Friday, December 22, 2006

Spice Girl!

REVENGE FOR HIRE won the SPICY category of Smoky Mountain Romance Writer's SSSS contest!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UNDERGROUND PLEASURE placed THIRD. Yes, I kicked my own butt. ;)

REVENGE FOR HIRE is one of my favorite stories that I've written. I have sooooo many promotional ideas for that book and sincerely hope one of the editors who has it sees it's potential. It's my first really kick-butt heroine book and I had an absolute blast writing it. :)

For the book I just sold I have to write a letter to the readers who buy the book. That's a bit daunting, I'm finding. What I really, really want to say is "PLEASE BUY & LOVE THIS BOOK." But somehow, that doesn't seem quite appropriate, ya know?? ;) Guess I'll figure out something.

Oh, and in honor of the new James Bond film, I'm going to post a picture of Daniel Craig today. :) I'm using him as my newest hero...named Daniel, of course. :) Dr. Daniel Travis.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

I sold to Harlequin!!

I'm over-the-moon to announce that I sold to Harlequin yesterday in a 2 book deal!!!!!! :) Yes, this is the absolute best Christmas present I could think of since I've dreamed of a sale to Harlequin since I was about 12. :) OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so I have this fabulous single title proposal out that it would really psych me up to sale, too, because I love that story more than any I've ever written and think it has the potential to be HUGE! and perhaps selling that would be like Matthew McConaughey showing up in a Santa suit, making me sit on his lap, and his asking me what I'd like for Christmas...okay, so I am living in a fantasy world, but OMG! I sold to Harlequin so I'm allowed a bit of giddiness, right???

The very first romances I remember ever reading were Harlequins. I just can't believe I'm actually a Harlequin author now. I keep pinching myself wondering if I'm going to wake up and it not be true.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Winterfest King & Queen

I mentioned a few posts back that my son was going to crown the Basketball homecoming queen for his school. The game was last night & I thought I'd share a few pics. :) He had to put her crown on her, give her flowers, and sash her. He had a little bit of a problem with the sash, but it was kinda cute..until it came loose.... :)

I chaperoned the dance and I have to admit, it gave me the bug to want to write a YA. But I am going to resist that urge because I have too many irons in the fire already with pursuing single title and category romance. Plus I write a monthly column and a quarterly health article/feature. So, for now, I'm resisting...

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Matthew McConaughey

I got several emails from folks letting me know that Matthew was on Oprah last week. Yum. :) What a man.
Of course, you know I'm in total denial of that nasty smoke rising from the middle picture. Ick. Someone write him a prescription for Chantix!!!! Of course, I'd volunteer my services free of charge. Would even throw in a complete body physical. Hey, I'm just doing my part to keep him healthy. ;)

Friday, December 08, 2006

Dorchester

My publisher is holding a Fan Forum where you vote for your favorite author. There are some really fabulous authors that write for Dorchester so it's not like I'm in the running for any kind of prize or anything ((not like the American Title contest)), but if you really enjoyed JANE MILLIONAIRE, I'd love for you to go show your support and vote for me. There's a catch--isn't there always??? You have to sign up for Dorchester Fan Registry. It's a newsletter (I think monthly) that gives you author updates, contest updates, etc.

Anyway, I'd really appreciate your support.

http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/FanForm.cfm?L1=2&L2=0

Raise your hand if you've voted?? Aw, Matthew, that's so sweet of you. ;) ((Hey, I write fiction for a living. What do you expect? ;)

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Basketball Homecoming?

As ya may remember from my post at the beginning of the school year when Jessie was campaigning, my oldest son is the president of the student council at his school. Lots of interesting jobs come along with this position. Things like crowing the homecoming queen at the Football Homecoming. It was really cool watching him be a part of that ceremony. Something I thought would be a once in a lifetime kind of deal, but seems like I get to watch him crown another queen. His Jr. High is doing a basketball homecoming this year and naming a King & Queen. Interesting. Of course, this means missing his acting lessons that night...

Sometimes I think kids do too much these days. Just with my oldest son my hubby & I keep the road burning and he has at least one activity every night. Most nights he has two or three. I find myself encouraging him to learn and do all he can, but then, sometimes I think how nice it would be just to slow down and not have anything planned.

How does everyone else juggle crazy schedules?

Oh, and here's a Matthew McMcConaughey pic... YUM. :)

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Romance By the Blog

I've really got to learn more about the workings of my blog. I realized a while back that I didn't have a link to my good pal Tawny Weber's blog, yet have I sat down and tried to figure out how to remedy that? No. Tonight, I was going through emails and realized I had another big goof. I don't have a link to one of the hottest romance blogs there is. It's run by my pal Michelle Buonfiglio and she's smart, sassy, and in the know about romance. She's got some great things lined up for December that anyone interested in the Erotic Romance industry, whether as a reader or a writer, should definitely check out her blog.


Romance: By the Blog "Hot Topic Week: Eros, Erotica, and Erotic Romance," Dec. 4-8
This week of GuestBlogs is constructed to get a dialogue going about what erotica and erotic romance are and are not, as well as what access to the literature has done for women who read it. Bestselling author Ian Kerner, Ph.D. also will discuss women and sexual fantasy. Here's the line-up:
Kate Duffy, Senior Editor, Brava/Kensington, 12.4
Adam Nevill, Author/Erotica Editor, Virgin Books, 12.5
Jaid Black, Author/CEO Ellora's Cave, 12.6
Ian Kerner, Ph.D., Author/Sex and Relationships expert, 12.7
Emma Holly, Author, 12.8
Join Michelle for a great week of guest bloggers. Also, if you haven't checked out her Romance: B(u)y the Book weekly feature, do yourself a favor and do so! She's awesome and has great reviews and interviews posted. I've posted the link to the website below.

Romance: B(u)y the Book
Weekly Reviews, Exclusive Interviews, More!
Exclusively on InternetBroadcasting's national platform of more than 70 TV station websites including www.WNBC.com/romance (New York)
Romance: By the Blog


And, yeah, I like her even though she is beautiful and classy. What can I say? She's also nice, witty, and just thinking about her always brings a smile to my face.


Monday, November 27, 2006

Bad Blogger Feeling Inspired

Lots of family stuff going on and I have eaten more than you would believe. Between that and my bum knee from the breast cancer walk (yes, it's still bothering me!), my weight is...well, we won't talk about it. ;)

Today was a day of mixed emotions. I had friends get good news & friends who got bad news. The writing industry is so hard. It's a business that deals with people's dreams. Not for the faint of heart. Yet, how can you not have your heart out there when it's your dream involved? Anyway, I'm so proud of my friends--the good news ones & the bad news ones. They are all out there chasing their dreams and facing the crap that's slung their way in the process.

I'm working on an article on quotes that inspire people to go after their dream and not give up. ((I do a monthly article/column for the FROM THE HEART Newsletter)) Oddly enough, I'd chosen this topic several weeks ago and started the article. Tonight seemed like an appropriate time to work on it.

So, with that in mind, here's my inspiring quote of the day:

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." ~ Dolly Parton

I want the rainbow. Somebody toss me an umbrella.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

Had my first turkey dinner tonight and several more to go before the weekend finishes. Tonight's meal was with my in-laws and was YUMMY. :) I'm cooking tomorrow & making non-traditional stuff--barbecue ribs, homemade mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, homemade rolls, broccoli & cheese, & a homemade pie...probably buttermilk although I have stuff to make apple, too. Cause we have my parent's to go to on Saturday & will have turkey. & my Grandparents on Sunday & will have turkey. Thought something different would be nice. How about the rest of you? Do you do anything non-traditional on Thanksgiving? Of course, in the original Thanksgiving day meal they had lobster and clams along with their wild turkey. :)

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Sunday, November 19, 2006

Rowena Cherry & fans!

Wow! I opened my mail (from yesterday, yes, I'm behind--what else is new? ;) and there was a check from romance author ROWENA CHERRY that she'd collected for the breast cancer walk!!! It's a wonderfully generous check & I'm tickled pink! This will put me over my goal & then some!

Rowena read about my walk for breast cancer in FRESH FICTION's newsletter and rallied her fans to pull together to help support me. How cool is that?????

So, y'all be sure to check out Rowena's website at www.rowenacherry.com and look for her upcoming release INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL. Rowena writes sci-fi romances with lots of humor. Or better yet, shoot Rowena an email saying thanks for supporting women every where!! Because with breast cancer affecting 1 in 8 women, let's face facts, this is a disease that will touch each one of us in some manner.


THANKS ROWENA!!!!!!

Oh, and speaking of the breast cancer walk, one of my local papers ran a touched up version of my blog post about the walk. Yes, I know. A bit scary to think of one of my blogs going into the paper. But they ran it as a follow-up to the front page story I wrote promoting the walk and trying to increase funds.

Here's a link, although it'll only be online until this coming Thursday when the new paper comes out. :) http://www.rutherfordreader.net/Page6.html

Y'all have a great week!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Matthew McConaughey

If you ever wondered why I find the man so hot...well, here's your answer:Thanks to my pal Tawny for sending this pic to me. Ahhhhh, such a good friend.

Monday, November 13, 2006

American Title 3 Round 2

I rarely let my emotions get carried away with me enough to rant online, but tonight, I'm going to rant. Why you might ask? Because one of the judges ditzed firefighters as a hero. Okay, this is my friend Lindsey's entry but even if it wasn't, I'd be offended at this judge's comment. OMG!

Here's the judge's comment:

Hilary Ross -- The author realizes that firemen are killed fairly often in the course of duty but chooses one for her hero anyway. This shadow might hang over the head of the reader -- especially since 9/11-- and slightly spoil the romance.

Hello! Firefighters are HOT & sexy & very heroic. Who better to be a hero if not a firefighter?????? I assume Ms. Ross' personal biases influence her comment, and I feel for all those directly touched by 9/11 (and our entire nation because 9/11 has touched each and every one of us), but I found her comments shallow, and did I mention offensive? Am I wrong here? Are firefighters unheroic because of what happened with 9/11? What about airline pilots who died that day? Police officers? Businessmen? Good Samaritans? Because men from all these fields died in 9/11. Are they not heroic enough for a romance novel, either??? Am I missing something here? Do romance novel heroes have to be Greek Billionaire Shieks with Bodyguards or something? I think not. Real life heroes are out there and in my opinion, they are the most worthy romantic characters (not knocking the Greek Billionaire Shieks with Bodyguards of the world, mind you ;) ).

To shun away from using Firefighters as heroes in romance novels because of 9/11 is totally ridiculous. Firefighters (& many other brave souls) proved their heroism that day & deserve our praise and admiration. Romance novels are about HOPE & happiness & triumping evil---tell me again why a firefighter doesn't make the perfect hero??????? Why we wouldn't want to see a firefighter find happiness and triumph and prove that hope does exist in the world??????

Yes, I am seething. And I feel like my skin is pretty thick on this kind of stuff. After all, I went through the contest and dealt with the judges' comments first hand. Not once did anyone hear me say anything negative about anything the judges said. However, I find Ms. Ross' comments about firefighters just WRONG.

Help me send a strong message about just how heroic firefighters are. Vote for Lindsey Brooke's American Title 3 entry, Operation: Date Escape & let's prove just how heroic we believe firefighters truly are.

Vote for Lindsey's entry by sending a blank email to webmaster@romantictimes.com with OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE in the subject line. Please ask all your friends and family and, hey, your local firemen, too, to go vote for OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

3 Day Breast Cancer Walk~pictures

Okay, I'm finally up for posting about the walk.

Thursday night after working all day. I drove to Atlanta. It was raining and icky and the fog was so heavy that I passed so many wrecks it wasn't even funny. What should have been a 3 hour drive turned into over 4 1/2 hours. After arriving in Atlanta, I got to meet my roomie for the night, fab-o author and romance diva Kristen Painter. Kristen is fun, hip, and an absolute diva in every sense of the word. I had a blast getting to know her over the walk. If you enjoy romance and aren't already a member of the Romance Divas' website, be sure to join for great writing tips and much, much more.

Friday morning. Sometime long before the sun came up, Kristen & I headed out on a big Greyhound like bus. The bus brought us to a mall where the opening ceremony for the walk took place. There were people everywhere. I can honestly say I've never seen so many shirts advertising boobs in my life. "Blisters for Boobs" "Save the boobs" "Tutus for Tatas" were just a few of the t-shirt slogans. At the opening ceremony, Kristen and I met up with Deidre Knight, Lynne Simpson, Elaine Spencer, Julie Ramsey, & Lola. Deidre had gotten us Parallel Heat t-shirts made up for the walk so we got to have cool shirts, too. :)

Food took on a new meaning during the walk (which might explain how I gained 2 pounds rather than losing it). They had great snacks for us at each stop-point. My favorite was this graham cracker and peanutbutter and jelly bar that looked like an ice cream sandwich. I could really go for one of those right now...

Lunch was good, too. Mostly because I could take my socks and shoes off and just air my feet out. I did well, though. No blisters or great pains on day one. All the group (except maybe Lola who didn't stay with the group) made it the full 20 miles. Woo hoo.

Friday night. A hot shower has never ever felt so good. They had these 18 wheeler shower houses where about 20 could shower at a time. They had quite a few of these trucks set up so one didn't have to wait too long. Of course, the showers were about the size of my high school locker. Although I whine about my weight (what woman doesn't?) I'm not over-weight, just not the slim size I once was. I could barely turn in the stall. I really don't know how a heavier woman could manage. Drying off was a challenge too as when you turned your water off the water from neighboring stalls splashed as high as up to my thighs. Still, the shower was gooooood.

Sleep...I didn't sleep much Friday night. I brought ear plugs, so it wasn't even so much the noise. (No comment on what those noises might have been ;) It was more just being on the ground after walking 20 miles. I had a camping eggshell and a yummy warm sleeping bag, but it just didn't cushion me well enough to ever really get into a good sleep. I did stay snug and warm. Which is saying something since we woke to a layer of ICE on our tent. Yes, it was that cold.

Saturday morning. Up before the sun AGAIN. Breakfast was buffet style and good. I took off with Julie and Elaine, but by mid day my HIPS hurt badly enough that I knew better than to try to keep up with them for the rest of the walk. When the lunch lady points out where the medical tent is to you, that's a sign to slow down, right? My feet did fairly well again. At the end of the day I did have two bloody toes, but it's my own fault for not having my nails clipped low enough.

Lunch was good again. Supper hot and delicious. Did I mention how heavenly a shower inside a locker can feel???

Sunday morning. My tentmate was put on medical restriction not to walk. I rode the bus with her and didn't get my full 20 miles in. Ack, but as badly as my hips and KNEES hurt on Monday, it's probably a good thing that I didn't.

Crossing the finish line at the walk was an amazing experience. There were people cheering you on everywhere. Along the walk there were people giving out candy, pins, HOMEMADE COOKIES, gum, water, etc. How cool is that????

The walk is an experience I'll never forget--my knee won't let me. Okay, just kidding, although, yes, 3 weeks later my right knee is still messed up and I haven't been cleared to walk (you know, my regular routine trying to be healthy 2 to 3 miles in the mornings walking) again yet. Would I do it again? Yes, doing this walk once is an amazing feat. But next time I'm going to look for one where you sleep in a nice comfy hotel room bed at night and have real showers.

Opening Day Ceremony:Tents, tents, tents everywhere. This photo does little to show you the amazing reality of just how many tents were there. Imagine looking in every direction and seeing this.
Not that anyone I know would ever do this, but this photo is of "Buzz". ((Yes, that's really his name and yes, he admitted to being frequently teased about "Buzz Lightyear". )) Buzz came to my attention when some unnamed women tried to bribe him into going to buy them booze. Buzz was a good sport and even called his girlfriend to try to get her to bring these persistant ladies booze. I'm not too sure the girlfriend was amused. The cute diva on the right shall remained unnamed to protect the not so innocent. ;)

Crossing the finish line!!!!This is a photo of the luggage pick-up area. Again, as with the tents, the photo does little to convey the reality of just how many suitcases were strung out on large tarps on the ground.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Back from Birmingham

Wow! What a gorgeous drive I had yesterday & today. The leaves are amazing shades of gold, orange, red, green, brown. Breathtaking! Wish I'd stopped and taken photos...

The Southern Magic Readers Luncheon was a wild success. I sold out of books--but there's a story behind that ;)

Here's some pics...This is Teresa Menderos, who gave the keynote speech. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room.
This is Dianna Love Snell, Rita Winner & fab author! who gave a welcome speech. She's the one with the awesome smile--be sure to look for Dianne's anthology next fall with Sherrilyn Kenyon. How cool is that?????
And to the far left is the one and only Kathleen Long with two fans. :) Kathleen is an up and coming romantic suspense author. IMHO no one does RS better--yes, I am biased. :)

I plan to drop off my photos from the 3 day breast cancer walk--and as soon as my knee heals I'll be ready to blog about the walk...not there yet....

Friday, November 03, 2006

Birmingham or Bust!

Not mine, not Elvira's, not even Telvira's (check out Terri Garey's blog for more on this. ;) busts, that is. But I am headed to Birmingham for a readers luncheon. :)

Y'all have a good weekend.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Evolution of dance

I was driving home from my son's acting lessons and he was telling me about this really cool video called Evolution of Dance. I got a smile out of it and thought I'd share. :)


Watch more funny videos at FunnyJunk.com

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Happy Halloween!!!

Just got back from Trick or Treating. You'll think my costume most original this year. I went as Mrs. Matthew McConaughey. When asked about that I gave the person asking a funny look and said, "Ahem, can't you see the really big smile on my face???" My hubby didn't find my response amusing. ;)

Saturday, October 28, 2006

I got tagged!

After clarifying that being tagged didn't mean I had won a prize trip to Hawaii, nor that I had won a weekend get-away with Matthew McConaughey (sigh! I was really hoping for that one!), I've learned that my tagging just means I have to think really hard to come up with answers. It's late, so I'm not sure how that thinking is going to work out, but here goes:

1) One book that changed your life: From the Torrid Past by ?? It was a Second Chance At Love book that I snuck & read when I was...way too young to be reading about torrid pasts. Reading that book was when I KNEW that I wanted to write romance novels. I started penning stories thereafter. :)

2) One book that you’ve read more than once: Candace Schuler's Good Girls Do. I love that book. It's hot & fun & Matthew McConaughey could SOOOOO be Tom if it was ever made into a movie. ;)

3) One book you’d want on a deserted island: Book? Hey, if I'm going to be on a deserted island, I want Matthew McConaughey--not a book.

4) One book that made you laugh: Anything by Rhonda Nelson always makes me laugh. She has such a great, witty voice.

5) One book that made you cry: Where the Red Fern Grows. I bawled my eyes out.

6) One book you wish you’d written: Anything by Jennifer Crusie--she's awesome!

7) One book you wish had never been written: I honestly can't think of one.

8) One book you’re currently reading: Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer.

Well, there you have it. My tagged answers. Personally, I think I should have held out for that weekend with Matthew...

Thursday, October 26, 2006

American Title 3

Only a few days left to vote in the American Title 3 contest. Please don't forget to cast your votes as 10 finalist's dreams are on the line. Although all the finalists have great entries & seem to be wonderful people, I am partial to Lindsey Brookes entry. Partially because I've read the entire manuscript and know that it totally rocks, but also because Lindsey is one of my best friends. If you'd like to know more about the contest you can visit http://romantictimes.com and click on the American Title icon. Or if you'd just like to help one of my very talented friends by voting for her awesome entry, send an email to webmaster@romantictimes.com with OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE in the subject line.

All the entries are fabulous this year & I'm really hoping Dorchester buys lots of them because I am SOOOO hooked and want to read more. Mostly right now though, I'm glad it's not me having to deal with the stress of knowing that on Monday morning two finalists will be cut from the competition and that I might be one of them. Just the thought brings back nasty memories of days gone by. But in the grand scheme of things, I have to admit...it's worth it all to hold JANE MILLIONAIRE in my hands. Oh yeah, dreams really do come true.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Still recovering...

I've still got to take up the last few shots on my disposable camera so I can post pictures taken from the 3 Day walk. I'm far enough behind it that I now seem to recall good things and think of it as a positive experience. I'm glad I did it, but next time I'll probably choose to walk one that's less than 60 miles. I'm no longer in pain, but my knees are amazingly stiff. Odd since it was my hips that gave me the most problems during the actual walk. Anyway, when I get photos developed, I'll share.

Speaking of sharing photos, I promised one of editors from the New Jersey Put Your Heart In A Book conference. Here goes:
Denise Zaza from Harlequin, Patience Smith from Harlequin, Angela James from Samhain, Lucia Macro from Avon, Rose Hilliard from St. Martin's Press, Selena James from Kensington, & Stacey Boyd from Harlequin.

I just have to share some news. In this year's county fair, my two youngest kids both won awards. :) James got first place & Abby got second. Plus, Abby's cheerleading squad got 2nd place overall on Sunday in their cheerleading competition. :) I'm very proud of their accomplishments. Woo hoo.

And for those of you curious about the weight I might have lost during my 3 day walk. Well, let's just say that I am the only person alive who can walk that many miles in such a short time frame & GAIN weight. Urgh.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Home & Product Side Effects

The 3 day walk...okay, I'm too tired & achy to talk about it yet without whining, so I'm going to just say, hi, I'm home, and we'll talk about it later, 'nough said.

But what I want to share with you is a website that fabo author Colleen Gleason pointed out. It's a skin care product line that has one of the most awesome advertising gimics going. To see what I mean, check out the side effects of using their products. http://www.seemoresideeffects.ca/
I mean, you see all the nasty side effects listed out on television commercials and print ads--isn't it about time there were some good side effects with products?? Of course, I have to warn ya, after I placed my order for Reversa products, I'm thinking they may be sold out. Bring on the side effects baby! I am so in the need for pastry & I know my lawn needs mowed &...oh, just go check out the site & you'll see what I mean. :) Seriously, I think it's a great marketing concept & hats off to their advertising department. I think I'd like to hire them to promote my next book.

Smooches until later when I feel more like myself.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

3 Day Breast Cancer Walk~ off tomorrow!

Wow! After all these weeks of training, it's hard to believe that tomorrow night I'll be in Atlanta in preparation for the opening ceremony on Friday morning. I've still not walked 20 miles in a day so it's going to be an interesting weekend. Honestly, I think I can do it, though. I walked 5 miles today & then packed & prepared for being away from home for the weekend.

I'm really excited at the prospect of walking. So far I've raised $2,385 & the Parallel Heat team has raised over $19,000 total! How awesome is that????? I've still got $115 to go to reach my goal of $2,500, sooooooooo....

If you'd like to donate, Follow This Link to visit my personal webpage at the 2006 Atlanta Breast Cancer 3-Day.

I hope to have pictures next week. I'll be taking them with a disposable camera so I'm not sure what type of quality they'll be, but at least they'll be pictures. :)

Monday, October 16, 2006

American Title 3

The third round of competition for the American Title contest kicks off today. As I've mentioned in previous posts, there are some fabulous sounding entries. I can't wait to read all the first lines. :) I'm a bit biased this year as my pal Lindsey Brookes finaled with her awesome manuscript OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE. I read this manuscript prior to Lindsey submitting it to Dorchester & LOVED it. I laughed & laughed & laughed. Lindsey is the queen of comedy. :) Her entry starts out with a conversation between the heroine Kelsey & her mother. I'll let you read the first line, which is Kelsey's mom giving advice, for yourself today at http://www.romantictimes.com I think the voting information goes up around 11.

I've been lax on blogging, but it's because this is the big week of the breast cancer walk. On Thursday I leave for Atlanta & will be walking 60 miles in 3 days.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

NYC photo

Here's a photo of Manhattan (to the left) from my flight home on Sunday. :)

I walked 3+ miles today. Not nearly enough. Work & children's sports & scouts interferred with more though. Tomorrow will be more.

And here's a picture of Matthew McConaughey. :)

I mentioned the article I wrote on breast cancer that's on the front page of the Rutherford Reader. Here's the link. :) www.rutherfordreader.net - page 1 the second part of the article is on page 15. To my knowledge & my dad's knowledge, my grandma has never had her picture in the paper. I LOVE that this brings her into the spotlight a bit because she's the strongest woman I know & one of the truly good people in the world. I love her dearly.

Plus, Yvonne Moon did a reprint of the Fascinating Folks article on me that she wrote back in May. Honestly, she makes me sound like someone fascinating, which is a testament to her writing skills, but all my friends & family know I'm really just me. The best part about the article is that my grandmother's photo is included. You can read that by going to page 6.

All these links will quit working -- actually, they'll link to a new story-- on October 12.

Monday, October 09, 2006

New Jersey Conference

I flew out on last Thursday, took care of some personal things, then went to the New Jersey Put Your Heart In A Book conference. My flight was delayed an hour, but they gave me a breakfast voucher so that worked out good. :) I roomed with my pal Kathleen Long & on Friday my friends Anna Sugden & Terri Garey arrived. It was so great to see friends I don't get to see nearly often enough. On Saturday I volunteered to assist with the editor/agent appointments and got to see Susannah Taylor (who I think is awesome & I first met in Knoxville when Stacey Kane, Susannah, & I went antique shopping together) and Mary Sue Seymore (who I met earlier this year leaving the RT conference when we rode on a shuttle to Orlando together). I also got to meet Judi Fennell who is an American Title 3 finalist. I thought she was really nice & loved her bookmarks. Sally Stotter who is also an American Title 3 finalist was there, but I didn't meet her as I skipped a lot of the conference stuff in preference of writing. My agent wanted me to do some revisions before my latest single title went out, so I chose to work on that instead.

I've got a picture of the editors who participated in the editor panel & will be posting a photo and info on that later this week.

On the breast cancer walk, I'm pleased to say that donations are still trickling in. Hopefully, I'll meet my new goal of $2500 raised. The Parallel Heat team has raised over $18,000.00!!! total now.

I've been walking, but over the weekend I had the bright idea to do the stairs so I wouldn't lose ground. Let's just say that going up 28 flights of stairs & back down isn't the same as walking 5+ miles. Apparently you use a muscle for stairs that merely walking doesn't touch. How is it that I know this??? Because after doing those stairs, which really didn't wind me much, I could barely move the next morning. Barely? Okay, I was groaning and moaning and tears came to my eyes when I got out of bed, but I made it. I'm still sore, but did walk today. Not my usual 5+ that I've been trying to do, but I did walk 2. 2 miles with aching calfs is my limit. I can't believe the walk is 2 weeks away & I did something so stupid--well, I can believe it, but you know what I mean.

Also, on the breast cancer walk, Yvonne Moon made it possible for me to get an article in the paper she writes for. A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE. :) How cool is that???? I'll have to see if I can track down a link to the article.

For those of you who haven't made a donation yet to the 2006 Atlanta Breast Cancer 3-Day and would like to, Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and see my latest updates! I'd really appreciate your donation (which 100% goes to the 3day walk) and I know breast cancer patients past, present, and future would. Thank you for your generosity!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Way behind

Imagine that. Lots of stuff going on with life and writing, which is how I've managed to go a week without posting. I'm working on revisions on that proposal I turned in a week or so ago. It's soooo gonna rock. Tomorrow morning I leave for New Jersey. I'm so excited to get to see my good friends Anna Sugden, Terri Garey, & Kathleen Long. :)

Also, big, big congrats to my pal Lindsey Brookes for finaling in the American Title 3 contest which kicks off on October 16th. There are lots of fabulous entries again this year! Some of the titles have me sooooo hooked. I hope lots of them sell cause I wanna read these stories. :)

Some Matthew McConaughey eye candy to keep you happy until I next post...




Sunday, September 24, 2006

Another week begins...


So, how did you spend your weekend? Me? I spent Friday being Mom to my youngest who's 7 & was suffering from a stomach virus. Always fun--not. Fortunately he felt better on Saturday morning. Enough so that he went and played football. He's one of their key players & plays the entire game. I was afraid he wouldn't feel up to it, but he was awesome. After football, he went to his soccer game. We got there late, but they immediately put him in and he played for the rest of the game. Made several great plays.

Abby is a cheerleader for James' football team & also plays soccer, but she didn't have a Saturday game. The oldest two did have a game. It was actually the first game of the day & didn't go so well as our players were having an off day. Jessie is the goalie. He blocked over 25 shots, but 4 got in. Our team only had 4 goal attempts the entire game & none were successful. Not sure what was up, but this was their first loss of the season. Maybe a wake-up call to keep them on track.

Speaking of staying on track, I missed walking on Friday & Saturday. BAD, BAD, BAD. Got around 5 miles in tonight, but have got to keep pushing forward. I need to do at least 5 miles every day between now and the walk. But guess what??? My darling bud Kathleen Long donated to the breast cancer walk & put me over the minimum donation of $2200!!! Yea!!! Thanks Kath!!! :) Don't worry, I'll still be collecting donations until after the walk! :)

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support The Breast Cancer 3-Day

They've announced the American Title Three finalists. There are ten
of them again this year. There have been all kinds of rumors flying that there were only three this year. Not sure where that started, but there are definitely ten. Like the previous years' finalists, they've started a loop to support each other during the contest. I can honestly say that the American Title one & two finalists are a group of fine, fine ladies & writers and I hope this year's finalists are blest with friendships like the ones forged in the past. I particularly adore the American Title Two finalists. If you haven't checked out their group blog, be sure to do so! They'll be blogging about the American Title contest & interviewing the finalists. On that note, I've interviewed Lindsey Brooks & it'll be in a couple of RWA newsletters next month.

Articles--the article I wrote on breast cancer will be out the first week of October. :) How cool is that???? Hopefully it will raise awareness & get women to go get mammograms. Also, I mention the sister study, which I think would make a great future blog topic.


Saturday evening we took the kids to the fair for a while. Got rained out, but managed to spent $70 before the skies opened up. We didn't even play any games or eat a thing.
Outrageous what it costs to take a kid for a ferris wheel ride.

Here's a picture of Matthew to put a smile on your face until the next post...

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Opryland & Catch-up

Amazing that almost a week has slipped by since my last post. Going to post more Opryland pics and tonight's post will be the last of them for this trip. As you can see, the hotel is just fabulous and one of a kind...although I think I mentioned that we did have a snarfo with getting our room. Seems they've given us a complimentary night (pending availability) due to the mix-up. My hubby made reservations, yet when we got there, there were NO king balcony rooms. They promised us one with the understanding it was being cleaned & would be ready in 30 minutes & we were welcome to wander the hotel until it was ready & they'd call us. David planned for us to shower & put on nice duds & have an upscale meal, but because of them telling us it would only be about 30 minutes, we walked around looking at the waterfalls & stuff rather than going ahead and eating. After all, 30 minutes wasn't that long & we'd still have time to eat at a nice place. 2 1/2 hours later we were at the front desk asking about our room because we hadn't gotten a call. By the time we got to our room (we had to take a double bed room to get a balcony) it was only 45 minutes until our boat ride reservations so we thought we'd run to the food court & grab a quick bite. Only the food court closed at 8 and it was like 8:05 when we got there & nothing was open except for Ben & Jerry's & Christie Cookie. Now, there were still LOTS of nice restaurants & sports bars and such open, but we had to be at the boat dock for our 8:45 reservation so...we had cookies for dinner before our cider champagne. Hey, I got to have a cookie for dinner on my birthday...works for me. (okay, really I was starved, but I'm making good of the one blight on the weekend!)

This shot was taken while standing on a walkway. Remember, all these pictures are taken INSIDE the hotel. :) Beautiful!!The conference Center...guess we'll be spending lots of time here in 2010 for the RWA National Conference held in Nashville!!!Here's looking down on one of the many gazeebos. I love this shot because there was a bride & groom taking pics. You can see the bride to the bottom right of the picture.Shots from standing on the balcony of my hotel room. This fountain is amazing. It puts on the Aqua show. The water danced to music & at night it was colorful. Beautiful. We sat on the balcony watching the show till around midnight. I think that's the time the music quietened, but it was awesome & not intrusive. A great, great view.


Another waterfall.

Here's a quick catch-up:

My son crowned the homecoming queen at his school last Thursday during the ceremony.I sent my agent my new single title proposal. I'm way excited about it. It's truly one of those high concept ideas that gets you giggly inside.

Work is super busy. Enough said.

My paints and such are sitting right where I left them when I returned to work. I haven't finished my kitchen or my hallway yet. GOT to do that soon. But I'm enjoying my remodeled living and dining room. :)

I'm walking about 5 miles most days now. Haven't lost a single pound---how the heck does that work????---but I feel great & my cholesterol is doing good things. :) And, guess what!!!??? Tonight, I crossed the 2,000 mark on sponsorships!! Yes!!! Thanks to Dr. Keith Young, Marcrom's Pharmacy, Trans Med, and Butch & Eleanor Lynn!!! I only have $140 to go to reach the minimum donations!!!! :) Thank you all for helping to make my dream of doing this succesfully come true! If you'd like to donate/sponsor my walk, Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support The Breast Cancer 3-Day



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Wednesday, September 13, 2006

More Opryland Hotel pics

Tonight I'm posting pics from around the hotel shops & food courts, etc. There are lots of yummy places to eat inside the hotel. Enough so that I can't imagine someone not finding something to their taste. Plus there's restaurants for all budgets. In the food court you'll find favorites like Pizza Hut and sub sandwiches. There's a buffet style restaurant called Rachel's. & there's a fabulous Italian restaurant & a steak house, too. The steak house is set inside a gorgeous house. Well, it's not really a house, but I'd like it to be MY house. Love that porch! & yes, this is INSIDE the hotel in the Magnolia garden section.
A sushi bar in the distance. To the left is the rotating lounge with the yummy Pina Colada drinks.
There are lots of shops inside the hotel, too. Things from souvenir shops to nice clothing shops. Here's one of the more interesting shops. They sold souvenirs and western wear.
This is one of the nicer shops that sold glass trinkets and such. We took the picture because of its name. :)
Needless to say that if you're going to be visiting the hotel, you're going to eat well & shop till you drop without ever having to leave the building. Oh, and did I mention they have a Ben & Jerry's AND a Christie Cookie??????? A hotel after my own heart.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Opryland Hotel continued...


As promised I'm posting more pics from my romantic birthday get-away.

This is a photo of the river in the Delta center of the hotel. It's stocked with fish & all. the waterfalls that cascade into it are gorgeous. David & I took a private boat like the one you see. Only it was decorated with white mums, a white table cloth, candles, etc. Very romantic looking. On the table was an ice bucket with a bottle of sparkling cider which Captain April popped for us and poured our first glasses. Wish I had a photo, but it was dark & it didn't take well enough to make much out. :( David gave me a single red rose (see previous post for photo). We made two trips around the Delta. Was mega cool. Not sure the 15-20 minute trip rated the $60 plus tip, but it was very romantic & a once in a lifetime experience. Something I will never forget. Oh, and the boat tours such as the one shown are much more reasonably priced. I think they were around $15 a person. Well worth it.

One of the fountains you'll see on the boat tour.

Inside the river are huge catfish & carp. There may have been other breeds of fish, too, but these were the ones I saw lots of. Check out the albino catfish.

There 's a place in the hotel where you can stand behind one of the waterfalls. I poked my camera through the decorative iron bars & took this shot.
Another one of the many waterfalls inside the hotel. Nice, eh???Only walked 2 miles today because of having to work, but I'll bump it back up tomorrow. Oh, and the donations are up thanks to Dr. Mark Akins & Dr. Jeff Ryan & their $500 donation to the breast cancer 3 day!!! Totally awesome!!