Spring is on it's way....

You wouldn't know it by looking outside right now but it's coming. It's supposed to be nearly 60 here this weekend but today it's quite blustery and gray. I'm sitting in my favorite spot by the living room window watching the birds in my yard pecking at the seed I leave dumped in piles all over the lawn. This morning we have cardinals- male and female- mourning doves, a downy woodpecker, a couple of blue jays and some others that I don't yet know the names of. I love the birds and watching them brings me such joy.

Writing is slow but progressing. I'm trying very hard to get one of my favorite stories finished. It's been a work in progress for two years and it's time I got it done. Here's a little synopsis: Logan (inspired by Toby Keith) is a country music star who is worn out and a bit discouraged. He decides to go on vacation to his favorite childhood spot in the Florida Keys. Katherine, recently jilted, was supposed to be traveling to the Keys with her fiance but ends up there alone. A celeb smitten hotel clerk mistakenly rents Katherine's room to Logan and the two are thrown together for what promises to be a delightful vacation for both.

I love this story and I'm not really sure why it's taken me so long to finish it. My biggest hurdle so far has been bridging the first part to the end. I have 150 pages written and then I jumped ahead to the end...and now I need to bridge the gap. Or maybe I need to get rid of the ending and just move on from page 150 so it's not so much about a bridge as just finishing the story.

I don't know, right now I'm reading what I have to reaquaint myself with the story. I'm sure inspiration will come to me sometime between page 1 and 150.

Do you ever write out of order or do you write linear? I tend to be linear because for me it keeps things straight in my mind but with this story I got stuck and jumped ahead to the next scene...but now I'm still stuck so I'm gonna back up and keep being linear :)

Out with the old...

2009 is on its way out- already gone in some parts of the world- and many people are saying, "Good Ridance!"

Yes, it's been a rough year for the vast majority of the planet's occupants and most days there is little good new reported in the headlines, but surely there have been some good things that have happened over the last 12 months. In spite of the rotten economy, lousy job market, strange weather, and crazy political junk going on, I've managed to think of a few wonderful things that have happened to me this year.

1. In April we settled hubby's accident claim and were able to pay off ALL of our debt.
2. In June I got my very first ever brand spanking new car- a 2009 Jeep Wrangler.
3. In August we packed up and moved from Washington to Kentucky and bought our first home.
4. My children have settled in wonderfully, and are doing amazing in school.
5. We are all healthy and have, so far, managed to avoid the dreaded Swine Flu.
6. Our first Christmas in our new home was wonderful and so blessed.

I know there are more but I'm going to stop there. We have been blessed this year in spite of all the negative things that have managed to bring many in this country to their knees and, in my opinion, on our knees is where we need to be more often.

So, what kind of good things have happened for you this year (2009)? And what do you hope for in the year to come?

The promise of a new story

Hello all!

November 1st and the beginning of NaNoWriMo brought good productive things. More than 2000 words today and a story that promises to be super fun to write. I can't give away the details but picture The Bachelor with only one woman contestant chosen by the world and she doesn't know it until she's already won...has promise...right?

I love starting a new book because there are so many possibilities, so much adventure just waiting to be discovered, love just waiting to happen.

To those of you who read my blog and are fellow writers, what is your favorite part of starting a new book? To those of you who are readers, what is your favorite part of opening a new book to read?

Leave me a comment and I'll pick someone random to send a book to.

Moving & Writing & Missing Files

Hello everyone! Many of you already know this but I'm making it public and official- my family packed up and moved across country this summer! We left Whidbey Island, Washington and bought our very first house in Western Kentucky. I'm so relieved to finally have that bit of drama behind us. What a trip...maybe someday I'll write about it but for now it's best left in the dredges of my memory.

Writing is picking up. I'm gearing up for NaNoWriMo which starts on November 1. 50,000 words in 30 days. I've been taking notes and brainstorming on the story I'm going to work on.

I've been working on a book the last few weeks, working out some kinks and getting the storyline back on track. I went to work on it yesterday and the file is gone. The main file it was in is still there along with the synopsis, pictures, notes, etc...but the writing is gone and I don't know what happened to it. I know I saved it because I've been working on it for weeks.

Thankfully I printed it out and have a hard copy of it but retyping it all in is going to be a pain in the rear.

Anyway, I'm reading "What Happens In London" right now- another Julia Quinn masterpiece. She is quickly working her way up in ranks of my favorite authors. Up there with Jane Porter, Francine Rivers, and Karen Kingsbury.

We'll start painting our house here soon, the interior. Everything is white right now and now that I actually own the place I'm going to use COLOR!! The kitchen is going to be 2 different shades of orange that I think will look amazing with the white washed cabinets. That's where I'm starting first. I'll post some before and after pics when I'm finished.

Three cheers for Julia Quinn!

I'm trying very hard to get through my TRB pile- it's substantial, in fact, it's enormous. There are well over 200 books on various shelves throughout my house that I haven't gotten to yet. Well yesterday I finished up another Julia Quinn masterpiece. The Duke and I. A story of accidental love- two people who fein a relationship to keep the community matchmakers at bay- yes it's one that's been told before- but this one was told in such a wonderfully magical way that I can't help but give a hearty shout out to one of my favorite authors of regency romance. Julia, you amaze me! Your stories steal my heart and make me laugh, cry, and finish with a blissful sigh.

This book is published by Avon and it's an older book- 2001 I think- but so worth finding and I am definitely putting it on my Keeper shelf...also substantial.

What have you, my faithful readers, read lately that left you feeling completely satisfied?

Surrounded by inspiration!

Hello everyone! Yes, it's me, the long lost writer come to visit. And yes, I can actually call myself a writer this week because I've actually been...WRITING! My goodness it's amazing how much I've missed being able to write everyday. Since my husband's accident last year things have been so crazy that a few days is all I've been able to squeeze out. Well we're settling into our new home- our very own, bought and paid for, I have the deed to my house, home. The boxes are unpacked for the most part, the kids have started back to school and are settling in pretty well, the place is coming together quite nicely if I do say so myself.

And this being the case, it seems like everywhere I look I see something that inspires me to write. A powerful thunderstorm, an amazing sunset, a breed of bird I've never seen before...it all serves to feed my mind and make me want to create something just as powerful, just as amazing, just as new and beautiful. I'm looking at my old work with new eyes and getting excited about those stories again, hoping I can breathe life into them again and make them into something wonderful.

Today I'm confined to my chair with an icepack on my lower back because I've spent the last two days putting up jars and jars of applebutter and salsa made from the ingredients our pastor brought over just days after we got here. My back is aching fiercely and it's a perfect excuse to take it easy and rest and let my mind work instead of my body. So that's what I'm doing. I have two word documents open, a new story and an old one- one I'm taking notes on, one I'm reading through and doing some editing on and hopefully soon I'll have at least one completed manuscript that I can send to a publisher for consideration!

Wonderful thoughts for you all. Have a blessed end to your summer.

Danielle

For a very good cause

Hello everyone! I know it's been forever since I've been here. Sorry about my prolonged absence and I promise to try harder to visit more often. The reason I'm writing today is to promote an amazing charity auction and encourage you to at least go look at what's being auctioned. There are some super amazing things on the block- stuff like trips, baskets of books, electronics, etc. Among those donating the wonderful items are Jane Porter, Shellie Stevens, Nora Roberts, and so many others.

And the cause? Well all the proceeds go to Diabetes research and the whole thing is put on by one of our favorite authors, Brenda Novak. Her son is diabetic so this auction is very dear to her heart. Please go have a look and if you're able, bid on something. You won't be disappointed by the offerings, I promise.

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Home.taf

Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland

Hello Everyone! I'm sorry for not updating as often as I should and I have no excuse for why I haven't. I'm posting some pictures that I took around my house just this morning. We had 4 inches of snow on the ground yesterday and during the night...we got another 5-6 inches. Needless to say the kids are having a blast.

Here's the hill my children sled down all day long. It starts in our front yard and goes beside the house, down into the trees in the backyard. They'd stay out there all day long if I'd let them but they have to come in and warm up occasionally.

They were supposed to go to school last week but they made it to Tuesday and the schools were closed because of the weather. We've never had this much snow here and temps down in the single digets...that's unheard of here. I woke up in the early morning a couple of days ago and it was 1 degree.

Here's our house from the road. As much as I hate the snow- which those of you who know me well know that I really hate the snow- I can admit that it's pretty. I especially like the way the trees look.

And speaking of trees, I love how the snow looks on this bush. It just does neat things with the branches.

For those of you who want to know how the writing is going...it's going very slowly right now. My muse doesn't appear to like the cold and the word factory has shut down. I sit and stare at the last sentence I wrote and at the end of an hour it's still the last sentence I wrote. Sheesh! I think maybe my crit partners need to sic the rhino on me...or maybe Chauncy the chainsaw...

Okay, okay! I'm writing!

Merry Christmas!!

It's that time again!!!

Okay everyone, it's time again for every writer to get him/herself a comfy chair, stock up on your favorite writerly snacks, tell the family you're unaccessable for the entire month of November because NaNoWriMo is right around the corner!!

That's right, you heard me right. Many authors feel adreneline surge into their blood at the mere mention of NaNo. 50,000 words in a month. Their brains start sifting through long ignored plots and story ideas for THE ONE! The one that will finally get their undevided attention for a whole writing intensive month.

So, get your supplies, inform the family so they can make preparations for your absence and don't look back.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this right of passage, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Here's the website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/ Join in the fun!!

It's contest time....finally!

Okay folks, I know I promised a contest many months ago with the prize being an autographed copy of Jane Porter's latest 5Spot book, Mrs. Perfect. I promised this contest just a few days shy of my husband being involved in a serious motorcycle accident and this week he has gone back to work! Exciting news! So, to celebrate this milestone and follow up on my promise, it's contest time!!

The contest is this: The first person to tell me how many books Jane Porter has had published wins. Post your answer as a comment.

Good luck!

EDITED FOR CLARITY SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION AMONG READERS (MYSELF INCLUDED): THE PUBLICATION'S I'M REFERRING TO ARE SINGLE TITLES AND AMERICAN RELEASED CATEGORY TITLES.