Hey all, I’m over at Magical today chatting about a Sense of Place.  You know those feelings we all get when we’re in-story and connected to not only characters, but where they live and navigate story from.  Currently, I’ve been spending my time in an old plantation in my WIP, and it’s become another character to me. Stop by if you get the chance!

And today, I’ll be at my granddaughter’s tea party at school.  The little ones are wearing floppy hats, and the boys are sporting ties.  My daughter and I unearthed some pretty gaudy jewelry for the occassion, and tossed a few boas in the mix.  Should be a whole ’nother blog when I’m done!

What’s on your schedule today? 

Wishing all of you an amazing Mother’s Day!  Remember, you are one of life’s great treasures and forces in the world today.  We don’t take our path lightly, and the love we experience on a daily basis fuels our lives and stories with passion and truth.

Be well… 

Hey all, Friday is my blog day over at Magical Musings.  Stop by if you get the chance.  I’m chatting about little gifts; the kind our characters give to us.  And now, I’ll leave you with a little Jane Austen….

“I could not sit seriously down to write a serious romance under any other motive than to save my life, and if it were indispensable for me to keep it up and never relax into laughing at myself or other people, I am sure I should be hung before I finished the first chapter.  No_ I must keep to my own style and go on in my own way.”

~Jane Austen~ 

Wow, I knew I was a blog slacker lately, but the date of my last blog is shocking! Sorry about that folks.  Truth is, I haven’t had much to say lately.  And that is an anomaly in itself.  I’ve been in the mulling phase, taking two steps forward on the last half of my story, and stopping to smell the roses along the way.  Spring not only awakens the world around me, but parts of me too. I’m stretching slowly like the hibernated bear, excited about the spring weather.  Yard work, T-ball games, and exploring have rounded off my writing days.

This week during the American Idol show, I remembered a contestant that I truly thought would be in the finals.  She came on strong during the try-outs, and held her own into the top 13 this year.  Once she hit the big stage, I watched little pieces of herself fling out never defining herself fully.  I was sad because I imagined that she got lost.  It happens all the time, and for various reasons.  Still, a sad thing to see.  To some people, it might have just been the breaks of the biz.  To me, I felt her indecision, her holding back and playing it safe, not showing America who she truly was as an artist.

Creativity can be that way, I believe.  When writing stories, I put everything into the process like all of you. My first drafts might suck, but I see what can be, and strive to make that vision come to pass during the revisions.  If I can walk away from a story knowing I did my best, I know ideas will continue to flow.  I also know how important it is to stay true to who we are as writers.  That’s always been my path.  I think confidence and belief are great mates to carry on ones journey; one bubbles deep from the heart for me, while the other emotion brings it to the surface. 

I wish all of you great writing and revision days ahead.  And enjoy the spring while you’re at it.   Any thoughts, or news to share while I was communing with nature and the muse?

Hey all, I’m blogging at Magical today about Romance on the Rise!  Stop by if you get a chance. 

My oldest grandson and I were talking about books a few weeks ago.  He picked up a book at the school library that had the word Scorpion in the title.  As you can imagine, this nature boy of ours was excited at the prospect of diving into this grand adventure.  The only problem was, there wasn’t a scorpion to be found in the story!  About mid-way through, he was sure he was going to be disappointed.

I love titles, and really take the time to get it right.  If the title doesn’t come easily, I make sure by the time I’m done it’s exactly what I want.  I’m sure my grandson will examine his potential reads in the future, and maybe fan a few pages before making a decision.  I know titles can reflect the heart of a story, or lead a reader in an entirely different direction.

Have you ever been drawn to a book’s title, only to discover while reading it’s not as it seems? 

Hey all, today’s my blog day at Magical Musings and I’m chatting about Feeling Lucky.  Come on over and visit a spell if ya have the time.

I wanted to share a few things I discovered while shopping yesterday for Easter items. First off, I’ve been an Oil of Olay gal since I was eighteen.  At that time, post-dinosaurs, they had one product.  The fabulous pink bottle of moisturizer lotion.  I loved it! Now, they have many lines, many products for all target areas and ages.  Anyway, I had a coupon for the usual one I grab, the daily moisturizer to battle the seven signs of aging.  I’m happy to report, I noticed they’ve come out with a simple bottle of anti-wrinkle that’s five dollars less and reminds me of the older version I discovered all those years ago.  My daughter nabbed a similiar one with nutrients and better suited for her 30’s.  We walked away very happy we’d saved some money.  Not sure if they’ve created this lower cost product due to the economy, but cheering them on for their efforts.

Also, I nabbed a movie I loved, Blood Diamonds, for $9.  I’ve gotten favorite movies for as low as $5 before.  So, don’t forget the great movies that aren’t new releases but worthy of owning.  Hubby and I watched it last night, and it’s still fabulous!  Also, you get lower costs on the new ones if you buy them on actual release day.

In the Easter category, I bought books this year and a little less candy.  Hey, I think I went overboard those first few years.  Also, I bought a movie per family instead of movie per grandchild like I used to.  They all vote on what they want, and it works out really great.  This is the second year I’ve done this.

And coupons are the norm around here now.  I used to clip them, got out of the habit, and back at it again.  Really makes a difference.  And we had an opportunity to go in with our daughter, and bought some really great beef from a local guy.  He treats his cows like children, no hormones, all grain fed, and he’s picky about the water they drink.  I’m never tasted anything as good, and know we’ll do this every year.  So with a good supply of meat, the grocery list is smaller and we’re able to save there.

Oh, almost forgot.  In an effort to save when the gas prices were outrageous last year, my daughter and I switched to local establishments for hair and dental appts.  We were driving across town, and while it’s always a change switching the professionals in our lives, we’re happy with the talent we discovered. Actually, more than amazed.  I had no clue such a small town held so many talented people.  And the prices are less, so we won all around.

So, along the vein of saving what new things have you discovered out there?

Hey all!  I noticed that I’ve gotten into a two-week posting habit lately.  Probably because I’m in the middle of a WIP, and there’s truly not much news to share on the writing front.  I manage my weekly Magical blogs just fine, though.  Go figure!  I really love my second writing home, and the friends I share it with.

With spring here, we’ve jumped into the season like my family always does…with two feet, laughing all the way.  I’m starting to rearrange my writing schedule, somewhat, and the spring weather encourages me to make better use my time.  I’ve written on my deck once so far, and it was great to feel the sun while I work.  We’ve also enjoyed a picnic, and I look forward to the first time back on the lake.

What spring activities are you looking forward to?  And I’m curious, does a new season prompt a schedule change with your writing too? 

First off, I want to thank Edie Ramer for helping me figure out what I needed to do to post this cool pic of  Cynthia’s upcoming book.  Tech-gal I’m not!  Cynthia Eden has a fun contest running now until midnight March 29, in celebration of her upcoming book, Imortal Danger, due to be released March 31!  You can read all about the contest at her place.  Cynthia is not only a talented writer and terrific person, but making some serious tracks in her career.  

And Edie is a finalist in the Chase The Dream Contest,  and you can vote for her here.   Edie’s entry is Galaxy Girls and the last day to vote is March 11.  Edie recently finaled in the American Title V competition too, and is defnitely on a roll these days! 

Today is my blog day at Magical Musings, and the topic is reaching the midway point in a novel.  Stop by if you can, and visit.  Also, a reminder that our Magical Musings online contest is winding down. Everyone has until Monday at midnight to respond with their answer.  To repeat the rules: We have a writing saying in mind and have posted an image a week to give you clues as to which one. Sort of an online charades. After the final clue goes up, we’ll give you all a day to email us your guesses to Michelle Diener at michelle diener [at] gmail dot com (no spaces), and those who guess correctly will go into a draw for a Margie Lawson lecture packet of your choice. You can click on the links to find clue # 1 and clue # 2 and Clue #3 . Good luck!

And on a special note, I want to wish my youngest granddaughter a very happy birthday today!  She’s 6, and called us before she went to school today. We sang happy birthday to her, and it was a beautiful way to start to the day!  

Hubby and I are celebrating a new granddoggie this weekend!  My youngest granddaughter got a Maltepoo for her birthday this year. It’s adorable, and so little! We thought of all the joy that pets have brought into our grandchildren’s lives. 

Between five grandchildren, there’s now 3 dogs, 2 turtles, 2 parakeets, 2 hamsters, and 4 fish!  They could open a pet store.  When my girls were growing up, we had horses, chickens, dogs, parakeets, rabbits, and a few goldfish along the way.  Of course, it was an evolution for us and we worked up to the horses and chickens.  I don’t think those would have gone well in suburbia.  A little farm we bought years ago, became our refuge and opened the door for the bigger animals. 

Now, we live in another state and the girls are grown.  But, thankfully we’re able to enjoy all the much loved animals and pets in their world.  I must say, I couldn’t wait to wake up and find out how Emma, the new dog, is doing today.  I can see her big eyes, and soft fur.  She looks like a furball!  Next week, we plan on shopping for her bedding and wardrobe.  Yep, I think this one will wear bows and have sweaters.  The joy in the children’s eyes, whenever they talk about or play with their pets is amazing to see.  

We’re enjoying it all, and sharing in the experience.  I know many of you have pets, and how much joy they bring to your life.  Any new additions lately, or fun stories to share? 

I got some great news today! My good friend, Edie Ramer, has made the next round of the American Title Contest!  Her entry is titled Dead People and there’s only four entries left!  This is huge folks, since the winner receives a publishing contract with Dorchester, and we’re all so happy for you, Edie!  You can vote for her entry here, votes@romantictimes.com before March 2nd.  Make sure you include the title, Dead People, on the subject line of your blank email.

Also, Karin Tabke’s First Line Contest is in full swing, and the next round will be posted today.  The contest began with the first 100 online entries posted a few months ago, and will level at 25 today.  Each week, five are cut until five are left standing.  Those lucky entries will go to Senior editor, Amy Pierpont, at Grand Central Publishing for the winner to be determined.  The finalists will be sending the first ten pages of their entry.  This is an amazing opportunity for a possible full request too.  Very exciting contest btw, and one Karin has every year. 

And Zoe recently came in Second place in the Better Sex Fiction Contest I mentioned a few blogs back.  Congrats, Zoe!  Cheers for a job well done!

Cynthia Eden recently won the CAPA award for her terrific novel, Hotter After Midnight, from The Romance Studio.

Lainey Bancroft won the LASR Best Short Book of 2008 with her book, Ready To Reel.  Way to go ladies!