Above and Beyond

Let me tell you about my oldest daughter. She's going to be 16 in a few months. She's a typical teen with typical teen issues. She has Down Syndrome so there have been lots of surprises with her, and worries that we don't have with the other kids. When she went into 5th grade nearly 4 years ago I didn't think she'd make it. She constantly bolted on her teachers, hiding out, sitting under tables in her classroom and all sorts of fun stuff. I seriously thought we'd have to move her to a special school. Her Dad, step Mom, teachers and I were flumoxed. We tried so many things to bring her around, even had a behavioral specialist in once a month.

Over the years she's gotten better. The bolting incidences became fewer and further between. She started making friends with the other girls in her class (she's been mainstreamed for the most part). These friendships really helped her, were incredibly important to her.

When she was in 6th grade she had open heart surgery. Before she went down her friends were giving her stuffed animal dogs (her favorites) to keep her company and sent the entire class (about 60 kids) made her get well cards. They even made her a VHS tape with messages that she could watch while she was in the hospital.

She's about ready to graduate from 8th grade. In the past 2 years she's been on the honor and high honor roll, she works just as hard as every other kid in school, has just been named Student of the Month for the 3rd time (out of all the grades-she has to meet all the same requirements other kids have to meet). Her behavior has been wonderful, she went on the big 8th grade American Heritage Tour to Washington DC. She'll also be presented with a yearbook which is given to students who have gone above and beyond the expectations of their teachers and peers. Yes, everyone can buy one, but its an honor to be presented with one.

I'm one proud mama. She'll be heading to high school next fall and my nerves will be all in a knot again, hoping that she'll dive right in with the enthusiasm she's had the past 3 years and not with the issues she had her first year.

But for now I'll bask in her wonderful achievements.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Usually my father in law marches in one of the local parades, but he's recovering from triple bypass. But he's doing well and should be back home this week.

This has been a much more productive weekend than I thought it would be, writing wise. My mom took the kids yesterday when my DH was off visiting f-i-l and I had about an hour of quiet time for editing. Wow, that is a rare occurance around here, me alone with no kids and no husband.

Today, after taking kidlets swimming and getting some laundry done I sat down and got bunches done. Still just under 100 more pages to edit, and a bunch more to add, but I'm happy to say that I'm up to 61,078 words now. If only I could make it to 70k, but I don't think I can get that much more in here. Another 2-3k maybe.

The point is that I've gotten lots done. As soon as I get through this its time to edit the synopsis, get a query letter out and get this baby going.

Not bad for a Nano piece. I wonder how many Nano wips actually get published.

Okay, breaktime over

Getting there

Well, I'm at 60335 words now with WORL. Just adding words here and there, but I'm making some good progress. I only have another 45 minutes before I have to stop and do housework (ugh). Then we're going to go out and play.

Okay, what do you do when you find a published story that sounds a WHOLE LOT like one you wrote? I have a novella that I wanted to go back to, but the premise is so close to one that's been published by WCP that I don't know if I should even bother. Or if I should just revamp the whole thing to make it different. Of course I have so many wips that I could just put this one aside and work on one of the others.

Or I could not worry about it and just edit WORL like a good doobee.

Yippeee Yahooooo!!!

Finally Home has made it to the "Coming Soon" page on the Whiskey Creek Press website for June 2007!! No cover art yet, and I'm not on the author's list yet, but in time, in time....

Still waiting to hear back from Samhain.

I'm nearly at 60k words on WORL and only half way done with editing.

Work is getting suckier and suckier at the moment. Three of us on duty today, but only 2 people to cover phones (or one person during lunches). Okay, so its a "quiet" day because its a holiday, but this is still the most ridiculous thing I've heard of. And it may not change. The new manager has to PROVE to the CEO that we need more than 2 people on the phones on Saturday. I can't believe that we're treated this way!! I truly wish I could find a new job. Um, gotta keep submitting stuff.

Well, at least most of the news is good.

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

I think I need to hire a professional organizer. I need to have someone come into my home. I'd have to leave, take the husband and kids with me, and have this organizer just go through my place, top to bottom and get rid of things. I'm sure there's about 80% of my stuff I'd never miss. And about 90% of my kids stuff that they'd never miss.

So, the question is, knowing this, why is it so difficult to throw this stuff away myself? Is it sentimentality? Is it the fact when I'm cleaning out the kids toy closet that they beg and plead with me to keep something they haven't seen in about 2 years. I just need someone else to go through this. I think its along the same lines of ripping off a bandaid. For some reason I can't do it myself, unless I do it the slow, torturous way.... it still hurts, it probably hurts more, but I just can't make myself take it off quickly. I just can't make myself throw things out (I'm talking about books that no one is going to read, old clothes, old dishes-stuff). Case in point.. I have a spice rack, with no spices in it. Its in good shape but I'm never going to use it. yet it still sits in my kitchen. Why? I don't know. I hate to throw it away.

Okay, so now you know one of my secrets (that wouldn't be a secret if you saw my house). I'm a pack rat of massive porportions. And so are my kids.

So I think I'm going to have to go with that professional organizer.

Job hunting

I hate to do it, but we found out (though it wasnt announced) that the person we were dreading to get the manager position got it. There's a lot of unhappy people in the office now. I just don't get the feeling that she'll have our best interests in mind. In fact I think she'll be one of the CEOs little evil minions and spy on us. She also has an "assistant" who is on of "us" (I hope). So my options are to stick it out and put up with her S#@%& or look for another job that'll fit into my schedule. Ugh.

My father in law went into the hospital yesterday for tests on his heart. He called last night-he's going in for triple bypass surgery today. He's alone in a hospital down in the Boston area. My M-I-L, B-I-L and his girlfriend are heading down. He can't be alone going through this. My husband is on pins and needles. To make things worse, we found out that he doesn't have a will. My best friend's mom passed away without a will. What a mess that was. Not that I'm expecting that to happen, I'm sure he'll be fine, but there's always that chance...

On a lighter note.. YAH TAYLOR! I only watched the last 10 minutes (I'll watch it later) I knew he'd win. Pretty sad though, that more people voted in this than in the presidential election BUT how many people are voting 10+ times in the presidential election? Who'd want to?

And what an awesome Lost!! So many twists and turns, questions answered and more asked. Like where is John and Eko??? Charlie made it out alive, but he doesn't even mention the other 2. What's in store for our Jack, Kate and Sawyer (and why were they chosen?) Is Henry the ONE? He certainly seems like he's more in control than he let on when he was a guest of the hatch. What's going to happen to Michael and Walt? is Walt really Walt? I hope that something particularly nasty happens to Michael. I seriously thought that Hurley was going to do some serious physical damage to him.

I hate waiting til fall to find out WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!!!!!!!

Progress

Well, if I would just put all my concentration into it I'd probably have all my editing done on WORL, but I'm just too easily distracted. But I'm getting there and I'm nearly to the 60,000 word mark. I have no doubt I'll make it. I wish I could add another 10k, but if I don't I won't be too upset. I'll be happy just to break 60k with a story I really like.

American Idol has one more performance to go. Last night, IMHO, was Taylor's night overall. Katherine did an absolutely beautiful job on Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and I really liked Black Horse/Cherry Tree again, but she crashed and burned with My Destiny. Poor girl, why did they have to give her that song to sing.

Taylor did well with all his songs, but on the third song I think he won it. He took another song that basically was bad (whats with these writers??) and turned it around. He made it a Taylor song. Whats with the gospel singers they have every year? I don't get that. Anyhue, I would be very surprised if Taylor didn't win. I tried voting for both and couldnt' get through at all.

My one gripe about Taylor SHUT UP ABOUT THE SOUL PATROL!!!!! You don't need to mention them in that manic chant!

Anyway, its going to be tough decision, to watch Lost finale or AI. Thank God for tivo!!!

Head Hopping

It must be wonderful to be an established and successful author. You get to do all sorts of things that other writers are slapped on the back of the hand for. I've been reading a book by one of my all time favorite writers-Nora Roberts. That woman head hops at an amazing rate. Sometimes she does it so well that the reader knows exactly who's thinking what. Other times its not as clear. Why is it so bad for new writers to head hop if they do a good job of it? I must admit that some of my wips have some head hopping, but I always make it clear.

Awesome blog.... Evil Editor. Take a look at it. Its hilarious and a learning experience

A Day of Rest

It's Sunday. My one and only day off. It's just past 11am and I still have my jammies on. I haven't washed the dishes yet. I want to climb back into bed and sleep the day away. After all, we're supposed to get rain YET again (it poured yesterday afternoon). Maybe the weather is making me so tired.

I've done some editing and some surfing, watched the news.

And I think this is the most boring blog entry in the world.

But I'm just too sleepy to care......

Back to your regularly scheduled writing

I'm trying to get back on track here. No word from Samhain, which means I'll have to wait til the end of the month as the editor is out of town. That's okay, I'll just concentrate on other things. I've been working on the synopsis for WORL. I think its going to be a little long, but that can be fixed. I'd really like to send it out to someone. But who.... that's the question. I could send it to WCP who I already sold to... I could try it over at Samhain or I could really go great guns and send it to a print publisher. I just don't know, at this length, who it would be good for. The only Harlequin line it would work for (storywise) is American, but its about 11-12,000 words short right at the moment and I have no idea how I could add that much more. Argh. So am I better sending it to an e-publisher?

Hmmm again.....

Ark Construction continues

Wow, this is reminding me of last October when we got so much rain. New Hampshire is back under water, this time the hardest hit to the east, sparing the west the worst. Watching the news is freaky, seeing some of those rivers that'll be cresting this morning. Flood stage is 11 feet and its expected to crest at 22 feet. That's serious. Check out WMUR for pictures of the mess. 253 closings. In May thats just unheard of.

Now just a few weeks ago I was complaining that it was so dry. What's the deal?

My oldest DD is off on her way to Washington DC. They left yesteday morning (in heavy downpours). I miss her already, but I'm very excited for her. My other DD and I spent a day together shopping yesteday. It was very nice (but expensive).

And today my DS is supposed to get his cast off. Yeah!! I'm looking forward to seeing his arm again.

Okay, on another note, I'm nuts. I love a good romantic scene in a television show, especially when its unexpected, but longed for. One of my favorite shows is The Office. I've been only watching for about 4 months now, but my favorite characters are Jim (oh, if I were only 25 again) and Pam. They're best friends. Pam is getting married soon to an oaf and Jim is in love with her. We were expecting Jim to tell Pam that he was transferring (because he couldn't take watching her get married to someone else). It was going to be a sad moment. Instead, though, he told her he was in love with her. My jaw dropped and my heart went pitty-pat. It was sad when she said that she didn't mean for their friendship to be misinterpreted (nice to see the tear in his eye when she said that). Then later that night she's in the office telling her mom about it on the phone (we believe she's admitting she loves him too) he walks in and after she quickly hangs up the phone, he kisses her. And she kisses him back.

And the show ended for the season.

Okay, I'm a romantic fool.... I've watched it at least 5 times. I consider it a learning tool for writing a romantic scene. Yah, thats it. Its not about an ideal man taking a risk and telling the woman he loves how he feels. Wish I'd had a "Jim" in my life.

Time to get ready for work. Blah

Just another day in paradise

We're in a flood warning area. Supposed to get 4" of rain today. So where was this precipitation in February when the NH Special Olympic winter games were cancelled due to the fact there was NO snow on the ground. Now the regional games have been cancelled because of the rain. Whats wrong with this picture?

Of course my other DD is still heading for a Girl Scout outing. Now if they quit early she's going to have to come hang with me, DH & DS are having a father/son day.

And I'm looking forward to a perfectly horrid day at work. Yes, the new system is up and running, with enough bugs to make an exterimator happy, but we're being bombarded with phone calls from frustrated and downright angry and rude customers who are getting renewal notice after renewal notice. Okay people, they're JUST renewal notices. Every magazine company sends them out over and over again. Its called marketing. Yes they're a PIA, but just look at whats happening with the world around us, war in Iraq, AIDS, Darfur, bird flu AND GET OVER IT!!!! This is not a major thing!!! Don't call us customer service reps and take out all your frustrations. We are humans too. Believe it or not, we have feelings. We do our best to help out, try to get the message through to the marketing dept (who rarely listen), but the ruder you are, the less we want to help you. Swearing at us is not going to get you anywhere! If you want to get your point across write a strongly worded letter to the vp of marketing and tell them just what you think. It'll hold a lot more water than the pawns in the first line.

There, I had to vent a little. After 2 weeks of hardly anything but bitch calls I'm a bit frustrated. Everyone in the office is. We have people bailing on us left and right and no help in sight.

I just need to channel Nora Roberts, make several million dollars then I can quit my day job.

Blessing in disguise

Yeah! The internet connection to my laptop is down for some reason. No, this is a good thing. I do my writing on my laptop, so I'm not as easily distracted. Of course all I have to do is walk across the room to this computer and I'm free to surf, but that would involve exercise. We wouldn't want to do that, now would we?

Got about a page of my synopsis done last night. Its pretty bad, but most rough drafts are. And I've gone back to the beginning of WORL to reedit. Super fun! rolling eyes

Off I go, get editing done while the kids are quiet. Shhh.... don't bug them.

It must be done

I'm talking about my query letter and synopsis for Where One Road Leads. Queries and synopsi are probably tougher to write than the actual manuscript. Have to try to shove a 58k work into 2 or 3 pages. But its a necessary evil. And I think I'll have to tackle it before I can move on with any other project.

Pray for me.

Phew.. found it

I hate it when I know I have part of a story and I can't find it. I have 2 computers, and many discs that it could be on, and I thought I'd gone over them with a fine tooth comb. I was very frustrated but at the last moment I found it. Now I just have to do more with it. I don't think this will be the one I aim for the short story project, got something else for that one. I think this one will be too erotic for that, but I have other places where I can send it.

Of course I haven't looked at WORL in ages. Now that SF is off at the editors (again) I should turn back to my full length wip.

Another crappy rainy day today. I'm thinking that its going to be like that next week for my DD's trip. We had a meeting last night and they sucked more money from my wallet. Fuel surcharges and all that. *sigh* And I still have to come up with spending money for her. Grumble. But this is going to be a lot of fun for her so I can't spoil it for her. I'll just go in the corner and lick my financial wounds.

hehehehhee

I think I found the story I'm going to do for my short story project. A paranormal I think. Yah, thats it.

Today at worked bit the big one. First day with the new computer system. Bugs a plenty and the phones were particularly busy. So I didn't get all my work done. No return phone calls made. Oops. I hope there'll be some understanding people out there.

And then, a wee bit last minute, I went through clothes for my oldest DD's trip to Washington DC. She's leaving Sunday. Can't believe its nearly here! Had to dip into my ebay clothes for her. My younger DD grabbed a pretty dancing dress which she refuses to take off. LOL

So, don't know if I mentioned it, but there's a small chance that I could hear back from Samhain this week (pleaseohpleaseohplease!!). Or it could be by the end of the month. Prayers have been said. Fingers have been crossed.

Time to get din for the kidlets.

When is Good Good Enough

I've finished the editing, but I'm still faced with the doubts that I didn't do enough and this time she won't give me another chance. And if its not good enough then what? Send it somewhere else? How do you know when you've added enough, that by adding more would be too much. I'm not sure. Just from this editing go round alone I added nearly 2000 more words even though I cut out several pages from the beginning.

I am sure that the manuscript is worlds better now than it was the first time I sent it to her, so regardless of what happens this time I've got to thank this editor for pushing me to make a good story much much better.

But will it be good enough for her? I guess I'll know after she reads it. Just have to take that leap of faith that really doesn't get easier with each manuscript you send out.

So everyone wish me luck!!

Visible progress

Well I'm on page 72 of 92 pages to be edited (sounds so short, but bear in mind that the manuscript is single spaced, so it still works out to be over 200 pages) AND I'm almost to the 57K mark. That has to count for something good.

I have an hour and a half left in my day. Maybe I could finish it and send it back to Samhain. I'm just skeered that she'll just roll her eyes and tell me sorry. Who knows, maybe it'll be just what she needs and wants. Won't know until I send it though.

Its a tough business. *sigh*

Someone smack me

I'm considering doing some editing on a short story for submission to an editor. Am I nuts????? I have Sweet Forever that needs my attention. Why the heck would I even consider launching into another editing project. I need my head examined!!

Today is gunna stink

Yah, it's not going to be a good day at all. It's my full day at work and our computer system is going to be down all day. I just really live for telling our customers that I can't help them but call back on Monday when we have a new and vastly inadequate system up and "running".

And the office manager has announced to everyone that her last day is the 30th of this month. Cool. I'm jealous and wish her well. That doesn't solve the fact that as of the 20th the entire Saturday staff, with the exception of lil ole me, will be gone. And while there's been a call put forth for people to come in and work extra hours to help out on Saturdays, its only for part of the day, so basically there'll be about 4-5 hours that I'm going to be on my own? Um, I don't think so.

Now if my writing career would all of a sudden take off I could quit my job too and stay home. Or at least just work part time.

Can I cry now?

Reality TV

Yes, I'm a reality TV whore. Love it. Well, love most of it. American Idol and Nashville Star are my favorites. One is winding down and one ended last night.

I thank God for tivo because I never would've made it through NS's hour and a half show last night, not when it comes on at 10pm. So I watched the last hour of it this morning sans commercials (did I mention that I love tivo?). Now, during the past 3 (or is it 4) seasons the singer I've rooted for has always come in 2nd, but I've been rootin for Chris Young all season. He's young and talented and man oh man makes me wish I was 20 again. I'm very pleased to say he won last night. Well deserved! I wish George Canyon from Season 2 had won, maybe he'd have more exposure in the US. He's hot up in Canada though.

Anyhue, American Idol was good last night. Competition is fierce. I'm so impressed with the talent as compared with say season 1 (no disrespect to Kelly Clarkson who is doing quite well for herself). Chris is dynamite! Not my style of music, but he sounds like a true professional. Taylor is still my favorite. Loved his second song. Katherine didn't do so good with her first song, but she was a breath of fresh air for that horse and cherry tree song (never heard of it). Will be interesting to see who goes tonite. My guess is Paris.

Okay, maybe I'll post something about writing, but for now its time to get ready for a loooong day at the office which is quickly becoming rocky (my fellow Saturday workers abandoning ship leaving me all alone. Not pretty) I may be either looking for a new job or being cut to part time very soon. *sigh*

Picking away

at my edits. I'd like it to go faster, but I've been too distracted lately. I just don't want to wait too long on getting this back to the editor. I'm just getting tired of the manuscript. How can I love the story so much but be sooooo tired of looking at it? Oh, thats normal with editing.... I forgot. I've also forgotten how nice it is to write something new and fresh!!

But but but tonite is American Idol night. So I have an hour to get going. I'd love to get through a few chapters.

In my dreams.

Why Women Are Crabby

I couldn't resist... it was either this or forward it to everyone I know...


Why Women Are Crabby We started to "bud" in our blouses at 9 or 10
years old only to find that anything that came in contact with those
tender, blooming buds hurt so bad it brought us to tears. So came the
ridiculously uncomfortable training = bra contraption that the boys in
school would snap until we had calluses = on our backs.

Next, we get our periods in our early to mid-teens (or sooner). Along
with = those budding boobs, we bloated, we cramped, we got the hormone
crankies, = had to wear little mattresses between our legs or insert
tubular, packed = cotton rods in places we didn't even know we had.

Our next little rite of passage (premarital or not) was having sex for
the first time which was about as much fun as having a ramrod push your
uterus through your nostrils (IF he did it right and didn't end up
with his little cart before his horse), leaving us to wonder what all
the fuss was about.

Then it was off to Motherhood where we learned to live on dry crackers
and water for a few months so we didn't spend the entire day leaning
over = Brother John. Of course, amazing creatures that we are (and we
are), we = learned to live with the growing little angels inside us
steadily kick ing = our innards night and day making us wonder if we
were preparing to have = Rosemary's Baby.

Our once flat bellies looked like we swallowed a watermelon whole and
we pee'd our pants every time we sneezed. When the big moment arrived,
the dam in our blessed Nether Regions invariably burst right in the
middle of the mall and we had to waddle, with our big cartoon feet,
moaning in pain all the way to the ER

Then it was huff and puff and beg to die while the OB says, "Please
stop screaming, Mrs. Hear-me-roar. Calm down and push. Just one more
good push (more like 10)," warranting a strong, well-deserved impulse to
punch = the %*#!* (and hubby) square in the nose for making us cram a
wiggling, mushroom-headed 10 lb bowling ball through a keyhole.

After that, it was time to raise those angels only to find that when a
that "cute" wears off, the beautiful little darlings morphed into
walking, jabbering, wet, gooey, snot-blowing, life-sucking,
disrespectful, money = grubbing machines.

Then come their "Teen Years." Need I say more?

When the kids are almost grown, we women hit our voracious sexual prime
in our early 40's - while hubby had his somewhere around his 18th
birthday.

So we progress into the grand finale: "The Menopause," the Grandmother
of all womanhood. It's either take HRT and chance cancer in those now
seasoned "buds" or the aforementioned Nether Regions, or, sweat like a
hog in July, wash your sheets and pillowcases daily and bite the head
off anything that moves.

Now, you ask WHY women seem to be more spiteful than men, when men get
off so easy, INCLUDING the icing on life's cake: Being able to pee in
the = woods without soaking their socks...

So, while I love being a woman, "Womanhood" would make the Great
Gandhiatad crabby. Women are the "weaker sex"? Yeah right. Bite me.