The Barbara Phinney News

Fantastic Day Yesterday!

2007-08-01T04:49:00.000-07:00

I have to say it was a great day yesterday. Okay, I was helping out with Vacation Bible School at the church and one sweet little boy smashed his craft not once but twice, and spilled baby oil all over the floor, but hey, it floated way past me because I had already checked out what Romantic Times magazine said about my latest book, Desperate Rescue! They gave it 4 1/2 stars! I sat there in shock staring at the computer. I kept thinking I was reading it wrong! But there it was!!
You should have seen my kids. My daughter said, "Now, Mom, you'll be rich!"
Well, rich in blessings, anyway. Desperate Rescue is coming out in September, with the Love Inspired Suspense line of romances. If you're curious, why not read it?

free coupons, new books, and Captain Blackbeard!

2007-06-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been since March that I last wrote in this! So much has happened, and yet, I feel like such a slacker!

But it's the end of school, and my kids are away canoeing up some river with the youth group, and I have the computer to myself. What a year it's been! School year, that is. SO BUSY!

Within all that, however, I got offered a two book contract with Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense!

Whoo hooo! I love it! Now I have to write those books. Still, I get to write my fave genre, have the backing of friends and family, which is so not so with other books, and am just trying to live each day to the fullest.

But you're still reading for the coupons, right? It's Steeple Hill's tenth anniversary and they sent me a slew of coupons to give away to friends for $1 off their books. That's a great saving if you buy books at grocery stores where they're already discounted. I say go for it! Just email me at

barbarap @ nbnet.nb.ca with your snail mail addie and I'll pop a bunch into the mail for you. They're good in both Canada and the US.

Also, while I'm talking about great things, (besides this shameless promotion of my next book, Desperate Rescue, out in Sept with Love Inspired Suspense), I'm also writing for

www.alittlegoodnewstoday.org

They're a new forum for good news. Pop on over and see what we've written, especially if you need a bit of uplifting inspiring news that just plain has a good ending, for once. (check out the story on Captain Blackbeard. I enjoyed writing that because my son used to have this computer program that talked about him, and he had it memorized for years.)

Okay, back to work. Remember, want a coupon? Email me. Want a little good news today? Check out its website. Want to read a great book, buy mine! (there's that shameless promo again!)

Can't wait for March to end!!

2007-03-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

This has been an awful month. To start, my son got sick. All week. Then I got sick. Then we went to Florida. Okay, how does that fit into an awful month, you ask?
Let me tell you. We were asked to go down for a few days to Disney World, which was great, and we all looked forward to it, but it was the drive to New Hampshire that nearly killed me. Sick as a dog, couldn't speak, and in incredible pain, I dragged my sorry butt into the car and out of the car. Into the car, out of the car. When I needed to ask a question, I whispered to my husband to ask it, and all he'd say was, "What did you say? I can't hear you." On purpose, I'm sure.
Anway, I was sick all of the trip, and an extra week at home. You get the picture? We traveled back home the way we came.
Then, because of my indelicate age, I discovered the joys of periomenapause, for two solid weeks. You gals out there know what I'm talking about.
Then I got sick again. In church, no less, during our new youth director's first service. All Robin could think was, "Oh, no, I'm doing a horrible job!"
Then, my son and my daughter got sick again. Now my husband is sick.
I'm sick of being sick. I'm sick of winter and I'm sick of writing about it.
'Nuff said!

my new cover! But shhh!

2007-02-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

I just got the cover for my newest book, Desperate Rescue, but since it hasn't be finalized, we have to be quiet about it. So shhh!
I can let you know that the cover is wonderful, gritty (ooh, esp. for an inspirational romance!!) and is just as I hoped it would be. Lots of overgrown wildness, torn fencing and broken windows. Kind of like the street where I live! Or hey, maybe my life! LOL!
Have you ever wondered how a person would deal with devastating loss, near death and complete destruction of their faith? I asked that question in Desperate Rescue. There is no easy answer except to say that if you just ask God for help, he'll be there.
I hope, also, in the coming days to tell you all about my family's upcoming trip to Florida. Ho hum, you may say, but just the preps have been over the top exciting and nerve-biting!
Stay tuned!

surviving the winter

2007-01-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I have survived Christmas and New Years. My in laws, about 22 of them came for a Christmas Eve meal, and our Christmas was nice and quiet.
But just as I am ready to settle down to a quiet winter routine, my editor calls. She needs some changes to the first chapter of Desperate Rescue.
Immediate panic mode! Revisions? I hate 'em! I can never think of a good work when I want to, but thankfullly, I have a great critique group and they can think of anything! (You should see their stories. Wicked, wicked bunch!)
So, panicking aside, I settled down to write. My hubby was watching CSI on TV, and I was keepggn half an ear out to that in case it could help me.
Did you ever notice that the CSI characters all have these double entendre words, bad puns and hanging hook sentences at the end of a scene. Horatio Caine and Gil Grissom are the worst, I think. I love the show, but it needs a injection of some new writing. They should hire me!
My friend then, after the panic told me Gil was leaving CSI. To tell you the truth I like Catherine Willows. She reflects me the most, I think. And I like Jim Brass. I know a man who looks like him, so it's kind of cool.
Enough of that. I slept poorly last night and got up this morning, tweaked my revisions, corrected all the mistakes I missed and sent my revision off. With a prayer.
Maybe later, I'll tell you all the really cool thing that happened to us last week. If you give to the Lord, he'll bless you back. We have mega proof!
Til then, here's my link of the week. Or month, or whatever. If you're into doing web design or different papers, here's something for your backgrounds
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_search.php?action=file&text=%22aged+paper%22+background+crumpled&96946e05dac06607f4db2e3c5a6a9b20=aged+paper&d229bbf31eaeebc7c88897732d8b932d=background&0ab092d33a4206f57a44abd503ee0745=crumpled

Desperate Rescue coming in 2007

2006-11-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I mentioned this before, but my full manuscript has been couriered to New York and I feel I want to spread the news now. Desperate Rescue is due out Sept 2007, with Love Inspired Suspense.
I was offered a chance to be published with Harlequin's Inspirational Suspense line and I jumped at it. I've always enjoyed the suspense romances, and the challenges of writing characters' faith journeys into a story. It adds a layer of depth I think is both scary to write and yet exciting at the same time. Naturally, the stories are different than my other novels, All For A Good Cause and Trust No One, and Necessary Secrets, but the conflicts faced are still pretty riveting, if I do say so myself!!
Desperate Rescue features a woman who has escaped a cult that held her hostage for two years. She's ready to start her life again, only to have her baby sister murdered by the monster who held her captive, in retaliation. All she wants now is some peace and time to rebuild her psyche.
But her captor's brother is now asking her to return to the cult to save his sister.
If she refuses, another woman will die, and if she agrees, there'll be more on the line...like their souls, their hearts and their lives.
Desperate Rescue...available Sept 2007 Love Inspired Suspense

A terrible tragedy

2006-09-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

My husband's home town of Sackville New Brunswick lost much of its downtown core this summer. Here is the video of it. Pretty horrible fire it was.
Barbara
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtbRaiau5mE&mode=related&search

Summer is half over and you wouldn't believe what I've done!

2006-07-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hi,
I'm busy, busy, busy! I got back from Bolivia about two weeks ago and it's taken this long to really fully process my trip. It was AMAZING! I loved every second of it and they had to drag me back on the plane at the end of it.

You know, despite the pollution, the dryness, the challenging toilets, grinding poverty, the people are fantastic! They are simply the friendliest I've ever met, and their faith in God is incredible. I've never known such strength and love.

These people have nothing but they can still smile, kiss your cheek and tell you "God loves you very much!" It was humbling, touching, simply wonderful. I would return in a heartbeat. I've vacationed in some of the most beautiful places on earth, doing nothing but sitting in the sun by the pool or beach, and I would give all that up for another trip to the poorest country in the Americas to help build another church or play with young children who have nothing.

AND!! About a week before I was due to go to Bolivia, I got a call from my editor. They want to buy my Love Inspired Suspense story. It's a Christian suspense story about a woman who has just escaped from a cult, only to be asked to go back into it to save another woman's life. It's called DESPERATE RESCUE, due out Sept 07.

I'm going to try to get some pics of my mission trip and all the fun we had, onto my website, so stay tuned to it. Plus, my brother has promised me a website overhaul, too, so keep an eye for that, too.

Got some more writing to do, so talk later!

It sure takes all kinds!

2006-05-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, there are some nuts out there. Consider this. If you lived in an apartment building and your neighbor played his music too loud, you'd probably ask him to turn it down. If he refused, you may even get a petition from the rest of the tenants, and present it to him.
What if he decided that if he couldn't listen to his music, then no one should listen to anything? What if he burned down the whole building out of spite?
Check out this link of the week:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/17/blue_security_folds/

This is essentially what this guy did. And we thought that since we live in a democracy, so does the internet!

Happy Easter!

2006-04-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter and I hope that spring has sprung in your corner of the world. It has in ours, and we have even more good news.
No, we don't have another baby on the way!
But we have SOLAR HEATING!
Yahh! After the power company announced that they wanted to hike up the rate a whopping 13 %, my husband and I started to make plans. We are now the proud owners of three kinds of solar heating. A small area one, for the daughter who is always complaining that her room is cold, and a larger area one for the rest of the house, and even a solar domestic hot water tank.
I hope to have some pics put up soon, but in the meantime, here's the link to the company who did it. It's truly a wonderful investment, not only in your house, but in the future.
here's that link,
www.IPS-NB.com
In the meantime, on the writing side of life, I've got proposals out everywhere and have started a chicklit story. It's that fun story that everyone writes just for themselves. A kind of The First Wives Club meets My Cousin Vinny.

ANTI CABIN FEVER (and an un-recommendation for a good book)

2006-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Everyone seems to be suffering from cabin fever. My SIL called today to ask if I planned to go into town today. Said they were all suffering from cabin fever.
Not me. I am beginning to hide even closer in to my home. I don't want to leave. I don't want the kids to go back to school. I want us all to bundle in here and be quiet as a family of mice.
I'm not normal.
But I like writing. I like being snowbound with my Alphasmart and a good book. We've already lost power for 36 hours this winter, and it's been cold, but I like bundling up and snuggling down and hibernating.
My brother lives in Australia and likes to be out and about. It's raging hot in Sydney, he says, up to 40 degrees. I'd be forced out to a mall for cooler air.
Nope. I love summer, but I love the quiet nights in winter when I can write and read and go to sleep.
No cabin fever here.
Link of the week:
This one involves my current read. I don't agree with the reviews, not completely, but you can peek into what's holding my attention right now.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0345412702/ref=dp_proddesc_0/104-9030226-1206354?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=283155
Unless you're grounded in your personal faith, esp those of you who are Jewish or Christian, I don't recommend this book. It's a great read, but the author, in my opinion, does a disservice to both great faiths.

Better late than never!

2005-10-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

I know I said, see you in September, but I'm glad I waited. I have just been to a conference on Prince Edward Island where I was a speaker, and I just loved it! It was held at the beautiful Shaw Inn, and I really mean beautiful! I want that decorator! (and the money to go wild)
Anyway, I spoke on pacing your novel and how to get started, and I didn't think I could do it, but I spoke for three hours straight!
Better than that, was I got to reconnect with author Deborah Hale and it's always a delight to chat with her.
The conference was small, but the food was marvelous, the writers who attended very friendly, (I even met a woman named Paris! Never did that before), and the weather was perfect.
I'm hoping to get some links for you and to get some pics up of the place, so drop by soon. In the meantime, here's the blurb we had for the weekend:
http://www.peibwa.org/event_details.asp?id=146
Check back soon, please, for more details.....

2005-07-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm going on hiatus for the rest of the summer. I've finished a synopsis and want to finish another story. But I know all of you are off on holidays yourselves, so here's the last link of week for summer.
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
You can figure out how much your currency is worth while you're travelling the world! Enjoy and see you in Sept!
Barbara

As if we don't have enough to do!!

2005-06-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

Well, my husband wants to make an octagonal picnic table. So we're looking for free plans on the net. Found some, but we really should have something that is more precise.
As if we don't have enough to do!
And we have to make something special and party-ish for tonight, as we're saying goodbye to our youth pastor.
As if we don't have enough to do!
And I'm trying desperately to get some wall murals for Daily Vacation Bible School!
As if we don't have enough to do!
And my husband has been called into work today, so all the work is on me, now!
As if...you know the rest.
So I better get off the net and get started.
But before I go, I've found a wonderful site that epitomizes the peace that all men seek. It's from a fellow romance writer.
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/9550/index.html
She has the prettiest name!

Seeing the end of the tunnel, and blog policing?

2005-06-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well, June (my busiest month ever) is closing in on the end. And I am truly happy to see it go. I like June, don't get me wrong, it contains my birthday, but this one has seen way too much action for this boring routine-loving person.
This past weekend I helped to build a fully wheelchair accessible cabin at our local church's camp. It poured rain just about the whole time. The only break we got was when it was misting out.
But hey, I even got up and aligned roof trusses. This kid can hardly climb a ladder without getting dizzy. And thanks to all the prayers, we had only one small accident. A cut on the finger of our foreman. I guess the prayers didn't include all the blisters and aching wrists from us non-hammer swingers.
Good experience and all, though.
My other note, and a bit of a rant, if a Celexa-loaded body can rant , is this firing crap employees have got into because of blogs.
First up, being a self-employed writer, if I chose to rant about co-workers and bosses, it would include my fellow writers, and my editors. Not a good thing. Mind you, nor is complaining about your boss in a public forum.
Okay, I understand why some people rant. I've worked with jerks before. But all I can say is, if you don't like your work that much, complaining isn't what you should be doing. Quitting is. Or making changes, affirmative action stuff. Quality work life meetings. Sure, I complain all the time, but having worked with enough men, who prefer to offer advice than to offer a sympathetic ear, I know that doing something about the problem is more likely the mail suggestion.
Having said all that, I would like to point out to the employers that if you don't like the rant, don't read it. If you want to fire someone for it, you had better have a written, distributed and signed policy in place before you go off firing valuable workers.
The problem is at both ends, and as a male boss once told me,
"Solve it."
Oops, I nearly forgot the link of the week!
Are you looking for a different vacation? Or place for a wedding?
Check out this site:
http://www.celticcastles.com/
Enjoy this day!

I'm not smart enough today to think of a clever title

2005-06-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

This being the busiest June on record for me, my brain is already mush, and it's only what, June 8th? Hence, the title of this entry.
I haven't had to leave home today, apart from my walk. But this little bit of 'freedom' has its down points. I was too busy to leave home today.
Our church is doing a "Wall of Fame" as part of our anniversary celebrations. I sort of fell into doing it. We're taking baby pictures and getting people to guess who they are.
Some aren't going to be too hard, because let's face it, every church has its lifetime members who was born, raised married and retired all in the same house beside the church. But some like me will be tough, so I'm counting on no one getting all the answers correct.
And to throw into the mixture a trick, I put in one picture of my kids when they were young all dressed up in old fashioned clothing, with the photograph done in sepia, you know the type.
On the writing front, I'm going to critique a manuscript for a writer from out west, a donation to the Jamie Denton fund. I'm really looking forward to the challenge and it being a nice diversion. God knows I'll need it after this month!!!!
Next week, I'll aim for another link of the week. Perhaps I'll find one on how to get more done in your day without going insane!

Jealousy rears its ugly head

2005-06-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

All right, my sister is planning a gazillion vacations around England and even down to Spain. My brother is complaining that the winter in Sydney Australia is seeing 5 degrees C temps at night.
And here to wind will knock you down, the weather changes like my mood, (our warm spell is due to end, of course, the weekend is coming) and I have to put the garden in.
ARRRAGGG!!
I've been so busy this week getting things ready for our church's anniversary and exercising and washing every scrap of clothing my daughter owns, plus her cousin's when she spent the night, and I'm drained. I could hardly get out of bed this morning, and haven't even done up the dishes from brekkie.
Enough complaining. I should be grateful. I know that and I need to get motivated.
So to put me in the mood for gardening, I've found a cool website that may interest the green and brown thumbs out there.
Check this out!
http://www.hgtv.ca/garden/default.asp
See you later! got work to do!

The Weather Has Broke!!!!

2005-05-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have seen the sun!! It came out this morning and so did I! I've gone outside for a walk to enjoy it. Now, after I write this, I have a list as long as my arm of things to do. It's amazing how little you get done in bad or dreary weather.
Most of the stuff I have to do today is boring, but I hope to squeeze in some writing. My editor said she'd look at a synopsis which I had discussed with her, so I want to get at that. But of course, the routine mundane things in life must get done first.
The other day I lost my daughter's gerbil. It was happily roaming in one of those balls, when the lid twisted off and it took off. I found it (after tearing apart the living room sofa bed), in our bedroom, under the dresser. I lured it out with sunflower seeds, chased it to the decorator table and scared it half to death so that when it came running out in a blind panic, it ran straight toward me. That was the fastest I'd moved in a long time. I'm not afraid of scurrying creatures, except may spiders, so grabbing that little rodent wasn't scary. Losing it was, however.
After its tour of the house, I put it back in it's cage, and it won't be seeing any more exursions for a while.
I just finished a great romance, The Sheik Who Loved Me, by Loreth Anne White, and insist, if you like vivid imagery, gripping suspense and warm and fuzzy romance, pick this one up!!
Here is the low down on the book. I can't access Loreth's website, so this is the next best thing. You can view the wonderful cover page too.
http://www.intimatemomentsauthors.com/authorpages/lorethannwhite.htm
Enjoy! and get outside like I did!

Dreary weather, gardening and no writing

2005-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

Weather affects your mood. While I can still garden in the rain, I feel positively dragged out on cloudy days. I have to force myself to keep going. After sending off that manuscript to my editor, I decided to take a week off and garden, do outdoor stuff, bulldoze the dirt out of my house, stuff like that. But the weather keeps the mood somber and add to that two funerals at our church, and well, who wants to do anything, let alone write?
We here are all waiting for spring to arrive. Sure the calendar is saying it's here, and places in the world are basking in hot weather, but Eastern Canada is not one of those places.
What the heck am I supposed to do? I also had decided I want a digital camera for my birthday, but my hubby is so PO'ed at his father's garden tiller, we've had to buy a brand new one. At $1000 a shot to buy a tiller, my camera is relegated to sometime in the future.
And I wanted so badly to show off my gardening efforts.
But if this crappy weather keeps up, none of us are going to care one way or the other....
Anyway, I promised a site of the week, and here it is. It's one of my all time fave romance sites, with something for everyone!
http://www.cataromance.com/
Check it out!

The week of the klutz is over

2005-05-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday night and I have survived the week. I even got my manuscript printed out and ready to go. I was really bummed out all week. It seemed like my writing was waning and I couldn't get anything right.
But on the good side, two writers, Norah Wilson and Loreth Anne White sent me wonderful cyber hugs. I think it takes a writer to fully understand the way I was feeling.
And the weather has broke. It was warm and sunny and for the first time this year, we sat outside. But we can expect a dreary Mother's Day.
For which, I asked to receive "My Surrender" by Connie Brockway. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see if I got it. I may have to go out myself on Monday and buy a bunch of books to soothe my battered ego.
I wish my blog was more interesting. It seems like everyone else's life is way more interesting. I volunteered at my kids' school on Friday and told everyone today that I wore out three whips keeping order. LOL! I shouldn't say that in today's world, but a part of me is whispering, 'go ahead'.
Our Pastor says there's a rebel inside of me. I'm not sure how to take that!
I'm thinking of starting a LINK OF THE WEEK.
This week, it's
http://members.aol.com/hfur/Duets.html
Jamie Denton needs your support! She's a wonderful author who is suffering from cancer, and has no insurance. Pop over and check it out! Thanks!

What a klutz!!!

2005-05-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

I've been a klutz all week. I've scratched my own face with a finger nail, I've broken a creamer, my only one, I've bumped and prodded myself and last night at church, I dropped my tea cup, my cookie, and my notes all over the floor. All I was doing was sitting!
I hope this accident prone behavior doesn't reflect into my writing life. I've just finished the polish on my story and hope to send it off this week.
Oh, speaking of stories, I just discovered fellow Sil IM author Susan Vaughn is getting an IM published with the same title I have for my story!!
I can't blame her for liking the title, Breaking All The Rules, and we all know that great minds think alike. But now I have to think of a new title! It's like changing the name of your child!!!!
But they say a rose by any other thorn....

Two for two!

2005-04-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a week off as we went on a school trip, and I came home to a rejection packet. I'm two for two in about two weeks.
Bummer!
But I'm getting another story ready to go and will keep plodding on.
In the meantime, I'll sit back and remember the week I had. My sister in law and her mom and I were part of a team of chaperones who took some kids on a school trip. The bus broke down a few miles into our trip, and we had to entertain the kids for 4 1/2 hours. But they were all wound up and excited about the whole idea, and my own son got innovative and laid out on the parking lot beside the bus, his jacket with the plaid lining facing up, and with some money he borrowed, played checkers with another student. I ran to get a picture but he'd packed it all up by the time I got there.
That night, we stayed in hunting lodges which were a bit chilly. My SIL said, as she watched her mother make a fire in the wood stove, "There'll be no pussy-footing around tonight. I'm stoking the fire."
By 1 am, we were all roasting, and I walked into the center area of the lodge and got hit square on by the heat. I checked on my SIL, and found her latest face lift melting on the bed. She baked her own mother in that furnace that night, and we had to scrape her off the bed the next morning with a spatula we borrowed from the kitchen lodge.
She wasn't allowed near the fire the next night.
So it's great stuff like that I'm remembering instead of the yucky rejection. And I'll just keep on writing and submitting, as all writers should do!

Spring is here!

2005-04-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally come and today I went without a jacket! Hooray!
Of course, there are gardens to tend (my hubby did one and my son did the other) and other springy things, but I'm nearing the end of my latest story and hate to put it down!!!
The other great news is my hubby killed 9 of our chickens, so it's chicken soup for supper. Again. The kids are starting to complain, but hey, at least we won't have colds.
I'm off to a school convention with 10 kids!! I'll be back Friday but I'm sure I won't be in any shape for anything.

Where has the time gone?

2005-04-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

This past week and weekend have raced by and I can't think of what I've done.
Well, I've done a lot of writing and my hubby and I took a drive up the coast for research, but apart from that, not much. My daughter spent nearly the whole weekend at her cousin's house and we played cards with the in laws...
So here it is Tuesday. We had a wild winter storm last night and this morning, (someone forgot to remind the weather systems that it's now spring) and the kids got a day off school.
Now we have a foot of snow and it's so bright out, I could hardly make it to the chicken coop.
Which reminds me, I threw my back out yesterday trying to chase 10 of the darn things back into the coop and even today, there was still one out. Fortunately, they like to go after a while, so you usually only need to open the door for them.
But there are times like yesterday, when they are quite happy to hide behind the old bicycle and lay their eggs.
I think I'm beginning to hate chickens. And my back still hurts.

Where has the time gone?

2005-04-12T04:01:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day!

2005-04-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Finally we have a beautiful day. It's a bit windy, but the sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky and the temps are far warmer than in recent days.
I got out for a walk, wishing all days were like this so one doesn't lose the incentive to exercise.
But I have to write and I can't do that walking, so I'm back inside now, writing/editing/creating/polishing. I may take a break and watch CNN. So much has happened in the news this past week, hasn't it? It's almost addictive, watching news shows.
I also need to get out and do some researching. I want to go caving, but am certainly not going in alone, if I do indeed find a cave to start with.
This is all on top of the obvious housework that needs to be done.
Never enough time. I think I'll just go outside again.

Rejection!

2005-04-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

My editor called yesterday. My proposal didn't fly with the head editor. It was a bit of a disappointment, but hey, I'm sure my editor wasn't looking forward to making the call, either.
I'm learning to be gracious. Darn hard, eh? Thank God for medications, I say! (private joke, this is, but any of you out there with teenagers, you know what I mean)
My editor was very kind and helpful and I do have a full manuscript with her also, so my money's on that one for now.
And in the meantime, I'm back to writing. I'm finishing up that proposal's full manuscript. Yup, the one that was rejected. I believe when I start a project, I should give it all and finish it.
This weekend my hubby and I are taking the family to an Answers in Genesis conference.
www.answersingenesis.org

I find all that stuff fascinating, and wasn't even in the church ten minutes and I was purchasing the 'super duper' pack worth over $400!
Hubby looked at it and said, "I guess that's why I work over time."

I survived Easter!

2005-03-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

Well,I survived my chocolate overdose. Watching the kids have an Easter egg hunt is hilarious. And of course, my son's friend, the youngest of 3 boys, coached him on how to tackle his sister and get all the eggs.
Good Friday saw us going into the sugar woods. We bought maple fudge in the shapes of maple leaves. I ate way too many of them, naturally, and even started to feel a bit sick. And next year, I'll do all the same thing again!!
Tomorrow, we start our diet again. I guess with Easter coming early, we should have more time to lose those pounds before summer. But it gets harder each time!
My new editor called on Friday to say she's passing my proposal up the chain of command, so the weekend found me polishing the rest of the story. I think I have to add about 30 pages to it, but I don't expect that to be a problem.
Of course, having kids home for the day might prove to be!

Happy Easter!

2005-03-23T04:04:00.001-08:00

In case I don't get to the PC before, I just want to wish everyone a Happy Easter. Take the time to ponder on the real meaning of the season, too.
I'm baking beans today, and trying to squeeze in writing when I can. I was so exhausted yesterday, that nothing got done. It was one of those days when you come home with a headache and nothing seems to get rid of it. While I feel much better today, my son complained of the same thing this morning, so I gave him some meds and sent him back to bed, where he slept for 5 hours straight! Needless to say, he was hungry when he awoke.
My latest work in progress is a story about an ex-con, and I had this great ah-hah moment last night, and had to get it down.
But I'm one of those linear thinkers who can't do that scene until I do all the others before it. So I'm plowing through trying to get there.
No word from my editor, but there are other Silhouette Intimate Moments writers in the same boat, so I must be patient.
My critique partner got this wonderful email from a woman who read her book while her mother was dying. It kept her from breaking down and falling apart and she just loved the book, too. My CP was near tears when she told her writer friends.
That's why we write, isn't it?

Happy Easter!

2005-03-23T04:04:00.000-08:00

puns

2005-03-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

In talking with my writer friends this week, I'm realizing that this time of year is really hard for us. The weather doesn't always cooperate, kids' sports events are coming to a head, and parents are getting dragged down. But in the midst of this, we must look for and hang on to nuggets of inspiration and push ourselves when we don't really feel like it.
At school, a student of mine was telling me about what he knew of the ship The Marco Polo, and I said to him, "I know a writer who wrote an historical novel set on the Marco Polo. Her name is Flora Kidd."
The quick witted young man glanced over his shoulder at his younger brother, who was hovering nearby, and said to me, "I'd like to Flora Kidd!"
That was the highlight of my week and enabled me to contact my writer friends with the pun and we shared a good laugh. We all need it I believe. One writer friend of mine got two rejections this week and another is still waiting, like me, for her editor to contact her. With spring only days away, we could really use the lift.
But right now, I'm going back to my writing. This book isn't the usual Book In A Week, or month, or anything. Rather, I just want to keep creating and have a plan, synopsis and hope to get something out of this by the end of the summer.
And maybe by then, I'll have an answer from my editor.

All together?

2005-03-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

I thought I had it all together today. I whipped into town to pick up some more sheers as I am redecorating my living room, and came back finished the touches it needed and sat down to write.
That's when I discovered I've misplaced my muse. I so want to write a story set in this fancy resort on Prince Edward Island, but the story I had in my head is crap.
oh well.
The only half successful thing I did was laundry today.
Now I've just remembered that I have forgotten to send an important fax. And living miles away from the nearest fax machine doesn't make me want to jump up and finish that task.
I hope I will have it all together by tomorrow.

What a week!

2005-03-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

That icky feeling I had proved to be the flu. I was sick for only 12 hours, but they were awful!
Then we went away for the week on holidays, and came back to find a wind storm had wrecked our trailer, and parts of our roof.
But we carted the kids off to camp for the weekend, so it'll be quiet while I tidy up and cater to my hubby, whose back has been thrown out this past week.
I can hardly wait for spring. There's supposed to be yet more snow coming this weekend.
But on a good note, I hit upon an idea for a story, and spent part of my holiday, (at the poolside) writing out a brief synposis.
Clean up and grocery day today, so not much writing. You moms out there will know how much laundry I have to do today.
Ii bought that cold water Tide so I can save money. With older kids in the house, hot water can be scarce!

Overindulged yesterday

2005-03-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I overindulged yesterday and am paying the price today. I ate too much of everything in my path and woke up this morning feeling like the bottom of a bird cage.
So, here I am, sitting and sipping mint tea, wondering if I am going to throw up and if so, do I have the flu going around, thinking I won't make it through the day.
We went out for pizza last night and even ate cheesecake for dessert and then came home to dessert and a house full of teenagers. Then this morning, my husband dug out all the leftovers in the fridge and wanted us to eat them for brekkie. Ug!
I don't think the mint tea is going to be strong enough. Pepto Bismal, please!!!!

Busy day today

2005-03-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well, today the piano tuning man came. He opened the piano, which we'd bought a few years ago, and said, My father tuned this piano!
We found out the piano is over 100 years and ready for piano heaven. But it's tuned and should keep my daughter happy for a few years.
I also exercised today! Went snowshoeing and got into the woods, by myself, and was suddenly kind of nervous. I hadn't been down that way by myself. I kept up a pretty good pace considering my imagination!
And, of all things, I cleaned my house. It helped that our internet provider was having major problems and no one could access their email, so I decided to make the best of the time and clean. The place was so clean, even my husband noticed, and it was good that no one came in after school and messed it up.
Speaking of school, it's now March Break and I don't expect much in writing for the next week. Oh, well, if I squeeze in a page or two a day, I'll be happy.
But now, I'm going to bed. It's late and I've been working hard all day, you know!

In like a Lion

2005-03-01T07:46:00.000-08:00

Well, March is in like a lion here, and there's no school. So I have to get my writing done while the kids are sleeping in. Trouble with this is that I didn't find out that school was cancelled until after I got up. I'd still be asleep.
I got a new program to make newsletters yesterday, but like most of them, they aren't easy to use. I'm sure most programmers haven't heard the saying, "User Friendly".
Years ago I used Print Artist and loved it. But I've long since lost that PC and program so I'm stuck with the crappy others. I guess any newsletters I'll send out will be simple stuff.
I better go and put the car into the garage before it gets covered in snow.

It's been a few days...

2005-02-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a few days since I wrote anything, and I feel bad about that. But I did get a proposal done for my editor at Silhouette Intimate Moments, and got it printed out, so I wasn't sitting around eating bon-bons!
My husband had a couple of days off and rebuilt our basement stairs, and they look great. One more thing ticked off on the to-do list.
I just found out that my brother has been reading my blog, so Hi Rob!
The weekend was really busy. Sat. morning we went to my BIL and SIL for breakfast, did some shopping and then came home to make pizza for everyone else to come to our house. And that crew tried to teach me to play a card game called Auction 45s. I'm so lousy at card, let me tell you. And I'd love to reneg at everything. I'd win much more often! LOL
Today, after an equally busy Sunday, my husband decided to cook smoked fish for breakfast, and I have been desperately trying to get rid of the smoke all morning. Scented candles can only do so much.
I'd open a window, but at 10 below with a windchill of 20 below, I'm not that anxious yet. Look, if anyone has a way to get rid of a fish smell, send it on!

Not a bad day

2005-02-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Although my daughter was sick in the night and is quite proud that she threw up more times than her boyfriend, plus the fact that my husband is home today, I had a fairly productive day writing. I even went snowshoeing with my husband. We found a trail through the woods and enjoyed the calm late winter day.
When we got home, I discovered I had a royalty cheque from Hard Shell Word Factory for my novel, All For A Good Cause. Glad to see it's still selling. Heck, no, I'm thankful!
In fact I was so pleased, I went down the weight room and worked out for 15 minutes. I believe one mustn't strain themselves. LOL!
But now, the floor await sweeping, a much needed task. It'll give me time to ponder my next chapter.

Volunteering. Rewards and slopped food

2005-02-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

I volunteered at my kids' school today and got Mr. Noodles slopped on me. It ran down the inside of my legs and in the bathroom, I looked like I'd peed myself. At the break after lunch, I had to duck a ton of balls in the gym, and nearly got dinged once by one speeding soccer ball.
I used to be athletic, but now, in my 40's, I've kind of lost the muscle tone, and my vision isn't as good as it once was, so ducking and dashing out of the way doesn't come as quickly as it used to.
Tonight should be better, after I do up some minutes from another volunteer organization I belong to. Then I can sit down and do some writing. I deserve it so much!! LOL

Wiped and it's only 2 pm

2005-02-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

I've had a really tiring weekend and teenagers and family are testing my endurance, so this is probably not the time to be blogging, but what the heck?
I've had the pleasure of writing this weekend and brainstorming with my SIL, and even hit upon a new way of compiling the inner conflict of my characters, but right now, all I want to do is sleep and forget that I'm grouchy and can't please everyone all the time.
The retreat I attended was to teach women to be courageous, but it taught me patience. Only now is the mid term exam and I am failing miserably.
I need a time out.

Two Minutes!

2005-02-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

I've got about 2 mins before I must dash out for the day. Plus I'll be gone all weekend.
But, I'm feeling pretty good. I got 5 pages done on my next story!!
Must dash!

I'm starting a new story!

2005-02-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

Today is the day I want to start a new story. And clean the van, and do laundry and exercise and pack for a weekend away from the kids and make a nice pot roast for supper....
Heck with it, writing first. Even if it's only an hour.
My SIL gave me a pic from an Avon catalog and we both decided that the man in it will be my next hero. I'm going to paste it above my PC and hopefully he'll boost my muse.
Oh, yeah, today we're probably going to buy this one car we've been looking at to replace the van, (hence the need to clean the van) and that leaves me to go to the bank to do all the financial stuff which I don't really care for, but will do it just the same.
I'm reading "The purpose driven life" by Rick Warren, and he says how I react to the things around me determines my eternal future. So today, I'll attempt to smile and get through it all. With the Lord's help, that is.
So, in light of what I've read, I've decided that
Life is a series of pop quizzes, for which I'm not really prepared.

The Big What if down the tube

2005-02-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've finished my RITA books and I've sat down to pound out a possible story. But my story idea sounds familiar, so I slip into the internet to see if I can find it. It's an amnesia story, but I can't remember where I've heard it and I don't want to rewrite a story I've read. (please no jokes about my memory!!)
Anyway, I discover that there are a lot of people out there that hate amnesia stories and once I read them, I firmly concluded that I was not going to write an amnesia story.
So what do I do with my heroine who is looking for love? I've got a great setting, a dynamic loveable heroine, and no hero for her.
Drat.
Back to the drawing board.

The great return!!

2005-02-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

Today, I can feel my muse returning. I could envision a scene in my head and there was that warm approving feeling that went with it. It was almost an ah-ha!
I have about four stories I want to write, and this one scene belongs to a fifth. It's a looking for unconditional love story. I may write out the synopsis and let it stew a while as I try to sort out the others. I'm the kind of person who likes to finish one task before starting another.
A brilliant writer, I can't remember who, said to push away these stirrings for a little while, so they build up a bit. And my friend Norah Wilson said that it's good to 'fill up' once in a while.
Which is all actually a good thing, since I have to finish that last RITA book. I can hardly wait to see how the books I judged did.
But by then, I should be well and truly into my writing again.

a rejection

2005-02-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I got a rejection from one of my editors today. All bummed out about it. I'm still reading my RITA books, but hope to finish this week. Then I'm going to dive into my writing. I have a couple of books I'd like to write or at least polish up the proposals. I always find it hard to dig deep into the story without first writing a bad first draft. It's like I have to get to know the characters first.
Maybe I'll try that Book In A Week again to see if I can't find something in the stories.
What did I do right for those first two books Silhouette loved?

A small update

2005-02-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Saw my SIL today and she wants the younger kids who will attend our seminar on sex ed to be educated separately. It was funny because she was talking all about sex in the church vestry and each time she mentioned something about it, my husband had just come up beside her. As soon as he would hear a few unmentionable words, he'd roll his eyes and turn away.
On another funny note, at our Valentine's dinner last night, our pastor passed around his wedding photos. (25 years ago) and we all got a good laugh. My, but we change, don't we?
Well, have to eat lunch and my hubby and I are off snowshoeing. Yes, there are parts of this world that still have lots and lots of snow!

Up too early

2005-02-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm up early. And yesterday I didn't get that bathroom cleaned, so maybe today. Maybe.
Tonight we are going to a Valentine's dinner and my hubby and I are reading off a funny bit of prose. DH has his memorized and I've read mine once. Oh, well.
These RITA books are keeping me busy. But I've got a really good one now, so I'm not really complaining. In fact, the author of this book has really matured as a writer since I last read her stuff, so it's nice to see and realize that.
Well, the world of the living, including that bathroom, awaits. Beside my PC is my daughter's gerbil, busily chewing on an empty toilet roll.
Later today, I'll tell about the sex ed conference my SIL and I have cooked up for our very nubile daughters. (complete with breaks, critiques and welcome speeches)
That'll make for interesting reading!!

Sex education!!!

2005-02-12T02:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, today my SIL and I were to present to our children, ages 13-17, a seminar on sex ed. But it's been postponed while we get our crap together. My SIL found a great website that reflected our values and had tons of info, but nothing on Outercourse, which I am to lecture on.
And my SIL also gave me a great little book on sex from a Christian's POV, saying, "Read this. You'll need it to spice up your books. Your love scenes need to be hotter."
Oh.
I'm supposed to be lecturing these kids on sex and the virtues of keeping your virtue, while this hot little book is sitting on my bedside table!
And worse, our daughters want their boyfriends to attend. My daughter's boyfriend's mom also wants to attend. And rightly so!! My daughter's a pretty tempting little dish for a young man supposedly on a diet!! LOL!
To add to all of this, March break is coming up and I still have to read two more RITA books, plus, I can hear my muse calling me!
OOOHHH! Good news!!! I got that bathroom cleaned. Yeah!!

Avoiding Housework

2005-02-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

I'm avoiding housework. Blogging is working, right? Actually, I've been playing around with this blog to figure it all out. I think I've got it. Of course, if you're reading this, hey, I *have* got it!
Now, back to housework. There's a toilet upstairs with my name on it. Yuck!

Update on the picture of me

2005-02-11T06:22:00.000-08:00

I thought the credit for the picture of me would come along with the photo, but it didn't. So here it is, and it deserves to be mentioned.
Crystal Allen took the shot, and Staircase Studio did the hair and makeup. It took all day, mind you, and we had tons of fun, except that my makeup artist wouldn't let me have any of the wine because it would smudge the lipstick. Other than that, it was a great day and I got some wonderful pictures thanks to Crystal.

My First Post!!!

2005-02-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's storming outside and my daughter is upstairs getting her boyfriend to wax her legs. Must be true love.
I'm trying to creep into the 21st century with this blog, so bear with me.
It's the 10th of February and I'm still deep into judging my RITA books. What a big job! I love it, but it steals so much time. But since I can't write because of my daughter's screams from upstairs, I may as well read and create a blog, which, I may add, I didn't know existed a month ago.
Who else finds technology speeding past them?