And snow is melting. We got wholloped again yesterday with a nice combination of snow and freezing rain. Kids were off school AGAIN, but today is beautiful and sunny and everything is melting. Well, for now.
Well, I've hit another snag in my 2008 NaNo story. The end is so close I can taste it, but I really have to do something about these dull no action parts. I'm building up the romance between my hero and heroine but she has two children so I have to do it in a way that puts the kids best interest first. Meaning dates have to be kept at a minimum and no sleepovers. It's a challenge, but I'm up for it. What I've been doing over the last few days is moving back and forth between this one and my young adult fantasy story. When I run dry on one I go back to the other.
BUT February is almost here, and that means EDIT TIME. Yes. Forever Home needs me. I've sat it on a shelf for about 3 weeks now to let it stew. I think I'm ready to push up my sleeves and get back to work. In the meantime I've "signed" up for another month of writing challenges with my JaNoWriMo pals. It was such a productive month, even if I'm 10k short of my goal. Well, I do have the rest of the week left to finish. Just have to get past sticky spots in the story. Or just write another scene and go back and fill in what needs to be filled in. Yeah, that's what I'll do. It's a good story and I would really like to finish it.
IN OTHER NEWS my computer is back to normal. I have no idea what was up with it the other morning, but the next time I turned it on it was how it should've been, complete with "my" Chowder background (Chowder is a strange kids show my son likes). My DH said he didn't touch it so who knows what happened.
Cat is still being a pain. Appointment with the vet is being made in the next day or so. (Okay Marianne, why didn't I think about taking care of this BEFORE she got to this stage?)
ROMANTIC SONG OF THE DAY
I love this movie, love this scene...
Just wish it didn't get cut off at the end.
Okay, DS just walked in. I should pretend I'm working.
We're expecting another foot of snow today which means, no doubt, another snow day for the kids. One of my daughter's aides pointed out that the kids haven't had a full week of school since November! At this rate they're not going to be out of school until the week before they go back in after summer break.
I woke up this morning and turned on my computer and found that it was basically stripped bare. Maybe it was computer brownies or elves, but all my favorites are gone, any extra folder I had on my desktop gone. So, my husband and I will be chatting. I hope he saved some of this stuff.
Well, it's time for a trip to the vets. Our kitten, Hemi, has finally reached THAT wonderful age. She's been mewling and crying all over the place. It's hard to explain this behavior to kids, especially to my nine year old son. Poor little kitty. I don't think she knows what's hit her. Alrighty then. Must get some writing done. I kind of fizzled out yesterday.
This cold is just stomping me into the ground. It's been over a week and I'm not much better off. I hate colds. I'd rather have a 3 day stomach flu than a week and half cold like this. TMI? And I've had kids home nearly every day since last week. Various kids in various combinations. Today my stepdaughter is going to be home for the second time this week. Today is my son's first day in school all week. Crazy. Since I'm stuck at home I'm going to try to take advantage and get some writing done. Oh, I've switched wips again. Going Going Gone wasn't doing anything for me so I'm not back at work on my 2008 NaNo project. I wouldn't mind finishing it, I think it has potential. I've also been brainstorming Dreamer's Sea plot changes with a friend. I'm adding a major character who will change a lot of the story, so there's going to be MAJOR rewrites to be done. But I think it'll make a huge difference. At least I hope it will. But I won't be digging into it until editing on Forever Home is done. I'll be busy until November at this rate! And that is a good thing.
To write. To read. To watch TV. To do anything but die. This cold has been savage. My throat feels like I'm swallowing double edged razor blades and I can't stop coughing. My head aches and all I want to do is sleep. But even that isn't easy to do because the coughing keeps me awake. But still everyone wants everything from me. How is it that when a man gets sick his world stops and he has to wallow on a sofa under a blanket with the remote whining like a two year old with the wife at his beck and call yet when a woman gets sick she's still expected to run the household and feed everyone and do laundry and clean? Not fair! I have to do laundry today. Hauling a heavy basket to the laundramat in 11 degree weather sounds like the last thing I want to do, but I have no choice. I've been putting it off for too long, thinking I'd be better. Oh, and it snowed yesterday. Lots of snow. So, here I sit, wishing I could get my mind in gear because I have lots of writing to do, but dreading the things I must do. Well, at least I'm not at work today.
Well, we did it. Survived another trip to Logan. We got there early again and it didn't start snowing until we were nearly there.
So, we had another long wait. My DS rode the escalator to his hearts content (hey, we're small town folk). The flight arrived... early.... without us knowing. There's no TV screen that announces flight status, so we had no clue until SD called us... nearly 20 minutes after she arrived. Of course we should've staked the place out to find out where she would come out, but we didn't. So therefore she didn't get her luggage. Said she didn't see it on the carousel. And no airline personnel ANYWHERE. I called the toll free number, they gave me the local office number and I called that. No one. Come on... why is there no airline staff anywhere? Sure its past midnight, but seriously. So, we left. It was snowing like crazy and it was a hairy ride home. Lots of traffic, lots of crazy driver (like the big SUV doing about 65 with no headlights).
But we made it and now we have to figure out how to get her bag, which is waiting for her at Logan (they'll fedex it to us at our expense). I'm planning on taking a bus down this time. I can't do that drive again. At least I can relax on a bus.
But not today.
Lots of snow here, probably a foot. Ugh ugh ugh. Why isn't it May?
We have to drive down to Boston tomorrow night. In this. Again. My stepdaughter is flying into Logan around midnight (what kind of sadistic airline arrives at 11:54pm and departs at 5:40am??) Oh, the cheap ones.
I have to say, I'm soooo tired of this snow! We had flurries the entire day yesterday, this on top of the ice/snow we had the day before. What's another 5-8 inches? I had to go to the grocery store last night and came upon an accident because of road conditions. We had a front row seat of the arrival of the first police, the ambulance and firemen. I just hope everyone is okay.
Writing is flowing, I'm happy to say. Guess this is a better genre for me. I like the fact that when I'm not writing I'm thinking about what I'm going to write. That's a good sign that this story (which I started years ago) has a chance of making it.
Will it make it to HQ? Don't know. Maybe if Kensington likes That Kind Of Magic that'll be the direction for me to go.
Well, so much for the fantasy. I'm not going to say I stopped because it was too much, but I have no idea where it's going and while I generally write by the seat of my pants this was taking that way of life a bit too far.
So now I'm doing my firefighter auction story. It's another contemporary romance with plenty of spice. Its flowing a lot better than the fantasy. Guess Iknow my niche. But honestly, I'm going to write that fantasy. Just need to really settle down with it and map it out.
My daughter is disappointed. She wants me to write something that she can read.
Yesterday was another day off for the kids. Man, this has been a tough winter for them! Well, for one of them. I don't know how they're going to make up all this time. The schools are suggesting longer days, school on Saturdays or giving up April vacation. Or, maybe since the ice storm resulted in a state of emergency the missed days may be waived. We have a long winter ahead of us.
Kensington should have That Kind Of Magic now. I'm really going to not think about it, but hopefully I'll hear back by March. I'm rather glad I sent it there. Hope they like it. *fingers crossed*
I've put aside my short story. Just wasn't talking to me. In it's place I started writing the fantasy. I've discovered that it's a lot more work than a contemporary romance. I keep having to stop to look up bits of information. But it's all worth it. Here is the collage for the story.
So, I was feeling cruddy today so I stayed home. Decided to watch a movie, just a break from writing. Well, I had to chose the longest movie I could find. Sex In The City. I had no idea that it was sooooo long. I've decided that it's too cynical for me. I like romances dripping with romance, not cynical movies where the shoes and the ridiculous clothes are more important than the romance.
But that's just me.
Oh joy, more snow and ice and sleet and freezing rain tomorrow! What a winter we've had so far!
I'm THRILLED to announce that the first draft of Forever Home is DONE! I finished it last night. I am so happy! Nothing like finishing a manuscript. It came in at just over 91K words. I'm giving myself til the end of the month before I go back and start the editing process. This way I can continue on my JaNoWriMo projects so I can hit my 50k word goal. I'm up to just over 12k right now. I've decided to go for the short story, after mulling over the possibilities in my head last night before going to bed. At least this will be a short one, I'm thinking maybe around 10-12k words. I'm already up to nearly 8k so I don't have a long way to go. After that, don't know. Either my Blaze like book or the fantasy. I'm thinking the fantasy. I really want to write the fantasy though it won't really have the romance the others have. But for now I'll go for the short story. And Yeah! Kids go back to school!!! *Happy Dance*
Ding Dong the kids go back to school.. La la la. lala la la.
Tomorrow, that is. They've been out for 24 days (including weekends)! Holy frijoles! Two of them have decided they want to be homeschooled. Yah, as if. My third is estatic (I found her crying over her yearbook last week because she missed her friends so much).
And DH goes back to work tomorrow. He's only been out since Dec 23rd.
And things in the Hebert household will go back to normal.
I've been working hard on Forever Home and I'm in the "home" stretch right now. If I can just sit here at my computer for the rest of the day I know I can finish it. Just one more scene to go and then the epilogue AND I'LL BE DONE!!!!!! *doing the my book is done dance*
But no rest for the wicked. Immediately after the conclusion of Forever Home I'll be diving into another wip. I have three to chose from. My fantasy "The Wolf And The Dove", my Blaze-like wip "Going Going Gone" or my possible short story "Best Man".
Maybe I'll work on all three.
First, though, I have bunches of laundry to do. Want to get it all out of the way in time for school to start. I really truly want my own washer and dryer. Then I can do it all. But I'll have to settle for a pen and notebook and a place to sit at the laundramat and go from there.
Good day. It's going to be a good day.
Unless you're my kids. hhhmmmmuuuuaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh
At last it's here! How many people are glad to see 2008 out of the way *raising hand*. Here's to a better year! A year of lots of books being published! So, I've officially begun JaNoWrMo, but it feels just like any other day. Same story, just keeping track of that word count. Actually I'm looking forward to this and moving on to the next one. And the next one.... and the next one. I think I have 4 manuscripts altogether that I want to work on. Yesterday I sent That Kind Of Magic down to New York. Kensington should have it no later than Monday. So mark your calendars, three months from the 5th. Eek, that's a long time. Good vibes. I need good vibes! It's 5:13am. I didn't stay up until midnight. Made it to about 10:30. I'm not the midnight type anymore. Maybe after the kids are grown and gone I'll get my second wind, but for now I need my sleep. For now I'm the only one awake, so I'm heading back to the writing. Almost done with Forever Home!! Woo Hoo!!!!!!
Location: Southwestern, New Hampshire, United States
I'm 44 year old mom of 3. I work as a customer service rep for a publishing company, and I write. I have five published novels and working on adding to that.
THAT KIND OF MAGIC--AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 17,2010
What's a witch to do when she refuses to use magic to find love? Beautiful Wiccan Charlotte Noone has a shop for magical supplies and a goddess who's pushing her to find the man of her dreams. When Patrick Riordan, a straight-laced non-believer enters her life, Charlotte falls madly in lust with him. Despite their very different lives, neither can stop the erotic journey they’ve embarked on, but will it be enough to break through their barriers so they can accept that love itself is magical?.
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