A Crazy Few Weeks

We don't have an official topic for this week (unless I missed something), but I've skipped blogging the past two weeks due to being ridiculously busy and overwhelmed, so I definitely wanted to pop in today with some type of a post.

I hate when I miss posting, and I hate even more that I haven't stayed up to date with all of the other Novel Girls, but time has been scarce as of late. My eldest son graduated from high school, I had book signings and other promo-related time-consuming details to deal with, and a book (By Magic Alone) that needed my attention.

I turned in By Magic Alone last Monday, so things are sort of beginning to ease timewise. Thank goodness! But I'm also behind on a bunch of other stuff, and once I get caught up on all of that, I have other books to write. That's right...more books! I can't announce anything officially just yet, but I should be able to by next week or the following. When I can, I'll share all of the details!

But here it is mid-June and my brain is back a few months, somewhere in April, I think. It will probably take me a few more weeks to actually be ready for summer. How's your summer going so far? I'd love to hear!

Congratulations, Maureen!

I am so excited to celebrate the release of Maureen's second book, NOT READY FOR MOM JEANS! I haven't received my copy yet, but it will go to the top of my TBR pile the second it arrives. From the little I know about this story, I'm pretty sure it will also go to the top of my favorite reads. See, the heroine in the book (Clare) is a new mom, her mom is battling breast cancer, and she has a real life that needs some attention.

A lot like my life. No, I'm not a new mom NOW. And, thankfully, my mother has won her battle with breast cancer, but the specifics aren't what I'm talking about. It's the overall journey I'm referring to. One filled with joy and sadness and fear. Moments of life that we can all relate to. And, I'm sure, there will be plenty of Maureen's wonderful humor wrapped into the story. I'm expecting I'll laugh out loud more than once.

So yep, can't wait to get it, and I'm bursting with excitement for Maureen. Huge, huge congrats, Maureen!

Now, from what I can tell, I'm supposed to write a post about fashion mistakes. But I'm not really sure I can do that. Mostly because I don't pay a lot of attention to fashion. Heck, I'm a stay-at-home writer. My fashion choices tend to be what's comfortable. Pajama bottoms and a T-shirt? Yep! Baggy sweatshirts and shorts? Yep! If it's clean and comfortable, I'm going to wear it while I write.

Even when I actually don real clothes to go out in the real world, I find I'm not that picky. As long as what I'm wearing is free of stains and not missing any buttons, I'm pretty happy. I'm also one of those women who can have her hair and makeup done in less time than it takes my husband to prepare himself to walk out the door.

Sad, huh?

Yeah, I know. But it's the way it is. So I don't really have a specific story about a fashion mistake. I'm sure I've made them. I just don't know enough to know when I made them or the particulars. It's probably best that I don't know, to be honest.

I find fashion interesting. I love watching the red carpet shows and checking out what all the celebrities are wearing. But that's about as far as it goes with me.

Do you have any fashion mistakes you'd like to share? And please, join me in congratulating Maureen for her release!

Oh, Let Me Count the Ways...

I giggled when I saw what this week's topic is. Truly, I did. There were so many ways I drove my mother crazy that choosing just a few to highlight caused me a fair amount of stress. Something my mother would appreciate hugely. Finally, after all of these years, I am going to admit to the world how many gray hairs I actually gave my mom.

Sigh.

So, where to be begin?

I could talk about the time I raised our phone bill (remember, this was long before all-in-one long distance plans) to a horrifying (really horrifying) amount for three months in a row calling a college guy I fancied myself in love with. What makes this story worse is I (okay, yes, I am sooo embarrassed to admit this) HID the phone bills when they came the first two months. The third month, I sort of had to give in and show it to her, because otherwise, we'd have lost phone service.

She was not happy. And, as a mom who has faced her own battles with phone bills caused by her teenage daughter over the years, I totally get this. Now. Not so much then.

I could talk about the time I, living in another state at the old age of eighteen, decided to marry a man I barely knew and gave her the news over the phone. When I shared that I met him at a "church" that was actually not a church, but some made-up religion centered out of another guy's house (um...cult? Maybe. I've never decided this for sure), and that this guy stated it was God's will for us to marry, I'm sure she hung up the phone and cried. (For the record, I did not marry this guy. I just thought I was going to, but luckily, sanity won out in the end).

Or I could talk about the time I, as a senior in high school, took off with a girlfriend for the evening (um, the entire evening), with her parents believing she was at my place and my parents believing I was at hers. When her parents called my house to check in, the entire story unraveled, and my parents phoned the police with my license plate number. Yeah. That was a fun night for all of us.

Or another night that I (also a senior in high school) took off with another friend for a party. And then, when it was obvious that no one should be driving, called home and left a rambling message that I was staying the night at my friend's house. The next day, when I got home in the early afternoon, my parents were just about to call the police again. Because, apparently, I hadn't left the message on our phone. They, for most of the morning, thought I was sleeping in, but when Mom finally checked my room and found I wasn't there...Well, let's just say it's a good thing I got home when I did.

Okay, you know what? Those four are enough. Let's leave it at that before I turn any of my own hairs gray! But Mom? For the record, I apologize for stressing you out and driving you crazy. I'm lucky I had you to always, always steer me the right way.

Now, just for fun, tell me some of the ways you drove your mom crazy. Please? Misery loves company and all that...

A Positive Attitude

My mother has always looked at any situation in a "the glass is half-full" rather than "the glass is half-empty" sort of way. She's all about the positive attitude, always has been, and likely always will be. Which is great. A positive attitude brings about positive thinking and positive energy. But...Well, I am not as positive a person as she.

I'm not a negative gal, either. I'm solidly in the middle. Some things will wear me down to the point that I can't find a positive anything to pick myself up. For example, when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Okay, all cancer is bad, but some cancers are worse than others. Hers was bad. While I spiraled in an emotional downturn made up of fear, sadness, and anger, she...Well, she did what she always does. She kept a positive outlook. She did everything her doctors said to do, she looked into holistic possibilities (and did some of those, as well), and she always said, "I will beat this. I will be at my grandchildren's wedding."

And I, outwardly, said the same thing. Of course I did! She didn't need to hear my fears, sadness, or anger. She needed me to be as positive as she was. And so, to her, I was. But in my head, I was anything but positive. I was petrified.

But she did just as she said she was going to: she beat the cancer.

There have been other crises in our lives, both before this horrible timeframe and after, that I've seen her positive attitude at work. From the little to the large, my mother always portrays a positive outlook. That isn't to say she walks around wearing rose-colored glasses, because she doesn't. She'll readily admit when something is tough and/or when something scares her. She leans on others when she needs to. She views each problem for what it is without trying to paint a pretty but false picture.

What she does, though, is formulate a positive belief, which she then latches onto with everything she has. She thinks, memorizes, repeats, and lives this belief. And you know what? Being positive helps. It truly does make a difference. What felt horribly scary becomes a little less so. The suffocating pressure of worry lightens...maybe only slightly, maybe a lot, but it lightens.

I'm not saying that having a positive attitude can cure everything that goes wrong in our lives. But I do believe that being positive can make the really hard moments of our lives a little more bearable, can give us something to focus on, and in a lot of scenarios, can give us whatever it is we need to push through to the other side.

So, while I'm still a student, the best thing I've learned from my mom is to stay positive. No matter what. Thanks, Mom!

My Favorite Fictional Moms

Before I get to today's post, I need to congratulate the winner of last week's Release Celebration for A Breath of Magic! I used random.org to select the winner, and that person is...

Em-Musing!

Congratulations, Em-Musing!!! You get a signed copy of A Breath of Magic! I have your e-mail, so I'll be contacting you.

Okay, on to the post!

To celebrate Mother's Day, The Novel Girls are talking about moms all month long (leading perfectly into Maureen's release week at the end of the month!). This week, our topic is our favorite fictional moms.

I have to say choosing my favorite fictional mom proved more difficult than I thought it would be. Mostly because I just can't think of a lot of fictional moms right now. Seriously. I'm sure as I read through the other TNG posts this week, I'll smack my head and go "Oh, yeah! Me too!!!" but for now, I'm going to go with the first two fictional moms that popped into my head:

Marion Cunningham from Happy Days, as played by Marion Ross. I watched endless reruns of this show when I was growing up, and yeah, I was a Fonzie girl. But I always loved how Marion was the perfect mother. I mean, come on, she so totally was!

Home-cooked meals on the table every night, perfectly clean house, great with her kids, and she even put up with Howard. I don't even come close to her level of excellence (nowadays, I'm more likely to order food than I am to cook, and you don't want to see the pile of laundry that needs my attention!). And yes, I am aware that this show is set in the fifities, but that doesn't take away her excellence at being a mom.

Now, on a funny note, has anyone here watched Gilmore Girls? Marion Ross also played a mom and a grandmother on Gilmore Girls, and oh, wow, she was kind of scary. I wouldn't have wanted to be her daughter-in-law, I can tell you that much.

Madeline Westen from Burn Notice as played by Sharon Gless. I love, love, love this show for one thing. For another, Sharon Gless is an amazing actress, and her portrayal of Madeline Westen is awesome. In the show, Madeline's oldest son is a burned spy, and he has a rocky relationship with his mom. But he loves her. And she loves him. But she keeps him on his toes, which I love and appreciate. I totally think part of my job as "Mom" is to keep my kids on their toes. If you haven't checked this show out, you totally should.

So, those are my two choices for favorite fictional moms. Who are your favorites?

And don't forget, there are still contests at my blog all month long to celebrate the release of A Breath of Magic!

My Third Release!

The third book in my Magic series from Dorchester Publishing releases tomorrow--April 27--and I am giddy with excitement! A Breath of Magic is an extraordinarily special book to me. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love every book within this series, but Chloe's journey and her story dug in a little deeper than the others. I hope, hope, hope that readers will find the same magic in reading A Breath of Magic that I found in writing it.

As the devoted readers of this blog know, we celebrate each and every TNG release with something a little special. For this release, I've asked the other Novel Girls to dip into the world of the paranormal/mystical/spiritual in any way they'd like. See, Chloe, the heroine in A Breath of Magic, owns a New Age store called the Mystic Corner. She is a huge believer in anything and everything mystical, so I figured this topic was the perfect topic for my release week.

I'm going to use this topic to talk about Chloe and the struggles she's facing as the story opens. Chloe, as we discovered in A Stroke of Magic, has Gypsy magic running in her bloodline--something she didn't know for most of her life. So now, a year or so has passed, and she's been waiting...waiting...breathlessly waiting for her magic to come alive. Only it hasn't.

Because Chloe's parents died when Chloe was young, she's never truly experienced what it's like to be a part of a family. Sure, she has her sister, but Sheridan lives across the country in Seattle and they barely talk. So discovering that Alice, Elizabeth, and Grandma Verda are really Chloe's family, and not just a substitute family, should be terrific news. And it was. But with the no-show of her magic, and Alice's busy life as a new wife and mother, Chloe is feeling left out and like she doesn't belong.

In fact, the only person who has really been there for her is her boyfriend Kyle. Maybe they don't set off fireworks for each other, but who cares about that? Chloe is happy enough planning a safe, comfortable future with Kyle, only he shies away whenever she broaches a happily-ever-after, something she desperately wants. What's a girl to do?

Use magic, of course. Chloe convinces Elizabeth to use her magic to bake a very special cake that will push Kyle toward saying "Yes" to the marriage proposal she plans on delivering. Elizabeth relunctantly agrees, and everything is set to go. Except...maybe not.

Chloe is beyond shocked to learn that Alice has a magical drawing of Chloe's future wedding day, and that the groom is definitely not Kyle. This scares her, though, so she goes ahead with her plans and Kyle says yes. Finally, her happily-ever-after is just around the corner.

But then, a man named Ben Malone walks into her store and the world changes in a blink. She has to discover if this is the man in her wedding drawing.

Here's an excerpt of what happens when she finally takes a peek:

-----

One fold to go. I sucked in another mouthful of air, let it back out and opened the page fully. My eyes were scratchy, almost irritated, so I couldn’t see anything of merit immediately. Just a bunch of lines blurring together. Tears fell, but I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t even want to. But they blurred my vision, so I wiped them away.

The trembles grew stronger and I shivered. I blinked rapidly, and for a brief, glowing second, the drawing came into perfect focus. My eyes rested on the image of me, and then, out of nowhere, a burst of bright light turned the room upside down and sent it spinning in dizzying circles. As cold as I’d been earlier, my body now surged with heat.

The fire continued to climb upward and then outward. My throat grew parched. I reached out, hoping to find the table, grasping for some type of stability. Nothing met my fingertips. The weight of my legs, arms, my entire body disappeared. Fear pummeled through me fast and furious.

Had I lost my mind, my grip on reality? Or was I in the process of dying from some freak accident? A heart attack, maybe, or a plane crashing into Alice’s house. Or hell, maybe an earthquake. All of these seemed like reasonable and perfectly possible, if ridiculously unusual, explanations.

Again I tried to find stability, something to center me, by clutching blindly for the table. The heat suddenly vanished, the swirling ceased, and limb by limb, the weight of my body returned to me. I blinked again, opened my mouth to ask Alice what the heck had just happened, except she wasn’t there. Neither was her kitchen.

I now stood outside, and an arm rested on my waist while the sun warmed my shoulders. Some type of soft fabric—silk?—cascaded along my skin. Instead of the drawing in my left hand, I held a bouquet of flowers: vanda orchids, a glorious combination of purple and white, surrounded by a sea of lush greenery I couldn’t identify.

“Chloe! Smile for goodness sake. This is your wedding day,” an unknown male voice called out from in front of me. “Stand a little closer to your handsome groom.”

As if on autopilot, my body obeyed the commands. I tightened the gap between me and the unknown masculine form next to me. My lips stretched into a smile. I heard the whir of a camera.

“Good! Perfect!” the same man shouted.

What the stranger initially said finally penetrated through the thick smog that coated my brain. My groom? My wedding day? Had I somehow become a part of the drawing? I’d seen enough strange occurrences in my life to accept that as a reasonable explanation.

But wow. A rush of lightheadedness hit. My legs grew weak. I leaned further to the right, using the solid, firm form of the man standing beside me to stay upright. His arm tightened around my waist, adding support, shoring me up. The camera made more whirring noises, and while I tried to tilt my head to look at my groom, I couldn’t. An unexplainable force held me still, and I could do nothing but stare straight ahead. Not a pleasurable feeling.

“We’re set for now. We’ll get some more shots at the reception,” the photographer said. “I think you’ll both be really pleased!”

Whatever vise had seized me suddenly evaporated, so I slowly tipped my head, intent on learning who stood beside me. Excitement, anticipation, fear, worry and a host of other emotions I didn’t bother trying to name swarmed my senses. I saw a black tux, a white shirt, a strong physique. Slanting my vision up another degree, a chiseled chin came into view, and then… Oh, God.

Ben Malone.

All the blood-pumping desire I’d experienced earlier came back in a flash. No surprise there. But when he angled his body toward me, dipped his chin so our eyes could meet… Well, that was when the real bombshell hit. This Chloe, the one in the drawing, loved this man with an intensity I’d never before felt. Bright. Strong. Everlasting. And that same love reflected back to me in the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. This Chloe—the girl who wasn’t yet me, but whom, if I played my cards right, I could potentially become—was loved. Truly, to the depths of her soul, loved.

“Kiss me,” I whispered.

He smiled, bent over and pulled me against him. I closed my eyes, ready to finally experience the kiss I’d waited my entire life for. Would his lips be hard or soft? Would his mouth ravage mine, or would his kiss be slow and intoxicating? I wanted to know, and I wanted to know right that instant.

“Kiss me,” I said again.

“Chloe. Wake up, honey.” Alice’s voice seeped into my awareness first. Her hand, lightly slapping my cheek, came next. “Snap out of it.”

---

Whoa, right? Poor Chloe! Engaged to one man when the man who might be her soul mate enters her life. Of course, everything goes crazy from here. Chloe's magic begins, the family ghost is less-than-helpful, and a strange, sad girl keeps showing up, asking for Chloe's assistance.

As I said, this story holds a very special place in my heart. I hope you'll give it a read and love it as much as I do!

To celebrate this release, I am giving away one signed copy of A Breath of Magic! Entering to win is easy! Simply comment throughout the week here at TNG (though, only one comment per person per post/day will be counted), and I'll use random.org to announce the winner next Monday!

I also want to mention the month of mega contests I'm having at my blog beginning today. Between now and May 31, you can win a ton of great prizes, including a 30-minute free reading with a Clairvoyant, signed books, Borders gift cards, and much, much more. Get all the details at my web site: HERE, and remember to visit my blog for weekly details, including a calendar of events, specific prizes, and more.

Why I Stop Reading A Book

Long ago, I always (and I mean always) finished reading a book if I started it. Not only that, but I wouldn't let myself move on to another book until I'd finished the one that was--for whatever reason--giving me problems. I sort of felt that if I'd paid/borrowed a book, then I was going to be sure I read the entire book, otherwise I'd wasted money and/or time. I think I also felt that if I didn't finish it, I might miss something that I'd love later on. I hate to miss things.

However, some time ago, and I don't know how long ago now, I finally decided that I was being...well, let's just say it...dumb. Because the truth is if I have to fight to read a book to the end, then I'm only wasting more of my time AND I'm really just frustrating myself. And both of those things are silly. I dislike wasting time more than I dislike missing things.

Trying to define why I don't finish a book is difficult, though. I'm a very forgiving reader. I can overlook almost anything if the story intrigues me and the author's voice appeals to me. I've been known to laugh at a series of coincidences that are not, in a way, believable--but that won't stop me from reading to the last page if I've become invested in the story. I've been known to re-read passages over and over because the writing in those specific passages was so awkward that I had to do so in order to determine what the author was trying to say. However, that also won't have me tossing a book aside. At least, not on its own.

Typos and misspellings and words used incorrectly drive me a little (okay, a lot) nuts, but as long as there aren't so many of them that they interrupt my flow, I forgive those, too. So what does make me put a book down never to be picked up again?

Several things, actually.

Probably the most important for me is the author's voice. I have to enjoy the voice that is telling the story. I have to believe in the voice that is telling the story. The author needs to be able to make me laugh, cry, fall in love, or shiver in fear. The voice needs to be reliable and trustworthy, and if these things aren't there, then I'm not going to read the book. I always read the first few pages of any book I'm contemplating buying to see if the author's voice hooks me.

After voice comes the characters. I need to be able to see, hear, and believe in the characters, otherwise, I don't care about what happens to them. They need to become important to me. People that I either am rooting for or (in the case of the bad guys) that I want to see get their just desserts. If the heroine is falling in love for the first time in her life, then I want to know why she hasn't fallen in love before, and why it's this guy who has stolen her heart. Characters, to me, are the entire reason to read any book--far more important than the plotline, though I love it when terrific character and terrific plot combine in the same book.

After character is story. There are some types of stories that I will never like, no matter how amazing the authorial voice or the characters are. That's just the way it is. I don't tend to buy books that tell these types of stories though, so I'm not likely to accidentally find myself reading one.

What about you? Without naming titles or authors (let's keep this friendly) what are some of the reasons that you will stop reading a book?

What would I bring?

Okay, I'll admit it. The topic this week was my idea. Now that I have to write it, though, I find myself thinking: Um...Why did I think this was a good idea? I don't know. I blame the cold I've had for the past several weeks.

But here we go. If I were stranded on a desert island, and somehow knew it was going to happen, so packed appropriately for the...er...stranding, what would be in my suitcase?

If I were smart, I'd say a bag filled with bottled water, but this is fantasy and in my fantasy, there's a lovely little spring of fresh water on the island and plenty of various tropical fruits to eat, so I'm going to focus on the other items I consider necessary to survival:

1. The "doh" items: Extra Clothes, Soap, Hairbrush, Toothpaste, and a Toothbrush
2. Essential items: Bug repellant, two flashlights with extra batteries (I'd lose one, so need two), matches (hopefully they didn't get wet and are now useless!)
3. Photographs of my family and friends (because I'd miss them)
4. A Survival book on island-living :)
5. Coffee (Hey, I can use a palm frond as a filter, right?)
6. Blank Notebooks and a Pen so I can write/journal/send "save me" letters out in bottles.
7. Bottles!
8. Do I have room for a travel blanket and a pillow? I'm going to say yes.
9. A pin-up calendar of hot, sexy men I can pretend are my friends when I lose my mind.
10. And, finally, books. However many will fit in whatever space is left over. I'm not sure if I'd choose my favorite reads or go for books I'd never read. Hm, maybe a mix of both. But I KNOW I'd stick to light, fun, romantic books...after all, if I'm stranded on a desert island, I really don't need to bring Stephen King along with me. Too scary!

And, uh, that's about it. Now, let's say out of the above list I had to cut my choices in half. What would go? What would I keep?

1. Um...Coffee is coming with me. That's just the way it is.
2. Blank Notebooks and a Pen
3. Soap, Toothbrush, and Toothpaste (I'll leave the hairbrush at home. Hey, who's gonna see my wild hair, anyway?)
4. Photographs of my family
5. And...um...I *should* say a flashlight, right? Or the blanket and pillow. Or the island survival guide. But nope, I'd bring the books.

Okay, so in furthering this game I'm playing with myself, if I could only bring THREE of the above, what would it be?

That's easy: Coffee, photographs of my family, and books.

I can't reduce the list any further. Really. Nope, huh-uh, not happening.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

The Final Steps

We've talked a lot about the writing of our books here at The Novel Girls, we've talked about promotion, what it feels like to see our books on the shelves, and how cool it is to receive reader e-mails. But we haven't talked about what happens when we turn a book in.

While a lot of the steps are likely to be the same, each publisher does have their own way of doing things. So we thought it would be interesting to share what each of our experiences are after we've finished writing (and editing) our books and turned them in to our editors.

My publisher is Dorchester Publishing. Rather than do a simple guideline, I'm going to pull up the dates and the steps I've taken with each of the three books I've turned in so far, beginning with my first book, A TASTE OF MAGIC. First, though, let me run through a few of the terms I'm going to be using:

Line Edits: This is where someone (at Dorchester, this person is the editor) goes through your book word by word, line by line, and makes changes based on grammar, punctuation, story, clarity, etc. This person will ask questions if something isn't clear enough, give suggestions if something isn't working, look for lazy writing, repetitiveness, gaps of information, order of events, etc. Basically, the line editor is looking to see if your story works, and if it doesn't, why not? At Dorchester, this is often done hand-in-hand with the revisions.

Copyedits: Copyedits are when a copy editor goes through the revised and line-edited book in an effort to correct grammar and punctuation following the house's (publisher's) standards. A copy editor will also point out areas of confusion or give suggestions, correct terms if incorrectly used, and flag anything else that jumps out at them (such as an incorrect sequence of events).

The Galley: Galleys are when you receive your revised, line-edited, copyedited, and typeset book for the last look before it goes to print. Basically, this looks like your book will look when it's printed, but without being bound and covered. This is the author's last chance to find errors and request changes. However, changes at this point tend not to be editorally focused changes. Rather, they are errors: typos, miss-spellings, inconsistencies, and the like.

Okay, now with that out of the way, here is a breakdown of the path I've followed so far with my books at my publisher:

The debut book is a little different, which is why I want to start with that one. When I wrote A TASTE OF MAGIC, I didn't have a contract and I didn't know if the book was going to be published. So in this case, everything started with my editor reading the book and deciding he wanted to publish it.

• 05/01/2008: Received "the call." Woo!
• 05/05/2008: Accepted representation from my awesome agent, Michelle Grajkowski of Three Seas Literary.
• 06/04/2008: Received revisions from my editor. I had until July 1st to complete them.
• 06/25/2008: Completed revisions and turned revised book in to editor.
• 06/30/2008: Completed my dedication and acknowledgements and turned those in to the editor.
• 08/07/2008: Turned in author photo and bio to the editor.
• 09/10/2008: Received comments and line edits from editor (based on revised book) along with some other minor changes to be made.
• 09/11/2008: Turned in book with changes based on comments and input from editor. Obviously, the alterations were finally minor, as I was able to complete everything and re-read the book in a 24-hour time frame.
• 09/25/2008: Received the copyedits for the book from my editor.
• 09/25/2008: Turned in book with changes/verifications made per the copyedits. Again, they were relatively light as I turned this back in on the same day.
• 10/06/2008: Received the galley version of the book to review.
• 10/20/2008: Turned in corrections based on the galley.
• 02/24/2009: Book is released!

So, about 9.5 months from call to publication. This is actually pretty fast, as often, the time frame between purchase and publication can take one year, two years, or more. Also in the time span above, I received cover quotes, my cover, reviewed cover copy and front matter, and was working on the next book: A STROKE OF MAGIC.

For this book, the timeline went as follows:

• 11/06/2008: Turned in the complete of A STROKE OF MAGIC to my editor.
• 02/19/2009: Received revisions and line edits from my editor. Unlike the first book, these were handled at the same time instead of separately. Luckily, the revisions were minor, as the publisher needed the book back to them asap.
• 02/23/2009: Turned in the revised book to my editor. I also turned in this book's dedication and acknowledgements.
• 03/04/2009: Received the copyedits for the book from my editor.
• 03/04/2009: Returned the book to my editor with changes/verifications made based on the comments made by the copy editor. Obviously, these were minor as I turned them in before the day ended.
• 03/24/2009: Received the galley proofs of the book to look over. With TASTE the galleys arrived in hardcopy. With STROKE, they arrived in PDF format via e-mail.
• 03/26/2009: Turned in requests for changes/corrections based on the galley.
• 06/30/2009: Book is released!

Again, in the same timespan as above, I worked on promotion, received the cover, reviewed cover copy and front matter for the book, and worked on and turned in my next two proposals, and received a new contract.

The timeline for the third book, A BREATH OF MAGIC, is:

• 10/18/2009: Turned in the complete of A BREATH OF MAGIC to my editor.
• 11/04/2009: Turned in the dedicaiton and acknowledgements for the book.
• 11/30/2009: Received line-edits and revisions from my editor. In this case, I actually didn't have revisions of any sort to make regarding the story or the order of events. Everything that I needed to look at was in the moment, small things that were easily fixed.
• 12/01/2009: Turned in book to my editor with changes/edits made based on his feedback and comments.
• 12/08/2009: Received copyedited book from my editor.
• 12/08/2009: Turned in book to my editor with changes based on the copyeditor's comments and suggestions. These were light enough that I was able to make the changes within a few hours.
• 12/23/2009: Received the galley proofs of the book. Just before Christmas, naturally, lol. Luckily, I had until January 9th to go through everything. I set aside until after the holidays.
• 01/02/2010: Turned in requests for changes/corrections based on the galley.
• Now: Waiting for the release later this month (April 27th)!

And again, throughout the above dates, I've worked on promotion, garnered cover blurbs, received the cover (my favorite of the three), reviewed cover copy and front matter, and worked (and am still working) on the next title (BY MAGIC ALONE, a Dec 2010 release). Oh, and everything else that comes with life.

For my current manuscript: my deadline is fast approaching (it's in May), I've just received my cover copy (last week), and haven't seen a cover yet (but that should be soon).

As crazy as the timing gets/feels sometimes, I love every step of the process of seeing something I created evolve into a finished book. I love having my editor's input, as he always helps my books and the stories I'm telling become stronger. I get a little thrill of excitement when an e-mail appears that has my cover copy, and then my cover, attached. Oh, and when the big box of my author copies arrive? That's pretty dang awesome.

I love hearing how the process works for other authors, so I can't wait to read the rest of The Novel Girls' posts this week.

See you all next Monday!

*Cough* Public Speaking

We (The Novel Girls) haven't settled on a topic for this week yet, at least at the time of this writing (Sunday afternoon), so I am declaring this week "Open Mic Week." Or, um, each of us can talk about whatever the heck we want to talk about.

Now, the rest of the girls might decide to stick to the same-as-of-yet-unchosen topic, or maybe they'll follow my lead, or maybe they'll come up with something on their own. But I'm going to talk about public speaking. Or, in this case, public reading.

I know at least some of the other Novel Girls have read from their books in public. Possibly, they all have. But I never had. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to read a scene from my upcoming release A BREATH OF MAGIC, at an event that my local RWA chapter holds each year: The Spring Book Lover's Event.

The thing is, we've never held live readings before. This was a new activity, and while I was given the opportunity to have someone else read for me, I decided to push through the wall of my gut reaction (which, for the record was, ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME????) and do the reading myself.

I changed my mind a dozen times in the month leading up to the event, but ultimately, stuck with my guns. Choosing the scene to read took a lot of time on my part. Mostly because the scene I wanted to read also gave away a huge spoiler in the book, but this is also my favorite scene in the book. It's powerful, emotional, and something I felt sure that anyone listening would be able to connect with.

So I put the decision off. And then Friday night came and I realized "Oh, no! I have to read tomorrow and I have no idea what I'm going to read." I opened up the manuscript and began pouring through it. I chose three different scenes before finally settling on one that I thought (hoped) would be compelling, but also didn't give away a dang thing.

I arrived at the event early on Saturday. The readings started around 11:30 AM and continued every 30 minutes or so throughout the day. I was the third reader up, and I have to say my knees were literally knocking together by the time I stood behind the podium.

There were quite a few people there, all of them watching me with interested eyes. I started to read, and wow, I really thought I wasn't going to be able to do it. I was that nervous. My voice wobbled and shook a lot through the first portion of the scene. I think I mangled a few words here and there. But then, somehow, from the middle section on, I found a better rhythm. Oh, I wasn't at ease, but my voice shook a little less and came out a little more confident.

I managed to finish the reading without passing out, throwing up, or having any other horribly embarrassing thing happen. When I finished, I answered a few questions, gave away a few copies of the first two books in my series, and thankfully took my seat.

And while I was proud of myself for accomplishing a goal I was really, really petrified of, I also wished I'd done a lot better. See, I'm a talker. I love to talk with people. I can talk about books, writing, the weather, my kids, your kids, ANYTHING without missing a beat. I love to socialize. But this--reading my work in public--was incredibly difficult.

And because I'm a sucker for punishment, I want to do more of this. I want to become better at it. After my reading, USA Today Bestselling author Elizabeth Vaughan read her short story OFF THE RACK (from the anthology Pandora's Closet) and she was amazing. Breathtakingly amazing. The story was wonderful and she told it as if she wasn't reading, but sharing. I was (and still am) in complete awe.

So, while I have no illusions of ever being able to read my work in public with the aptitude and beauty that Elizabeth did, she has given me something to work toward. I don't know if practice will help. I don't know how to get over the knocking knees and pounding heart and terrifying fear of stepping behind a podium and reading something in such a way that enthralls an entire room.

But dang, I am definitely going to try it again.

What about you? Are you comfortable with public speaking? And if so, do you think that comfort would spill over into reading your own writing to a group of people? Any tips for someone who is comfortable speaking in public, but not reading in public? I'd love some help for the next time!

Research...What?

Okay, this is going to be a short post this week. I know, amazing, huh? But I'm the first to admit that I don't do a lot of research, but that's not because I'm lazy or unwilling. It's mostly because my books (so far, at least) don't require a lot of research.

My stories are set in the current day, real world, with paranormal elements. The paranormal elements in my books are created with my own set of rules, so a lot of times, the research I'm doing is checking my past books to see what I've already set up. Because every now and then I'll forget a certain point here or there.

However, while I don't have to research often, there are always certain things that I have to check out in every book. Normally, these are areas that relate to law in the city/state my story is taking place in, or some other type of absolute fact I can't really make up (for example: in A TASTE OF MAGIC, Elizabeth thinks her sister is missing. I needed to find out how quickly a person can be declared a missing person in the state of IL. And in A STROKE OF MAGIC, I have a question of paternity and how something would be handled in a court of law. Finally, in A BREATH OF MAGIC, I had a genetics question I needed to know the straight dope on).

I'm fairly adept at finding the information I need when I need it, but I'm quite happy that I haven't had to do any type of extensive research as of yet. I am continually in awe of historical authors, because their ability to create a realistic world with the rules of their book's time period always blows me away. In fact, this is one reason why I haven't attempted writing a time travel novel as of yet--the amount of research necessary halts me in my tracks.

Therefore, I'm really looking forward to reading the other TNG's take on this. Because, well, I just don't need to research all that often.

Secondary Characters & Subplots

While the official topic this week is subplots, for me, that often goes hand-in-hand with the secondary characters in my books. So, I'm going to talk a little bit about both and my take on how secondary characters and subplots can add another level to a story that is being told.

First of all, my experience is 100 percent with novel-length fiction, as I have yet to attempt writing a short story. I would imagine that the shorter word count would make it difficult to incorporate extra elements to any degree of depth, but hey--I could be wrong.

SECONDARY CHARACTERS

I rarely begin a new story thinking about secondary characters, so often I'm taken by surprise when someone new shows up in my novels. Obviously, when I wrote A STROKE OF MAGIC, I knew Elizabeth (the heroine from A TASTE OF MAGIC) would be in the book, and when I wrote A BREATH OF MAGIC, I knew that both Elizabeth and Alice (the heroine from A STROKE OF MAGIC) would be on scene and somewhat active. And, for anyone who has read my stories, then they know that Grandma Verda is a must-have secondary character in the entire series.

However, I sporadically have other characters pop up when I'm really not planning on it. When this happens, I tend to trust my instincts and go with the flow, so I can find out what this character is going to bring to the table. Do they have information about the story, or is their presence a catalyst for new conflict, or for asking or answering a question that is important to the journey my heroine is embarking on? Usually, thankfully, this is the case. Usually, and again--thankfully, my instinct/muse/whatever-you-want-to-call-it brings characters in that move the story forward.

Because guess what? If they don't move the story forward in one way or another, then it's very likely that they shouldn't be there. When this happens, I try to figure out why I *thought* I needed that character, and once I find the answer, it's easy for me to incorporate that element, whatever it is, without the use of an unnecessary character. Luckily, this hasn't happened to me very often.

Sometimes, though, a secondary character will breeze in to a scene who stands out. Maybe they're especially quirky and funny, or maybe they have a powerful, charismatic personality that steals the show. Whatever the case, when this happens, it can be really difficult to prune them out of the book once you realize they have no real reason to be there. This has only happened to me once, and I definitely pruned him from that story. But guess what? He's now a character, a very important character, in A BREATH OF MAGIC.

So, my final word on secondary characters is that they should have a purpose that moves beyond being funny, quirky, or charismatic. They MUST be in the story for a reason, otherwise, they're taking up valuable space that is needed by characters who will move the story forward.

SUBPLOTS

Subplots are a method used for a variety of reasons. They can enhance the main plotline, set up a future story (in the case of a series, as an example), or shed light on motivation, conflict, or other areas of the story that is being told, but might not have any seemingly obvious connection to the main plot, at least not at first.

Basically, think of subplots the same way as secondary characters: they must be there for a purpose, and usually--okay, almost always--that purpose has something to do with the main storyline.

Sometimes the protagonist is the character who is up to her/his eyeballs in the subplot, but it doesn't have to be. It can be the antagonist, the protagonist's best friend/sister/lover/etc, or another character the protagonist hasn't even met yet. But somehow, in one way or another, the subplot is an integral portion of the story, or--as I already said--is leading to the next story if the book is within a series. Some subplots are hefty, taking up significant space on the page, and other subplots are tiny, but still important.

Like secondary characters, the subplot needs to have a connection to something that is happening in the story being told, even if that something is to introduce characters that are going to be taking a major role in another book. In this case, though, when the subplot doesn't have anything else to do with the current story, it should be relatively small UNLESS it also enhances the current plot.

Subplots are a fantastic way to add depth to your characters, to move a story into directions that the reader might not anticipate, and to ask/answer questions that are necessary to hold tension throughout the story.

Whew. Hopefully, all of that made sense. And remember, as always, every person writes a story differently. My way, my rules, might not work for you.

Dusting off my crystal ball...

So, I've pulled my crystal ball out of storage and have dusted it until it shines. I've lit candles and asked the mystical ball to show me what my life will be like in 10 years. I see...

• A spanky office for me to write in that has shelves filled with books, a honking-huge monitor on my really up-to-date computer, and my own professional-grade cappuccino maker. Ah...what's that? Ohh, it's a massaging desk chair. YES!
• Pictures of grandchildren (wow, this really is possible, as in ten-years, my daughter will be 29 and my oldest son will be 27). Um. Yeah. Grandchildren. Freaky thought, that.
• A stable writing career where I am able to continue to write the stories I love and find an audience for them.
• A passport that shows I've done some traveling. To Ireland, Italy, and who knows where else.
• My twin boys, now almost 8, are getting ready to graduate from high school.

And um, that's about all I'm willing to speculate. I hope we're living in the Pacific Northwest, and it would be even better if I could hear the waves crashing outside of my home. I hope I'm happy and content with life and whatever progress I've made personally and professionally in the past ten years. And most of all, I hope my family and friends are still healthy and doing well.

I have other hopes and other dreams that I'd love to see come to fruition, but I think the most important things I hope for, I already have: family and friends I love who love me, a career that pushes me to be the best I can that I adore doing, and yes, good health.

What about you? Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Movie Time!

We did a week of posts a ways back where we talked about our favorite movies, but this week, we're going to share what some of our recent favorite movies are. Normally, a lot of my movie-watching is from DVD or VOD, because we don't get out to the theater all that often, but this year, I made it to the theater several times.

I used to love going to the theater. I guess I still do, but I'm also getting to the point that staying at home in my pjs, curling up on the couch, with popcorn made the way I like it, is preferable most of the time. But when a movie is truly special, then there is nothing like watching it on the big screen.

So, here are some of the movies I've really enjoyed lately:

• Sherlock Holmes: This movie is one I was able to see in the theater. My family went on the weekend after Christmas, and we all loved it. Okay, well, 1/2 of my family saw Sherlock Holmes and the other half saw Avatar (which, um, I still haven't seen and I really, really want to). But I LOVED Sherlock Holmes. Come on...Robert Downey, Jr and Jude Law? What's not to love? The humor was awesome, the relationship between Holmes and Watson was a joy to watch, and I left the theater feeling as if the price of admission was well worth it.

• The Time Traveler's Wife: I just watched this movie this past weekend, and I'll admit I was hesitant. Not because I've read the book and I was worried about the changes that might have been made in the movie (since...um...I wouldn't know the difference), but because I'd heard conflicting reports from friends who also haven't read the book. But, I was in the mood for a love story, and I'm always a fan of the time traveling plot, so I decided to give it a go. Wow. I loved this movie! It is such a love story, but it also asks a lot of questions that I found compelling. Sort of "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" type of questions. At any rate, now I want to read the book, even though I know there are differences. But aren't there always?

And because I like to do things in threes...

• The Blind Side: I wanted to see this movie the second I saw the first preview, and I was also able to go to the theater for this one. I'm a huge fan of Sandra Bullock, but I am even a bigger fan of true, inspirational stories. And this is a HUGELY inspirational story. This movie is being released on DVD this month, and it's already on my must-buy list. If you cry at big, soppy, emotional moments, then have your tissues nearby.

So, those are three of my favorite recent movies. What have you seen recently that you absolutely loved? I'm always on the lookout for more!

The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of Defeat

While the title of this post would have served quite well last week for our Winter Olympics topic, it also serves very well for this week's topic: Setting Writing Goals.

You see, for me, it's very much a thrill when I make my daily/weekly/monthy writing goals, and it definitely feels agonizing when I don't. Even with the potential of defeat, I still set writing goals. In fact, I'm very much a goal-oriented person. If I don't set goals, I'd get very little done. Goals make me accountable, and one of the ways I plan out my goals is by writing lists of what I want to accomplish.

I used to create a daily list of objectives in either a Day Planner or a simple notebook. The problem was that whenever I didn't get to something I'd planned on, or when I didn't complete the goal completely for that day, I had to move things around. I spent a lot of time crossing out entries and writing in new ones.

About six months ago, I changed my game plan. After re-writing a week's goals & plans out for like the third time, I became frustrated. I thought "Wow, Tracy, how much easier would it be if you did this on the computer. Then, instead of always re-writing, you could simply cut and paste, edit the goals as they changed, add in space for that new appointment that came in out of nowhere." And then I thought, "HEY, I can do that easily with a SPREADSHEET!"

So, I did. And, I have to say, I'm actually finding it easier to accomplish my daily writing goals. Probably because it takes so much less time to type than write, to copy and paste than re-write, and honestly? It's helped me stay on track better, because frankly, I don't have the neatest handwriting anymore (I used to. Not sure what happened). I open my Excel calendar in the morning, take a quick look at the day's objectives, and get going.

But back to setting writing goals (yep, I went off on some weird spreadsheet tangent...sorry!). I used to use this nifty program that you simply typed in the book's title, the total amount of words you were aiming for, when you were planning on starting, and when you wanted to finish, and like magic, this program would tell you how many words per day you needed to write to accomplish that goal. If you wrote more than the minimum one day, it would alter the minimum amount of daily words accordingly, as well as showing you when you would finish if you kept up at that pace. Oh, naturally, it did the same if you wrote less than the minimum number on any given day.

It's a great program. I've used it for many projects. But there was a problem...and that problem is that I don't write evenly throughout a book, and I don't always write the same amount every single day (hey, I get sick, have appointments, need veg days, etc). My writing tends to start out slow. The first third of a book is my slowest and often really, really painful. I start to pick up speed the farther into the book I get, and by the time I pass the halfway mark, I'm usually flying and writing far more words per day than I did at the beginning. So, as much as I loved this program, it didn't really work well for me and my writing patterns.

Now (with a new spreadsheet I designed), I start off with lower word counts and ramp up as I go. THIS works SO much better for me. With the other program, I always felt like a failure in the beginning of my projects, because no way was I able to write that much per day at that point in my novel. Feeling like a failure is not productive to writing. At least it isn't for me. So my new system isn't only more honest about my process, but I find it easier to reach those daily writing goals from the very beginning of a book all the way through the end. Feeling successful is productive to writing, at least for me. :)

That's not to say I always reach those goals, because I don't. I have four kids, four pets, other work that needs to be done, and some days I'm lucky if I can write an email, let alone xxxx number of words. On those days (as long as there are not too many of them), I give myself some slack. After all, I'm not a machine. Also, writing at its best is so much fun. I prefer for it to be fun as often as it can be, and when I'm down on myself for not making a daily goal here and there, then it becomes not fun. And trust me, I know that writing is work...but usually, I have fun with my work.

Whew. Way longer post than I anticipated. Hope you all have a terrific Monday and I'll see you next week!

Figure Skating, Skiing, Luge...Oh, My!

I'm a huge fan of the Winter Olympics, which is kind of funny when you consider I can barely stay upright on ice skates or skis. Okay, that's a lie. There's no barely to it. I cannot stand upright on ice skates or skis, but I love to watch those who can.

Seeing as I've never been an outdoorsy sort of gal, it's mega surprising how much fun I have watching the Olympics. But love it I do. That's not to say that I adore every sport within the Winter Olympics--because I don't. I have my favorites, and yes, at the top of my favorite list is figure skating. I'm not even picky about what type of figure skating...I even like ice dancing.

Figure skating is filled with grace and athleticism (not to mention the really cool outfits!), and I'm always stunned by the pure beauty of this sport. And, unlike some of the other winter sports, I can almost feel the tension of the athletes when they step onto the ice, and I can definitely feel the happiness when a skater completes a nearly perfect routine.

Next on my favorite list is the luge. Why do I love watching luge? Don't know. Maybe it's the speed of the sport. Or...um...the tight outfits on the men? Possibly.

And of course I love downhill skiing. And moguls. Ohhhh! And speed-skating!

I also like that the Olympics only come around every four years. Otherwise, they wouldn't be nearly as special or as exciting.

What about you? Are you a fan of the Winter Olympics? If so, which sports are on your must-see list?

The Life of Glass Release Week!

Wow, can you believe it? We have another TNG release to celebrate this week! Jillian Cantor's second novel, The Life of Glass, is available tomorrow--February 9th! Yay, Jillian!!!!!

I'm in love with the cover of this book and can't wait to delve into the story. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to read it right away (sob! double sob!) because I have other books to read first. Hey, I have to. They're contest books and I'm a judge. I promised I'd read them in a specific amount of time, so they are my first priority for reading time. As soon as I finish the last of those books; however, I'm going to jump into The Life of Glass with enthusiasm. Lots of enthusiasm!

To celebrate Jillian's release, she is giving away a signed copy of The Life of Glass. All you have to do is comment this week to be entered! And, as readers of this blog will know, we always have a special topic the week of a release. Jillian's topic of choice is Love Stories, which is fitting for the book but also with Valentine's Day right around the corner.

I'm a romance writer, so it should be pretty obvious to all that I love a good love story. Whether it's a true story being told to me by a friend, a fictionalized story in a book, TV show, or movie, I'm a goner. For one, I'm a romantic (duh), a softie (double duh), and am about as emotional as a person can get. My heart is touched easily and often, for which I'm ever grateful. I love being swept away.

And I think that's one of the reasons why love stories hold such appeal to so many people. We're able to become swept away, to fall in love again, to connect with the people we're reading about or watching on the screen. Love is an emotion that people can identify with--it truly needs no explanation--so we're able to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Those are the reasons why I love a good love story, but what about you? What makes one love story stand out above others? I admit I like a lot of humor, but a good tear-jerker will stay with me forever.

Don't forget to comment for a chance to win a signed copy of The Life of Glass! And huge congrats, Jillian!!!

Like Mother Like Daughter

Nowadays, most of the time I'm rushing to get dinner on the table, which means that a great majority of the meals I serve are of the easy-to-prepare variety. I make use of the slow cooker a lot in the fall and winter, and the grill in the spring and summer. And while a lot of these quick dishes are also tasty, very few of them fall within the category of my favorite recipes.

Most of what I consider my (and my family's) favorites are actually recipes that I grew up with. Dishes my mother made, to be exact. And while none of them are overly difficult, they're also slightly more time consuming than my average get-on-the-table-fast dinners. In fact, a lot of my favorite recipes that originated from my childhood are the same dishes my children choose for their birthday dinners. Isn't that cool?

I thought a lot about which recipe to share with you all, and after talking with my kids, the recipe that everyone loves the most is my mother's version of enchiladas. While this recipe is definitely an Americanized version of enchiladas, they're also the recipe most asked for by my family and friends.

I should point out that I don't really know the precise amount of some of the ingredients, as (with a lot of my mother's recipes) it's a lot of "what looks right," and "what tastes right," but I don't think anyone will have any problems recreating these enchiladas in their kitchen...so here we go: Krystene's Enchilada Recipe:

1 to 1.5 pounds of ground beef (depending how meaty you like your enchiladas)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or more if you really like garlic)
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (this is the what looks/tastes right portion of the recipe)
2 small cans of enchilada sauce (mild, medium, or hot--your choice. We use mild or medium)
1 package of flour tortillas (10 to 12), around six inches in diameter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic on medium heat until the meat is fully cooked. Drain off the fat. In the same skillet, mix in approximately 1 cup of the cheddar cheese (more or less as you prefer) and stir until the cheese is melted and evenly distributed throughout the meat/onion/garlic mixture.

In a 9x15-inch baking dish, spread one can of enchilada sauce along the bottom. Spoon the enchilada filling into the tortillas, roll, and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Coat with the second can of enchilada sauce, and then sprinkle additional cheddar cheese over the enchiladas (approximately 1/2 cup).

Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

----

You can serve the enchiladas with sour cream or as is. Rice and a salad are our normal side dishes for this meal, depending on how many folks we have over for dinner, but honestly--they're a meal in themselves and make excellent leftovers.

Okay, there you have it--one of my family's favorite recipes, and while they're not completely homemade (I have no clue how to make homeade tortillas or enchilada sauce!), these enchiladas have proven to be a crowd pleaser time and time again.

If you decide to make them, let me know how they turn out!

Winter Fun and Relaxation

Winter is my second favorite season, but not because of all the snow--though I do think it's very pretty when it's falling. I just hate driving in it, but since I work at home, I don't have to drive in it all that often, so it's not a huge worry for me.

I've always preferred cooler weather to warmer weather, mostly because I find it easier to warm up than I do to cool down, but I'd be lying if I said that my favorite activites were winter activities. I like taking walks, something that isn't that easy to do in the winter when you're a bit on klutzy side like I am, I like swimming, camping, outdoor barbeques, and the like. But I hate the heat of summer.

Winter, on the other hand, is my season of curling up on the couch with a blanket and a book, watching movies, playing Wii and board games with the family, and other assorted indoor activities. Except for the few times each year my kids convince me to go sledding, build a snowman, or have a snowball fight. And I have fun with these activities when I do them, but not enough fun to think of heading out into the freezing cold on my own.

I'm far too clumsy to ever attempt ice skating--can you say broken ankle/knee/nose (because I am quite sure I'd fall on my face), but I love to watch other people ice skating.

I suppose another reason why winter is my second favorite season is because I am a relatively lazy person, and if it's all icy and cold and stuff outside, then I don't have to feel guilty for staying inside with a thick blanket, a cup of hot tea/coffee/cocoa, and a book. In fact, I think I'm going to spend this evening doing just that.

What about you? Are you an indoor or outdoor winter activity person, or maybe a bit of both? What are your favorite winter activities?

On another topic, I wanted to let everyone know that I'll be sharing the first scene from my May release, A BREATH OF MAGIC, this Friday on my personal blog, and another scene every Friday over the next four weeks.

A List of 10!

This is going to be a quick one, as I'm literally going to type the first 10 things that come to mind. Ready? Okay, then:

10 years ago, I...

1. Had just moved back to Ohio from Oregon. I miss Portland, but I'm also happy here. I like that my family is close, and I like that my kids get to experience family holidays, grandparents at their birthdays/graduations/etc.
2. Bought a black lab puppy from a local breeder. Sadie is still with us and doing pretty well, but the poor dog has some arthritis in her hips. She's also the size of a small bear (thyroid issues), but she's loving and sweet, and she's an important part of our family.
3. Had a wedding. It was a small wedding, but attended by those closest to us, and with our 10-year anniversary approaching (we were married on my grandmother's birthday), I'm trying to plan something special.
4. Worked a full-time job as a manager of a CPA firm (I do not miss tax season at all, btw). Seriously. Not at all.
5. Only had 2 children (my boys are 7!). It's difficult to imagine our family without the twins, but ten years ago, they weren't even a thought in either of our minds. And honestly, if someone had told me ten years ago that we were going to have twins, I think I would have choked on my coffee. But wow, they make me smile every single day.
6. Had yet to go to my first RWA conference (though I'd been a member of RWA for several years). I always thought I shouldn't go to the national conference until I thought I was close to publishing, and back then, I worked way too many hours to fit much writing time in, so I kept putting it off. My first national conference was a mere three years ago, and I sold less than a year after that. Hmm, maybe I should have went earlier!
7. Had yet to join my local RWA chapter. I can't imagine not being a part of this terrific group, but a decade ago, I don't think I even realized there was a local chapter here.
8. Watched very little TV, but never missed Friends. Sigh. I still miss this show.
9. Hadn't yet read any of the "In Death" series by JD Robb. This is one of the very few series I'm happy to buy in hardcover the minute a new book comes out. But ten years ago, I didn't think I'd like the futuristic component of these books, so hadn't even given them a try. Silly me.
10. Was 10 years younger... Yeah. Enough said!

When I think of all the changes this last decade has brought, I'm amazed. When I consider how quickly that decade went, I'm shocked. Time really does fly!

I can honestly say that I'm *mostly* pleased with where my life has gone over the past ten years. Sure, there are a few things that I sometimes wish I'd done differently, but who knows where I'd be today if I had, and right now, my life is good.

What about you? Share a few things about you from 10 years ago! Would you change anything if you could?