|
Wet Paint...........
 Not really. I mean if you touch your screen, which you shouldn't anyway, you won't get paint on your fingers.......but you try finding a sign that reads NEWLY REDONE WEBSITE AND BLOG! So, this is my little way of announcing the makeover my WebGoddess, the Fabulous Ms. Shelley gave my site! It's fresh and new and pretty and fun, and I'm really enjoying it. As you can see, she also put a high gloss shine on the blog! So go to my site, look around, send me an email to tell me what you think and oh yeah, never touch a wet paint sign.
Books, books and more books..........
 Just got back from plot group. Always a good time, but LOTS of work, too! This time was a little different. There were the usual four of us... Terry Southwick, Susan Mallery, Chris Rimmer, and me,. But this time, we had someone new in the mix, too. Kate Carlisle. It's always exciting when you've got some fresh blood at plot group. It brings in a new voice, a new perspective. Keeps us on our toes! And Kate slid right in like she'd always been there! Our group has been together more than ten years. We meet twice a year and plot like crazy for three days. Over the years, we've tried out new members, too. Some have worked, some don't. And it's nothing to do with how much we love the writers we've invited. It's all about the WAY we plot.
Everybody does it differently, but for us, we each get to plot two books. Whatever we like. We have ninety minute sessions, that give us plot lines, conflicts, turning points and scenes. We go for the big picture, each of us trusting that when it comes time to write the book, we can handle that part on our own! Other plot groups work differently. Some work on coming up with ideas only. Others will plot each scene in the book and define characters for each other. But our way works best for me. I'm a big picture kind of writer. Help me sketch it out and I'll do the rest while I'm writing the book. I guess the best part about being a writer, for me anyway, is that there ARE no rules. We do what works best for US and let the rest go. My kind of job.
At a Bookstore Near You..............
 Gotta say, I loved writing this book. Man is British, and ooh. Love that! He's suave, self assured and not about to let our heroine, Janine, break down any of the walls he's spent years building. Naturally, Janine doesn't have to 'break' down the walls. She just tunnels right through them. Janine is a favorite, too. She's funny, sarcastic and a little snarky. Just the way I like my friends! So why are you still here reading my blog? Run out now for your copy of SEDUCED BY THE RICH MAN! Then write and let me know if you loved Max and Janine as much as I did!
Before and After.........
No, I didn't lose weight. My tree did. Sadly, my gorgeous Jacaranda was forced into a haircut! Now every May, this tree explodes with the most amazing shower of pale lavender flowers... The tree has people stopping on the street to stare at it. Yes, okay, dh, it IS messy. The flowers stain the sidewalk and get tracked into the carpet on the bottoms of shoes. But that's life, right? You don't get something for nothing. If you want the beauty, you have to take the not so great. For me, I love this tree. I sit out on the porch with my coffee and watch the wind ruffle the leaves into a swaying dance that's just mesmerizing to me. My dh on the other hand, complains about roots popping up and cracking the sidewalk and how he hates mowing under it! Guess I'm just a tree person. Oh, and a cloud person too, but that's a blog for a different day. 
This blog is all about my gorgeous tree. It's coming back already, leaves filling out and stubborn new sprouts starting to jump off of limbs that were sheared back. So I think it's forgiven me for allowing those terrible men to whack at it! But I guess I won't know for sure until next May...
We're Having a Heat Wave......
 And no, I'm not singing about it, I'm WHINING. Now generally speaking I don't consider myself a big weiner dog.....however, I'm admitting it here on the world wide web... I HATE BEING HOT! Usually, in Southern California, we get really hot in August and miserable in September. Well, it's September 2nd and already, Mother Nature is screwing with us. And for those of us WITHOUT air conditioning, these are trying times, my friends! I'd much rather be cold than hot. In cold weather, you can always put on another sweater or a blanket. But when it's hot, there's only so much you can take off and still avoid arrest--not to mention public humiliation. Plus, it's really hard to write when you're busy pointing the fan in your direction and fighting off the dh when he tries to claim it!! So let's all say it together now...COME ON WINTER!!
|
|
|
