Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Wednesday Night Check-in...

Just to tell you that I essentially "checked out" last week. I only accomplished two of my five (I think) goals. And that cake I mentioned when stating my writing goal? Well, considered smeared all over my face now, because I wrote a whopping 1500 words since last Tuesday night--a far cry from my 9k goal. :(

Yes, I know I've been busy--school starting, new job, getting the kids ready for school too...--but geez. I'm pretty bummed that I didn't get more done. I sure hope this week is better. So, that said...here we go.

This week's goals:

  • Reach the 50% mark with my WIP, which means I need 10k this week. Hmm. That's a pretty steep goal, but I'm not going to decrease it. Just gotta try, right?
  • Get ahead on homework (Ch 3 & 4 for DP, Ch 4 & 5 for BM) and rewrite Bio notes.
  • Clean out my bedroom closet.

And that's it. I'm not going to go too overboard only to slack off again and just get deeper and deeper in the hole. :)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Sniffle

Tonight was my first night at the new job. And my piggies are killing me. Okay, my legs in general are killing me. Seriously, I don't think I've been on my feet for nine straight hours in years. Probably since the last time I waitressed and even then I probably sat down for a few minutes to snag dinner or something. Not tonight though. And it wasn't even busy really, but I had to be on my best behavior since I was training with the manager.


Gah. I'm wiped. I'm actually kinda afraid to go to sleep because I don't know if I'll be able to walk in the morning. :( Yeah, I know I'm being dramatic, but *whine* I really hurt. And I really want one of these.

And one of these...





Oh and one of these, too, preferrably at that location.


Sigh.

Friday, August 22, 2008

What?!?!




What a waste of time, taxes, and gas money! Don't get me wrong--I think this chick shoulda paid up, considering she only owed $30 freakin' dollars--but a warrant and cuffs? Come on! (Okay, I'll admit I'm from WI and know people who live where this woman does, so maybe it hits a bit closer on my annoyance radar than it might yours. :P) But...just...gah. How dumb.
Anyhow...news in the world of Jolie is that today is my last day of babysitting for a living! I'm counting down the hours until MARGARITA TIME!! I'm making a pitcher, I'm starting early, and I'm not quitting 'til it's all gone. I might not last that long LOL, but I'm sure as hell going to try. :P

I might also note that my blog may be quiet for the next couple of days as I really get cracking on my goal list and get ready for class again on Monday morning. Not sure what kind of blogging routine I'll fall into after that, but I can't imagine it'll be to different than it is now--just random, completely pointless, vomituous (is that even a word?) purging sessions that don't mean anything to anyone but me. :)

So, have a great weekend and the next time you see me, I'll be gloriously (*looks heavenward*) children-who-aren't-mine free. :P

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Well...

I got a job. As a waitress. In a place that I worked at while in high school and on and off in college. The first time around. :(

Yeah. I pretty much took a step back in time. Heck, I'm even doing the whole college thing again to go right along with the burger-slinging. But, while I'd love to work some place more glamorous--and more fitting to my education--it just wasn't happening. And I can't afford to wait around until something more ideal comes along. My husband thinks it's funnier than hell, but he is seriously glad for the extra money that'll be coming in. Again while I wish the job were a bit better--okay, a lot better--it's super close to home (I could walk if I was ambitious enough) and I'll be making more than I would at an office job, considering tips and whatnot. Oh, and it's part-time, which means...MORE TIME FOR WRITING! Score! LOL

I'll find out my schedule for the next couple of weeks tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed that I get some decent shifts. :)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

This Week In Goals

Inspired by Betty who was inspired by Moira, I'm going to make a point of blogging my weekly goals, probably every Wednesday night. Complicated story, but as of next week, Wednesday will be like my Friday night, which is usually when I really start to dig into writing for the week. So for the purpose of being publically accountable, we'll consider Wednesday night the beginning of my writing week. :) (And, yeah, I know it's only Tuesday right now. I'll get officially on track next week. :P)

So, anyhoo...my goals this week are:

  • Reach 23k in my WIP by Wednesday night. That's 9k in seven days. Cake, I tell ya, cake.
  • Finish crit for CP. I want to finish it before I get bogged down with school, which begins on Monday. DONE!!
  • Get a jumpstart on the group review book this month for Romantic Bites. Um...wait. I think we're reviewing next week, which means I'll have to do more than get a start on it--I'll have to finish it. Eek.
  • Read the first chapters of the books for my upcoming classes. (I know it's not writing related, but, hey, it needs to get done. :P)
  • Email CPs/writing friends whom have been very patiently waiting for responses from me. For like...weeks. :( DONE!!

And that'd be all, I think. I better not add anything else or I'll be setting myself up to bomb my goals on the first week. :(

So, tell me...what goals have you set for yourself lately?

Meet the Cast

I wanted to do this differently. I wanted to be all organized and tell you all about the main characters in my new WIP--you know, all their conflict and their quirks and their shoe size... But, well, I don't know that stuff yet. Which is really odd for me. I'm just kinda flying by the seat of my pants with this and learning more and more about them every time I sit down to write. However, after playing around online yesterday and not writing more than...700 words?...I found nearly perfect pics of my H and h. Okay, so I had something different in mind for the hero (I wanted him to have spikey hair), but then I saw this pic and fell in love. Seriously. I can't stop looking at it. I even printed it out so I could stare and drool. For motivational purposes, of course. :) But anyhow, without further ado...

Meet Bryony and AJ (last names yet to be determined). Aren't they gorgeous? I know, I know...too perfect. But...I'll flaw them up somehow. Maybe Bryony will have a sixth toe or something. And AJ...hmm. How about I give him a forked tongue? Wait, no...that could be considered an asset, couldn't it? ;)

Bryony...

AJ... Eddie (antagonist)...

Ruth (foil/reflective)...

Friday, August 15, 2008

Almost Forgot

I'd like the thank the lovely Moira Keith for her creative genius--my new header. :)

What would I do without you, chica? :P xo

ROFL



Okay, I love this song. But I'm so glad that I didn't see this video until about two minutes ago or I think it would have totally ruined the song for me. 'Course, I was 10 when the song came out and I probably would've thought the video rocked. :P Anyhow, it strikes me as pretty damn funny now. The part where the chick mouths 'I love you' to Eric from the other car and he get's all Dana Carvey/Garth Algar? OMFG. I almost peed my pants. Don't even get me started on the hair...

But seriously, the video aside, I love this song and stole the title of it for my WIP. The title I really liked is already on a Blaze in my TBR pile and 'Make Me Lose Control' is probably out there somewhere too, but I'm not looking or it'll burst my bubble.

ETA: I couldn't quite put my finger on it yesterday, but Eric Carmen reminded me of someone. I finally figured it out!! CLAY AIKEN!!! ROFLMFAO...

Er...

I am hereby suspending '30 Days of Blaze'. I'm writing again and, if you're a writer too, then you know that anything that's not life-threatening gets pushed to the side when the words are flowing.

So, that said...it's back to the WIP for me.

Happy weekend, y'all!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

A Little Fun

Here's a Wordle for my currenty WIP...

30DoB-Day 4

Well, I'm four days in and already behind. In fact, I only read 15 pages of the new book. I have a good excuse though...

I'm totally getting into this new story I have. Actually, I've written quite a bit in the past two days. For me anyhow. And I just don't want to stop for anything. I know I should probably slow down and take my time, make things easier on myself in the long run as far as editting goes, but, damn, this story is pulling me in. I haven't had one fall into place so well in...maybe ever?

So, forgive me, if I get behind on my promised reading. A girl--or rather, a writer--has to prioritize, doesn't she? :)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

30DoB-Day 3

I'm running a bit behind today. I could lie and say it was because the kids had me tied up and pulling my hair out (well, they did have me doing that), but really I just hadn't finished yesterday's book until a bit ago. :( I actually wrote last night instead, if you can believe it. Not a lot. Only four pages worth. But it's not half bad and I'm really liking this new story. I think it has a lot of potential and I can't seem to stop thinking about it. Of course, bad me...I didn't write down any of the ideas I had today. Hopefully they'll come back to me when I sit down to write later on.


But, anyway...on with the show. MY WILDEST RIDE by Isabel Sharpe. Pretty good book. I absolutely loved the heroine, who was probably one of the most flawed heroines (if you really consider mistakes we've all made, in some form, genuine flaws) I've ever read in a Blaze. She had some serious issues and her conflict with them was legit. I would have reacted the same way she did, which I can't say is typical--I tend to get irritated by characters more than I sympathize. I loved the hero, as well, but I felt he lacked in the personal conflict department (heroine aside). His only issue, again, non-heroine related, was easily resolved and really posed no major conflict for him. But, I suppose, Blazes are--or rather can be--more character than conflict oriented. Again...the sex was fabulous, but in a very down-to-earth, normal people kind of way. I loved that, just like I did the last book. It gets tiresome reading about multiorgasmic sex, when, in reality, that's not the norm. Or, at least, if it is...don't tell me. ;)

So, tonight's pick is...(let me go to the pile and grab)...FIRE IN THE BLOOD by KELLEY ST. JOHN.

Ooh, a paranormal. Haven't read a para Blaze in a while and, come to think of it, I don't know that I've ever read Kelley before, so...this should be interesting. Oh, it's about a firefighter, too. What the heck? I really have to get on the stick with my firefighter stories. Or at least the one I've rough drafted already. Sigh.
Anyhow...you know the drill. I'll be back tomorrow...

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

30DoB-Day 2

So far, so good...I'm on schedule still. Granted, I'm only one day in, but, hey, every day counts, right? :P

I finished FLASHPOINT last night, which was really no big feat because it was a very easy read. And pretty good, too. I felt it lacked a bit in the action department--something I took for granted, the book being about a firefighter and an EMT--but the tension, chemistry, and ultimate coming together (pun fully intended) struck me as uber realistic and completely endearing. It was the little things about Zach and Brooke's relationship, like the teasing and the hugs, that sold me. Oh, and the while the sex scenes were hot, Jill never used a single "c" word to describe anatomy, which is a first for me with a Blaze. The sex scenes focused so much on the emotion of those moments that sexual description wasn't even needed, which is the way it's supposed to be. (Making a note to refer to this book when writing my own sex scenes.)

The next book I've pulled, by closing my eyes and simply grabbing is...MY WILDEST RIDE by ISABEL SHARPE.

Oh, yay. I've been meaning to read this one, because, if rumors are true, Isabel and I both live in WI. Okay, I just looked her up and she lives in Milwaukee, which is on the opposite end of the state from me, but I still feel as though we're kindred spirits of some sort. ;) As with today, I'll let you know what I think about the story tomorrow (or maybe this afternoon, if I finish early) and I'll pick my next read.

Monday, August 11, 2008

30 Days of Blaze

I got my new shipment of Harlequin Blazes today. It's the 11th in the my year's subscription, which was the prize I received for being one of three winners in Harlequin's Ultimate Secret contest last September. You can read the entry here if you'd like, but note it's under my real name and somewhere along the way, my opening sentence went missing. :( (FYI...the sentence was--should anyone want to actually read it--"Life as Carmela Winfield knew it--for the last eight months anyhow--was about to end.")

Anyhow, upon stuffing my new books onto my bookshelf, I realized I had A TON of unread Blazes staring back at me. Well, a ton might be an exaggeration...it's actually 32 books and I'm pretty sure I have about 5 tucked in inconspicous places around the house, only partially read, as well. Of course, I have a bunch of other books on my TBR shelf, too, but not nearly as many belonging to the same category or the same genre.

So, taking into consideration that I want to write Blaze (I know I've battled this repeatedly, but I truly think in my heart of hearts this is what I want. If you're someone I've whined and cried about this to--about what my voice is, etc.--I'm sorry. You can slap me if you'd like. *grin*), the fact that I can easily read a Blaze in a day, and that I want to start writing again once I ditch this babysitting gig, it seems like I really ought to get cracking on all of those books, doesn't it? :)

Now, I know I'm notorious for flaking on my goals, but I'm going to set yet another. I'm going to read a Blaze a day for the next 30 days, reviewing them at my whim and/or picking them apart to help sharpen my understanding of the category, which will hopefully make my next, impending attempt at writing more successful.

So--deep breath--tonight I'm going to begin...and hopefully finish...(picking randomly from the pile here)....FLASHPOINT by JILL SHALVIS.


Damn, that's ironic. I was so pissed when I got this book and realized someone was already onto the firefighter series idea I'd had last November with my NaNo story, which would have been the first of three firefighter books. But I've since gotten over my jealousy--I love Jill and couldn't hate her for too long ;) . I know this will be a fabulous book and I can't wait to dig in and let you know all about it tomorrow.

Hugs...

Getting Down To Business. Again.

So, I begin another semester of community college in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!! Holy crap, this summer went by fast. As did all of my goals...that is, they went quickly by the wayside. :( I seriously got nothing done this summer. Nothing. Oh, wait... I did write 11K of a new novel over a weeks time, but I lost interest in that just as quickly as I'd gained it. But, I digress...

I have my stack of new books sitting right beside me and, strangely enough, I'm anxious to dig in already. One might think that I'm so excited because the end is nearing for me. But... I changed my major AGAIN and I have no idea how long it's going to take me to finish now. I'm waiting to hear about my 'graduation audit', which will tell me what I still need. Fingers crossed that I won't lose a whole semester's worth of electives because they don't meet my new major requirements. My husband will have a shitfit if that's the case, because he's more than ready for me to get a job. Which I'm still looking for, BTW, but without much luck.

So, because I have this sneaky suspicious that I'm going to be an unemployed student (and mother and wife) for awhile, I'm guessing I might have some time to write. Hahahahaha. I know. I'm forever saying that, but I never get anything done. But seriously. If all I'm doing is school work and my normal houseslave stuff, I should be able to get something done writing-wise. If I don't, well, then something is just wrong.

Since I don't really want to start reading my new textbooks yet (because that'd be really lame and also because I'll probably forget what I've read in two weeks time), I'm going to pull out my craft books and CDs again to 'refresh' my memory. And that's probably what I'm going to be blogging about for the next couple of weeks, so bear with me. :)

Anyhoo, I must be off. My Monday morning cleaning awaits...

Friday, August 8, 2008

That Damn Indecision Again

So I've changed my layout yet again. That makes about twelve times in the past two days. :( I can never be happy with anything for more than two minutes. Frankly, my husband is lucky to have held my interest as long as he has. ;)

Back to the layout, though... I know it's not all pretty and girlie like one might expect from me, but something about it...calls...to me. The outdoor images remind me of scenes I've seen around here in the fall. And the chair seems very "readerly" to me. And I am a reader as well as a writer (wannabe anyhow). So...we'll give this one a whirl for a bit. See if it wears out its welcome before the day is through...

BTW, I'm trying to come up with a more interesting way of blogging. It may or may not include a schedule of some sort (I know...haha. Me on a schedule. What a joke.). Change is making its way into my life, slowly but surely and I hope that it allows me some more time to play around with things here. I'll keep ya posted...

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Tell Me I'm Beautiful...

:) I stole that directly from Moira McTark's Samhain release Nothing Stays in Vegas, which was great, BTW. I mean, you know you've read a good story when you recall bits and pieces of it and think, "What movie was that from? Man, I've gotta see that again." Er...and it wasn't even a movie. ;)

Anyhow...I have a new blog layout as I'm sure you can see. Way down at the bottom of the page is a link to the fabulous Lena's blog (or you can just click here). She does some great work, but the trick to downloading is having Firefox and doing all of your copying, pasting, etc. in it, as well. As with any free template, there are some glitches. I can change fonts and colors and whatnot as I wish, but I have to log in repeatedly in order to see my 'New Post/Customize/Log Out" bar at the top of the screen. Otherwise...I love it.

And now I'm off to cut the lawn. I'll be back to fix my sidebar later tonight. :)