Monday's Musings

Happy Halloween, everyone! While I have to admit, it's never been my favorite holiday, I've been enjoying it much more lately. We have our ghouls and skeletons up, our witches and ghosts that our children made in grammar school dangling from rafters outside, our house is decorated with full fall foliage and soon Frankenstein will be singing and dancing inside our front window. Last night, our kids came over for our traditional pumpkin carving. My hubby does it all, while we watch, supervise and compliment his artistic ability. This time he carved the face of a wolf in shadows. It's very cool! And a more traditonal Casper type ghost holding a pumpkin. My daughter seasoned and baked pumkin seeds and we had them later on in the evening. I do love seeing the children dressed up in costumes coming to my door. But mostly, what I love is the traditions that we've instituted over the years -- and how our out-of-college children, still enjoy coming over to keep those family traditions going strong.

Happy Trick or Treating everyone!

Friday's Finds

Baseball season is over and I'm having withdrawals already. It's funny when you have a passion for something -- it's quite overwhelming and you can't hide it. All of my friends know how much I love baseball. Many of them called to console me when the ANGELS lost in the playoffs to the White Sox. Well, at least they lost to the best team. But we had a great time going to the games all season and watching them on television. We even went to two play-off games and the excitement in the stadium wasn't to be compared. It'll be a long draught until April and I do have enough to keep me busy. I'm just not into basketball, or football or tennis anymore.
And I do get a chance to see my nephew play year round. I'm so proud of him. He received a full baseball scholarship to a UC college. Just one more year of high school baseball for him and then I'll be doing some traveling to watch his games.

Okay, so if you're not a fan, you can't relate. But we all have our passions and I might add, obsessions. And I do have a few more ... I might share those with you at another time. Right now, allow me my mourning time. I'll be happy again ... come April.

Thursday's Thoughts

I'm not complaining really, considering how long it took me to get to this place in my career, but just when I thought I'd have a break for the holidays, I'm getting more and more work. Yesterday, after writing at least 20 pages and the pivotal love scene leading up to the dark moment in my story, (Yes I'm finally nearing the end of Shanghaied Groom) I received my copyedits for my June Desire. It's a cycle I know, once the book is finished, we see it at least three more times for edits. Copyedits need to be done pronto, the turnaround time is just a week usually. So, I'm not going to get to finish my story this week as planned. And I had such great momentum. I'll change gears and go into edit mode. But I do LOVE all that I do having to do with writing. It's just not fitting into my plans. And next I know, I'll receive my Bible for the Fortunes Series and have a month to work up my synopsis -- all before January.
It's the nature of the beast, deadlines! I don't mind them, but hey, I just wanted some free time to enjoy shopping and decorating for the holidays. Maybe, if I work faster -- I'll get there. :)

Wednesday's Words

It's almost Halloween and fall is definitely upon us. I can't say that I love this time of year weather- wise, I'm not a fall/winter person, but I do love decorating the house for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Already up are my fall wreaths and faux pumpkins inside the house. My vases hold fall colors now and there are fall leaf decorations in abundance all over. I've put up our singing Frankenstein and skeletons and the paper mache ghost that my daughter made while in grammar school. Real pumpkins are on the way and we'll be carving those over the weekend. My husband is a master carver - he's done the most amazing things like carving a witch on a broom flying by the big moon and a big black cat arching its back. We've had tricks before treats when the kids come by and played scary music. We've made a "grab" house where the kids don't know what they'll get when they put their hands inside.

Don't even get me started on Thanksgiving! I have it every year and I've collected some great decorations over the years -- it's my favorite holiday. Though it's a ton of work, I still find it more relaxing and less stressful than other holidays. I love the warmth and comraderie and what better way to enjoy the day than spending time with your loved ones ... eating!

Thursday's Thoughts

I just got the news that I'll be working on the Fortunes Continuity for a 2007 series. Now, I have to admit, I didn't read the Fortunes of Texas books and I'm told that these stories will take place in North Dakota, not Texas. Anyway, I'm thrilled to be working on another continuity for next year -- they are always a challenge and fun to network with the five other authors in the series to make our stories gel together. I'll be book four, so the book is temporarily scheduled for April 2007. Wow, doesn't that seem sooo far away? It's interesting to me that I've never had a fall or winter book release. All my books tend to come out in the early or mid part of the year. The latest I've had a book release was way back in 1999, I believe and that was a September book.

Has anybody out there read the Fortune Desire series? If so, can you give me clues, hints or insights. Did you enjoy the books? And if so, why? Just curious -- I think I'll have to do some research!

Monday's Musings

I just received word that my Desire - Caroline's Man Friday has been scheduled for August 2006 and the title has changed to Bunking with the Boss. I like it. It's one I had sent into my editor along with a dozen other titles and it's growing on me. Usually, it's hard for me to give up a title that's been staring me in the face the whole time I'm writing the book. But for me, and I might have mentioned this before, only one of my originial titles have ever stuck.
And that was the very first book I wrote called Chance in a Million. Yep, the hero' s name was Chance so the title fit perfectly! But I'm happy with my new title for the most part and am extremely happy to see that I'll have 2 summer reads out, one in June and one in August as well as a February 2006 Harlequin Historical. Lots of words, lots of work -- but worth it.

Friday's Finds

Wow, it's Friday again. The week flew by and I got a good deal of writing done. Looks like I'm in the home stretch of my story. This is when it gets exciting -- when the story comes to its blackest moment for H/H and then we get to resolve both the internal and external conflicts. This one has a surprise ending that I'm hoping to pull off without too much trouble. Still and all, the story has moved to Virginia City, Nevada, one of my favortie western ghost towns. I'm using research I've done for my last western - The Courting of Widow Shaw, but in a different way for this book. I'm just fascinated with Virginia City and love the lore and history there.

And on a different note, for those who had trouble getting into my website mailing list or contest, everything is in working order again! Please submit for my contest- with great prizes - there's still time! The contest ends in mid November. Good Luck!!

Monday's Musings

My trip to the Hollywood Bowl last Saturday night, brought back some amazing memories of my childhood, when I saw Jim Morrison and the Doors, known then just as the Doors, along with the Rascals, of "It's a Beautiful Morning" fame. I remember sitting in box seats then, true box seats where four seats were boxed into a wooden frame, two in front, two in back. At the time, I don't think we knew how famous Jim Morrison would be, or how long those memories would stick with us. But they did. And on this past Saturday, those memories came rushing forth. At the time, there was no Staples Center or huge outdoor venues. Anyone who was "anyone" would play the Hollywood Bowl. It was "the" arena for rock groups.

But it's a calmer place now and I was amazed how easy it was, traffic wise to get in and out of the facility. Though we showed up 90 minutes early, as you have to do these days to avoid the masses. My friend and I had dinner in our box seat, with waiter service and all. We shared a nice meal and a bottle of wine before the show and I wondered why it had taken me all these years to go back to a true Hollywood icon. Loved every minute of it. Tim McGraw, was great as usual. We don't expect anything less from him or his band. And we even got to see a few stars as Scott Hamilton and Rick Schroeder, strolled right by us.

Fun!

Friday's Finds

It's Friday again and I swear I don't know where the week goes. But TGIF, as they say and the weekend is upon us. I'll be heading to the Tim McGraw concert this weekend and I'm hoping the weather holds up, since it's outdoors. For those of you who know me, you know I'm a huge fan. I've never joined a fan club in my life. Never, not even for Elvis Presley, the KING, but in my middle age, I decided, why not? I love Tim's music and his style. I've even met him once in Pasadena, when he signed his book. I never thought I'd shake his hand, but oh, that was a moment in time I'll never forget. So once a year, he comes to my area in CA to do a concert and I always go with my other "Tim" fan friend and fellow writer, Tanya Hanson. We always have a blast!

So the fires in my area are out, the ANGELS are on their way to the League Championship, I hope, I'm going to see Tim McGraw this weekend and I made my deadline of writing 40 pages this week. All in all, not a bad week for me. Now, if only Faith shows up to sing with her husband, it'll be icing on the cake!

Wednesday's Words

It's been a tumultuous few days and I took a little break from writing. The fires are out in our area, but Mother Nature isn't cooperating and we're having those Santana winds again. For those who don't know they are warm winds that blow at rapid rates and in my neck of the woods that usually means brushfires. Last week's fires are under control now, but there are hot spots up in the hills that the experts are worried about. I saw evidence of this yesterday when I drove out of my neighborhood only to see five fire engines (from other counties) come up our way. It's signiciant to note that these are not our firefighters, because it means that some of the 3000 that had come from all over, are still here, anticipating. So, we sit and wait and hope that the winds die down soon, and that some sicko arsonist, won't be tempted to go up in the hills. With all the firefighters now on the scene, I would hope that we'd only have to worry about what Mother Nature intends.

And on an entirely different note, my hubby and I went to the Angels play-off game last night. We arrived early and enjoyed the stadium goings-on. Lots to see and do there, before the game. And for the first time, I ate Hooters Chicken strips. And yes, they are very GOOD. But, when a guy says he goes there for the food -- I still don't believe that! We had a great time just being in play-off mania, but our team lost. So, we'll be sitting and watching the next few games on TV and hoping the team makes it to the next round. Go ANGELS!!