A Writing Day

I have a lot on my plate today. The to-do list is 9 or 10 items long. But prominently featured on today's list is a goal of writing 1500 words.

Having a day job, I don't get many writing days.

Let me rephrase that. Having a day job and a household to maintain (1 hubby, 3 kids, 4 cats and 2 dogs), I don't get many writing days.

But hubby and our son are off on their annual fishing trip, our oldest is now living in her own apartment, and the youngest spent the night at her best friend's house, so I have 3500 square feet of pure peace and quiet in which to write. As my uber-fabulous critique partner would say: Bliss.

Time to put on the music and ... well, write.

Is today a writing day for you?

Recent Reads

I have read some terrific books lately but have been woefully neglectful about sharing them here. Bad, bad me. So, without further ado ...

Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life by Quinn Cummings. A new friend gave this to me for my birthday eons ago, and I finally had the chance to read it. What a precious, heartwrenching, funny, marvelous book. Really. Read it. You won't be sorry.


Original Sin by Allison Brennan. Excellent paranormal thriller, the first in the Seven Deadly Sins series. Makes you want to sleep with the lights on. I really like her main character, Moira O'Donnell - she's smart and sexy, but she's one of those atypical heroines that you just have to like because she's about the farthest from perfect you can get and knows it. The second in the series, Carnal Sin, was just released in June, and it's on my to be purchased list.

Twilight. I mentioned in last Thursday's post that I've read the first three in this series. I did enjoy them, although at one point I was starting to get really tired of hearing how much pain Bella was in and how gorgeous Edward is. Whine, whine, whine. Enough, already - get to the good stuff! But she did, and I enjoyed the read. Now I just have to see how it all ends, as soon as my daughter gets #4 back from her friend's stepmother.

I'm always looking for new books to read, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to post them in the comments.

Until later!

Starting Fresh

My fabulous and invaluable critique partner JT Ellison and I, along with several other members of our critique group, have been discussing my writing career. There's so much to think about! One thing I do know is that I want to be published again. The old me is backlisted forever. The new me is furiously trying to get back in the game.

I'm discovering how much has changed in the publishing industry, and I'm teetering dangerously on the brink of information overload. But I'm making a commitment, here and now, to devote at least a small percentage of each and every day to catching up on what's been happening in this crazy mixed-up, outrageously fun, virulent, vibrant world we call the publishing industry while I've been out of commission.

We'll still talk books here, but I'm adding a little bit of writing discussion to the forum too. Writing is my life (again), and I hope you'll take the journey with me.

Reorganizing the Bookshelf

I'm now on Twitter - follow me at www.twitter.com/gimmeromance.

It's obviously taken some time, but I'm finally back to the point where I'm writing - and reading - again. Things may change a little bit around here, but you'll know when it does.

In the meantime, what's currently on the nightstand is the Twilight series. I'm through books 1-3 (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse) and am awaiting the return of Breaking Dawn, which is apparently on loan from my daughter to one of her friends.

I like this series, although I don't think I'll ever be as obsessed with it as I am with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Sigh - I guess it's true, you never forget your first love. ;)

More soon. The study needs to be cleaned out, and then this writer is going to be writing again.