We Got Our First Christmas card The Other Day

Our autumn was almost spring-like, I could almost make myself believe we miraculously bypassed winter (at least I had fanciful thoughts about it) than two days ago the snow came and along with it our first Christmas card. Suddenly, I felt behind in all the things I had to do –cards to write and presents to buy. I think a certain amount of anxiety comes along with it. Would you believe my dreams are filled with Christmas shopping? I have a list of people I want to get gifts for, the malls are always disorderly in my dreams and I can never find what I want.

Usually, I’m ahead of the game and start my shopping at the end of summer but I find the older I get the faster the season comes upon me.

No matter the hectic pace and extra things to do, Christmas is always one of my favorite holidays. I love the music, the bittersweet songs that were played when I, my parents, grandparents and great grandparents were children.

Last year I lucked out and adopted an animal from WWF for my nieces and nephews. I was surprised with how much they liked it. Their ages ranged from six to sixteen and the idea that they helped save an animal went over real big. The plush animals you get with a donation were adorable. I’m tempted to do it again this year, so they can have a collection of them.

So far the animals I adopted for the kids are;

the Polar Bear
Snow Leopard
Tiger
Cheetah and
Lion

There’s so many to choose from and I admit; I like seeing the package when it comes in the mail and getting the first look at the symbolic animal.

This is the link if you’re interested in browsing through WWF’s selection.

http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/R?i=ZKw0PNEdRAc_5b-S43p48w

They have other gift ideas too, but personally my favorite was the plush animals.

Love This Video, Too Cute

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I thought this Youtube clip would go good with my last blog. Now if only I could take things in stride as this youngster:)

Best viewed with sound on.

One of A Writer’s Worst Nightmares

I shudder to think it nearly happened to me. I woke up this morning intent on working on the next chapter of my manuscript. I had visions of my characters, scenes and dialogue eager to be written. My mind was set on what I wanted to accomplish.

And that’s when it happened, my computer refused to load. All I could think about was the previous chapters I wrote, the scenes I labored over, the scenes I adored. I fiddled with my computer, booting and rebooting, flicking switches, pressing keys, while all the while thinking of how I should have backed up my work.

It’s such a simple thing to do. All it takes is a few minutes to put it on a disk, floppy or ipod, or even print out but I thought I was safe. It’s easy to dismiss the little things, especially after a long day of writing, editing, networking and spending time with family and friends. But it’s those little things that have a nasty bite; the loss of chapters, manuscripts, family photos, recipes –you name it.

I’m pleased to say, my incident this morning had a happy ending. My computer finely woke up from whatever stooper it was in and I was able to retrieve my manuscript which I immediately backed up onto my ipod.

I Had A Thing For Paul Newman

We shared the same last name but there’s no relation so this crush/admiration/weak-in-the-knees feeling is completely guilt free.



As I write this I’m looking at the October issue of People’s magazine featuring Paul Newman. I’m saddened by his loss. He was one of those characters that inspired and had me grinning at his antics revealed in interviews for movies, biographies and even this magazine. The section that’s written in People’s magazine about him and Tom Cruise racing is just one of the examples I’m referring to.

Yes I have to admit his character inspires me for the heroes I write. How can he not? He was married to Joanne Woodward for 50 years. In Hollywood that would be akin to two, perhaps three or four lifetime commitments –something that’s basically unheard of in the celebrity scene.


Besides his marriage to Mrs. Woodward, he was a great philanthropist donating all proceeds of his Newman’s Own products to charity. Paul Newman was a man with heart, integrity and a zest for life. Did I mention his looks? Well… That goes without saying, he was the real deal.


He is exactly the hero I strive to write about. If only I could portray a part of this charismatic character into my heroes, I would be a happy writer.


For those who want to read more about Paul Newman here is a great link;

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/27/paul.newman.dead/index.html

I’m sure his star will always shine bright.

Behind The Heart Pumping, Nail Biting Thrill Of Contests.

The 2008 Golden Heart finalists were announced yesterday. I played it cool, but I have to admit every time the phone rang my heart jolted with the possibility that it was RWA informing me that I was a finalist. I stayed on the computer all day working on a manuscript and checking the message boards. I’d tried to keep busy - - after all it was just a contest. Well… It was the ultimate contest - -the cream of the crop for unpublished romance writers. One I had dreamed about for years.

The sun sank lower. I parted ways from the computer for dinner then returned to my post, my ever trusting computer, trying to keep busy. Unfortunately, 10:00 PM looked back at me from the bottom of my computer screen after an exhausting and titillating day of checking Judi Fennell’s blog (Judi you did an awesome job with keeping us up to speed. Thanks). But alas I had to concede defeat. I wasn’t going to get the call.

I have to congratulate all the finalists, I checked out some of your web sites and read your excerpts, it was well deserved. Good luck on the finals and get those puppies published. I can’t wait to see them in bookstores!

As for me, I’m going to focus on the RITA award for next year because I’m determined to get my manuscript published before then.

Fingers crossed.

To Eat or Not to Eat-- cloned animal byproducts that is.

My instincts scream “No!” But it doesn’t change what my mom heard on the news. The government is going to allow the sale of cloned animal byproducts and the kicker of it is that it’s not going to be labeled. Why? For some strange reason the government thinks we won’t buy it.

Hmm…. I wonder where they got the common sense to think that?

Perhaps it’s because it’s been proven cloned animals have half the life expectancy as their forefathers. Why on earth would we want to consume something that’s prone to genetic breakdown? Where are we going to be 10 or 20 years down the road?

For me I’ll never look at another glass of milk or burger without wondering if it’s the real deal.

P.S.
Farmers who don’t clone their produce please let us know. I’ll pay extra money to squeeze out the cloners who put their food on the market.

Chilling With Sims 2

Everyone has their own way to unwind. One of my favorite ways to relax is to browse through Sims’ websites. I love looking at the many downloadable objects and clothing. To be honest I’m a bit of a clotheshorse and love to shop so this is an easy affordable fix.

Right now I’m in the midst of editing a manuscript. It can get pretty monotonous going through the pages looking for typos, excess commas and exclamation marks. To keep my sanity, all I have to do is click a button and it will take me to a website loaded with stuff for my Sims.

Of course I don’t have much time to play Sims 2, not with the busy schedule of writing, editing, spending time with my family, friends and doing everyday type of things but when I do get the chance to play, I’ll be sure my simmies will want for nothing.

Where Do All The Characters Come From?

I often wonder how many personalities lurk about in my mind. The good, the bad and the ugly. They’re all there, often times surprising me when words are put to paper. Characters feed off each other, building the story as they go along. Of course you start off with a plot but from there, your characters take over.

For me it’s like playing chess with myself, each move striving for victory. I’ll have a goal as to what I want in a scene but when the characters react, I have to put myself in their shoes and deal with it accordingly. It’s strange but fun as the characters try to outwit the other until the scene is played out.

I never know what’s going to be said, my mind always working a few steps ahead as I type. Each night I close off with what I think is good. Only the next morning do I really see what has been written. My mind’s clear, my hopes high as I take that first sip of coffee and reread what I wrote. Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised and others…. Well, let’s just say I shake my head and rouse those characters to redo the scene.

Ugh, More Snow

This is the longest winter I can remember in years. It started in November and hasn’t let up. I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad if I enjoyed winter activities. I can say the unusually long season has brought out the best in some of the most dedicated summer lovers. They even went so far as to buy snow machines. (I guess they knew something I didn’t as for how long the snow would last).

My dog Lucy loves the white powdery substance. The chill of it doesn’t bother her in the least. You would think she was in the Caribbean the way she romps about in it. She pounces into a snow bank, her face buried beneath its surface as if she were snorkeling in a lagoon in her pursuit of a mole… Or field mouse… Or whatever catches her scent.

In Lucy’s wake she always leaves icy puddles of water in the house as she transforms from snow dog to terrier mix before our eyes.

As for me I keep straining my eyes in hopes of seeing a patch green as a signal that spring is around the bend.

Picture Of The Day

I got this in an e-mail today and had to share. Talk about a man's best friend. They do everything together.

And So It Begins . . .

I'm officially a blogger. Again I am stepping into unfamiliar territory. Who knew writing a manuscript could get so high tech. Years ago I thought all you needed was a good imagination and a pad of paper. And of course years to churn out that masterpiece, tweaking and tugging into place so you can stand back and admire it with unhurried pride.

And that's when I woke up.

I've since learned writers had dual lives. I like to think of it of as a (Superhero / heroine) syndrome. They're nurses, doctors, hair dressers, cashiers --- heck even judges! They're cranking out one to three books a year, blogging, networking going to conferences. And still they manage to juggle careers, family life --- then once again when the muse strikes, they're on the case, tackling a story until they get their desired end. Of course the people who are closest to them know when they're on the next lead. The writer has that far off look, their listening and yet . . . well their thoughts are on the next page of their life.