Monday, February 27, 2006

Grand Canyon


Over the next couple of months y'all may have to listen to a lot of posts about my planned trip to the Grand Canyon. I'm super psyched about it as I've never been. I've flown over it once (at about 30,000 feet) & have always wanted to see it up close, in April I'll get to. :) My hubby & oldest 2 kids are going with me. We're flying in on Wednesday evening & will do the tour bus thing on Thursday. It's like a 14 hour trip, but after discussing it with some locals it's the best way to see lots in a short amount of time. We'll be leaving from Scottsdale going to the Red Rocks & Sedona & then on to the Grand Canyon where we'll stay for a while & view for 22 miles. Next we'll head back toward Scottsdale via an Indian reservation where we'll get to stop and buy jewelry & stuff. I'd love to have time to actually do some hiking and exploring on our own, but this trip we'll get a good feel for things and then come back someday (I hope, I hope) & do a more thorough visit. On Friday morning we're going to Tombstone to watch men with big guns battle it out. woo hoo!! That evening the writing conference I'm attending starts up & I'll be in class & hubby & the boys will spend the rest of the weekend exploring and doing their thing while I'm in class & doing a booksigning. My first booksigning at a writers conference!!! will be a wild experience!!!

Saturday, February 25, 2006

The Saturday Independent


A local newspaper did a feature today on Jane Millionaire with a teaser blurb & photo on the very front page of the newspaper! The article was on the front page of the daily living section and continued on the second page of that section. How cool is that???? The pictures are of a reader browsing through a copy of Jane insideWal-mart. :) & get this, the picture on my website of me in Chris Keesler's zoot suit hat. Ack! I am going to have to get a press kit added to my website with my professional (read photo-shopped) picture there. A couple of weeks ago another local paper did a write-up prior to my Curves book-signing and used a cropped picture from the 2003 Golden Heart ceremony. That article was a nice surprise as I had no idea it was being written & the quotes for the article came from...here. How wild is that???? Kinda scary, too. I can just see my Matthew obsession being splashed everywhere. My name linked with Matthew McConaughey's...yeah, that bothers me a bunch. tee hee.


Wednesday, February 22, 2006

American Title 2 Round 4


Wow! It's hard to believe that the voting for Round 4 has started already and that only 4 finalists are left!!! Gina Black, Ruth Kaufman, Gerri Russell, & Michelle Young! Be sure to pop over, read the dialogue scenes, & vote on your favorite. Flavia was particularly harsh this round. Round 4 is where she really got me last year, so I feel the current finalists' pain and am just glad that it's not my stomach being twisted into knots this year. :) Actually, although there were a LOT of negatives to competing American Idol style for a book contract, there were also a LOT of positives (& not just because I won--vbg!) but because I made some fabulous friends. Make sure you vote between February 20- March 5 at http://www.americantitle2.com

Oh, and a friend sent me this picture of Matthew. Now I have toothbrush envy.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Free Books!

On my readers group I recently gave away 5 free autographed books. Not of Jane Millionaire, but autographed by some of my fabulous writer pals!

If you aren't a member of my group, be sure to join today! send and email to JaniceLynnReadersGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com so that you'll automatically be entered in my next give-away!!!

Oh! My local Wal-mart finally got copies of JANE MILLIONAIRE in!!! How cool is that???? Geek that I am, I took pictures. :) & am sharing them here. As you can tell, I autographed about half of them. How cool that they got so many in??? Of course, if they just sit there I'm gonna cry.

Off to spend time with the family. Today is my youngest son's birthday!

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Two for the Money

I watched Two for the Money last night. Due to life I missed it while it was in the theaters--the horror! But now I own a copy and can watch at my pleasure. ;)

I actually enjoyed this movie much more so than Sahara. Matthew's acting was smoother and felt less forced. His character was admirable and all the scenes with him working out---YUM.

Al Pacino did a fabulous job, too.

I give this one a thumbs up!

Working on polishing Jude's book. I should finish this weekend. I love this story so much & am keeping my fingers crossed. It's been a whole two weeks now since it was sent out, you'd think someone would have called by now. Okay, so I'm dreaming, but hey, what's life without dreams? & y'all already know I dream big.

Smooches & have a fabulous weekend.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Roses Every Month for a Year Contest Winner!!

Here is the photo of Heidi Hogan who won the Roses Every Month for a Year contest! Woo hoo!!!

Heidi works at the St. John Humane Society in La Place, Louisiana. I checked out their website and strongly encourage you to do so, too. The organization is run by volunteers (such as Heidi) and donations go 100% toward helping the animals. Heidi is a volunteer there and they were hit hard by Katrina and are still recovering. If you'd like to help by making a donation or to just know more, check out http://www.thepets.org

In an email Heidi let me know that Bella, the dog she is holding in the photo, is blind. Sometimes it's easy to overlook all the wonderful things going on in the world due to media propagating the negative (or so it often seems), but Heidi is one of many giving back to the community and helping those who can't help theirselves. I write books with heroic characters, but Heidi & the other volunteers are real life heroes & heroines & I just want to say thank you for all your hard work.

Heidi, my hat's off to you! & I'm thrilled to have "met" you through the contest & that such a deserving person won!

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentine's Day!

Popping on just a minute to say HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!! Hope your day was filled with romance & roses!

Speaking of roses, the winner of my roses every month for a year contest should have gotten her first bouquet today. Heidi said she'd send me a picture of her with the bouquet and when I get it, I'll post it here! :)

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Dreams Can Come True

I was looking for an attention catching title for today's post and the above seems as appropriate as any. No, Matthew hasn't come to his senses, dumped Penelope, and shown up on my doorstep to beg me to be his this Valentine's day--nice thought though. ;) It's more of what's been going on in my life lately.

One of my bestest friends in the whole world got her dream. The bestest dream of all. A baby. Writing buddy Kathleen Long adopted a beautiful baby girl named Elizabeth Anne (hereby after called Annie). She's absolutely gorgeous and the most wonderful blessing. You can see pictures at www.kathleenlong.com/annie.htm Isn't she gorgeous????

In other dream news, the good reviews are still rolling in. I got a fabulous email from LoveRomances that a review for Jane Millionaire had been posted. WOW! It's awesome and blew me away. I blogged about it at http://writersatplay.blogspot.com but basically the review goes like this:
Jane Millionaire is the debut novel for author Janice Lynn. Have you ever had a book from the moment you opened the cover and start reading it just latches onto your heart? Jane Millionaire is that kind of novel. Ms. Lynn has taken a reality concept and kicked it up to a whole new level. With exceptional writing, characters that are life-like, and realistic dialogues. Readers will find comfort, friends, and a few chuckles within the bindings of Jane Millionaire. They really do not get much better than this novel!

The full review is at: http://www.loveromances.com/janemillionaire_janalee.html

Is that not just the wildest review???? Love it!!

Plus, on a very happy & dreamy note---I FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE JUDE BOOK. WOO HOO!! It came in at 398 pages. :) I'm going to set it aside for a few days and finish reading a fabulous story by my pal Anna Sugden, then print out Jude's book and get it polished. I am soooo happy with this book. It really is a fun, fun story that I can't wait to promote because OH MAN! do I have big plans. Of course, I have to realize the dream of selling it first, but that's just a minor little detail....

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Matthew McConaughey on Oprah!


I got several fabulous emails letting me know that Matthew was on Oprah!!! Woo hoo!!! I haven't watched it yet, but asked a friend to record it for me so hopefully I'll see it soon. Someone emailed to tell me that Matthew & Oprah shot Tequila???? Interesting. Not that I wouldn't let Matthew get me drunk. ;)

Yesterday was an interesting day. I judged another contest entry yesterday morning. Unfortunately it was a slow moving one. Lots of potential, but definitely read like a beginning writer. Reminded me that not so very long it was my newbie contest entry that someone was volunteering their time to make suggestions on. Ah, the circle of life. :) I just have one more to go & then I'm through with both contests I'm currently judging. Yea! I enjoy judging but I had 10 entries from one contest and 8 from the other and that's a lot at one time in my opinion. Then I curled up on the sofa and watched Cold Mountain--yes I wanted a Jude fix and I like his character so much more from CM than Alfie or Closer (now there was an interesting film).

I had lunch with my mother-in-law & sister-in-law and we ate Mexican. Yum & lots of fun. We laughed and laughed.

Went home wrote for an hour then went and picked kids up from school. Cleaned house a little and then wrote until hubby got home. My sister called and my brother-in-law was feeling yuck (I haven't mentioned it here, but he's a police officer and was shot in his hand last week--which partially explains why I haven't blogged as steadily). He's home from the hospital but his meds were making him sick. I did a house call, gave him a shot (I'm a nurse practitioner in my real life), and reportedly he had a better night last night than the one before. Going to make another house call prior to going in to the office this morning.

Plus--and this is the kicker--I wrote a bunch of pages on my new story! Yep, the Jude story. :) I'm on page 364 of the first draft. Very excited as I didn't get a chance to write on Monday or Tuesday this week due to work, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, & Karate & family stuff. Very excited as I should finish the rough draft this weekend!!! I LOVE this story. I've had so much fun with it. I've bought a website that fits with the story and plan to play with that some once I get the story done & polished. Promoting this story could be an absolute blast!! Even more than Jane Millionaire I think--which was pretty darn fun!!

Woke up this morning to a sprinkling of snow. Not enough for the kids to stay home from school, but enough that the ground is almost white. That's the most we've gotten yet. :)

Okay, off to make my house call & then on to the office. Sick people await. :) Y'all have a great day & thanks to everyone who let me know about Matthew on Oprah.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Matthew Monday


Yum! Just check that smile out. Okay, so I know it's hard to drag your eyes away from his...eyes...to check out his smile, but come on, ya gotta admit, the man has a wonderful smile. :)

No word on the submission yet. What? It probably only arrived in New York today? Am I insane for posting that there's no word yet?? Okay, YES, I am. It'll probably be weeks and weeks, but if there was some way to bottle up my excitement and plans for this story, well, SOMEONE would notice. OMG! This story is so much fun to write. I'll actually finish it this week. :) Well, the first draft, anyway.

Juding contest entries today. Won't say which one or what category for fear of being beseiged with questions. So far I've given one perfect score, one almost perfect score, two upper range scores, two mid range scores and two low scores. I HATE giving low scores. I, of all people, understand that this is someone's dream, their baby they've sent out into the world. But if I gave a high score where I didn't feel one was deserved I really wouldn't be helping the author. It's just hard to know how people will take your well meaning comments. Hopefully in the context it was meant--to be helpful or ignored if the author disagrees. Always a humbling experience to judge in a contest, though.

I finished judging my Golden Heart entries over the weekend. Really enjoyed several of those stories. Overall, my quality of entries were much higher for the GH than for the particular contest I'm judging at the moment. Perhaps because the manuscript has to be finished to final in the GH?

Kinda scary to think that Jane Millionaire is out there being judged somewhere, too. Ack. Scary thought.

Well, off to write a few pages before going to bed where I have a real life hero waiting for me. :)

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

And the winner is...


Heidi Hogan!!!! woo hoo!!! I'd emailed Heidi earlier in the day to tell her that she was the winner of my Roses Every Month For A Year contest & she emailed me back her information and I called her!! What a sweetheart!! I was so pleased with her winning. Not because I knew her---I didn't. The drawing was totally random. I enjoy her winning because she was a total sweetie and was so much fun to talk to on the phone. Heidi lives in Louisiana and was hit by Katrina, so what a great, great thing to have happen to her in the midst of so much recent tragedy. Watch each month as Heidi sends me pictures of her with the roses she recieves. I'll post them here and on my website, too.

For those of you who entered, but didnt' win, no worries, I'll be doing lots more contests. As a matter of fact, anyone who's a member of my yahoo group is automatically entered to win one of five autographed books that will be given away on Valentine's Day! If you're not a member, subscribe at JaniceLynnReadersGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com because you could be the next big winner!!!

No, I haven't finished my Jude book, but in light of celebrating Heidi's win, I felt Matthew was in order. :)