SIX WEEKS!

I fly to San Antonio for RWA Nationals in six weeks!

This is pretty much me right now.

Our 2014 Golden Heart yahoo loop has been full of dresses and pin talk and name talk and a few awesome call stories. We've decided to call ourselves the Dreamweavers and we're finalizing out pin design now. The more I learn about these amazing women, the more excited I am to meet them.

I have a dress I can wear for the ceremony but I've debated borrowing a different one from a friend. I'll make my final decision closer to the date. I like to have wardrobe options, you see. Don't we all?

But, most important, I'm finishing a new story and I'll be preparing to pitch it at Nationals along with my GH finaling manuscript.

These past couple of months have been a whirlwind of excitement. Being a finalist in this contest has been an amazing ride.  There have been a lot of cool things going on and to keep myself grounded, I've been writing something new. I'm really excited about it and when I have more information, I'll post it here.  Or rather, on my books tab above.

In the meantime, the summer is beginning. I have two little boys and I'm looking forward to the weeks ahead full of sunshine and fun with them.

What are your plans for the summer, readers? Are you going to Nationals?  If so, leave me a note so we can meet up!

What To Do When You're NOT at RT

The RT Booklover's Convention is being held this week in New Orleans.

My Twitter feed and Facebook have been flooded with pictures of all my lovely writing friends partying it up, talking shop, and enjoying one of the spots on my "to travel to before I die" list.

I would love to say that I'm entirely too busy writing and doing writerly things to be stalking my Twitter and refreshing my Facebook. But it would be a lie. Seems I CAN find too many minutes to jealously read all those cool tweets/posts.

So, instead of getting caught up in my own envy, I thought I'd post a list of things to do while your friends are all at RT (or insert any other writing convention you aren't attending here).

1) Write.  This one is so obvious it almost doesn't have to be here.  But, well, it does.  You can write, get ahead in the word count of all those folks who are away, having more fun than you, er, who are too busy to write right now.  Practical and straightforward.

2) Blog.  Sort of a subset of writing.  But you could insert any promotional item here. Working on your website works too.  Marketing is part of writing, after all.  At least it is if you're a published writer or plan to be someday.

3) Read. Think of it as research. Think of it as a guilty pleasure.  Either way, reading is good for your writing. And, as everyone's busy doing their thing at RT, no one's looking.  Feel free to indulge.

How about you?  If you're at RT, feel free to gush about how much fun you're having.  I won't judge you (much). If you're not, what are you doing to keep busy?

At The Beginning... Again

Altered is out there on the catwalk, strutting its stuff. It's time for me to start a new project!!

At the start of something new, I always have mixed emotions.  I'm equal parts this...

And this ....

It's a really exciting time.  I get to plot out something new, play with new scenarios. I can pluck the depths of characters and play what-if. Most important to me right now, I can write new words instead of revising previously written words!  *happy sigh*  Oh, I know revising is vital. But revisions require a different kind of creativity.  A soul-sucking, exhausting, trying... er, I mean, wonderfully productive and necessary part of the creative process.

I'm deep in the research phase and my storyboard is deliciously empty.  *rubs hands together*  Here's hoping the next days see me typing like a madwoman and not doing a lot of this...

Sorry for the image-laden post. I was feeling visual today. So tell me... how do you feel at the beginning of a project?  What are you working on right now?

Pretty New Headshot!

Part of being a Golden Heart Finalist is having a head shot taken.  Some girls are lucky enough to already have a picture that makes them look author-y and they didn't have to stress this item on their to-do list.

I wasn't so lucky.

The day after I finaled (yes, the day after.  Not that day.  I was busy swimming in the pixie dust that day, folks, I'm not gonna lie) I started stressing about what the heck I was going to do for a head shot.  I thought about just taking a selfie or having the hubs do it.  I considered and even talked to a lovely friend about taking some photos.  But, I turned to my sister-in-law who directed me to the lovely Mindy Ingersoll.

If you look over there....  >>>>>
you will see my beautiful new author-y headshot.

Please.  Did you look?  No?  Well, take this moment now.  It's there >>>>

You saw it?  Good.  Because I love it.

Mindy did a great job.  Made me feel super relaxed.  I love all the pics she took but the one on the right
>>>>>>>
Over there, in case you didn't look yet.
>>>>>>>
Is my favorite.

Thanks again, Mindy!  And if you're in the Philly, Delaware, South Jersey area and you need a photog, check her out.

Ever had to have your professional picture taken?  How'd it go?

I'm a Golden Heart Finalist!

*throws confetti*

My book, ALTERED, is a Golden Heart Finalist in the Young Adult Romance category!!  I couldn't be more excited.  Read below for the list of finalists:

RWA Blog - RITA and Golden Heart Nominees

I got my call this morning at a little after 10 AM.  I think Julie Kenner might think I'm crazy because all I could say was, "Oh my God.  Oh my God."

I've been floating all day and now I get to plan a trip to San Antonio.  SQUEE!!!

Congratulations to all my fellow finalists and to all the finalists in the RITA awards.  To see my name on this post with all those talented writers, well, it's really humbling.

I can't wait to meet the other finalists and to celebrate it up at Nationals this year!

Shop Talk Tuesday: When One Door Closes....

It's been a few weeks since I posted. Sorry about that. But I've been over on my group blog, Romance Writer's Revenge a lot more, for our final huzzah.

Over the summer, my blog mates and I decided to dock the ship permanently. September was our last month of blogging and our finale was yesterday.  

It has been an amazing run.

When we started the blog in 2007, we didn't know what we were doing.  Back then, I blogged every Thursday.  Our topics ran the gamut and we rambled on, trailing off on tangents, really getting a feel for ourselves and the other writers/readers that joined in the discussion.  I learned a whole lot about myself as an author because of the women on that blog. And I made some amazing friends.

I'm going to miss being there, checking for posts every day. Hearing each of the pirates' takes on the world.

For your part, you can still find each of the pirates at various spots on the web.  On my side bar, you'll find the links to each of their homepages.  I'll try to stay here and keep you entertained.  

So, from me, a virtual shout out and a huge smooshy hug to all the pirates.  I love you girls.  I wouldn't be who I am--as a writer or a person--if it hadn't been for you folks pushing me these past six years.  XOXO  

Shop Talk Tuesday: Motivation

I’ll admit: sometimes I procrastinate. Like now. Currently, it’s Monday night and I’m writing this blog. But I’m writing it because I SHOULD be working on the scene I’m almost done with but I just don’t wanna. The scene is hard. It’s required more research than I’ve done during the rest of the book combined.  (Magnetoencephalography. Go ahead and look it up. I’ll wait here…..  See?  Zzzzzzzzzzz)

 

I have exactly no motivation to read another thing about the electrophysiology of the brain. Or the different lobe functions. Or whatever else. I find parts of it fascinating, don’t get me wrong, but when they start talking about all the research that’s been done on the brain, all the different scientists, limitations of the work, etc. well… my eyes glaze over and MY brain shuts down.

 

So, I hit the internet. Pinterest, you saucy wench, I’m looking at you. Oh, another recipe for a cream cheese dip? Don’t mind if I do. Then I scan my FB timeline and I start chatting on Twitter.

 

Let’s face it: if we want to escape from a task, there are no shortage of places to get lost here. In fact, writing this blog is productive, in comparison. At least this is work related.

 

Where am I going with this? Oh right. Motivation. What keeps me going back for more? Because this sort of stuff is hard. I’ve written other stories that have required research. Sometimes it was awesome. I’d fall down the rabbit hole willingly. Other times, not so much. The night I spent trying to figure out how long it would take to get from point A in England to point B, on horseback, for example.  Ugh. I had to know, but I would have preferred to pass over that and get back to the story. Right now I need to know how the brain functions. At least with passable authority. That has required a bit of research. Into science. For this English major.

 

I know. Ouch.

 

But, the story requires it so I need to do it. I will remind myself that it serves a greater purpose: making my story into the best end result I can manage. Then I will focus on that and it will get me going again.  

A great end result. That's the goal. Sometimes I need a reminder. And some weeks I need more reminders than usual. Like weeks that require neurology lessons.

So, tell me… what motivates you?