A Breakthrough!

 

        

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are well and staying safe! 

        I’ve done it! I’ve had a breakthrough on my current work in progress (well, at least I think I did). You know when you’re writing along and it’s just NOT working and you can’t figure out why? 

        It seems I always run into problems during the “sagging middle”, that part of the story where you’ve set the stage, so to speak, but you’re not quite to the point where you can begin that downward spiral toward the end of the book. This is the point where I usually ask myself why I’m writing this story (and no, I am not kind to myself. The phrases “this is boring” or “this stinks” can usually be heard by my poor DH and the dogs. There are other phrases uttered, but I can’t use those words in this post).  

        So, I took a few days of PTO around Labor Day, bound and determined to figure out why Wife Wanted is not going the way I want it to (I also made a big batch of spaghetti sauce, but that’s a different story). Anyway, I read the thing from beginning to where I started running into trouble and I found it. Oh my gosh! The answer was so simple, too (yes, truly a head slap moment)! 

        And now that I’ve found it, I know what I need to do to fix it, which I’ve started to do. Wish me luck that what I found was truly the problem and it’s not something else lurking in this manuscript! 

    Until next time, remember to spread kindness wherever you go.

Marie

Up Before The Sun

 

Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

I love the early mornings! Most of the world is still sleeping when I get up to begin my day. Heck, the sun isn’t even up, but that’s okay. It’s quiet and peaceful and I have been witness to many a beautiful sunrise. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t enjoy sleeping in once in a while (especially on the weekends!), but after years and years of training myself to get up this early, I find it impossible to stay in bed. I’d like to, but my internal clock has its own alarm.

It didn’t used to be this way. When I was young (much younger than I am now), I had the capacity to sleep until noon (to my mother’s frustration). What teenager couldn’t? Of course, at that point in time, I was such a night-owl. I’d stay up to three or four in the morning, usually reading (sometimes with a flashlight under my blankets! I’m sure you did that as well!). As an adult, I would occasionally stay up all night, my nose deep in a book then notice, as I closed the book, satisfied with the conclusion, that it was time to get everyone up and out the door for the day. Now? Not so much. I start yawning at 9. By 9:30, my eyes are getting tired and really want to close. By 10? I’m done for the day!

I started getting up this early so I could write but not steal essential time from the family. It was (and still is) my time--before the commotion of getting everyone off to school and work (including myself), before the hustle and bustle of the day job, before picking up said kid at the end of the work day and coming home to make dinner and do homework. It worked for me for years and still does though the kid has long since left home and the DH has retired (I’m still doing the day job thing). These early mornings, before the sun has risen, when it’s quiet and serene, I get to slip into the world I’m creating and write.

With that being said, I really should get to it. Wife Wanted is not going to write itself.   

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go! 

Marie

Progress on Wife Wanted (or lack thereof)

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

It’s Sunday morning again. A little hot and humid in Phoenix, but I’m surviving by hibernating in my nicely air-conditioned house.

What’s new for me? Nothing really. It’s the same old, same old, but that’s good. I’m not one for changes to my routine (because, you know, routines are sacred).

I have been writing. Not a whole lot (even though I fire up the computer every morning). I seem to be a little stuck (hahahahaha – what else is new?). I’ve gone back over what I’ve written so far (I’m working on Wife Wanted, the second in the Wife Series) and I’ve come to the conclusion (with the much-appreciated help of my critique partner) that I’m lacking some conflict. Well, not on the hero’s part….he’s got plenty, but on the heroine’s side so it’s back to the drawing board. I don’t have to get rid of anything (thankfully), but I need to add more to show her conflict (she has her own “baggage”…I just didn’t include it and boy, that was kinda odd). Not sure why I didn’t do that. You’d like them both. They really are destined to be with each other!

I’m still submitting my other completed novels to various publishers, still crossing my fingers, still hoping.

The day job remains crazy busy, but that’s a good thing. It keeps my brain humming along like a well-oiled machine (hahahaha!).

And that’s all for me. I’m off to the grocery store. Think I’ll being my defibrillator with me for that sticker shock at the check-out.

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

First Look

           

          Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        Well, it’s Sunday morning as I write this (and it’s been a lovely weekend…a little hot, but what do I expect, living in Phoenix in July?!?!?). I have, so far, completed half of my Sunday chores, so I’m right on schedule (Sunday is my busy day where I do as much as I can to get ready for the work week ahead. I do them early because who wants to go out in the heat?).

        What else have I done in addition to half my chores? I got to read the first chapter of my critique partner’s new story! Would it be bad of me (or biased) to say that I love it!?!??! I don’t think so. Quite frankly, the woman amazes me. She can go from Sci-Fi/Fantasy to modern day cowboys to Regency England without batting an eyelash! She, on the other hand, has read the first chapter of my new story (the one I’ve been working and getting derailed on and I finally figured out why…I have hit the middle of the story where I always have trouble. Ugh!). I have not looked at her comments yet, but I think she enjoyed it (I write much differently than she…I write historical westerns as opposed to modern day cowboys and I would never venture into Sci-Fi/Fantasy or Regency—there are no cowboys in these genres—well, there could be. Hmmm, something to think about).

        Well, that’s it for me. Off to the grocery store for my weekly mini-heart attack. Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

Is it Time to Change What I Write

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

Oh my gosh! Can you believe it’s the end of June! Where has the time gone? Half of 2022 is behind us! Wow!

I know for me, the month of June went by so quickly. I did get to visit with my critique partner which was so wonderful and I’ve spent the time since then trying to catch up at the day job (I have one of those positions that never stops, never takes a breath, but it’s all good because I love what I do)!

What else have I been doing? Well, writing. Not as much as I want to or as much as I need to, but I’m plodding along. I’m a slow but steady writer with occasional bursts of mania thrown in for excitement (which has yet to show up with my current story).

And I’m submitting two of my finished manuscripts and yes, they are historical westerns, which, if I’m being totally honest, are a hard sell to the traditional (and not so traditional) publishers out there. I admit to wracking up my fair shares of “Thank You But No Thank You”s (and yes, I had forgotten how that feels). I was fortunate enough to have the same publisher for my last five books and I loved them, but as so often happens in this business, they were bought by someone bigger. But I digress…

Considering all the rejections I’ve been receiving, I’ve wondered if I should be writing something else (like Regencies, but seriously, where would I begin?). As yet, I haven’t come up with a single idea, but I really do believe that’s because I love my westerns! I love the cowboys, the lawmen with the shiny stars pinned to their chests who have a definite sense of right and wrong, the sassy saloon girls with their hearts of gold, the ranch owners who have sacrificed to keep what they love and all the rest. It’s a love affair between me and my westerns, but maybe….just maybe….there’s room for something different…

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

A Wonderful Visit

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

Oh my gosh! I had such a wonderful visit with my critique partner and her DH. I was pampered and allowed to relax (such a difference from my day-to- day life, where relaxing is done at the end of the when I just can’t do anymore).

As I suspected, there wasn’t much writing getting done, but that’s okay. It was a wonderful opportunity to just sit and chat (about books, our current stories, and those that will be written in the near future, and so many other things. There was never a lack of something to talk about). Although we Zoom chat every week, there’s just something so special about seeing someone you absolutely adore across the table from you.

We did have some adventures and that was great. We went to the beach and I swam in the Gulf of Mexico (first time ever). It was a little different than swimming in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. There were no waves (like I kinda expected), but the water was warm and about as perfect as it could be.

We saw a pod of dolphins (there were about twelve of them) playing in the near distance when we went to Cedar Key. To me, a desert dweller, that was a bit other-worldly. Seeing something like that on television is so much different than seeing it in person. I was thrilled!  

We watched a couple movies and preceded to critique them as well as try to figure out the Big Black Moment and the resolution. That was fun and kept us in practice even if we didn’t write very much (I did try, but it was a dismal failure).

I even made friends with her cats (well, one of them at least—the other wasn’t quite sure of me) which is saying something. Yes, I am fond of cats, but I am a devoted dog mom.

I’m home now. Back to the nitty-gritty of the day job and keeping house and all the rest of it, but it was so lovely to take a few days and just…relax and enjoy myself with excellent company! Thanks so much for having me!

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

A New Adventure

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

So, by the time you read this, I will be winging my way across country to spend a long weekend with fellow writer and extraordinary critique partner, Lexi Post. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her and her DH (whom I’m very fond of as well).

I am so looking forward to this trip! There’s so much to talk about, to catch up on (even though we talk on a regular basis, but there’s something different when it’s face to face as opposed to Zoom).

Of course, we’ll be talking books and writing and our latest projects (and everything else under the sun). We’re like a pair of magpies, hardly taking a moment to breath during conversations (and I so love this!). We’re also going to hit the beach (and I can’t wait….it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the beach!).

I do plan on getting some writing done in the mornings (because that’s my usual writing time), but mostly, we’ll be visiting. I’m so excited!

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

I Ain't Down Yet

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

I did it. Took my heart in my hands, offered up a silent prayer, and submitted Wife For Hire AND The Maverick and Miss Miller to several publishers. So far, I’ve received three Thank You But No Thank You’s (these were not my first rejections, but still, you know, your confidence kinda takes a hit). Not saying I thought someone would accept Wife For Hire the first time out, but there’s always that little spark of hope someone will love it like I do (I have not heard anything on The Maverick and Miss Miller yet, but I’m sure I will).

So, how am I dealing with the rejections? Well, first, I beat myself up a little bit (because that’s what I do…asking myself “Are you out of your mind? You weren’t ready! The manuscript, query, or synopsis weren’t ready either! You could have done better!). And after I shut my inner critic up, which wasn’t easy (she sounds very much like Meryl Streep, whom I adore as an actress, in the movie The Devil Wears Prada), I consoled myself with a heart-to-heart talk with some dear (and very supportive) friends, then fell into a carboholic’s dream coma (my carbs are restricted right now; however, carbs are the first thing I reach for when I’m feeling this way). Had some chocolate, too!  

After the scale spoke to me in a very condescending voice this morning (yes, like Meryl Streep again) and another heart-to-heart with my fantastic critique partner, I’m back to pounding the pavement, so to speak, and just sent off Wife For Hire to another publisher. What can I say? As the great Debbie Reynolds sang in the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown, “I Ain’t Down Yet!” 

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go! 

Marie 

Am I A Perfectionist?

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

I have a news flash….well, it isn’t a news flash to anyone who knows me well…I struggle with perfectionism (and yes, I do mean struggle). The words “it’s good enough” don’t enter into my vocabulary very much.

Here’s an example. I’ve been working on my query letter for The Maverick and Miss Miller, getting it ready for submission. It’s a short letter—only one page so how many times have I gone through it? Read it and tweaked it? So far, it’s twelve…and I’m still not happy with it. It’s not “perfect”.

Same thing with the synopsis. At last count, it’s eight…and I’m still tweaking. We’re not even going to talk about the manuscript itself. At this point, I can tell you there are no spelling mistakes, no missing words (because your brain will fill in what’s missing), no obvious, glaring grammar issues and I know it’s as clean and as well-written as I can make it so at what point do I say “yeah, they’re ready, just submit the darned thing”?

It’s the same with my work life. I struggle for that perfectionism knowing full well I’ll never achieve it…and still, I try. And try. And try. I hate making mistakes. It actually hurts my soul to do so. I'll read a report five or six times before I submit it. The same with important emails (and yet, I still manage to hit all my deadlines). 

This striving for perfection is in my home life, too. When I clean, I clean. It’s not a “spit and polish” like my mother always said, it’s full-bore, from top to bottom.

I think it goes back to my childhood and the lessons taught (one would think, at my age, I would have "tweaked" those lessons, but no, they're hard-wired now). “Always give 110 percent” and “A job worth doing is worth doing well”.

Okay, I’m ready. I’m just going to load everything up and hit that submit button! I’m going to do it. Right now…

No! Wait! Let me do just one more read through… 

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

The Lost City

    

    Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

    What shall we talk about today? There’s nothing really happening here (other than the usual stuff). I am still working on The Maverick & Miss Miller (actually finished ripping out and re-writing the last few chapters…it’s better I think). I did miss my self-imposed deadline, but I’m waiting for the new stuff to come back from critique.

        It’s been beautiful here in Arizona, but truthfully, I haven’t had much time to enjoy our beautiful weather…and that’s okay. I’d much rather finish this story (I have several others just waiting to be worked on).

        Oh, I know what I can talk about! The DH and I went to a movie. At a movie theatre! Something we haven’t done in a long (long, long) time. We saw The Lost City and I have to admit that I loved it. Reminded me of Romancing the Stone, which is a favorite movie of mine.

        The ticket price wasn’t too, too bad (I paid the senior price…when did I become a senior?!?!?) and the popcorn was just the way I like it (must have popcorn at the theatre though I shouldn’t have had as much as I did).

        If you’re a fan of Sandra Bullock, which I am (she looks fabulous, by the way, but then, she always looks fabulous), and a fan of Channing Tatum, which I am (OMG, Channing Tatum’s butt…need I say more?), by all means, see this movie. There’s physical comedy (if you’ve read my blogs before, then you know I’m a-pie-in-the-face, slip-on-a-banana-peel kinda gal), snappy dialogue (I’d heard a lot of the dialogue was ad-libbed), funny situations (did I mention Channing Tatum’s butt?), and a surprise appearance by Brad Pitt. I laughed. A lot. So did other people in the audience (particularly the guy who sat two rows away from me…he let out a couple pretty loud guffaws, which was funny in itself…his wife (I assume she was his wife) kept trying to shush him but he was having none of that.

        It was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon and let me take a break from both the day job and the writing.

        Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

Update on The Maverick & Miss Miller

  

            Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        Okay, so this happened.

My beta readers returned their copies of The Maverick and Miss Miller. Some suggestions were small and easily fixed. Some were a little bigger, but that’s to be expected. When you’re so close to a story, you don’t see the plot holes or the fact that you changed a horse’s gender from one to the other then back again. And one change/suggestion was pretty drastic, but doable.

So, I’m going along and I’m making my changes and what smacks me in the face? The fact that the last six chapters need to be…well, beyond just fixed, but ripped out entirely. Did that hurt? Oh, you bet! Cutting almost five thousand words in never easy (simply because getting those words is difficult…sometimes, I have to pull them kicking and screaming from my brain…hmmm, maybe I should have listened…maybe that was the reason they weren’t coming easily…because they weren’t right).

The new stuff is better (I hope), more in keeping with the first half of the story, more exciting and not so darned convenient, all tied up nicely with a bow! That’s just not how it works! And I hadn’t seen it!

I’m in the middle of rewriting/replacing those chapters now and almost done (yes, I’ve been on a roll, working on the manuscript every day, not just the weekdays before my day job begins).  

And I’ve done something else beside ripping out those words...I’ve set a deadline for myself. I don’t normally do that for my writing (for my work stuff, oh, yeah, I have deadlines galore!), but since I have, I should get back to it…

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go! Marie

I Did It

          Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

Well, I did it!

The last time I wrote to you, I stated that I was going to submit Wife for Hire before the week was out. Well, I didn’t quite make it to that Friday (I was still tweaking that most important query letter), but I did send it and now the waiting game begins. I am relieved. I’m also nervous and kicking myself in the butt for taking so long.

Seriously. Let’s just change my middle name to ‘Procrastination’ because that’s what I’ve done for the past two years! I know! Two years! The whole time I’ve been working on The Maverick & Miss Miller, I could have (and should have) submitted Wife for Hire. I’ve come to several conclusions as to why I held off for so long.

1)    Writing the story is hard enough. For some authors, it’s not, but for me, it is. I’m a slow writer (steady, but slow). I have a small window of time (very early in the morning before the rest of my day begins). You invest in the characters. You try your hardest to make the story come to life. You may cry when it ends (or breathe a sigh of relief), but still you hesitate to let go.

2)    Editing the story isn’t too bad. You just have to trust your beta readers then be willing to carve out small (sometimes large) chunks of the story (I tend to get a little wordy). Sometimes, it can feel a little brutal (Oh my gosh! You want me to get rid of all those words? But I sweated over them, cried over them…I couldn’t possibly…okay, deep breath…delete, delete, delete!). Done!

3)    Now you can submit (or be like me and let it sit for…too long). You go back and forth in your own head. “Don’t submit. They’ll hate it. It isn’t what anyone is publishing. It’s a hard sell. It stinks.” Yeah, this is the conversation that plays out in my brain far too often (and sounds suspiciously like Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada—you know, that voice of deep contempt and derision and pessimism). Of course, there’s the other little voice, the one of optimism. The one of hope. The one of reason that says “Go ahead and submit. They could love it and say yes.”

So there it is, the reason it took so long…ambivalence and fear and indecision. Getting over that is just as hard as writing the darned story, but I did it. Finally. Now it’s back to The Maverick & Miss Miller, where, once again, I face the decision of which words to cut, which to rewrite, and which to keep. Wish me luck.

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

Biting the Bullet

 

      

         Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are well and staying safe!

        Well, I’m finally ready to do it. I think. I have a manuscript that’s just been sitting in my computer for the past two years. Just sitting there, doing nothing except calling my name and asking me what the heck do I think I’m doing. 

        While The Maverick & Miss Miller is being beta-read, I’ve been working on Wife For Hire, going through it one last time, tweaking a little bit here and there, fixing some issues…and I’m almost done. Almost. (And wonder of wonders, I still love the story and the characters). So, by the end of this week, I plan (fingers crossed) to submit it to a publisher. 

It’s time. It’s actually past time. Not sure why I’ve been sitting on it so long…I finished it before the pandemic hit. Really, I have no excuses. I just…

        Had several moments of self-doubt (all right, more than several…I think I’ve talked myself out of submitting more than I’ve talked myself into it). Some writers, I’ve heard, go through this. We hear these little voices in our heads (mine happens to sound a lot like Meryl Streep—think the character she played in The Devil Wears Prada). It’s not good enough or so the little voice says (or my personal favorite—this sucks). No one will want it (again, that darned voice…so cool, so patronizing, so steeped in contempt). You know, the whole litany in order to justify my procrastination.

        BUT…I promised myself I would do it. What’s the worst that can happen? A publisher will say ‘No’. Seriously, that is the worst that can happen. And if it does, I’ll just move on to the next publisher. I’ll never know what Wife For Hire can do if I don’t submit so…I’m going to do it. I am (yes, I’m convincing myself as I write this). Really. I am.  

        On the other hand, what’s the best that can happen? A publisher will love it as much as I do. Let’s hope that’s the case.

        Wish me luck!

        Until next time, stay well, stay safe, and remember to spread kindness wherever you go.

Marie

Thoughts on a Marriage

 

            Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

You know that saying “Happy wife, happy life”? Well, mine is a little different. It’s “Happy spouse, happy house.” I truly believe that and I’ll tell you why.

The DH and I celebrated our 41^st wedding anniversary just a bit ago (we met when I was nineteen, married at twenty, so I have spent two thirds of my life with this man). There’s been a lot of learning and growing and arguing in those years, but here we are.

Anyway, several people have asked me what my secret to a long, happy marriage is. My response never fails to disappoint them – there is no secret. Not really. However, there are some key ingredients that I will share (in no particular order):

Tolerance (this is a big one). There will be many things that will pop up that you will learn to tolerate (and maybe even celebrate). The DH and I are as different as night and day. He’s a night owl, while I’m a morning person. I dislike clutter (it makes me anxious) while he is a pack rat (my house is very neat and uncluttered...I won’t tell you what his workshop looks like). He has a tendency to lash out when upset whereas I will take a step back and gain control of myself (because things said in the heat of anger cannot be taken back or unheard—learned that from hearing my parents argue).

Respect. This is a must. Gotta respect the other person – their ideas, their thoughts, their feelings (this goes for children, too). Everyone has the right to have their emotions validated, to be heard (even if you don’t want to hear it).

Humor: Oh my gosh! You have to have humor. I’m fortunate that my DH can make me laugh (sometimes, when I don’t want to). There has been a lot of laughter in our years together and I’ve found that we can face anything (no matter how bad), by finding the humor (or the positive side) even when there is none. It takes work, but it can be done.

Trust. ‘Nuf said.

Communication: You have to talk, even if the subject is painful. In the beginning of our lives together, my DH avoided tough subjects like they were the plague. He was taught (and he still struggles with this), if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all BUT by doing so, resentment and other feelings can grow, destroying that fragile foundation you’re trying to build. That’s not to say we haven’t cried together while discussing difficult topics. We have. Argued over them, too. Our biggest fight was over (believe it or not) how the toilet paper should be placed on the holder (over or under). Truthfully, I was just happy there was toilet paper on the spindle – I didn’t care which way it went but apparently, he did. Really, though, it wasn’t about toilet paper at all...it was the fact that he didn’t think I was listening to him (and I wasn’t).

Commitment. On the day we got married, I made a promise. I committed to NOT have a marriage like my parents had, that I wanted something better. Something more. And I wasn’t afraid to work for it; however, all that work cannot be done by just one person. There is another person in this with you and he/she has to be equally committed. I was lucky enough to find someone who was. 

Which brings me to why I love to read romance novels. Because it’s not real. Romance novels don’t discuss or bring in the nitty-gritty of everyday life. There are no problems with what bills need to be paid when and who’s going to pay them, what to make for dinner for your 80 thousandth meal together, who’s responsibility is it to clean up after the kids or the family pet. As unromantic as the DH is (his idea of romance is doing an oil change on my car), he has never denigrated the fact that I can escape into a fantasy world by reading a romance or by writing my own. And this is important, too. And that’s it.  Well, actually, there are a whole lot more, but that's for another time. 

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

I'm Losing My Voice

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Happy New Year (yes, I know, I’m a few days late)! Hope you are all well and staying healthy.

I’m taking a well-deserved break from reading through my manuscript, finding mistakes, looking for holes and editing, as I go along. My voice is nearly gone (which pleases the DH no end, I’m sure) because I’ve been reading out loud. And there are a lot of words! I always do that because I can hear my mistakes so much better than I can read them (the brain is an amazing thing….if a word is missing or misspelled, the brain just fixes it). But it’s going well. I’m more in love with my hero and heroine than I was before! This is a good thing!

2022 is shaping up (I know, we’re only a few days into this new year) to be a great year (if I say it often enough, will it be so? I can only hope. I am a perpetual optimist and believe in the power of positivity).

As I’ve mentioned, I have finished writing The Maverick & Miss Miller. I’ve completed the synopsis, which, if you know me, is quite the accomplishment….I can write a 89K novel, but condensing down to just three pages takes perseverance, some tears, and chocolate…lots of chocolate! Oh, and ice cream! Can’t forget that! I’ve written the query letter so all that’s left is correcting my edits and sending everything off to my beta readers. I’m excited! It’s been a while. The last novel I finished is still just sitting here, waiting for me to get my butt in gear and do something with it (like maybe submit it…what am I waiting for?)

The day job is going well, too! Busy, but busy is good. Keeps me out of trouble (or maybe helps get me into trouble, I’m not sure which).

Things at home are good, too! I have re-landscaped my front yard and it looks lovely (I opted for low maintenance which means rock). Next up, I’m looking at a new gate (but need to save up for it first).

Well, my break is over. I gotta get back to reading.

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

Well, It's Done

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe. Hope you all had a lovely holiday too!

So, as you may know, I took a few days of PTO over Christmas, bound and determined to finish my current work in progress. Well…I did it. I typed The End, just this morning, in fact. And I’m not quite sure how I feel about that. I’ve lived with these characters (and loved them) for so long, it feels sorta like a letdown that I finally finished the story. Almost like losing a beloved friend.

Of course, typing The End is really only the beginning. I still need to have my critique partner go over the last two chapters and the epilogue. Once I incorporate her corrections/suggestions, I move on to printing out all 267 pages (or more at that point), grabbing my red pen and reading everything out loud. Then it’s off to my beta readers to look for holes and glaring errors. Oh, I need to write the synopsis as well (and that’s a big dread on my part…condensing 267 pages down to two or three…not my favorite thing).

And then, I can start sending it out and cross my fingers that a publisher likes it. Whooo-hooo!

And that’s all that happening here. Even though I’ve had a few days off from the day job, I haven’t stopped working, but you know what? It’s all good. The writing thing I do for me, because I love it…it’s part of who I am and I’m not the same person when I don’t write.

One more thing before I go…

Happy 2022! I wish for you to be happy and healthy. I wish for you to be surrounded by loved ones. Actually, I wish for 2022 to be a spectacular year in any way you need it to be.  

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go! 

Marie

Losing Track of Time

           

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are all well and staying safe!

        I’m late. I’m sorry. I lost track of time. Well, that’s not technically true…what’s happening is that I’m taking a tea-cup saucer up to the buffet bar and overfilling my plate. I’m sure you understand. The old adage “too much to do and not enough time to do it” is certainly true in my case. Between the day job, getting ready for Christmas, keeping the house nice and tidy, and writing, I find that I’m getting less sleep so I can get it all done…and as you can plainly see, it’s not working well.

I am making progress though. All the Christmas decorations, etc., have been taken down from the attic (which is a feat within itself…I’m afraid of heights so getting me on a ladder takes a lot of convincing as well as gearing myself up mentally. The DH usually does this, but he’s been under the weather, so it falls to me. Which is fine. I don’t have a problem at all pulling my weight so to speak, but yeah…that ladder…not my finest moment. I am proud of myself that I didn’t fall and break my fool neck (though it was a close call for a moment or two)!

Christmas cards have been mailed, the shopping is done and most of the packages have been mailed off (I have a few that I hand deliver). The DH and I don’t exchange gifts (and haven’t for a very long time) so that part was easy. I did not bake. I thought about it, but ultimately decided that I just didn’t have time to do it right. I will be making a cheesecake within the next week, but that doesn’t really count. I’ve been making this dessert for so long, I no longer need the recipe and I’ve cut the prep time down to ten minutes. Once it’s in the oven, I don’t have to think about it for an hour (then another hour with the heat turned off).

The other bit of progress is that I finally (yes, finally!!!) finished getting caught up at the day job from taking that week off in November. I know…that seems like a long time but given the business I’m in and the sheer amount of emails (all requiring I do something) I get on a daily basis, I’m surprised it didn’t take longer.

What else is taking so much time? I’m probably a fool, but I’ve been getting estimates to have my front yard redone. Yup. It’s time. Past time, really. I’m finally getting rid of the sparse grass and doing a decorative rock. I’ve had a couple people come out and give me proposals…now it’s time to make a decision and *gasp* part with the dollars I’ve been saving up (I will admit, that’s the hardest part!).

Lastly, there is the writing. Every spare moment (between everything else) is going toward finishing my current work in progress and I am sooooo close! Maybe another 1 to 2K words and I’ll be able to type “The End”. As you may know, this story has taken much longer to write than any other I’ve written—not because it was harder, but because I ran into so many “issues”. Still, I’m happy with what I’ve done (though I have yet to read it from beginning to end…that’s next! I’m taking a few days off around Christmas (which I’ll pay for later) to print out and read aloud…yes, I do that…it’s so much easier to hear your mistakes because your brain will automatically fill in missing words, etc.). I’m looking forward to doing that.

You know, now that I’ve written out everything that I’m doing, I find that I’m tired. Maybe I should take a breath! Hahahaha! And a nap!

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

Thanksgiving 2021

 

        Hello, gentle readers! Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday!

        I know I did. This author (and DH) left their comfort zone for a few days (we are not seasoned travelers though I’m better than the DH) and went to Texas to spend the holidays with our son and his girlfriend. It was the first time in over thirty years that I did not cook (though I did bake…I had requests for my ‘knock your socks off’ cheesecake and ‘tickle your tongue’ deviled eggs).

        So, I assumed, when we got off the plane, that it would be a rather quiet family dinner with some of their friends. Boy, was I wrong! The DH and I got the biggest, best surprise. My son and his girlfriend, unbeknownst to us, made arrangements with DH’s brother (whom he hasn’t seen in almost 18 years) and his wife to surprise us with a visit.

We were both blown-away, not only seeing them come strolling into the yard, but because my son and his girlfriend love us enough to make it happen.

        It couldn’t have been more perfect!

        I will admit, I cried when I saw them. And I cried a little more later on…actually, I got misty-eyed several times over the course of a few days (which is so unusual for me!). Some of those tears were from laughing though because we laughed a lot, so much so that my ribs are still sore!

        Dinner was fantastic (oh my gosh! So much food!). My son smoked a turkey and his girlfriend roasted one in the oven (she injected it with Cajun spices and it was fabulous!). Tried, for the very first time EVER green bean casserole. I liked it. And stuffing made with hot and sweet andouille sausage (with bits of apple and walnuts), which was so good I had seconds.

        To finish off the week visiting Texas, I got a pedicure (my first one in two years) and then we took a cruise on the lake at sunset. So lovely (and yes, a little cold…colder than Phoenix!).

        We are home now and back to the usual routine. The dogs are happy to see us (my wonderful neighbors took excellent care of them), but they seem to be leery every time I leave the house now. It’s okay though. They’ll have forgotten by the time next Thanksgiving rolls around. Not sure if this is a new tradition, but I’m game if it is. 

Stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

Losing Track of Days

 

        Hello, gentle readers! 

My apologies for being absent. In all truthfulness and toward a degree of transparency, I fully admit that I am losing track of days.

How can that be? I have a calendar on my computer. In fact, the date shows at the bottom of the screen and never goes away. I have a wall calendar hanging up that I can plainly see. I have a day job that goes from Monday to Friday and there specific things that I do each day (Wednesdays I meet my boss for signatures though lately, we’ve been meeting twice a week…maybe that’s what’s throwing me off. I don’t know) so how can I have missed posting on this page.

The plain, simple fact is it seems to be happening quite a bit. Case in point: last Wednesday (and I was well aware that it was Wednesday as I was planning to run out for said signatures), I wished my workmates a happy Tuesday. I know! Crazy, right!

In my defense (though I’m not sure I have one), I have been busy. I’ve been working so hard finishing my current work in progress. It’s been a story full of fits and starts (as you know), but as I mentioned before, I am on the downward slide.

The day job has been incredibly busy (even for me, who loves diversity in my work and can switch gears in mid-stream). Seems like I can’t catch my breath (or catch up, which is so unusual. My workmates are in the same boat and boy, do we look forward to the weekend, when, of course, we get to do everything we can’t get to during the week!)

Maybe it’s just the fact that the days are speeding by too quickly. Thanksgiving is just around the corner with Christmas not far behind (and wasn’t it just Fourth of July yesterday?). Is that my problem? Am I getting too caught up in the holidays and the passage of time?

Whatever my problem is, I hope to remedy it quickly. I don’t like losing track of days! It just feels too odd! And moving forward, I will do my best not to miss a post.  

Until I get back on track, stay well! Stay safe! And remember to spread kindness wherever you go!

Marie

A Visit to the Vet

             Hello, gentle readers! Hope you are well and staying safe!

        Well, it’s official. I am exhausted. I am covered in hair. And my right arm is an inch longer than my left (my shoulder, however, is still in its socket).

Why, you ask?

I took my girls to the vet this morning for their yearly check-up and shots.

They’re big girls. Very big! Huge!

I have two German Shepherds. Lacey is 119 pounds (biggest girl I’ve ever had…I don’t weight much more than she does). Pepper, my little girl, really isn’t that much smaller. She’s 98 pounds. And they’re both very, very strong (not to mention stubborn, like me).

I am petite—not tall at all, even in my wildest imagination—so when they want to go somewhere different than where I’m leading them…well, they just go. And drag me along— especially in a place like the vet’s office, where there are strange sounds, stranger smells, other dogs…and horror of horrors, cats (don’t get me wrong, I love cats…the girls, however, aren’t too sure).

The upshot is that they’re very healthy and happy (and very sweet…I love my girls) and I don’t have to do this for another year, but seriously, I’m thinking of having someone come to the house, one of those traveling vets.

        For right now, though, I think I’ll take a nap!

        Until next time, remember: No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

Marie