Saturday 1.31 Non-Progress

The title says it all. I did nada today, other than open up my document, edit a couple lines and close it. But tomorrow's a brand new month, and I'm going to have brand new determination to meet my goals.

Thanks again for everyone's kind words about Lucy. They really mean a lot.

Oh, and before I go...Harlequin is celebrating 60 years by giving away 16 FREE books. Hard to believe, huh? I downloaded one - the Blaze, shockingly - earlier this week. Every type of romance they publish is represented, so there's something for everyone. Check it out!

http://www.harlequincelebrates.com/index.php

Finally, it's Friday

Thanks so much for the well wishes for my cat, Lucy. She passed on last night, but she had a good long life, so that's some comfort. I'm squeezing my other fur baby, Fozzie, a little tighter today.

Writing has been non-existent, but I have lots on the slate for the weekend. I don't seem to know how to take time off, but I'm going to try to take a couple hours just to sink into a book...since that is one of my weekly goals, after all. ;)

In snow news...we might get another 4-6 inches overnight, and there's a Nor'easter headed this way next week. As of January 9th, we'd had 110 inches for the season. I'm sure we've had another foot or two since then.

And I don't even ski! Maybe I should start.

To cheer myself up, here's another Henri oldie but goodie...

Off my stride...

Not the best day. One of my kitties is sick, and as she's older, probably won't make it. Add in some insurance nonsense and just general I-need-the-weekend-malaise, and I haven't accomplished much. I'm still limiting my internet time though, and tomorrow's still a new day.

At least it stopped snowing. :)

Wednesday 1.28 Progress

Had an extra long day at work - went in at 5:30AM - so my only writing progress today was to polish up yesterday's pages so I'm ready to jump back in tomorrow. Plus, I stayed off the internet. It's actually getting easier, shocking as it is for me to say. ;)

Snow's still piling up outside, and I'm off to watch my boys (SU men's basketball.) Here's a Henri repeat I can never see enough of...

Tuesday 1.27 Progress

Today I wrote another 4 pages of VT, bringing me up to 7.5 for the week. Getting closer to goal! I also did a little reading for pleasure last night – a book on improving your finances, but hey, I never said it had to be romance, LOL – and stayed off the internet all day today. Although I do admit to checking the weather forecast at work today, because we’re in the path of another ginormous snowstorm. But I don’t count that as part of my internet time, because reading that we might get another 10 inches is NOT pleasurable in my book. ;)

Okay, time to jet yet again. Later in the week, I’ll be posting six things that make me happy and tagging six others to do the same if they’d like to. That will have to wait until Friday, probably.

In the meantime, I’ll be digging out of the forty foot snowbanks. Wish me luck!

Monday 1.26 Progress

Through much persistence, I wrote three and a half pgs of VT tonight. I also drafted a mini-outline that should, hopefully, give me a blueprint right up to the final scenes. But the big story of the day is that I stayed off the internet UNTIL I finished my pages.

Which means I haven’t been online for nearly twenty-four hours.

This hasn’t happened since…uh, ‘95? Not sure, but it’s been a long time. And I only have to do it three more times this week to make that part of my goal. Whoa.

Time's up! ;)

I think I can, I think I can…

Goals for week ending 2/1

Another 5 pages of VT written today. Can I say how happy I'll be to be done with this story, no matter how much I love Kiki and Vincent? But they need to find their way into the world now and leave me alone. ;)

Goals for the week -

- Finish VT synopsis, so that it's polished and ready to go
- Write/revise another 20 pages of VT
- Limit online time to 45 minutes Mon-Thurs, after all writing related stuff is done

Bonus Goals
- To organize email/writing folders
- To spend a couple hours reading...for pleasure, and for brain food.

That's pretty much it. Here we go!

Saturday 1.24 Progress

My last bonus goal for the week was to "start roughing out VT's synopsis." I have the first and last paragraph, and one in between. Does that count, Goal Goddess Tara? I won't update the sidebar until I get your official opinion. ;)

But I also wrote 5 pages of Damned, my UF (Gabriel's story.) This one I will need to plot, unfortunately. I will also have to do it soon.

And...I wrote 1 line of VT. 1. Yes, this is a major accomplishment.

Tomorrow, I intend to do some brainstorming for next week's goals, along with more work on VT. That partial needs to be outta here sooner rather than later!

Thanks for all the encouragement this first week. I'm pretty happy I've even gotten this far. :)

Friday 1.23 Progress

Today I accomplished...nothing, writing-related, anyway. ;) But I saw Underworld: The Rise of The Lycans, which got my mind whirling! Even though I haven't seen the first two, I really enjoyed it (and promptly went out to buy the first two movies.) I've never been into werewolves, but this movie hooked me from start to finish. Of course, then I went to JCPenney and got a story idea that I'd love to pursue. So is the life of a writer. :)

Tomorrow, I will do my VT synopsis, and that'll finish my goals for the week. Till then, I'm heading to bed with the latest Kresley Cole novel. Good stuff!

Thursday 1.22 progress...and a great book!

I finally critiqued the chapters I owed one of my CPs tonight, so I met one of my Bonus Goals for the week. Just one left - my synopsis for VT - but I left the icky one for last. While I kinda like doing query letters, I'm not a fan of synopsises. But it's only 2 pages, so I'll get it done. Then I'll probably collapse, although I'm hoping to see the third Underworld movie this weekend before I do so. ;)

Instead of a picture of Henri (sorry!) I'm featuring my friend and CNYRW chaptermate's debut release from The Wild Rose Press. Meltdown by Susan St. Thomas is going on my must read list, and it comes out tomorrow, 1.23!



If you need something to warm up your chilly winter nights (and we sure do here) be sure to pick up a copy!

Want to know more about Meltdown? Here's the blurb:

Reliving the magical night before his deployment when he and Cassie Hamilton were lovers had kept Evan Jorgenson sane while fighting in Iraq. Years later, when they meet again at a Lake Placid bar, he's immediately drawn to her. He's still seeing the ghosts of his soldiers and hearing the enemy approach. She deserves more than a shell-shocked soldier, but Cassie's in danger. Before long, he's protecting her from a stalker, dodging bullets, and jeopardizing not only his job as a NYS police officer, but a dream promotion. And he's more in love with her than ever. If only she'd trust him and talk about what happened in L.A....

After a year with no calls or letters from Evan, a disheartened Cassie moved to L.A. There she met a dangerous man, and more than dreams were lost. Now back home, she opens a chocolate shop to rebuild her life, but her troubles in L.A. have followed her to Central NY. And there's only one man that can help her out of this mess. But Cassie has a secret bigger than nibbling Hershey's chocolate kisses while she works.

When Evan discovers her real secret, will he put aside his pride and follow his heart, or will he leave her again?

Please visit the site of Susan St. Thomas and stop by
the The Wild Rose Press Friday to get your own e-copy of Meltdown. :)

Wednesday 1.21 Progress

I revised another 40 pages of Insatiable today, in preparation for getting them out the door for critique. Still need to get cracking on those bonus goals, which I will accomplish this week.

Coffee's gone. Now I need a nap...and a little more Henri...

Tuesday 1.20 Progress

I'm about to fall over unconscious, but I finished judging my four contest entries today, revised another chapter of VT, and revised sixty pages of Insatiable, my other Blaze targeted story. AKA the story that hasn't given me 1/99th of the stress that VT has. Some characters have a lot of nerve. ;)

So I've finished my regular goals for the week. Bonus goals are up next, once I get some sleep. :)

Now for a lil Henri...

Monday 1/19 Progress

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

No, not really. I've actually met - and exceeded! - the first half of this week's regular goals. I've revised five and a half chapters of VT so far, and my goal was three. That somewhat makes up for the contest entries I haven't judged yet, although I'd wanted to have them done by today. I'll be doing them tomorrow, which is okay. I won't be late, though I will be skating in just under the wire.

Nothing new for me. ;)

Back tomorrow, hopefully with more goals accomplished. Some sleep would be nice, too. To that end, more pleasant dreams...

Sunday 1/18 Progress

So far today, I've edited about a chapter and a half of VT. So I'm halfway finished with half of my regular weekly goals. LOL But the night's young yet, so we'll see what shakes loose before I head off to dreamland.

And to give everyone sweet dreams...

Weekly Goals

Tara and I decided to try something new to challenge ourselves to reach our goals. I know how well it has worked for Helen to make herself publicly accountable, so a new year's a good time to start doing something similar. So in lieu of my promised yearly goals, instead I'll be posting every Sunday with that week's goals and each day with my daily progress. These goals can be anything to do with writing - research, judging writing contests, editing or critiquing someone else's work.

So without further adieu...
Weekly goals through January 24th

To judge my 4 contest entries by Monday
To revise another three chapters of VT, incorporating my CP's suggestions

Bonus Goal #1: To start roughing out my new synopsis for VT
Bonus Goal #2: To critique three chapters I owe one of my CPs

I'll be back later with today's progress!

Do You Like Urban Fantasy?

Or should I say, are you slightly obsessed with urban fantasy, like I am? Well, then, this is the poll for you: the Urban Fantasy Reader's Choice awards. You can also enter your favorite hero/heroine and series, etc. in the comments. Anyone that knows me knows my choices there. *cough* Cat/Bones/Night Huntress *cough* ;)

Check it out!
http://urbanfantasyland.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/urban-fantasy-land-readers-choice-awards/#comments

16 things about me...

My good friend Helen Hardt recently tagged me to list 16 things about myself. I think they're supposed to be somewhat interesting, but I make no promises. ;)

1) Favorite hot beverage? Umm, can someone say coffee? I love coffee so much that even my blog is brown. LOL

2) I started writing my first romance when I was 12. My hero's name was Shelby and my heroine was Dorian. The best part? I'd never even read a romance when I started mine.

3) I finished my first romance, Dangerous Illusions, in 2007. I started writing it in 1991. (No, that's not a typo.)

4) Since then, I've written two more books, both aimed at Blaze. The second of the two, Insatiable, includes characters from Dangerous Illusions (my "trunk" novel that will never see the light of day.) It took me 7 weeks to write the first draft. Guess it helps to spend 17 years with a set of characters, huh? ;)

5) I was expelled in my senior year of high school for non-attendance. When I was asked to leave, I had a B average in college-level English. So I was a somewhat advanced slacker.

6) I have 75% of the credits I need for a Bachelor's Degree, which I firmly intend to get one day soon. Once I got past my teenage years, going to school didn't seem nearly as traumatic.

7) My major in college was Criminal Justice. I'll probably end up getting my Bachelor's Degree in that, as well, though I have no idea what I will do with it besides hang it on my wall.

8) I read Helter Skelter about the Charles Manson murders in seventh grade. I read my first romance in eighth.

9) My favorite movie is Halloween, the original, and has been since I was a child.

10) My favorite song is a tie between "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult and "The Rose" by Bette Midler.

11) I love to drive. Fast. I nearly lost my license in my early twenties because of my speeding tickets. I've since reformed. Mostly. ;)

12) My favorite author is Nora Roberts/JD Robb. This year, I discovered Jeaniene Frost, who has become another favorite. There are lots of others whose work I really enjoy, though.

13) Until two years ago, I refused to read about vampires. I thought they were ridiculous. For the past two years, I've read about little else.

14) As much as I love writing, I love music just a wee bit more. I wanted to be a singer until I hit eighth grade and realized I probably wouldn't make it. Then I fell in love with writing.

15) I'm just as scared to be published as I am that I never will be.

16) Two things I really want? A fireplace and a hot tub. And yes, I live in New York, where the wind chill is about a thousand degrees below zero right now.

Now I'm supposed to tag 16 people, but I don't know that many people who would do a survey like this. So if anyone wants to do one of these lists on their blog, have at it.

My next post will contain my 2009 goals. First, I have to decide what I'm going to commit to doing, knowing some people I adore will hound me mercilessly if I fail. ;)