Friday, October 21, 2005

Janet Evanovich is Satan

So I'm reading the Plum series, right? Well, if I know something's in a certain order, I want to read it in that order. Nice and simple. I got through #3, but I didn't have 4 & 5, so I stopped for several weeks.

Then came my birthday.

Shari, a servant of Satan disguised as a soft-spoken, kind angel, gets me 1st editions of FOUR TO SCORE and HIGH FIVE. I finished #4 at 2:30am on Wednesday morning. Started #5 at 11pm and finished it at 4:30am yesterday morning. Yes, straight through. Well, I had 6 on up, so with those two out of the way, I have free clearance for the rest of the series already. Last night, I picked up HOT SIX. Started at 11pm - finished at 3am.

Did I mention Janet Evanovich is Satan? I'm exhausted - way more so than normal. But man, she so does feed my addiction in a binder kind of way.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

So it's 1:30am...

The morning of my birthday, and what am I doing? I'm glad you asked.

I read nightly, sometimes way late into the night. Tonight was no exception. I got done about 12:30 and although I wasn't very tired, I knew I would be in the morning, so I made myself stay in bed rather than get up and get online. Proud moment there for me - as you can see, that moment has PASSED!

I'm laying there, and BOOM! New book, new premise, new characters, all popping up like freakin' pop-up windows on an aol site. One right after another, from book name to character names, to full fledged conversations - quirks, secondary characters, jobs, all of it, within 30 minutes from start to finish. After the idea of the book popped up, I was like, "Yeah, okay, that's neat. Go to sleep." Ha. I don't listen very well...

The more I laid there, the more scenes flowed through my brain like a movie. I've never had all of it hit like this, all at once and this fast. It's leaving me breathless and giddy with eager anticipation. The best part, or maybe the worst, is that it's part autobiographical, once the idea emerged. And the idea emerged for one simple reason: It's my birthday. For as long as I can remember, my first thought for each birthday was about my birth mother. Wondering about her, wondering if she was remembering the date and wondering about me.

I've since found her, and in doing so, found a part of myself that I'd hunted for so freakin' long. Answers fell into place immediately. Some of the situation was just a creepy, surreal thing. And in thinking of her, and our journey to finding each other, all of the above just flew into place.

I just had to share it with someone. My birthday present to myself when I wake up? Start my story and tell that particular tale. I've wanted to do it for a long, long time, but never really had a clue as to how to go about it without it being totally autobiographical. But boom - in one night, in the span of half an hour, a short contemporary flew out at me. I simply reached out my greedy little hand and grabbed on.

Monday, October 10, 2005

Today is the last day

that I get to be in my mid-thirties, according to my children. Tomorrow, I venture into my LATE thirties, at 36. (sigh) Happy freakin' birthday. Candles? Yeah, blow this.

So what have I been doing lately? Not a lot. Two weeks ago I had pneumonia, which was weird. I get it yearly, but usually not until November or January, so it hit me early this year. NOW I'm sick again, just two weeks later. Full blown fever, aches, chills, sore throat, blah blah blah. I think my immune system must be whacked or something - not sure. I think I may actually be making a doctor's appointment this time though.

What have I been up to? Well, I was working, believe it or not. I was rocking on revisions and got to Chapter Six where I decided that a scene I'd cut would be good to put back. Of course, I can't FIND that scene anywhere, so it looks like I'll have to totally recreate it. No biggie, really, but it definitely halted the momentum I was having at the time. In addition to that, I've started two more books, and I have resources lined up for research I need for one, so when the time comes, I'll be ready.

Bad news, kinda, I guess. I had started a rom-com like six months ago targeted for Blaze. I just started a Blaze last night that has a lot of the general principles behind it. Rah. Figures. I wonder if they'll be interested in mine or not, if they'll think, "Yeah, too close to what (insert author's name here) did." Guess we'll have to see, eh? It's not like mine's finished, but dang it... it still chaps my ass, and in a really bad way, too.

AND, I got character profiles done for one of my books. Sounds like nothing much, but we're talking a single title rom-com set in a small town. Profiles for like 30 characters. No small task. I think I may have mentioned that before on the blog, but not for sure. It's the fever.

AND (notice a trend yet?) I got a new chapter for a new book done, and a premise for yet another one (that's what? Eight WIPs? I'm so screwed in the head. Note to self: ask birth mother if she did bad drugs while pregnant.) One of the things I'm doing is creating folders for each project so if I come across something, or create something, I can put it in the folder. One of them I just came up with a catchy title, nothing more - but I created a folder for it anyway. Makes it more real or something. At least to me. But, as noted above, my brain ain't right anyway.

My critique partner, Chris Keach is entering some contests, and sent me the first six chapters of her book to line edit. I'm 1/2 way through that - hoping to finish tonight. I haven't worked on it in a couple of days because I've been too busy drooling in sleep through a fever. Bad me.

And on top of allllllllllllll of that, I'm still finishing up craft orders (afghans and ponchos - Martha Stewart poncho anyone?!). My poor little fingers, worked to the bone. I need a pacifier to shut up the whinin', huh? LOL

On the Hooter's T-shirt front, more news: B has TWO BLACK ONES as well as the white signed one. No, these two aren't signed, but on the back, they say, "More than a mouthful."

Yeah, I got a mouthful for him. And a shredder with HOOTERS written on it. I made a comment, and he said, "Wow, I've never know you to be so insecure."

Yeah, that's what it's about. My insecurities. Not his mentality and taste in clothing... noooooooooooo. Shoot me now.