Happy Postal Worker

I have a few friends who I send 'gag' Christmas gifts. Gag in the sense that it's not your usual kind of gifts. Anyway, for Christmas this year, I put together several fun gifts for one of my pals. I bought things that would fit in this long, white tube and mailed them the week before Christmas. Unfortunately the mailing tube didn't arrive prior to Christmas, which surprised me because I mailed it Priority. The tube finally arrived! Empty. Ack! She called to let me know so I could go file a claim at the Post Office. File a Claim???? You have to envision me with my mouth gaped open and thinking, "I don't think so." as the image of my going into my local PO and saying, "I'm here to report that the big white package I mailed shot it's load at some point on it's way to Kimmi's and I need to file a missing content claim for a 2 lb sausage and a Bad Girl Clean-Up kit." Yeah right, file a claim.

The Bad Girl Clean-Up kit was one I'd bought already put together. It had the most hilarious sayings on the box and came equipped with moist toilettes and other such goodies.

The Sausage? You really should get your mind out of the gutter cause it's NOT what you're thinking. Two years ago during a From The Heart Award ceremony at the RWA National convention, myself and two friends were deemed "Sausage Queens" & given awards for such in front of the entire group. The friend who got the empty present was writing a book and was researching sausages because her heroine's mom was waving a sausage around while trying to pick up a guy for her daughter while grocery shopping. The friend was asking about weights & sizes for sausages, etc. A full fledged discussion about sausages began on this writing loop (a BIAW was going on) and things got a little...out of control. :) So, three of us were dubbed Sausage Queens. That's all I can say on the matter, because if I told you the rest of the story I'd have to kill you. ;)

I sent Kimmi a 2 lb sausage, the Bad Girl kit, a bracelet, and a few other goodies. Nothing real expensive, but things that I'd chosen to give her a smile. Needless to say I was disappointed that the package contained no surprises, but enough to go file a claim?? You have to remember I live in a small town. Everyone at the post office knows me. Knows me well. My mom bakes them Christmas goodies every year. Claim? The thought gives me hives.

So, while discussing the caper of the missing gifts with Kimmi, we got to discussing the happy postal worker and her delighted surprise when she found her very own Bad Girl Clean-up Kit and a 2 lb sausage. The jewelry and other goodies were just bonuses. Can't you just picture her smiling, recounting the tale?

This one time when I was at post office work... (said in true band camp intonation, of course) tee hee!

Oh! I didn't win the computer. :( Guess it's back to the bidding.

New computer?

Well, maybe. I put a bid in on one at ebay and am hoping that it'll pan out. I have Sahara (my wonderful Dell laptop that's named after Matthew McConaughey's movie!!) but my desktop is about 7 years old and my monitor's color has been whacked out for some time. Plus, everytime I try to load something new it crashes. My hubby says I've pretty much maxed my memory out--not sure if he's talking about the computer or moi. ;) So, I've been watching ebay for a while and tonight I put in a bid on one. How cool if I get to start 2006 out with a new computer? Of course, I'll have to figure out a name for the one. Although Matthew's latest movie is Two for the Money I'm not thrilled at the prospect of naming my desktop that...uhm, going to think on this one...guess I should win the laptop first. :)

I sent The Glass Slipper to my agent this evening, danced to 80's music being silly with my daughter--we have had a blast with a Detrola record player my husband got me for Christmas. I can play all my old albums (can you say Air Supply, Bay City Rollers, The Rolling Stone, Sue Thompson, and more? Okay, so that's a bigger mix than just the 80's.) Anyway, Abby and I have danced around the house singing along and having ourselves a good time. Way fun.

I've had my eye on this really cool suede jacket, but getting a new computer is my top priority so I've delayed on buying it, thinking I'd get it after Christmas. Today it went on sale--what are the odds with me bidding on a computer? It was 50% off so I decided to go for it and not eat for the next month. They were sold out of my size. Not only my size but the size below my size and the size above my size--yes, I did check. Wah! Now I'm wishing I hadn't procrastinated and had just gone ahead and ordered it to begin with. That'll teach me to be a procrastinater shopper. ;)

Oh, and the above is a picture of Matthew after he finished reading Jane Millionaire. Apparently he had to cool himself off afterwards. ;)

A Life Less Ordinary

So, when I was searching for a fabo picture of Matthew to post on my blog tonight, this one caught my attention. The saying as much so as the gorgeous man.

A life less ordinary--that's sorta what we're all looking for. Meaning. Purpose. To feel that we made our mark on the world in one way or another--hopefully a positive one. To know that when we reach the end of our days we can look back and know that we reached for our dreams and lived a life that was less ordinary. I like it. Especially at this reflective time of year when many of us are looking back over 2005 and preparing to set New Year resolutions. A life less ordinary.

I finished up the rough draft of Causin A Commotion last week and have been toying with it, trying to figure out why I'm not quite happy with the story-line. I took a break from it today to read over The Glass Slipper. My agent plans to submit it in early January. It's my first attempt at a paranormal and it's a light, fun story. I had a lot of fun with it and just adore the ending. To me the ending is soooooo important. I can love a story and then if it doesn't end right, well, it just ruins the entire thing for me. For instance, hubby and I watched Cold Mountain. An excellent movie--up till the end. I won't give a spoiler for those who haven't seen it, but I really, really wanted to rewrite that ending. In my mind, I did a hundred times. The characterization in that movie was fabulous, btw. I've never been a Jude Law fan, couldn't have even named anything he was in, but I have to admit, he did a fantastic job and his character was such a true hero that you couldn't help but fall in love with him. But I'm a romantic at heart and want my happily-ever-after. If a book or movie doesn't give it to me, I'm disappointed---or dream about the movie all night, giving it alternate endings. :)

A Life Less Ordinary--I'm going to come back to this in a couple of days when I write my resolutions...think I can list Matthew under my tree as a goal for 2006??? LOL. Guess I better stick with things a bit more realistic--and that won't lead my husband to asking for a divorce.

Merry Christmas!

Wow! Look at what someone left under my tree after I whined that none of my packages could possibly have Matthew McConaughey tucked inside as they were the wrong shape and size. ;) Actually, several sweet ladies on my readers loop sent me pics of Matthew! YUM!!!! Now there's an image to cause happy Christmas thoughts to dance in one's head during the night. ;)

On that note, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Hope Santa is particularly good to you all this year!

Ho! Ho! Ho!!! Merry Christmas to one and to all!

American Title 2

Round Two of the American Title 2 contest has started! Voting began on Dec. 19 and runs until Dec. 31 at www.romantictimes.com, which will take you to the front page or you can go directly to the voting page by going to www.americantitle2.com.

This round they are looking for the best hero and heroine and the three contestants who receive the fewest votes will be cut from the competition, so every vote counts! Please pass this along to anyone you think would be willing to help out. You can only vote online and each email address can only vote once.

As someone who knows exactly how these ladies feel, I want to encourage you to go vote in this round. Flavia was particularly harsh to some of the contestants (Ouch! I remember EXACTLY how that feels), but don't let that dissuade you from voting for whichever entry you feel is the best.

The lovely floral arrangement above is from the American Title Two contestants. They had this delivered to me on the morning of November 29th...the day Jane Millionaire was released (which was such a stressful day because of my son's oral surgery). It was so unexpected and so sweet of them, that I cried when I read the card. The really cool thing is that I have lighthouses in my office and the plate and cup look fabulous on my desk!!!

One of the greatest gifts I've recieved during 2005 is all the new friends I've made via the American Title contest and Jane Millionaire's release. I have much to be thankful for.

Hump day!

Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about the fact that it's Wednesday! & that (am I jinxing myself by saying this?) everyone in my house *seems* better. Yea!!! That's enough to make me want to turn cartwheels!

I did a radio interview yesterday morning. It was for a local station and it was nice. We mainly discussed the American Title Contest and the process Jane Millionaire went through from the time I entered to the time I was announced the winner. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would--which isn't necessarily saying a lot since I was terrified at the thought of having to do the interview. :)

I plan to finish the rough draft of Causin A Commotion today! Woo hoo! & then it's back to work tomorrow (been off a couple of days with the sickies, unfortunately they were too sick for me to get anything done other than clean-ups & pick-ups. Yuck.). I am off work on Friday & look forward to a day at home, hopefully with no sick kids, no sick husband, and dream about Matthew by the pool. Lucky dog! ;)

Stomach virus is still in the house!

Ack! Enough said.

Life's ups & downs!

Well, after my very lovely day on Thursday, my life went to the loo. My youngest had a stomach virus & I was up with him all Thursday night. Ick. Fortunately, he felt better and he and I slept quite a bit on Friday. Unfortunately I didn't get to go to my Christmas party at work. :( It was at a dinner theater and I'd looked forward to going, but kiddos come first.

Tonight was my Christmas with my family. It began with my 12 yr old starting with the dreaded stomach virus an hour before time to be there. We started to just all stay home, but my other 3 kids begged to go on to Grandma's since they felt fabulous & we were talking presents, after all. So, my dear hubby and the 12 yr old stayed home while I took the other 3 kids to my parents. Everything was going well, until my daughter's dinner came back up. Ack! We should have stayed home. I knew it from the beginning, but I gave in to their begging because I remember the magic of presents at Christmas time. This year I'm hoping for Matthew McConaughey under my tree. After dealing with several days of sick kids, I'm thinking I'd really run away with him if he showed up on my doorstep...okay, so I'd come back for the kids...eventually...maybe...okay, so I'd just go away with him for a weekend or two, but come on, I'm trying to forget about reality for a bit here. Puh-leeze. You're totally interfering with my fantasy here by reminding me that I love my hubby and kids and would miss them terribly even I was on a wild weekend with Matthew...perhaps he could work really hard to make me forget??? Or perhaps I could be having one of those Stetson, take me away! moments (hey, you can have your Calgon, I'll take my Stetson! ;) Anyway, after all the household yuckies, I definitely need a Matthew fix. ((Janice stares at Matthew's picture, wipes the drool from her chin, and stares some more.)) Ahhh, I'm feeling better already.

I did two interviews tonight. It's always interesting to see what people ask about you and your stories and your writing process. A lot of the questions are similiar, but then there's the totally unexpected ones. I'm currently the featured author at www.romancejunkies.com . I'll post the other links when they go live. :) I'm doing another radio interview on Tuesday morning. It's for a local station and is thirty minutes long. Hope I don't say Uhm too many times. My first radio interview is still on archive at www.healthylife.net under the Definitely Dana! show.

Well, I'm off to get some sleep...at least, I'm hoping I get to sleep tonight. Two sick kids in the house, I'll be lucky if I get any shut eye time.

Jane Millionaire does Australia!

This morning prior to going to work I checked my emails (imagine that!) & I had the sweetest email from a bookseller in Australia. She'd read Jane Millionaire and loved it. Okay, call me sappy but I watered up. Big time. It just seems so unreal to me that something I wrote is actually a real book and that said book is being read by people on the other side of the world.

I've almost finished my Christmas shopping (yes, I said "Christmas" & no I won't be politically correct and just say Happy Holidays. I'm not overtly political, but this one really gets my goat! Celebrating Christ's birthday by taking his name out of the day? I respect others' religion and believe they have every right to believe as they choose and to celebrate as they choose---but so do I & anyone not believing in Christ should show me that same respect for my religious beliefs, IMHO), but back to shopping...ah, shopping. Can I just say that the stores are madhouses and I've never seen so many women ready to commit murder over the last video game. The poor sales clerks. Ack! Each year I seem to be doing more and more of my shopping online. If possible, I think I'd do all my shopping there. :)

And then there's the people on your lists who have it all, people you love and want to give a gift to show how much they mean to you, yet you can't quite find the gift that says that. At least, not one within your budget. Usually it's men that I have this problem with...but not always.

Oh! I'm the featured newbie author at http://www.roadtoromance.ca/ :) One of the fun thing about finally selling a book is coming across all these neat romance sites. Despite being an avid romance reader all my life, I didn't know a fraction of them were out there.

And, just in case you were wondering, the hottie above is Benjamin Bratt. I know, I know, I'm a Matthew kind of girl, but in Jane Millionaire my heroine, Jill, thinks the hero, Rob, looks like Benjamin Bratt. Yeah, I can see what Rob's appeal might be. ;)

Call off the search!

I'm not lost or missing, just negligent on keeping up with my posts. Life has been nutty! Okay, my life is always nutty, but lately more so than usual. :) Thursday my dad went into the hospital with chest pain and that through my life out of kilter. Needless to say all the things that are so important in my day to day life fell to no importance at all. Fortunately, my dad is okay and he aced his cardiac stress test. He's home and feeling better. Yea!!!

My husband and oldest two boys went backpacking this weekend (yes, it was colder than an iceberg's bottom) and camped. The youngest two & I hung out with my parents and curled on the sofa watching Christmas movies. Okay, so I wrote a bit, too. My self-imposed deadline for the sequel to Jane Millionaire is by the end of the year. I'm 309 pages in, so hopefully I'll make it.

I had a really cool thing happen today. I've pitched an article to RWR magazine once before, but unfortunately they'd already bought a similiar one. So, being thick-headed female that I am, I pitched another. & they picked it up! Woo hoo!!! It'll be in the August 2006 issue.

Take Me by Bella Andre

Tonight, I'm blogging about my co-finalist in the American Title contest, Bella Andre! She's fabulous and writes fabulously hot books! Bella's debut book from Pocket has the most yummy cover ever.

An appetite for sensual pleasures must never be denied. . . .


Lily Ellis has curves–soft, beautiful curves. The kind of voluptuous body she fears Travis Carson, the man she’s always loved from afar, would never crave. But Lily is about to be proven wrong. Her sensual adventure begins when, despite her inhibitions, the demure San Francisco interior decorator agrees to model a plus-size dress for her fashion designer sister. Watching this sensual beauty move down the runway with mesmerizing power, Travis can’t believe it’s the same Lily he’s always known and always rejected. In a whirlwind of electric attraction, Lily is soon moaning Traviss name in his bed, not just in her wild fantasies. But Lily is all too aware that she’s nothing like his past lovers . . . and now that she has him close at last, she’s praying Travis likes what he sees and feels. Determined to beat Travis at his own game by guarding her true feelings of love and lust, she spontaneously partners with him on a business deal that takes them all the way to Italy. In the seductive warmth of the Tuscan sun, Lily is about to unwrap her real self, and play a game of desire with the hot-blooded Travis. Will she be burned by an ecstasy that’s so all-consuming it has her seeing stars? Or will Travis open his heart to the sexy, exciting, and lasting love she has to offer?

Emma Holly, bestselling author: Oh, my! Bella Andre’s TAKE ME is wonderfully sexy–a big, fun fantasy with an euqally big heart. You’ll cheer these characters on as they find each other…and themselves!

Jaid Black, bestselling author: TAKE ME is emotionally charged and deliciously erotic. A must-read from cover to cover.

Patricia Green, Romance Reviews Today: A story with a woman who isn’t model perfect is a refreshing change in TAKE ME…Ms. Andre captures the beauty of Italy in such a way that it will leave one wishing to experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun…a delightfully engaging tale of erotic contemporary romance.

Susan White, JustEroticRomanceReviews: Take Me is a terrific book that I absolutely adored.

Angel, Romance Junkies: TAKE ME is an excellent book about a full figured woman… I love the fact that a plus size heroine gets the hero. Bella Andre has done an outstanding job creating a heroine who is not average and a hero who loves her just the way she is.

Tewanda H., bookseller: I am lucky enough to work at a bookstore that received an advanced reading copy of Take Me. I was unable to put the book down. IT IS WONDERFUL!!!! And I will be recommending it to customers, friends, and family. Lily is a wonderful heroine, that cannot help but touch your heart.

Available now from Pocket Trade!

Y'all be sure to check her out at http://www.bellaandre.com/

Ack! I've been tagged!

My darling buddy Kathleen Long (check her out at www.kathleenlong.com ) just tagged me. It's sorta like this nasty virus that once one person gets tagged they spread it all around. Now's my turn to do my part to infect some of my friends. :)

Okay, this tag is to list 15 things related to me and reading/writing. 15 things. 15 things. Like I have 15 things to say. Well, let's give this a shot.

15. (Hey, I can make it a countdown if I want to. Just to make things a little more interesting.) The first romances I read were my mother's Harlequins, Silhouettes, and Second Chances at Love. I'd sneak them off her shelf and sit in my bedroom closet with a flashlight and read them.

14. One of my all time favorite reads is Good Time Girl by Candace Schuler. Yes, I have a thing for cowboys, hot sex, and Mustangs. A book that combines the three works for me. ;)

13. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade I won my first writing contest. A story about a little witch. No, it wasn't an autobiography. vbg

12. Nora Roberts gave me my birds and the bees talk via reading her books. (see number #15 for the specifics on how. ;)

11. I wrote my first 'romance' when I was in eighth grade. By hand on loose leaf notebook paper. That notebook is in my basement and someday when I need a good laugh, I'll haul it out.

10. If I could be any author when I grow up, I'd choose to be Jennifer Crusie. Of course, I'm never growing up, so it's irrelevant.

9. On the night I got the coverflat for JANE MILLIONAIRE, I wrapped it around Marianne Mancusi's A Connecticut Fashionista In King Arthur's Court and put it on my bookshelf to see what it looked like. :)

8. My former boss read JANE MILLIONAIRE this weekend. He says we need to put Jane on audio, quit prescribing Viagra, and just sell the tapes instead. Says we'd make a fortune. :)

7. When I won the American Title contest, four dear friends sent me a gorgeous charm bracelet commerating the contest. A castle. A rose. A director's chair. Handcuffs. A water bottle. A computer. A star. For each charm, they'd written a line about how it related to the book. I cried and treasure that bracelet & their friendship. These days, they send me Tags. ;)

6. I finaled in nearly 20 RWA contests before I WON one.

5. I won that particular contest two years in a row. 2003 & 2004

4. This year, I'm not eligible to enter. (woo hoo!)

3. Despite the fact that my first published book is set on a reality television show, I've only ever watched one episode and that was while at a writing conference and my three roomies FORCED me to watch an episode of Survivor.

2. Leanne Banks is the first published author I remember meeting at my first RWA function (Denver 2002). Leanne (along with fabuloso Lori Foster!) gave me an author quote for JANE MILLIONAIRE.

I feel like David Letterman should interrupt me here and say something witty about the number one factoid about Janice Lynn in relation to writing or reading is...

1. The real reason I write is it gives me a legitimate reason to stare at pictures of Matthew McConaughey to my heart's content. For inspiration, you know. :)

Now I have to infect three of my pals...oh Kendra ( http://kendraclark.blogspot.com ), Mary ( http://marywritesromance.blogspot.com ), Trish (http://trishwrites.blogspot.com) ...look out!

Chocolate poured over Matthew McConaughey Kind of Day!

Yes, it was one of those delicious days that a person remembers all throughout their life. My first booksigning!! & I sold out! Happy day! Happy day!!! :) My mom took pictures. When I get copies, I'll post them.

Came home to some great emails from friends that local stores for them had sold out of Jane Millionaire! or that they'd seen Jane Millionaire face out in the bookstore and one friend even saw Jane Millionaire on the front table along with Nora and the *big* names! Wow! I'd love to have seen that. :)

Hubby has been super attentive & is almost finished reading Jane Millionaire for the first time ever & it's just been a really stellar day.

Thanks to all of you who've been so supportive and wonderful to me on Jane Millionaire's journey to publication. This has been one wild ride and it just keeps getting better. :)

Going to go watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith with my family and make notes on a new book idea that hit me while driving home from the book signing.

First book signing!

Tomorrow I'm doing my very first book signing. It's at a local bookstore (Tullahoma!) from 2 until 4 PM! I'm so excited. :) What's even more fun is that the bookseller called me yesterday to tell me that she'd sold out of my book and had to order more for the signing! Now that's cool! LOVED that.

Tonight I did an interview and answered emails and I just have to say that I thoroughly LOVE getting emails from readers. I watered up the first one I got. Sweet lady who reminded me of me. Mother, wife, job, school (ok, so I've FINALLY moved beyond that...unless I decide to go back and get my doctorate--somebody slap me quick!), anyway, her email was so fabulous and really moved me because I know how little free time she has and yet she chose to spend an entire afternoon reading Jane Millionaire, then took the time to email me to tell me she loved it!!! And I got my dream email---one from someone saying she was up till 4 AM because she couldn't put the book down and, despite the fact she had to go to work the next day, she had to finish Jane. OMG! I mean, I recall so many nights that I've done the same thing because I *had* to know what was going to happen with the characters next & now, someone had that feeling about Rob and Jill's story. WOW!!!!

Y'all have a great weekend!!! & wish me luck for tomorrow cuz I'm a bit nervous.

Jane Millionaire is OUT!!!!

Woo hoo! Jane Millionaire is out and in the stores!!! I'm so excited. I feel...real!!! Right down to getting emails from strangers who've read Jane and loved it. WOW! That is such a wild feeling. To hear someone say how they sat up till 4 in the morning to finish reading Jane. Or that they started it and then couldn't put it down. :) Soooo cool and every writer's manna. :)

I had a fellow writer pal email me a picture of Jane Millionaire in a bookstore! Very cool.

& I had an awesome radio show that aired today on the Definitely Dana! radio talk show. Don't worry if you missed it, just tune in on Saturday December 3 at 10 PM. Go to www.healthylife.net and check out the Definitely Dana! show. Later in December the show will be archived and can be downloaded to listen to at any time. I really enjoyed doing the show and hope you'll enjoy listening to my interview with Dana.

I autographed 66 copies of Jane Millionaire today...how cool is that????

Okay, so I'm stuck on the word "cool" but touching my book, opening the cover and seeing the words I've written is just the wildest sensation. Kinda like living a dream...now if only Matthew would show up at my door, pull me into his arms, and...yes, I do write fiction for a living, and it's totally awesome!!!! :)

Warning! Busy Week Ahead!

Wow! What an amazing week this is going to be. Well, that's the hope and idea, anyway. Why??? Because it's JANE MILLIONAIRE's official release date on Tuesday. Plus, there's that fabulous review up at www.WNBC.com/romance and JANE MILLIONAIRE is this week's A Week of Romance feature and on November 30th, my interview on the Definitely Dana! radio talk show airs at 2 PM Central Time. The show can be accessed at www.healthylife.net by clicking on the Definitely Dana! link, but don't worry if you miss it as it'll air again on Dec 3rd at 7 PM Central and then will be accessible in the archives for about 10 weeks. And on Thursday, Dec 1st I have a chat at The Knight Agency's chat room from 9 till 10 Eastern time. And, then there's this fabulous loop where we'll be throwing a cyber party on Tuesday night and giving away prizes to celebrate Jane's release! Pretty wild, eh?

And speaking of prize giveaways, tonight's winner is chekru2003. She/he wins an autographed copy of Sandy Blair's A Rogue in a Kilt. If you aren't a member of my readers group, be sure to join (see previous post on instructions how) so you can get in on the fun and be there for the cyber party we're throwing on Tuesday night to celebrate JANE MILLIONAIRE's release. Oh, and if someone could let please Matthew McConaughey know, I'm saving him a seat next to me at the party. Okay, so it's more of a settee in a dark corner...hey, it's my party, I can dream if I want to. ;)

Quickie Post

I just wanted to pop on and say that I hope everyone had a fabulous & calorie free Thanksgiving!

& to announce my winners from the JaniceLynnReadersGroup at Yahoo. Bonnie Ferguson won an autographed copy of Anna DeStefano's The Unknown Daughter and Terri Garey won an autographed copy of Anne Mallory's Masquerading tihe Marquess. (If y'all haven't checked out Anne's cover, be sure too cause the guy is so dreamy. Makes me want to play dress up. ;)

Tomorrow night I'm giving away a copy of Mari Mancusi's Sk8ter Boy. SO if you're not a member of my readersgroup, be sure to join as it automatically enters you in my book a day give away. Join by sending an email to JaniceLynnReadersGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Thanks! & y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Romance: B(u)y the Book!!

WOW! I'm so psyched that Jane Millionaire has been reviewed by Michelle Buonfiglio at Romance: B(u)y the Book! & It's a really fabulous review. Michelle has a message board where you can make comments about her reviews, discuss books you're reading, etc. It's a really great site for anyone interested in romance novels.

Romance: B(u)y the Book
Weekly Reviews, Exclusive Interviews, More!
www.NBC5.com/romance (Chicago) www.WNBC.com/romance (New York)

My pal Mary sent me this html in hopes I could figure out how to post...let's see if this works in case the ones above don't. (Yes, I admit I'm not that computer gifted).

WNBC Romance Buy the
Book

Anyway, I'd love it if you went to the site and commented. Well, just so long as you remember what I always tell my kids...if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. ;)

Tonight's winner of my readers group prize is Tawny Weber!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!

How to Lose Your Mind in 7 Days

Okay, I started to do this as a David Letterman style count down, but decided that would actually require having a brain to come up with the countdown items...and the whole point is that I've lost my mind....

There is ONE week exactly until Jane Millionaire's release. One Week. Seven Days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. 604,800 seconds...or there abouts. ((So I cheated and used a calculator on those. No biggie cause we've already established that Janice's brain is MUSH))

Still, mindless or not, I wouldn't trade this feeling for nothing. Well, maybe for a night with Matthew at my mercy...make it a week of Matthew at my mercy and it's a deal. ;)

For anyone not on my JaniceLynnReadersgroup, be sure to join as I'm giving away a book a day & other cool prizes like a book tote from Happily Ever Authors. I've had a few requests for Vote for Jane Millionaire t-shirts, I may just have to have more made...

Dreams

Today, I autographed some of the copies of Jane Millionaire. One of them was for a very dear friend of mine who is also a writer. Although she hasn't started the submission process yet, she's a talented lady. In her book, I advised her to go after her dream.

That's my blog for the day. Going after your dream. For as long as I can recall I dreamed of writing a book, selling a book, holding a book I wrote in my hands. Did I think I could do it? Yes & no. But I knew that if I didn't try, if I didn't do the work, & try my best, well, there was no chance at all that I'd ever have my dream.

That's what I want to give to each of you. Your dream. Visualize it. Imagine it. SEE it. Now, what do you have to do to reach that dream? To make it really happen? Are you willing to do those things? If not, what can you do to get motivated to do those things? Do you have the resources to do those things? If not, how can you acquire the resources? Is having your dream worth the sacrifices you'll have to make? Is sacrificing your dream something you'll someday regret?

For each of us, our dreams are different. Most of us have lots of dreams--I do. But I challenge each of you to pick one of your dreams, the one that burns within you, the somday I'll do this dream, the if I could do anything I wanted dream--that one, I want you to pick it and do the things in the above paragraph. Get the image clearly in your head--then I want you to go after that dream. Make you dream happen. If you don't, no one else will.

Riding the Wave of Excitement

I now have my 50 copies of JANE MILLIONAIRE! I got them yesterday, actually--yes, I was so excited I forgot to blog. Bad Janice. I have Jane's scattered all over my house. One in every room. Well, except the bathrooms and the kids' rooms as they might think that meant they could read them and Jane's a bit too...advanced...for my six year old.

Okay, this week...it's thanksgiving on Thursday so that means I'm off work on Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday. Woo hoo! It'll be nice to have some time with my family.

On the writing front, I'm working on the follow-up to JANE MILLIONAIRE and am 120 pages into the story now. I hope to hit page 200 by the end of next weekend. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

On my yahoogroup, Sheila M. is my winner for tonight. She won a Happily Ever Authors book bag! I'm giving away lots of great prizes ever day between now and November 29th on Jane's official release date, so if you're not a member of my group--it's time to join at JaniceLynnReadersGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

y'all have a great night!

Jane Millionaire has arrived!!!!

I know what you really want to know is WHO won tonight's drawing, but...I GOT A COPY OF JANE MILLIONAIRE today! Just one copy, but OMG! My editor sent it to me with a darling sticky note message on it. I had to take my youngest son to the dentist so I got home from work a bit earlier than normal and when I arrived, a package from Dorchester was in the mail! So, I waited an hour and a half (I thought I'd only be waiting about 15 minutes but hubby took longer to get home than expected) & opened it with my hubby and kids in the living room with me. I can not describe the feeling to hold that book, to open the cover and see words I wrote on the pages. It's so amazing, so surreal, so unbelievable. So I handed the book to hubby (Okay, so he had to pry it from my fingers ) and he read the acknowledgement page and I could tell he was a bit disappointed but was trying to be all macho and tough and not let on that HE wasn't on that page. He didn't say a word, but I pointed out that on the opposite page was my dedication to him. :O) I'd never told him that I'd done that so it was the first time he'd seen it. Was kinda funny cause he really was sitting there thinking I'd totally left him out of the acknowledgement. Yeah right. :O) I keep pulling it out and touching the cover, opening it and staring at the pages, thinking I WROTE THIS. Would it be wrong to sleep holding it???

Okay, the lucky winner of Donna Birdsell's Falcon's Mistress is jfloied@yahoo.com . Woo hoo, Jennifer!!! Congrats! on your win. Y'all have a great night...I'm going to go roll around in bed with Jane...uhm, that kinda sounds bad, doesn't it??? Okay, so I'm going to sleep with my eyes open so that I can be sure I'm not dreaming and this is really happening and that OMG! Jane Millionaire is really for sale and shipping from Amazon and my editor sent me a copy!! WOW.

If you're not part of my yahoo readers group, be sure to join so you're automatically entered in my contests! I'm giving away a prize a day now through November 29! Jane's official release date. Join at: JaniceLynnReadersGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Coming home!

Well, it looks like I'm back!!! After straying to myblogsite.com for a couple of months, I'm back where I started. Funny how life often brings us back to our starting ground.

Anyway, I'm going to try to figure out how to move my stuff over here, so bear with me for a few days while I get this done. I am SOOOO computer challenged.

For those of you who don't know, be sure to join my readers group at JaniceLynnReadersGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com I'm giving away prizes daily while anticipating JANE MILLIONAIRE's release on November 29th. The contest is only open to those on my loop so the odds of winning are pretty darn good!

Have a great night!!

It's official! Matthew McConaughey is the Sexiest Man alive!

Not that I didn't already know that :)

Janice Lynn Readers Group!

Ack! I recently discovered that somehow my link to join my readers group is no longer on my website. As anyone who knows me knows, I'm a computer idiot and freely admit to it. I've sent the updates to my webmistress, but wanted to get the information out there as to how you can join my readers group. I mean, I am giving away a prize a day until Jane Millionaire's release on November 29th (2 weeks to go!!!!!! Oh my!) and would love to see lots of you as winners!! You have to be a member of my yahoo group to be entered. I know, I know, not another yahoo group. Fortunately, this one is not one that will bog down your in box. Under most circumstances I only post once a month. With doing the contest, I am posting daily right now to announce the winners!

Yesterday's winner was Betty Hanawa! She won an autographed copy of Joy Nash's Cerltic Fire. Woo hoo!!

Tonight, I'm giving away an autographed copy of Tanya Michael's Not Quite As Advertised.
Tomorrow night is an autographed copy of Kathleen Long's Get Bunny Love. Have y'all read Kathleen's new one? Cherry on Top. It's an absolutely fabulous book!!!

Anyway, you get the idea! I'm giving away a lot of great prizes! & all you have to do to be entered in each day's contest is join at:

JaniceLynnReadersGroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

I'm hoping this link will work (Remember, I'm computer challenged), but if not, send me an email at janice@janicelynn.net & I'll send you an invite.

Thanks! & happy reading!

American Title II Gets Underway!

Wow! Hard to believe a whole year (over actually) has gone by since the first American Title contest kicked off. As I think back to the hopes and dreams I had the night before round 1 started, I realize just how much has changed during the last year. I survived five grueling voting rounds and won the first ever American Title contest. Amazing. And still very surreal. Yet here I am on the verge of Jane Millionaire's actual release date. November 29th. Two weeks. Wowzars!

Anyway, there are eleven finalists this year, so make sure you head over to www.romantictimes.com and click on the American Title II link, so you can help make one of the lucky finalist's dream come true.

Radio Talk Show

Next week I'm recording a radio talk show to discuss my book and my writing career thus far. Tonight I spoke with the radio host on the phone for a while and really enjoyed it. When I record the show, I'll be in the comfort of my own home, talking on my own phone, probably curled up in my chair. But I keep wondering if I'll feel as comfortable then, knowing it's being recorded, as I did tonight. I sure hope so.

I actually did a radio segment a few years ago. It had nothing to do with romance or books though. Sunscreen, skin care, and skin cancer was my topic. I can't remember if the show was 15 minutes or 30. Either way, it was interesting and we even took calls for that one. Next week's is a pre-recording and the show will actually air on November 30 at 2 PM Central time.
If you've not checked out the Definitely Dana! radio talk show, you should head over to www.healthylife.com and check out her archives! You can pull up some awesome interviews. There's even one with Susan Elizabeth Phillips!!

I'll post more information closer to time for the show to air, but as I just got off the phone with Dana, I wanted to share what a wonderful show she does with you.

Oh, & if you're looking for a scrumptious Matthew picture, I posted one over at the writers at play blog.

Getting High Concept

Now that I have your attention...

Currently I'm in a chat at The Knight Agency's chat room. Nephele Tempest is answering questions. If you're a writer and interested in learning more about the industry straight from a fabulous agent, you really should read The Knight Agency blog and go to these chats. I always learn something!

I know I've whined (yeah, yeah, I know you can barely believe I whine) about the term HIGH CONCEPT in the past. It's such a buzz word about the industry and one that every time I think I get a handle on it, I realize I wasn't quite right. Perhaps the definition is fluid? I REALLY liked Nephele's definition:

She said "it's a term that's carried over from Hollywood and means an idea that's really angled toward being a potential blockbuster. As far as books go, these are generally ideas you can easily sum up in just a line or two, and that break out of the mold a bit."

I really like that as it's simple yet makes sense. Now if I could just pull off writing a HIGH CONCEPT book....well, Matthew McConaughey has totally inspired me so I'm off to write!

Wonderful People in my Life

I was very blessed today while at work. The majority of people who came in to see me had seen the article and commented positively on it. One patient in particular knocked me off my feet. Literally. He pretended to be for a tooth ache...only catch, he wears dentures. Then he pulls out this package from behind the exam table and it's a beautiful handmade wooden frame with intricate detail with a photo from the article inside. It's a shadow box frame and just amazing. I took one look and fell back into the chair behind me and cried. It's hard to explain, but his (and his wife because she was there and grinning) gesture just meant so much to me. He made the frame and yesterday they went and had the picture matted. It's also the first one like it he's ever made, so that makes it even more special. It's embossed with his name and everything! He said they planned to bring it to me on Thursday, but his wife was so excited about it and kept saying they should bring it today, so they did...and well, I'm moved. Moved that someone would go to that much work and effort to do something nice for me. Moved that he and his wife went to all that trouble. Moved because it was so unexpected.

I also got a fab picture of me and Jennifer Echols that was taken at the Southern Magic Readers Luncheon this past weekend. Jennifer is represented by Nephele Tempest & I'm repped by Pamela Harty at The Knight Agency--which is a totally rocking agency.

The Tennessee Magazine

Well, the fun has continued today. I've gotten tons of emails and had a jolly old time, although I've gotten NO writing done thus far tonight. Going to go correct that in a bit.

Work was also interesting as more and more people are seeing the article and asking me about it and my writing. Everyone keeps asking me how it feels to be rich and famous...SNORT. I'm still waiting on the rich and the famous part, but I'll be sure to keep everyone posted should either ever happen....of course, I'll be posting that message from Jamaica or somewhere exotic and warm.

That's one of the funny things about all this. Most everyone believes that if you sell a book and it's in Walmart or going to be in Walmart you must be rich. Sorry folks, that's just not so. Most of the published people I know are far, far from wealthy and most still have to work their day jobs. But the dream is there. The dream of hitting large and making lists and getting the big bucks. And what's life without dreams??

So keep dreaming and dream big!!!!!!!

Tired, but Home From Alabama

I drove home from Birmingham today. Listened to Sandra Brown's White Heat while I drove. Definitely made the drive more enjoyable and was a great listen. I have to admit that I've never read her that I recall, but I've heard so many other authors and readers talk about how fab she is that I've wanted to and when I saw the book on tape by her I thought it fate.

Jane Millionaire's Amazon numbers dropped the lowest I've known them to go. They were at 6,000 tonight. I suppose a lot of people think it's crazy to be excited about being 6,000 from the best, but I'm thrilled. Especially since this is the first time I've dropped below 10K that I know of. I try not to look at the numbers very often, but I had a wonderful feature in a magazine come out over the weekend and I've watched my numbers to see the impact. I think it was a success and I owe the author of the article a huge debt of gratitude. The article absolutely rocked. I loathe the pictures, but then, they're of me, so I suppose that only makes sense. But the article...well, she made me sound fab, so saying she's an incredible author is a huge understatement. THANK YOU, TRISH!!!

I had a lot of interesting emails from people who'd seen the article. Some just congratulating me. Some asking for advice as they are aspiring authors. Some from organizations and groups. I even had emails from patients and from parents of kids that go to school with my kids. I even had a few offers from people wanting to critique with me--which I find humorous as I remember a time when no one wanted to crit with me & I was once even dumped by a crit partner after she published because my writing wasn't of the same caliber as hers. I've declined them all, of course, as I have a great crit group at the writers playground, but I smiled at the offers.

All in all a great day. Now I'm off to snuggle with my hubby since I've missed him this weekend...not even a copy of Matthew McConnaughey's Stetson ad could waylay my missing hubby. Go figure.

Southern Magic Readers luncheon

The luncheon was a huge success. The keynote speaker was Connie Brockway & she was absolutely fabulous. I really enjoyed listening to her talk.

Although it's still a few weeks prior to Jane being available, I got to autograph coverflats for those interested. There were several booksellers there and it was a fun day and a great lunch.

Fabulous authors such as Kathleen Long, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Linda Howard, Connie Brockway, Anna DeStefano, Kelley St. John, Debra Webb, Rhonda Nelson, and many many more were there. Yes, despite the huge to be read stacks I already have I did buy more books. And on that note, my pal Kathleen Long sold out of both Get Bunny Love and Cherry On Top at the booksigning!! How cool is that!!??!!

Off to Birmingham for the weekend

I'm off to Birmingham this weekend for a readers luncheon! If any of you live in the area, it's the Southern Magic Romance Writers luncheon held at the Homewood Library. Would love to have some of y'all drop by and say hello...wish I could say & buy a book, but I've got 26 official days until Jane Millionaire hits the shelves!!! Oh my!

Today, I had a patient to tell me that he saw the magazine feature on me & Jane Millionaire & the American Title contest. His 17 yr old nephew pointed out the article to him and that it was me in it. It was a weird feel. Cool, yet different. I almost think people expect me to act differently because I have a book coming out and am recieving some media attention. I can't imagine ever being anything other than just myself--take me or leave me as I am cause what you see is what you get. Although, perhaps there are people who are hoping I'll change? Grow up, perhaps??? Nah, will never happen. I enjoy life and breathing in all it's many treasures--which to me are quite simple. Things like a child's giggle, a cloudless blue-blue sky, a rainbow, a lazy day spent in the sunshine, a kitten curled in my lap, well, you get the idea.

Y'all have fun and try to be good while I'm gone...yeah, yeah, I know. What's the fun in being good??? Well, in that case, I'll leave ya a picture to be bad with.

Jane Millionaire~Post #2 Jill Davidson

Phew! What a day. First, I had to deal with some jerk-off who thought he could sweet talk me out of giving him a ticket. As if. Then I came home to find out Jessie forgot to pay the electric bill. Again. It's not that my sister means to do these kind of things. She doesn't. It's just that she has more important things to worry with. Like her hair. Her make-up. Her shoes. Her thighs. Pretty much anything that has to do with the way she looks. Jessie isn't vain. She's beautiful & knows it. Too bad beautiful women are a dime a dozen in Hollywood and no one's noticed what a gem my sister really is. Well, I shouldn't say no one. Men do notice Jessie. They can't seem to help themselves. Pretty much any guy I've ever met has fallen all over himself trying to catch Jessie's attention. Well, except formy best friend, Dan. Dan. Sigh. That's another reason why my day has been a doozie. Dan's new girlfriend throwing a hissy fit because I had dinner with him. Hello, the man is my partner on the police force. Of course, I'm going to have dinner with him from time to time. Actually, we usually share several meals together each work day, but I suppose this was different. After running to pay the water bill, I met the guys at the gym and we shot some hoops. Dan & I grabbed a pizza and a couple of beers after the game. No big deal. Okay, so we were once engaged & I still think he's my Mr. Right, but his girlfriend was WAY out of line for ragging him about spending time with me. It was pizza & beer not caviar by candlelight. Some days I swear men don't even notice that I have boobs and am missing a certain dumb stick cause I'd stake my life on the fact that they just see me as another one of the guys.

Cherry on Top by Kathleen Long! A great read!!!

A very dear pal of mine is celebrating the release of her second single title book. It's called Cherry on Top & it is a fabulous read. I know, I read it months ago & have been anxiously waiting for the opportunity to buy my own copy & have it autographed!!! I checked at Walmart today, but it wasn't in yet. May have to drive the 30 minutes or so to the closest bookstore to see if they have it. Of course, there's always Amazon. Anyway, if you're looking for a fabulous romantic comedy to read, check out Cherry on Top by Kathleen Long & in case you missed it, her first hit release was Get Bunny Love. Great, great books!!!

Tawny Weber won the Harlequin Blaze contest!!!

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Tawny Weber WON the Harlequin Blaze contest. Out of nearly 300 entries, Tawny's was uno number one! Of course, her pals who've read her stuff already know how fabulous she is, but it's nice when the rest of the world recognizes great talent!!

Tawny!!! I am so proud of you!!!! And can't wait to announce that you are a BLAZE author, which is sure to happen soon because you ROCK!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Hope your night is filled with lots of yummy treats. Here's one from me!!! One of my pals (Gemma Halliday) doctored it up a little bit prior to sending it to me, but ahhhh! what inspiration. And wouldn't it be such a treat to write Matthew McConaughey's abs into a book? I mean, I'd have to do lots and lots of research first...right???

20th Class Reunion

My hubby's class reunion was fab. We were the last couple there as hubby put the whole thing together and had to make sure the deejay, etc. got paid. It's fun to see how much people have changed over the 20 years since graduation...hubby's, not mine. I've still got a few years to go...cause I'm 29...yeah...that's it, 29. Anyway, hubby had the girls at the reception desk give everyone a bookmark advertising Jane Millionaire. He'd asked me to bring a stack, so I autographed them & everyone got one & it was so fun! Sorta surreal.

I watched Bewitched tonight with Nicole Kidman. It was a cute movie. Even though I've never been a Will Ferrell (sp?) fan, I did enjoy him in this one. Nicole was fab as usual.

Deer tick warning!

I hate it when people forward bogus warnings . . . but this one is real, and it's important.

Please send this warning right away to everyone on your email list:

If someone comes to your front door saying they are conducting a survey on deer ticks and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! IT IS A SCAM; they only want to see you naked.

(I wish I'd gotten this yesterday! I feel so stupid.)

My pal Trish forwarded that to me & I got a big smile out of it and thought I'd share since it sorta goes with my #90 warning (which is real for business lines but not residential it would seem).

I'm going to my husband's 20th class reunion tonight. (Have I ever mentioned that he married me when I was in like kindergarten? That's why I'm still barely 29 and he's, well, not 29 & going to a 20th reunion. ) Should be an interesting evening as hubby helped put the whole thing together with the help of some lovely ladies and I think they've done an awesome job! And if it gets dull, I'll just dream of Matthew and plot my next book...

Pajama Party & Pillow Fights

The two go hand in hand, right? Well, tonight they do. My daughter is having a birthday sleep-over & what a great time these gals had. They're 7 & 8 year olds & the night's events included making cookies, eating pizza, blowing bubbles, playing dressup, playing Twister, taking & printing pictures, pillow-fighting on the Twister mat (if you stepped off you were out!), putting on their pajamas, then scrap-booking the pictures (I gave each girl a small scrapbook of their own to take home as a momento from the party), & now they're watching a movie to settle down--I hope. Lots of fun!!!

My boys all went to Nanna's house, my hubby went to a football game with friends, so it was truly a girls night in!!

All this estrogen is getting to me though...I think I need another Matthew fix...YUM!!!

90# on the phone

My mother-in-law sent this to me & said she checked it out on the Urban Myths & Legends site & that it's true. Supposedly it usually happens to business lines, but I found it interesting & a little scary. Thought it worth posting even though I don't generally post about this kind of thing.

PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service technician who was conducting a test on telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine(9), zero(0), the pound sign (#), and then hang up. Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.

Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number. I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many local jails/prisons. I have also verified this information with UCB Telecom,Pacific Bell, MCI, Bell Atlantic and GTE. Please beware.

DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE.

The GTE Security Department requested that I share this information with EVERYONE I KNOW. PLEASE pass this on to everyone YOU know.

If you have mailing lists and/or newsletters from organizations you are connected with, I encourage you to pass on this information to them. After checking with Verizon they said it was true, so do not dial (9),zero(0), the pound sign # and hang up for anyone.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

Terri Garey SOLD!!!!!!

On 10/11/05 a dear pal of mine, Terri Garey, sold an awesome book to Avon in a two book deal!!!! The book is called Dead Girls Are Easy & it's fabulous!!! Terri's writing voice is so much fun, she's going to set the writing world on fire!!!

To check out Terri & read excerpts & see what the fuss is all about, visit www.tgarey.com . I can't wait to buy a copy for my keeper shelf!!!

Black Leather Chaps

OOOHHHHHH! That got your attention, did it?

My hubby went shopping for me yesterday and, you guessed it, I am now the proud owner of my first pair of black leather chaps. Okay, to put this into proper perspective, my husband bought a motorcycle a couple of weeks ago. He's wanted one for a long time, but other things took priority. A friend told him about one that was for sale and the guy gave hubby a good deal, so now there's a shiny burgandy and black motorcycle with lots of chrome & leather, etc sitting in my garage.

Of course, when he brought this motorcycle home I asked him if he was going through a mid-life crisis a little early. He grinned and said he'd gotten a two-seater & was taking me along. Literally. So, I suppose that it only makes sense that when he went and bought black leather chaps & a black leather jacket & a skull cap for himself that he decked me out in black leather, too.

My chaps are a little long, but I'm told they're easily altered. Guess I'll soon find out.

Did I mention that he also got me a black leather pair of shorts??? Like I'm going to ride that motorcycle in shorts...at least I think that's when he meant for me to wear them....

Roses Every Month For A Year Contest

In celebration of Jane Millionaire's upcoming release, I'm hosting a really cool contest. I'm giving away ROSES EVERY MONTH FOR A YEAR.

Why roses? Well, there's a rose on Jane's cover and my hero thinks she smells like roses so it just seemed fitting. Besides, how cool to get fresh roses delivered every month for an entire year!!!??? Yes, I know, it would be even cooler if Matthew McConaughey would personally deliver them or if it was a rose erotically held between Johnny Depp's teeth, but work with me here.

One of my friends suggested I make it chocolate, but I was afraid at the end of the year the winner would have gained a bazillion pounds and would never buy one of my books again, so I left it roses.

Be sure to enter! All the details & how to enter are posted at http://www.janicelynn.net/author/contests.php

I can't wait to see who the winner is going to be!!!

Slave labor

aka making my kids earn their room & board.

Tonight I'm working on a mailing to go out to some booksellers. Part of the mailing is autographed bookmarks. No big deal just reading that comment...okay, let me put this into prospective...I have now autographed 14,000 bookmarks. OMG. Can you say Carpal Tunnel syndrome??? No, I didn't originally buy 14K bookmarks. I bought 10K and ran out! So I bought another 5 K thinking I'd never go through them and I'm almost out again! I can't believe how fast they're going. I recently recommended to a friend that she purchase 15K to begin with and she thought I was nuts. Got an email from her today and she told me I was right and she wished she'd bought more. It's a fairly inexpensive promo tool and has all the pertinent information about your book on it and it's easy to hand out to family, friends, & strangers...and oh yeah, booksellers.

I know not every author sends out bookmarks, but Jane Millionaire is my first book so I'm having fun with it and putting my kids to work in the process.

What work? Well, those 14K autographed bookmarks were put in stacks of 10 bookmarks and then rubberbanded. My kids have had a blast doing this. They build pyramids with the stacks, pretend they're warriors and goblins battling it out, and so forth (yes, my kids do have active imaginations). After I ran out of bookmarks the first time, my 3 youngest kept asking me if we needed to do bookmarks and could they help. My oldest hasn't ever gotten into it or else he just thinks it's a good time for him to be on the computer since I'm off. (he accuses me of being a computer hog--the nerve! )

Most of all, I think my kids enjoy it because it's time we spend together laughing and talking while I sign and they count, rubber-band and stack. It also makes them feel an important part of the whole process---which they are since they are my inspiration and greatest joy.

Jane Millionaire~post #1 Jessie Davidson

As promised, once a week or so, I'm going to post from the point of view of one of Jane Millionaire's characters in a build-up to the books release on November 29!!!

Jessie is the younger sister of JANE MILLIONAIRE's heroine, Jill Davidson.

From the diary of Jessie Davidson:

OMG! You're never going to believe the major career coup that I've landed! I'm going to be the star of a reality television show! A pretend princess even. Twelve gorgeous Prince Charmings are going to wine and dine me and do their best to woo me into choosing them as Mr. Jane Millionaire. How cool is that? I mean, I've been busting my hump trying to break into the acting world and now, I'm the star of a reality television show! Wow!

But, shhhh! Don't tell my big sis (I mean she's only a year older, but you'd think she was ancient or something by the way she acts all bossy and stuff) because she'll freak out on me that I fibbed a little on my bio. Okay, so I fibbed a lot, but it's not like pretending to be a princess is going to require me to do more than wrap those hunky bachelors around my eager little finger. Men! God, I love them!!! And Jilly will be so proud that I've finally done something right. & all on my own, too.

Watch out world, here comes Jessie Davidson! aka Reality Show Princess (that really has a nice ring to it, don't ya think?)

Breakfast in my Sleeping Bag

My husband thought it would make a great title for a book. I wasn't so sure I agreed, but thought it an appropriate blog title.

I spent the weekend with my husband and two youngest kids at Boy Scout camp. We arrived Friday evening and set up our tents and roasted marshmellows & had a great time. Well, I didn't sleep a whole lot because of one of the dads was the king of snoring and I couldn't sleep (think bear roaring in the woods...or a cow someone was torturing...) Anyway, it was a llllloooonnnnngggg night. On Saturday morning, my husband served me breakfast in my sleeping bag. Yum. He'd made biscuits in his dutch oven and this yummy egg, sausage, cheese, & hash brown concoction that was really good.

During the day we had a fabulous time with the kiddos. We saw lots of deer, went to cub world, got on a pirate's ship, played in a castle, visited an Indian village, climbed all over a fort, went to an archery class, shot BB guns, uhm...I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but it was a fun-filled day as you can tell. That night we told stories around the campfire. It was so cool listening to the kids make up stories. My daughter was a riot. It was the never-ending story...don't know where she gets that.

Unfortunately the man who was the snorer had to go home. I say unfortunately because his son got dehydrated and sick. Even after pushing the water, he wanted to go home (the son, not the dad), so they went home. Saturday night...I slept like a baby.

This morning, hubby woke me up and served me pancakes and bacon in my sleeping bag...ya know, if it wasn't for having to sleep on the ground with 1700 boy scouts around, I could get into camping...

High concept

High concept. What a buzz term in the writing industry. & what is it exactly? I've had it explained to me in several different ways. The way that made the most sense to me, well, on a writing loop a gal whose opinion I trust says that explanation isn't accurate. So now, I'm left wondering, what is high concept???

Okay, the explanation given originally was to relate it to something within the media that's well known/of interest, such as a movie, world event, etc. For Jane Millionaire, I've always said my high concept was "Miss Congeniality meets Joe Millionaire". Apparently this is more of a tag line rather than a high concept per the discussion taking place on the writing loop. However, for my story, I think the above fits. Perhaps it's more of a way to set a stage in the person's mind I'm pitching the story to. I mean, for Jane, it's an undercover cop who's a big tomboy who goes undercover on a reality television show to save her sister's butt. Perhaps it could be argued that it's the 'reality show' twist itself that is the 'high concept'.

So, I'm wondering, what does high concept mean to you? What's your definition? Or ideas on this? I'm off to read Diana Peterfruend's explanation at The Knight Agency's blog, as I hear it's an excellent explanation. Very curious as to how others view this term.

Sex Education

While in NJ I sat next to a wonderful author who writes for another publishing house and we had a great conversation about talking to our kids about sex.

My oldest is 13. Hers was 15. Both are boys. She hadn't had "the" discussion with him yet. I strongly urged her to do this as, unfortunately, odds are this is something he's dealing with now. As many of you know, I work as a health care provider and do a lot of women's health and counseling. I told her that I start counseling on sex ed at around 10. TEN??? You're saying. YEP, I say. Why??? Because I have parents bringing in kids who are 12 & 13 who've been sexually active for years. I've talked to colleagues around the country. This isn't something that's localized to my area of the country. Fact is, KIDS are having sex. Either we educate them to protect themselves and teach them the risks of unprotected sex or we deal with telling kids that they have diseases they'll have for the rest of their lives.

So, if you have kids, talk to them. How? That's so embarrassing and I know my kid is NOT having sex, you say. Uhm...maybe. Maybe not. But you better bring the subject up and be matter of fact about it. Talk to your child like they are an adult on this subject. Be honest. Say "I don't want you to have sex until you're married", "I do not approve of pre-marital sex", "I hope you graduate from high school a virgin". Whatever it is you feel/believe. Then say, "However, statistics say that it is unlikely you will graduate from high school a virgin or will wait until you're married. I do not condone your becoming sexually active but, should you make the choice to do this, I want you to know how to protect yourself." Talk to them about condoms, STDs, be non-threatening. You want your kid to feel comfortable being honest with you about this, so be honest with them.

Again, I stress that I do not approve of kids having sex, I pray my kids never have sex...well, at least not until they are old enough to really understand what they're doing, the risks they're taking, and the responsibilities that can come from having sex--you know, like when they're thirty or so, they can 'think' about it. But knowledge is power and we need to educate our kids. If we don't, they will learn about sex elsewhere. Either through trial and error experience or from friends, etc. If they learn it else where, there may be consequences. Just something to think about & as it's on my mind tonight, thought I'd share.

On the rest of my NJ trip, I can't get my pictures to download, but as soon as I figure it out, I'll share.

Jane Millionaire Reviews!

Here's review #1

Contemporary Romance Writers - A Romance Designs Community Website http://www.contemporaryromancewriters.com/

Review for Jane Millionaire
Author: Janice Lynn
Date of Review: 10/10/05
Reviewed by: Rhae

Reviewer Comments: Jane Millionaire is a lively, hilarious tale that shows that the best part of reality television may not be what is shown to viewers. Both Jill and Rob are very well written characters that will take readers on an emotional roller coaster of attraction, hurt and healing.

Jill Davidson is used to protecting her little sister from trouble. However, this new problem is an original even for Jessie. Now she is in a castle, in the middle of a small country that no one has ever heard of, pretending to be her sister in the reality television show of "Jane Millionaire". Jill is not an actress just a simple police officer pretending to be a glamorous princess. If she pulls this off she would be amazed after all most men look at her as "just a friend" not a potential date let alone wife. If things aren't complicated enough the producer is the only man in her life who has set her on fire and he is completely off limits, or is he?

Rob Lancaster has had a run of bad luck both professionally and in love. If it were not for his best friend and father figure he would not be caught dead producing reality television no matter how much it would help his career. However his biggest problem with the show is the star herself. His first glimpse of Jill Davidson was like getting hit over the head by a two by four, and he hasn't been able to get up ever since. Rob is now in the battle of his life by fighting the immense attraction to Jill while she is being courted by a dozen hunky bachelors. Can he learn to trust his heart to a woman that he believes is only trying to further her career through him but makes him feel as no other woman has or will he let his past ruin his future?

Here's review #2

Reading JANE MILLIONAIRE is a sheer delight. A fantasy story you will love, two super romances and snappy dialogue makes for a wild and fun reality show with gorgeous bachelors, a beautiful princess in a castle, and a producer to die for. Two twin sisters switch places and all hell breaks loose as things get more complicated by the minute as the show gets into filming as the real princess gets into the act. Don’t miss this fabulous book. Janice Lynn is definitely an author to watch!

Suzanne Coleburn, Reader To Reader Reviews/The Belles & Beaux of Romance

Yep, I'm thrilled. It's a bit scary to send your first book out to reviewers knowing it's their job to say whether or not you suck. I can not begin to tell you how relieved I am to have two positive reviews back! Actually, I already had one from Fallen Angel that was fab! So that makes 3 positives. (I need an icon that sings & dances & gets down tonight!)

If all goes as planned, I'll post more New Jersey stuff tomorrow & then will blog from Jane Millionaire characters point of views very soon!

The Banana, The Security Guard, & the Strip Search

Friday morning I rushed out of the house somewhere between 4:30 AM & 5 AM. On my way out I grabbed a bottled water and a banana & threw them into my backpack, planning to eat/drink them later. Only, I was rushing and forgot.

I was the last passenger to check in at the gate (imagine that!) & they'd overbooked the flight & I got involuntarily bumped to the next flight to Newark. I wasn't happy, but I smiled, thanked the man, and took the $300 airline dollars & $32 airport food money to help me kill the 2 hours until the next flight. I asked him where he'd go eat breakfast if someone else was paying. So I headed to the restaurant he said even though it meant going back out of the security check point (I had 2 hours to kill why not go through security twice??). I had a scrumptious breakfast of Strawberry pancakes, a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice, & a soda. Okay, so I was thirsty and someone else was paying. Even after all that, my breakfast was only around $10. So I asked if I could give the other vouchers away and my waitress said sure. So I watched other diners and picked out a couple with 2 kids and gave $20 toward their breakfast. It was super cool. I've heard about people who do that (Tim McGraw & Faith Hill have been noted doing this around Nashville) and think it would be so cool to be able to do this routinely, surprise people by paying for their orders, etc.---but I digress, don't I? Back to the story. After I left the restaurant, I waited in the security check line and YOU KNOW what happens next.

Yep, I was chosen for the full check. The pat down, search everything I own search. I took my laptop out of my backpack and sat it on the tray and put my backpack in another. They had me leave my shoes on and took me to a different place at the side of the security check point. A lady waved the wand all around me and patted me down. Couldn't see her face so I don't know if she was enjoying herself or not. A nice-looking hispanic gentleman in his 50s? brought the trays with my stuff in them over to where I was and set them on the table. He lifted my laptop and someone had put their muddy shoes in the tray prior to me and my laptop was wet on the bottom. I go to touch it & he says I can't touch anything once the search is started. So, he took a paper towel and cleaned it off. Next is my backpack. He puts the wand in and frowns when he pulls it out. I'm watching, wondering if cops and dogs are going to surround me any moment. He pulls some of my stuff out and says that something is messy in my bag. Then he makes a yucky face and says he knows what the problem is.

Yeah, you guessed it. My banana. I'd forgotten it and in all the taking stuff in and out of my backpack it had gotten smushed. The bottom half was missing. Well, not really missing, but no longer inside the peel and not anywhere even resembling solid. My backpack was lined with mush. My stuff is covered with mush. Note: I'm in the middle of a security check and can not touch any of my things. Guess who had to clean all my stuff and my backpack? Yep, the security guard. Of course, I chatted with him the entire time he cleaned. Twenty minutes into his cleaning, I'm quite enjoying myself and thanking the stars above that I'd been selected for a security check cause can you imagine the ick factor when I reached into my backpack to pull something out and my fingers squished into banana yuck? I might have even been on the plane at that time and had nothing to clean it with. By this time, the security guard found it as humorous as I did (maybe because I was teasing him?) and was laughing and cutting up with me. He ran out of papertowels and had to send another guard to get more papertowels. When he got my backpack spotless (better than before I'm sure), I laughed and told him that I was going to take him home with me. He got a big goofy grin on his face, wiggled his brows, and said "OKAY!!" Note to self: Be very, very careful when telling men you're going to take them home with you because they just might say yes.

So now you're probably asking about the "strip" part of the search, wondering if the security guard decided I needed checked again & in more secretive places. Had he looked like Matthew I would have volunteered for the full body search. but, alas, he didn't and I'm married and a one man kind of girl anyway (with the exception of Matthew & he doesn't count since he's my freebie ). Nor did I think dear hubby would appreciate my bringing a man home and saying I'd picked him up at the airport because he cleaned banana really well...nope, don't think that would fly around here at all. Actually, I just thought the "strip" part added a nice touch...I mean, it did grab your attention, right????

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

After a three hour flight delay (can you say ugh???), I'm finally home, visited with my family, tucked the kids in, snuggled with honey, and am now sneaking online to check email and blog a quickie .

Very funny that on my flight home I met a professor from Vanderbilt, a current student from Vanderbilt, and then me (an alumni) from Vanderbilt. How weird is that when there were around 50 people on board? And that's just the ones I know of. Probably one of those geeky things that impress me that no one else would think anything of, but I thought it neat.

The conference was great, but I'm glad to be home. It's back to work and the real world tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll get my pictures downloaded and I'll post some of them here. Oh, and I've got to tell you about the Security guard, the banana, & the strip search. Yep, I thought that might get your attention. Just one of my many airport adventures I'll be sharing this week...

Jane Millionaire cover

Jane Millionaire is a December 2005 release! Isn't that cover just totally fabulous???

Matthew on his knees

Yes, I particularly love this picture. My husband is not quite so fond of it. This was one of the ones sent to me right after I found out I'd won the contest. Yes, my friends do know how to help me celebrate properly. Photos of Matthew McConaughey on his knees begging me to run away with him.

I've got a couple more that were sent to me after the American Title win. I'll post them over the next couple of days.

Matthew after reading one of Janice's books

I had several emails telling me how much they enjoyed my picture post yesterday that I'm adding a couple of more that a friend (a different one) sent to me after Jane Millionaire won the American Title contest. This particular picture makes me THIRSTY.

Janice pouting because Matthew is grabbing Anna's butt

One of my friends, Lindsey Brooks, has WAY too much time on her hands and played around with a picture of me pouting when my luggage was lost in Reno--actually was lost somewhere prior to Reno, but that's another story.

Ya know...that really should be me Matthew is holding rather than my pal Anna.

New blog site

Okay, due to my lack of blogging skills (I'm technologically challenged...and that's putting it mildly.), I'm going to blog at the same site where my group blog is. That way I only have to learn how things are done on one site. Lazy, I know, but the honest truth.

So, I'd love for you to check out my active blog at
http://janicelynn.myblogsite.com

Thanks!

Blogging

I've been a part of a group blog for a few months now and have enjoyed it. Tonight I find myself playing around with doing an individual blog. I mean, I've actually enjoyed blogging a lot more than I thought I would. Generally, I'm a fairly private person, but when it comes to talking about my writing and such, well, the whole idea is to talk about it, right?

Anyway, I'm going to give this a shot and see how it goes. :)