I'm doing a Happy Dance!

I just received a letter from Harlequin and they want the first three chapters of the book I'm working on!! I am so very excited because publishing with Harlequin is my dream, it's all I've ever wanted as far as my writing career so this is... WOW! I'm shaking.

Why? Why? Why?

Why can't I write? Why can't I focus enough to get through these revisions? Is it because maybe I like my story the way it was before the problems got pointed out to me, these problems that have to be fixed? Yeah, I think that's the biggest part of it.

Revising a story that I love, changing it from what it was when it was born in my heart, is really difficult and because of that, my muse seems to have deserted me and I can't focus on the task at hand.

Anyway, I'm done whining about it, just wanted to fuss for a moment so I could get it out of my system and go back to staring at my still unrevised WIP.

Who keeps praying for snow?

Yes, it's snowing here...again. We've had more snow this winter than the past five winters combined. The children have already missed 8 days of school because of snow and power outages, that's a record for us here and the kids are probably going to be in school until the middle of summer making up those days.

I suppose I could use the snow as inspiration considering my WIP has a lot of snow in it but I'm not finding the real snow to be terribly inspirational...it's more distracting than anything. I sit here at my desk watching the snow fall so peacefully, so quiet and unhurried as it piles up in the backyard, turning the world white and covering up all of the imperfections so that everything looks clean and soft. And still my WIP remains unrevised.

Okay, back to work. I'll close the blinds so that I can't see the snow and turn on my MP3 player so I can't hear the kids and get back to those revisions.

I just wish revisions were coming as steadily as the snow is.

I know it helps me grow but...

I received a pretty harsh critique on the first chapter of a book I'm working on and, while I tell myself to expect such reactions from some people, it still kind of takes me by surprise and makes me feel less than I am. The thing is, she was right. Some of the things I'd written just didn't add up to reality but having them pointed out to me as harshly as they were made me feel small and a bit sad. I stewed about it for days until I finally gathered up my courage and asked the woman who'd given the critique for some help in making my story stronger by making it more realistic and since she is an expert in the field that I am writing about, I figured that she could help me better than most...and you know what? She was more than happy to help and I gained some very valuable information that will make my story better than ever.

So, while I was bothered and hurt initially, I grew from the experience and learned something that will help me be better than I am and the one thing I love to do most.

Request for full!!

I got a request for my full ms from The Wild Rose Press this morning. I'm so excited. It's the first book I've ever written so it's pretty exciting that someone is interested in it after reading the first three chapters.

I sent it out right away via email and here's hoping that I hear some good news soon!!

Writer's Groups

I went to my first writers group meeting today. It's a group that meets under the banner of South Whidbey Writer's Association- they have a nice website if you care to check it out. Anyway, it was a nice time and I look forward to the next meeting in two weeks. Attendance was light today, only four other people, but that's to be expected this time of year. I got great comments and some helpful critiques on the pieces that I shared so I do believe that this will be a wonderful opportunity and learning experience.

I also sent the Q&S on my latest MS to Harlequin, hopefully it'll get a better reception than the last one did :o)

Happy New Year

Just under two hours until it's officially 2007. I can't believe another year has gone by already. What kind of year will it be? I'm hoping for a fantastic year but that's probably asking for too much. There always has to be some hard times in the course of a year, right?

So okay, my New Years Resolutions are:

1. Finish the four books I'm working on
2. Get at least one of those books published
3. Save more $
4. Lose weight and exercise more
5. Buy a house

Are those unreasonable goals? I hope not. The big question though is, am I determined enough to accomplish those goals? At this very moment, I'd have to say that the answer to that question is a very emphatic "NO"...I'm emotionally wrung out. I'm anxious for my life to get back to normal- whatever normal is.

What are your resolutions this year? How determined are you to keep them?

Merry Christmas

The day was merry, the food was delicious- all except for the pumpkin pie that my mother forgot to put the sugar in- and the company was delightful. I haven't been able to get much writing done, but the fact that my parents drove 500 miles to spend the holiday with me more than makes up for it.

I've been watching people, too- watching reactions, taking note of facial expressions, behaviors in certain situations so that if I ever need to write about something similar, I can recall these last few days and come up with something realistic and heartfelt.

I find myself, more and more, drawing on real life situations when I'm trying to describe something in my writing and I find that the result is much more life like and real as opposed to trying to come up with something cold.

Why is it?

Why is it that this holiday time that is supposed to be so meaningful and blessed ends up being so stressful and exhausting?

Is it because we make it that way with our shopping frenzies and wanting everything to be perfect so that anyone watching us will be amazed by how well we do things? Or is it because this time of year is just naturally more stressful than the rest?

I'm beginning to think it's the latter. My shopping has been done since October- for the most part- so it hasn't been stressful around here because of that, in fact, I try really hard to stay away from retail venues this time of year so shopping isn't a problem. But I'm still stressed and at my wits end.

My dear Aunt had open heart surgery on Tuesday the 12th and it was much more serious than the average open heart surgery so her recovery has been difficult. I had to pick up another aunt from the airport last Sunday, take my grandmother to the airport yesterday and have to take the other aunt back to the airport on Tuesday- which also happens to be my birthday. The aunt that had surgery is being released from the hospital tomorrow into my care so she'll be staying with me until she's ready to take care of herself but in the meantime, not only am I taking care of her but I also have to go to her home and take care of her pets and keep her home clean so that she won't have to worry about it when she can go home. Then to top it off we had a terrible wind storm here a few days ago and were without electricity for nearly four days- it just came back on this afternoon.

I know it sounds like I'm complaining but I'm really not. I love my aunt with all my heart and would do anything for her, it just seems like there's so much going on right now that it's hard to keep my head above water.

My parents are coming here for Christmas and staying with us for a few days so that will be a nice break from the stress because I know that my mom will be more than willing to take up some of the slack and give me a break- she's good that way.

Anyway, my writing- needless to say- hasn't progressed very far in the passed few days, in fact, it hasn't progressed at all. I'm hoping to get some done tonight.

Stressful or not, Merry Christmas to all of you!

A foot in the door

I got an awesome email today from Harlequin. I entered their Ultimate Reunion contest a few weeks ago and I was chosen as one of three winners. I'm so excited. I won a years subscription to the Harlequin reader's service- a years worth of books. It can't get much better than that.

I feel like by winning this, I now have a foot in the door with them and that's what really makes me happy. I can put this on my writing resume and it will mean something.