 2 since she said she was reading it. I'm scared to email her because when I pushed on Hot Shot I got an email rejection. But I can't send in Breaking Daylight until I hear from that one.

STTA is with Dorchester since June.

Surface is with Sourcebooks since September (I know...so long! Just feels like it, I guess)

My short story has been with TWRP since the beginning of October. It was recommended to the senior editor that she buy it. Again, soooo long ;)

And 2 contests I entered are announcing their results in a few weeks.

Are you patient when it comes to submissions?

Woot, Supernatural tonight!

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I'm blogging at Simply Romance Reviews today, about writing challenges, and how I turned one into a book.

Yesterday I understood why some animals eat their young. I came home to a disaster area of a house (I haven't been home for a stretch to clean, and when I am home, I'm either zonked or writing) to find my son was taping a project for school, with a girl from his class.

Taping, as in something people will see. My house, which is a disaster area. I called my mom to see how attached she was to her only grandchild.

Let me explain my house. You walk in the front door and immediately to your left is the kitchen, which opens into the living room and the rest of the house by a breakfast bar, maybe 6 feet long. This breakfast bar is a catch-all. My son puts his school duffel here, the dh charges his laptop, I have the pink laptop here in the hopes that the dh will call the repair guy back. We have sympathy cards (what do you do with those? Send thank you notes?), Renea's mail, the costume jewelry the dh got the last time he was over there, the clock that broke yesterday, a bag of doggie treats, CDs from the library, my book bags, the newspaper from Wednesday, the soaps I bought at the crafts show, a package of baking potatoes....a mess. And who knows the last time I swept? And with 5 cats and a dog, you kinda gotta do that.

I went to the grocery store TWICE yesterday, once before school because we're out of bread and Tylenol, and once after school because we're out of milk. I should have just bought one of everything, because I got home and saw we're almost out of dishwasher detergent and we ARE out of salsa and lemon pepper. How long after kids get their license do they get tired of going to the grocery store for you?

And then I notice the hamper is full! I just DID laundry!

My principal gives us early-out tickets for different things (remember when I had to race Cindi's husband?) and I wish I could use one today and one Friday. Since I have to split up my class, I don't think they'll let me do it twice in one week, but I'm feeling hammered.

Not too hammered to watch Hellboy 2 last night, though, while I wrote (though not too many words). GOOD movie. Tonight I'm going to dinner with some other writer friends downtown. I'm nervous about driving at night, though. I thought about carpooling, but I want to be able to leave when I want.

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This cat looks like my Napoleon, otherwise known as Jerk Cat.

Anyway, I barely survived my speech last night. The Latino Writer Society was VERY gracious and wonderful, but I was SO nervous. I stammered and stuttered my way through the talk, and went on tangents...oh, dear. I won't put myself or anyone else through that again. I did get some gorgeous roses and a B&N gift card, which was awesome! Now....what to buy? One of my cps has a new book out this week, Baring Arms. Maybe I'll wait and use it for that.

I am caught up on my Nano goals. I wanted 19000 words by yesterday and I ended up with 19038. I didn't go to lunch with the other teachers, then came home, wrote my blog for Simply Romance Reviews, reached my goal, made dinner and got dressed. At least tonight I'm home after tutoring. I want to get Hellboy on the way home, though. My hero and heroine are stuck in the middle of a battle for the fort-not sure how I'm going to get them out of this one.

On the Mama Kitty front, she and Skippy are currently less than 3 feet from each other on the couch. Progress. I bought her her own litter box, and she feels she must scratch approximately 500 times. Apparently I have OCD kitty.

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Mom, Baby Brother and I went to the arts and crafts fair at Jared Padalecki's old school yesterday. There weren't nearly as many booths as usual, and hardly any people. I hate that, because you end up buying something you don't need/want because you feel bad for the people at the booth.

There was a LOT of jewelry, and I bought a set for Cindi. I bought some handmade soap because the dh likes it (and it smells gooooood) and some soup mixes. I got Cindi's daughter a little Dora purse and a crocheted hat for her birthday (on Thanksgiving) and a crocheted scarf, though I make those like a crazy lady.

Being there made me realize how much I loved to do all that stuff, the crafting, the putting pieces together. I never tried the jewelry making, but I like to crochet. I loved making cross stitch pictures, decorating daily items with personal touches, like fabric or crochet or cross stitch. I liked making pins and ornaments. Whenever there was a new craft, I tried it. I was a regular at Michael's, and I love Hobby Lobby and the new JoAnn Fabrics. I always feel energized.

Now, if only I had eight arms and an extra 12 hours in the day.....

Do you craft? What do you like to do?

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Or, the week I wondered why I said yes....I'm such a chicken.

1) Speak at the Latino Writer Society-GAH!!!!! I won't be able to relax all weekend
2) Meet a couple of long distance friends for dinner
3) Get to 30,000 words in Nano.
4) Get accustomed to tutoring
5) Report cards due, so lots of grading
6) Get to library, where I have a BUNCH of stuff on hold
7) Keep up house

Here's a scene from this week's SPN...just so lovely.

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I have over 100 emails in my inbox and almost 200 posts on my Google Reader. I came home from work yesterday and slept until 6. I have critique today and maybe going to an arts and crafts show with my mom on Sunday and I'm talking at the Latino Writers meeting on Monday night (after inservice). I don't know if I can catch up :(

I am mostly caught up on grading, though. I do need to figure out what centers to do for next week.

I did think of something. I never was drawn to Sammy before, when he was the white hat, when he was the goody goody. Now that he's a more shade-of-gray guy, I find him attractive. That and the lean face.... :)

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Man, will there be a lot of red on the graph today. I think I wrote 300 words. I can't look. I wanted to take an early out, come home, sleep, then get up and write. I can't take the early out, but I think I'll still nap, then get up and write. Hey, after 3 late nights, I deserve to leave as soon as the last kid is gone. I don't get much work done after that anyway.

Tutoring went well, though. I like working with small groups. I get to know the kids better, and that's always good. We went over word problems and operations and played a game. They loved it.

So, watched The Office (loved the end), then the back half of Grey's. JDM looked GOOD all looming and stuff. Then watched my Tivoed Supernatural. Interesting, again not a favorite, and the Tivo kept freezing. PLEASE let it be the CW messing up an NOT the Tivo! (Speaking of technology the dh did call about my laptop but the guy hasn't called him back! GAH!)

Okay, half an hour to write before I get dressed. I'm off to work!

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My third late night at school in 6 school days....and today I start tutoring. I have a (sort of) plan, though. Hopefully that will make it less miserable.

This week we've see Journey to the Center of the Earth and Get Smart.

Journey to the Center of the Earth was defintely geared to kids, a lot like Zathura. Even the dinosaur was kid-friendly. Brendan Fraser was too pale, too. And for a movie about the center of the earth, it was very superficial. Could have been better.

Get Smart was good, many well-woven threads that I didn't see until they started coming together. I might have liked it better if I'd seen the show, or if I liked Steve Carrell more. Or if I wasn't so tired. I never get why people do flips over lasers in spy movies. The last hour was certainly action-packed, and better than the first hour.

Kung Fu Panda is next in the queue, then Hellboy 2, Jared's movie about Thomas Kinkade, The Christmas Cottage, Wall-E, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Hancock. That's a lot of movies during Nano.

Too much red on my graphs. Do not like!

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Have you seen this preview? I MUST SEE!!!



Google Docs confuses me. I've been doing my Nano book on there because I HOPE to get MY laptop back soon, and it would be simpler to transfer, but it's counting my words wrong! Monday night I went to bed with 8025 words and woke up with 8300! (Okay, cool, but...) and then after typing in a bit more I had 8600, but I hadn't written 300 words! The weird thing is that it's one count on the dh's laptop and another on the laptop I've been borrowing. Strange, huh?

Okay, I'm cooking along so far, but I need music! I thought maybe a soundtrack from a western, but I haven't heard any I like on iTunes. I tried Appaloosa, 3:10 to Yuma and Unforgiven. Trish suggested Into the West, but it's not on iTunes. I have Hidalgo. Maybe I'll try Young Guns.

Any suggestions?

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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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Usually I don't feel the need to have a title when I'm writing. For example, Spy Girl still doesn't have a title. But at least it had a working title....this one is just "Texas Historical."

So since I'm terrible at titles, I hoped you could help me out. The book is set on the Texas Frontier in 1825, just as Stephen F. Austin is settling between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers with the Old 300 (the first families of Texas, from which I am supposedly descended.) My heroine, Kit, is in a fort between Indian territory and the Austin Colony. She's there with her MIL and younger SIL. Her husband is reported dead, her son is dead and buried in the fort. She wouldn't leave the fort when everyone else did because she was waiting for her husband's return. Now it isn't safe for her to leave, and she's responsible for the safety of her family.

The hero, Trace, wanders to the fort, sick with fever. Kit brings him in, reluctantly. She doesn't want another responsibility, and she worries he can harm her family. Since he's the hero, he gets healthy and helps her in the fort, then they travel to the relative civilization of the Austin Colony, and they fall in love before the past comes back to haunt them.

Any thoughts?

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WOOT! I'm Number ONE!! I hadn't even been on the list until today! Thanks, guys!



1) get to 15,000 words
2) Beg dh to get my computer fixed
3) Academic Night-yes, another late night at school
4) Enjoy Election Night with the boy, since the dh will be working
5) Get ready for a critique, but hope they cancel
6) Get ready for Latino Writer Society presentation next week (GULP!)
7) Enter Gotcha with Vamp Hunters
8) Query 4 new agents
9) Nudge the WRP editor who has my short story
10) Cook every night but Tuesday and Wednesday
11) Blog at WNP
12) Try to keep up house

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Though I'm going to try ;)

EDITED TO ADD: OMG, look what I found in my Google Alerts!!! A review for HOT SHOT Boy, did she get it!!!!

2008 was going to be the year of revisions for me, and for the most part, it was, though I cheated with Bull by the Horns and my other novella, which together equal a full length book. It's exciting to be writing new again.

I don't know how to find out when names came into use. Any hints? Right now they are Trace and Kit (short for Katherine.) And I learned that the fort that inspired this idea is still somewhat intact. It would be nice to take a road trip.

Marianne found these Nano icons. Fun! I like this one:



I have to tell you what my boss made me do yesterday morning. They're having a competition between teachers to see who collects the most box tops each month, and they give free rewards. Last month the winner got to wear jeans on a day when no one else could. (I won.) This month was a free early dismissal, an hour early. But it was a tie between me and Cindi's husband, who's across the hall from me. The VP announced that whoever got to the office first would get the early out, and we had to RACE from our rooms to the office. I was out of our wing and going into the next when he saw me, then he caught me by first grade, then let me go ahead! They gave us both an early out anyway, but when I got back to my class, all the kids were outside cheering. Goodness, as if they weren't rowdy enough! But dang, for 50 years old, Cindi's husband is FAST! The other teachers said they'd NEVER seen me move that fast.

Now I have to figure out when to use it, since tutoring is starting this week.

Survived the carnival, though applying cheap tattoos to little kids is one of the layers of hell, I am convinced. Came home and the dh and I went for pizza, and saw a TON of trick-or-treaters coming. When we got back, we'd missed them. We had some whiskey after dinner-he'd had American Honey after a gig and wanted me to try it. That's probably why I'm up at this godawful hour.

Today, get the son to the SAT, get to the grocery store, clean the bathrooms, hit Lupe's booksigning, hopefully, and WRITE. Chris Baty pointed out that we have 5 weekends in November and an extra hour, too! Good thing, because I usually take a day or two in November, and since I used two days I hadn't planned on using last month, I'm hoarding my days till the lonnnnnng months of February and May.