We Interrupt This Blog...

...for a personal crisis. Lexi Connor has issues. (No, not those kinds of issues.) Drama has become the new code word in her world. The drama has nothing to do with writing. It is real life getting in the way of those most excellent books. When she is ready to share the crisis details with you, she will return with an explanation and a detailed synopsis of her last few days.

WE NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED...UM, NON-CRISIS?

A Quick Word

I guess I'm doing something right. Fractured Paradise took 1st place in the Romancing the Tome Series Contemporary category. I also got a request for a partial. Woohoo!

Stop To Smell The Roses

With all the crap that goes on around us, don't forget to stop along the way and smell the roses. Enjoy each and every day and be thankful for all that you have.

No news on the Romancing the Tome contest yet. I'm hardly thinking about it now. I've moved on.

Another day closer to spring break!

Visiting with my 15-year-old nephew who flew in for his February break. It's good to see him and spend some time with him. It's been a while. I don't ever want to lose touch with him.

Computers Are Our Friends And Other Stuff

So I go to log on and post to the blog when what appears? Blogger forces me to use the "new blogger" whether I want to or not. Fine. I switch to the new blogger. Then I can't post. Of course not! have a Mac and apparently that's almost outlawed. To post on my own blog, I have to download something, connect the dots and cross my cyber t's. I am SO NOT A COMPUTER person, but I download what I need and after an hour I try to post again. Nothing. Lots of colorful phrases fell off my tongue as I walked away from the computer before I hurled it out the window. After a couple of hours of watching taped shows form earlier this week, I felt pretty invincible and I decided to try again. After all, I don't want to post to the blog from work every single day. Obviously it worked this time. YAY! I guess I'm not a technology idiot like I thought. Well, not as much of one.

Work is work. 3 weeks until spring break, but who's counting? The middle schoolers had their Valentine's Dance last night. Oh what fun! My friend (another teacher who chaperoned) and I went out for margaritas after. Now that was worth it.

Still plugging away on the 100 words a day. Although I have a LOT of day job work to do that keeps haunting me (because I keep putting it off). Still, I've been ignoring it and playing. Tomorrow I'll do some work. Honest, boss.

Still no word from Romancing the Tome. The coordinator stated (when someone else asked) she's waiting on one judge. So it'll happen when it happens.

Not Feelin' The Love

Happy Valentine's Day to all those who are celebrating this evening. I am not. Although, please hear me. I do believe in true love! I do believe in the power of love at first sight. I still have hope that I'll find my own hero someday. I celebrated this afternoon with my students. That was enough mayhem and chocolate to last me a while. A few days, anyway. Wherever you are and whatever you do, I hope you had a great day.

Romancing the Tome. Um, somebody forgot to remind the coordinator to post/contact the winners. I would've been okay except that my students kept asking me things like "Did you win?" and "Have you heard yet?" Then, when I got home a couple of friends e-mailed asking if I'd found out the results yet. Truthfully I don't know why it wasn't announced tonight, but I'm sure they'll put us out of our misery as soon as they can. No, I'm not still thinking about it. I haven't had my computer online ALL NIGHT waiting for a posting. I haven't run up the stairs to check e-mails on every other commercial break during my shows. Ah well. Tomorrow's another day.

Don't Hate Me Because I Blog So Little Lately

Yes, I'm here. No, I didn't wait this long to blog on purpose. I just didn't think I had anything to say. I still don't, but I'm here.

Now it's only 3 days until the Romancing the Tome placements are announced. I'm not thinking about it, though. No, not at all.

We have tomorrow off from school. YAY!!! A whole day off and nothing pressing to do.

I got some catalogs from the Scottish Tourist Board and now I'm getting excited again about going to my happy place.

I'm on day 15 of my 100 words a day! Some days I want to write forever. Some days it's hard just to get to word 100.

Today I decided to be a little more daring in my life. After all, life is too short to be afraid to do things or to wait for things to happen. One of my 2 best friends was in San Antonio with her kids and her mom for the weekend (the boys had a soccer tournament). I didn't know if we'd get together. Finally I just grabbed my keys and peeled out of the parking space to go meet them. We only had a few hours together, but it did me a world of good to see someone who is so important to me. (The last time was the week before Nationals in Reno almost 2 years ago. They live in Las Vegas.)

I entered my Scottish contemporary in yet another contest. I'm aiming to have my query ready to be mailed by the end of this week. It's possible. Probable. Okay, it must be definite! I'm learning that I have to suck it up and just get my writing related work done. No excuses. If I want it badly enough, I've GOT to work!

Okay, I'm off to write my 100 words for Sunday.

24-7-69

24- There are NOT enough hours in the day for me to do everything I want and need to do! And I'm single!! I don't know how you married people and people with kids can still find time to write. I'm still working on my 100 words a day. I'm still getting something accomplished each day, although it's NEVER enough time for me to totally immerse myself in my fictional world. BUT I'm getting some great scenes, learning a whole bunch about my characters and just today I nailed down a bunch more information about my current hero and his goals, motivation and conflicts!

7- Only 7 days until the Romancing the Tome contest makes the final placement announcements. My contemporary is in there. I really shouldn't be allowed to enter contests. I get way too excited way too soon. I tell myself I won't spend much time thnking about it between now and then, but...

69- The number of school days left in the 06-07 school year. Although I'll be sad to see my kids go off for summer vacation (some more than others), I CANNOT wait for my own summer vacation! This has been a very challenging year, to say the least, and I'll be happy for some peace among the hills of the Scottish Highlands and the rich, green grasses of Ireland.

Gotta go!

Lost In The Highlands

I worried when this would happen, if it would happen again. I prayed that it would and now it has. I sat tonight after the Super Bowl (Yay Colts!) and wrote. I was only making sure I got my hundred words finished and then I was going to have a cup of tea and start mentally preparing for a new work week. When I next looked at the clock, it was 11:40. I wrote 6 1/2 pages and I'm leaving off in a great spot to pick up the adventure tomorrow. Hopefully this is the first of many days and nights where I lose myself in my fictional village!

Baby Steps

Congratulate me! I've written at least 100 words a day for a whole week! The muse is visiting more often. The fears and doubts are dormant for now. The new hero and heroine are ready to share their story, their pain. They're ready to find their happiness. More importantly, I'm ready to listen.

I got my scores back from the Hook, Line & Sinker contest. I was extremely pleased. 50 points was the highest I could get. My suspense (which took 3rd in the contest) got 50, 50, 49. My contemporary (which took 5th) got 50, 50, 43. I think this helped me get back on track too.

I played around with my query for the contemporary again this morning. It's closer to being ready and I'm closer to loving it. I think I've dealt long enough with my fear of failure (and success, for that matter) and I need to get it out.

When I started getting some personal rejections, I created a powerpoint presentation for myself and my stories. When I started my contemporary series, I created another PPT for Lexi Connor. This morning I pinned down the blurb for my newest manuscript. It's hard to explain, but doing that made me realize that I can do anything. I'm capable of telling a great story. I'm able to create characters that readers love (and hate sometimes!). Blurbs don't scare me so much anymore.

I'll still take baby steps, but I'm ready for the next phase of my writing career.