Vegas, Baby! 10-19-10

All right.  Today we leave for our long anticipated trip to the bright lights of Las Vegas! 

I love Las Vegas - for a couple of days.  We used to go every year, sometimes twice in one year.  It's been two years since we went last, due to the economy.  But this year I didn't go to RWA Nationals or the NINC Conference, so I had travel money saved up.

We're packed and ready to go.  I've got housesitters/dogsitters coming.   This time we are staying at the Monte Carlo - a first for us.  We've stayed at NewYork, New York, the MGM Grand, the Venetian (my fav!), the Mirage, and the Luxor.  Some of those more than once!

I had a lovely rejuvinating weekend last weekend, recharging my creative batteries.  I got the idea for my next proposal (it's a Nocturne!), and even started the first chapter.  Now, hubby and I are ready to go play!

 See ya Monday!

(Sorry about the blurry pics!  They were all I could find from my last trip in 2008)

Wednesday November 17, 2010

More pictures from the retreat.  These will all be group shots and if you're on Facebook, they are posted to my page.

Me and Angi Morgan, who writes for Harlequin Intrigue

Me and Regina Richards, my roomie.

 A bunch of us at dinner the first night.

Breakfast in the breakfast barn on Saturday morning.

Again, dinner the first night.

Dinner the second night at the fabulous Storybook Cafe

 More dinner at the Storybook Cafe

Monday, November 15, 2010 Back from Retreat

I had a very nice writing retreat this weekend.  I was able to figure out the next Nocturne, work up a rough synopsis, plus write nearly 2000 words on the actual book. 

I stayed in an converted railroad car.

It was very rustic, very beautiful, and I loved it there.    My room mate and I made a 'no speaking ' rule for designated writing times, which totally worked for me.  At one point Saturday I took a walk around the place and visited the animals.  There were all kinds - horses, goats, a pig, a sheep, a calf, a turkey, rabbit, pigeon, and geese.  There were rolling hills and trees and walking paths.  I could have stayed there longer.

In the woods, I discovered a chapel.  It must be a popular place for weddings - it's called Chapel in the Woods.

The morning I left, it was 32 degrees.  I walked outside in the foggy morning and startled a buck and two does in the meadow.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera ready.

I did get a shot of this guy though.  He's one bird that doesn't have to worry about Thanksgiving.

Powerful Magic!

It's up, it's up!  Powerful Magic, the first book in my magic series that was originally published in 2001, reprinted in 2005, and hit number one on the Amazon.com Bestseller List, is now available for Kindle!

http://www.amazon.com/Powerful-Magic-ebook/dp/B004BSGGDC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1289572842&sr=1-1

I got the rights back to this one and put it up on Amazon myself!  I'm working on getting it up for Nook next.

Tuesday November 9, 2010

This weekend I'll be attending a writing retreat.  My husband will be staying home with our dogs as I drive about an hour southwest.  My local RWA chapter is putting this retreat on and, though I've been a member since 1989 or 1990, I've never gone.  Also, because the membership constantly changes, I don't know very many of my fellow attendees.  I'll actually be rooming with a complete stranger, which for me is going to be very strange.

As I knew I would, the closer it gets to the retreat, the more nervous I get.  I've already come up with many reasons why I can't go - but I knew I'd do this, so I'm ignoring them.  Truth is, I WANT to go.  My muse needs recharging after finishing this last book, which was one of the most difficult to write on so many levels.  I'm sort of looking forward to getting back to nature, socializing with other people (on a limited basis), and writing.  I have a proposal due December 1st for a Harlequin Nocturne, plus I have this YA idea kicking around, as well as another fiction idea. 

In theory, taking a writing retreat removes all distractions.  No chores, no husband to entertain, no pets to take care of.  Nothing but the paper and pen (or laptop or Alphasmart - I'm bringing all three).  I don't know much about my fellow retreaters, but I'm eager to get to know them.  Maybe make a new friend or two. 

So, I'm counting down the days.  I leave Friday afternoon.  Wish me luck!

Tuesday November 2, 2010

You know, you hear a lot of writers talk about "deadline dementia" and being in the "deadline cave".  While I have gone through this too many times to count - focusing on finishing the book to the exclusion of everything else - this particular book was the worst.

It wasn't working.

No matter what I did.  I rewrote and cut and started over.  Finally, on version 5 (yes, FIVE!), about one month from the book's due date, it clicked.  Please note, on the four previous versions, I had already written enough to have one complete book!  

So here I was on October 1st, with 44 pages that I was able to salvage/rewrite from version 4.  From October 1 to October 31, I wrote like the wind. And worked a full time day job.  And wrote.  I ended up with 263 pages.  I slept, got up, wrote, worked day job, wrote, worked out, ate, and slept again. 

So now, here I am.  Book turned in on time.  I peek my head and look cautiously around.  My house is a wreck.  It needs dusting and mopping and vacumming and polishing.  My office needs reorganizing and I'm trying to learn how to put one of my backlist books up on Kindle (I got the cover done already!)  I need to put up the Halloween decorations, get out the Thanksgiving ones, take one dog for shots, go to the dentist, vote (today is voting day!), pick up a foam roller at Academy sports, etc etc etc.   Plus work.  Yesterday I spent the entire day catching up there.

So I think I actually might be more stressed now by ordinary life than by writing.  At least then, I was lost in the story. 

Monday, November 1, 2010

I'm back!  As promised.  And yes, this morning I hit SEND and sent The CEO's Secret Baby winging to my editor in New York.  That book was probably one of the toughest books to write yet.  Whew.  Big sigh of relief.

Next up, I plan to upload Powerful Magic to Amazon and Barnes and Noble with it's newly designed cover.  I have a Harlequin Nocturne Proposal due 12-1 and I need to think about what I want to write next for them.

Oh, if I haven't posted this (and excuse me if I did - I plead deadline dementia), check out my January Nocturne cover.  It's one of my favorites of all time.