Summer Days

We have an excessive heat warning in effect for today through Wednesday evening with highs of 100 and lows of 75. I know other places routinely hit 100 in the summer. But this is Upstate New York where hundreds of inches of snow are more common than 100 degree temperatures and summer highs are often 75. Not to mention the fact that lots of houses -- ours included -- don't have central air.

You may have figured out that I'm not nearly as excited about this heat wave as Caelin Eve, who gets to spend all day cooling off at the village pool.

Lazy Hazy Sunday

Since I mentioned them the other day, I thought Oinkers and Benny Pig Pig might like to stop by and say "hi."

But they were too busy.


So, I checked with Red Cat






and Colassus. They couldn't be bothered, either.





But Sweetpea, as always, was ready and willing.

My Glamorous Life

Guess what wild and fascinating thing I just did. Give up? I slopped the hogs -- pigs, really. My daughter and her family are away this week and I told my nine year old granddaughter that I would feed Oinkers and Benny Pig Pig. Now, lest you're picturing cute little pet pot belly pigs, let me set you straight. Oinkers and Benny probably top 500 pounds between the two of them.

Next, I get to feed and water my granddaughter's and grandson's bunnies, Snowy and Lightning. They're white dwarf rabbits who live upstairs in the kids' bedrooms.

When that's done I'm treating myself to a trip to the RCS Community to pick up the last two books in Sara Donati's historical series set in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York.

Can you beat that for excitement?

Almost There

No comments from Bonnie at critique group last night. Hmmmmm. So, here it is -- courtesy of my new digital camara -- ready to go out tomorrow. Wish me well.

Two Reads Done; One To Go

Thanks for the encouragement, Melissa.

Things got a little rough yesterday. Well, actually, some of my manuscript was pretty rough. I had to add a scene at the end of Chapter Ten and rewrite the first five or six pages of Chapter Eleven.

But my read through is done, as is Chris' and all the revisions are made.

Wonder what Bonnie has for me. Guess I'll find out at critique group tomorrow.

Page Seventy and Counting

I made good progress yesterday and Chris sent me her comments on the first half. I'm please -- surprised -- at how well it read. But, I know it's the last few chapters that are the weakest. On to those today.

A Mission

I have a mission. Okay, so I really have four thousand two hundred and eighty six missions. But for the next few days, I have a writing mission: reading and editing my Viking historical, Milady Viking. An editor at Cerridwen Press has requested to see the full manuscript. My critique partners Bonnie and Chris are reading, too.

Page 140 and counting.

Attention Historical Romance Readers

I'm toying with an idea and would love some feedback. What would you think of an historical written in chick-lit-like first person?

Busy, Busy, Busy

Whew! Is it ever dusty in here.

I'm knocking down the cobwebs to report that I've been busy. My historical Milady Viking has passed a first read at Cerridwen Press and is with an acquiring editor. Earlier this week, I mailed my chick-lit/romantic comedy Candy Kisses to my Avalon editor. I also just sent a proposal to do a workshop on synopsis writing at the STARRWA conference in September.

Now, I get to wait, wait, wait. To fill the time, I'm working on a single title reunion story — working title Time To Heal.

So, what have you all been up to?

Long Time, No Blog

Like the header says, long time, no blog. I've been taking part in the Nanowrimo.org book in a month challenge. Is anyone else? Let me say right off, I am not going to have 50,000 words by the end of November. But it has prompted me to write every day. That's what I've been doing instead of blogging. Working on my Chick-lit-like romantic comedy. Anyone want to see an except?

Halloween Nails

I have Halloween nails! Orange, black, orange, black, orange. This afternoon, I went to the aesthetics school my son attends and he did them for me as part of his practice requirements. My new nails will be going with my grandchildren and me to a Halloween party at church tomorrow. Then, off to my "Halloween" management meeting at work on Monday. What are your Halloween plans?

Pets and Computers Don't Mix

Yesterday while I was stoppping at Best Buy on my way home from work to buy a new A/C adaptor for my laptop because my daugher's dog Pooh Bear had chewed the old one, my grandkids dog Sweet Pea was knocking the laptop off the couch and damaging the wireless network card and internal connection for the card -- with some help from my grandson, I suspect. I had left the laptop in the cupboard where I store it when I'm not using it.

So last night, I had to dig through all my spare computer parts to find a UBS wireless adaptor. I'm a closet techie. I have boxes of old, spare parts. Then, I spent all evening trying to reconnect to the network, impeded by Red Cat, who likes to sit on the wireless access point because it's warm and disrupts the signal. Yes, I am sure she does it on purpose. Finally, this morning, three adaptors later, I am back online.

Do you have any computer-pet stories to share?

Take Some Time for Romance

I added a tagline to my website: Take Some Time for Romance. What do you think? I considered a couple of others first: Old Fashioned Romance and Where Romance Reigns. What do you think? Better? Worse?

Jean