Heroes

Memorial Day.  Many thanks to all the real heroes and heroines in this world.

The Write Thing

First of all , huge kudos to RWA for rescheduling a massive conference in little more than two days. Amazing. Bless those board and staff members for all their hard work!

Secondly, our hearts go out to everyone affected by the Nashville floods. I am so sad I won't be visiting your beautiful city this year, but I'm certain Nashville will come back stronger than ever.

 Please visit this link Do The Write Thing For Nashville, where agent and editor critiques will be auctioned off to raise money for the relief efforts. Good for them! It's a win-win situation all around.

The romance community, as usual, has a big, big heart.

Do you know of other relief efforts? Let me know!

Pen, Keyboard, or Paper Napkin?

Hubby heard me mention how handy a tiny netbook would be. I run errands. I drive kids. I wait in lines and offices. That is, I lead a life just like the rest of you. A netbook, I informed him, doesn't just hook a person to the internet. You can write on that puppy. It has Windows 7 and everything. And rumor had it those bad boys have an awesome battery life. We should check it out in our spare time. (Pause for a moment of hysterical laughter)

So hubby brought one home Friday night.  I was shocked (why? He's a techno-whiz type person) and thrilled (I didn't have to even offer an opinion on the subject-hurray!) and spent the weekend falling in love with that cute little box. Technology irritates me on a regular basis, as I never know enough to ask intelligent questions or understand explanations, but I love this thing. It has been simple (so far) and efficient and easy to type on.

I still have my piles of notebooks in the car and at home. When push comes to shove and the computer screen feels like enemy #1, I retreat to the comfort of pen and paper. But my aching hands don't appreciate that as much as they used to. Keyboards are just kinder to my fingers.

Does how you write vary? Or do you stick with one location and method? Do you have a notebook or netbook? And does that "no disc drive" bother you at all?

First Book

Do you remember your first book?

Heaven's, I certainly hope not. In a perfect world, our first book would be read to us while we were cradled in our mother's arms, not more than a few days old.

We do not live in a perfect world.  We do, however, live in a world filled with people with very good intentions.

Mission: First Book provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books.

Inspiration: Kyle Zimmer, a corporate lawyer by day, tutored children at an inner-city soup kitchen by night. She discovered that the children she tutored had no books to read. That year, Kyle left her day job, and she and two friends founded First Book to provide new books and resources to the children who needed them the most. They delivered 12,000 books to local communities in the Washington DC area the first year.

Achievement: Now, nearly 20 years later, First Book has delivered more than 65 million books to programs serving children in need across the United States and Canada. 

You might stop by their site and see what you can do to help. You might already help in your own hometown. If not this organization, then you can certainly find a dozen more like it. But this year, do something to encourage the joy and empowerment of reading.  

Happy Easter

Happy Easter weekend!  I hope you all have a chance to spend time with family and friends, and reflect on all the good things that are happening in our lives.

Easter Sunday is a day of hope and joy! (And, fingers crossed, clear skies.)

Are you having ham and deviled eggs? I am, if I can get the eggs out of the shell without tearing them--it's tricky. Any spring holiday favorites for your table?

Red Pens

On Thursday, April 1st (only now as I type that date does it give me pause...), Emily Bryan will critique the first two pages of my second manuscript, To Tempt A Wicked Kiss.  She's been doing these public Red Pencil Thursday critiques for a couple of weeks, and I'm honored and grateful she's taken the time to look over my work. I'm also looking forward to any comments her readers would care to share. Like "I don't understand." Or "Hey, you used the word 'rather' seven times!" Or "I don't understand."

I rather hope my future readers understand my story. :)

Emily Bryan has penned a wealth of Regency works.I love Vexing the Viscount, but I might have a new favorite once Stroke of Genius hits the stands May 25. (And my day job in the schools will just be wrapping up. A coincidence? I think not.) She's also posted a sexy, free novella on her website-A Duke For All Seasons--go catch up here.   The link to her blog has been on my sidebar for a while now. Emily's a font of information concerning all things Regency, Georgian, and romance writing, and generously shares that knowledge with all of us. So if you have a moment, please stop by!

Love critiques? Hate them? What about the benefits of an anonymous judge's opinion vs a treasured critique partner?

Regency, Interrupted

You know when you know how something is going to turn out, and so you go ahead and eat a candy bar, even thought you've been cutting out sugar for a few weeks, but it's rainy and cold and you didn't final in the Golden Heart--- so you go ahead and eat that chocolate?

And then they call you and tell you that you've finaled?

And you say, "But I already ate my 'I didn't final' candy bar!"

Yes. That's the kind of calm, collected, sophisticate that I am.

Now I have to go calm down so I can drive to school and pick up my kids. I'm pretty certain the police won't be impressed by a GH final.

Huge congratulations to the other GH and Rita finalists! :)