Tuesday Talk

If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive. ~American Quaker Saying

It rained yesterday. Rained a lot, thankfully (but not for long -- just dumped a few bucketsful and headed out). A little thunder, but nothing too bad. It was overcast most of the day, which is a drag, but did we ever need the rain! If I were in charge, I'd have it rain EVERY night between 3 a.m. - 4 a.m., a good, solid, soaking rain. Then clear and pleasant.

Of course humans are notoriously bad about being grateful (we're happiest, I think, when we have something to complain about), so maybe a day of bad weather now and then would be in order to make folks happy about the sun.

LOL...

Yesterday, Tori asked: Is it nice having your mom back?

Of course! It's been interesting, though, because it both feels as though she never left AND that incredible amounts of things have changed since she left. It's been a rough few weeks getting her all settled in, but I think it's finally happening.

Maria Zannini commented on the Milkweed Tussock Moths: It almost looks like you can use those caterpillars as scrub brushes.

I think they are one of the coolest pillars I've ever seen. I liked the Luna moth pillar we found, too, but mostly because it was SO HUGE. But the tussock moths almost look like something you could keep as a family pet.

As an aside, this is a Luna moth pillar:



And this is a Luna moth:



And they are one of the pillars I discovered that I could raise indoors if I wanted to -- I can even buy babies. It's very tempting, as they are no longer as numerous (and are even considered endangered in some areas).

And Brandy said: Sorry to ask so many questions.

You don't! If I sounded frustrated yesterday, it's because I am frustrated over the lack of pillars. I get very angry sometimes about big agriculture's lack of consideration about the health of our country: people and critters. It's one of my "hot buttons". Pesticides, herbicides, GMOs (like corn that makes its OWN pesticide so bugs that eat it die... what happens when WE eat it?) ... big ag and I are not on good terms. And I really think they are largely to blame for our current honeybee crisis and the declining numbers of so many good bugs.

Okay, end rant again, lol. Told you it was a hot button. On to other stuff...

It's only a month before DD starts school. This whole "back to school" thing is new to me. I have to check her wardrobe and make sure she has enough of the right clothes to wear. I need to get a list of school supplies to buy (on a side note, I went to Staples last week and scored HUGE on their sale: cap erasers for $0.01, ball point pens for $0.01, two reams of paper for my printer for $0.25/each and more).

She's nervous. Excited, too, but fear of the unknown is worse. I think she's going ot enjoy it. She's going to do one sport (I think team sports are awesome for kids). Depending on what they have, she'll do soccer or volleyball (her choice -- *I* think she should do basketball ... that was my sport, and she's so tall she'd be perfect). They have art, drama, and more. I'm excited, too.

For now, though, it's time to wake the house and start my day for real. Have a great Tuesday!

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You Are Plucky and Brave

You enjoy variety and new challenges. You're always looking to shake things up a bit. You are deeply emotional. You are a very soulful person, and at times you're downright fiery. When you want to get your way, you're assertive and gusty. You are a good actor, even when you're not feeling brave. You are easily excited and inspired. You are engaged with the world in many different ways.

The Train Oracle

About 50/50...

===============

The Weekend Recap

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. ~Terri Guillemets

Happy Monday!

My blogging may be sporadic the next couple of weeks. Not only is my mom staying here until her apartment is ready, but DH is taking of next week, so things will be crazy. I should hopefully be back to normal (or what passes as normal for me *G*) July 11th.

Friday, Dru asked:

Is your mom living in the same place she lived before moving out west?

No. She lived with us before, in an apartment over our garage. When she moved, we totally renovated it, including some structural changes and it's not really usable (or available -- it's DD's school room, craft area and my office) now. She's getting her own real apartment thins time (complete with two pools -- one indoor, one outdoor, which THRILLS DD).

At DD's new school, do they wear uniforms?

No, though they do have a very strict dress code. I'll be honest, I wish they DID have a uniform. It would make my life a million times easier.

I spent the weekend reacquainting my mom with the area (much has changed -- even one road was completely redesigned and moved!) and letting her rest a bit. My DH went out on Thursday night to Kansas City to pick her up and drive her the rest of the way here. It was a marathon trip straight through with stops only for potty breaks and food. They got here Saturday morning, and both were exhausted.

But it's done.

In other news, I took my mom couponing with my on Sunday. We hit CVS, RiteAid and Walgreens. She got her cards for the two that offer them, and I showed her how to find the deals in the flyers and go from there. I gave her two of my UpRewards/ExtraBucks to get her started. She needed Zantac, and I showed her how it was on sale at one place - plus we scored: we HAD a $1 off coupon, but ONE of the packages in the store came with a $2 off coupon attached! She ended up getting it dirt cheap.

She's excited by the prospect and got her own coupon container started (with the UpRewards/ExtraBucks she earned) and is ready to do more.

I'm telling you folks, it's not THAT hard to get stuff for free or nearly so. In fact, at this point I won't "buy" toothpaste unless it's free (and I got two tubes at RiteAid for -$1 this weekend. They were free after UpRewards AND I had a $1 off coupon).

We've also been having a "Leverage" marathon -- we wanted to catch Mom up to speed since the fourth season started last night.

I did discover yesterday that the deer hit my veggie garden. My own fault -- I'd forgotten to put out my milorganite bombs (you put it in pieces of nylon stockings and hang it around the garden... keeps the deer away cuz it STINKS). They ate about 2/3 of my tomatoes down to about 6" high, nibbled my butternut squash and cucumbers about halfway down. I'm most upset about the tomatoes, though they'll bounce back. But they were loaded with blossoms and now ... they aren't.

*sigh*

Worse, I saw my first Japanese Beetles. We call them the advance guard. The first ones that hatch are this dull brown color instead of the shiny, iridescent color of most. It means the "real" beetles will be hatching in a couple of day.

Oh. Joy.

How was your weekend?

=======================

You Are a Performance Based Tipper

You believe that hard work should be rewarded. You always like to recognize a job well done. You are a natural motivator. You propel others into action. You have an unusually high sense of fairness and justice. You give everyone a chance to impress you. You are an empowering influence. You encourage others to be the best they can be.

What Does Your Tipping Say About You?

That's about right...mostly.

================

A Question, Wildlife and Dogs

Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable. ~Plato

I'm doing a random poll today ... okay, I admit it's not THAT random, but still.

Do you think it's believable that grown men in their 20s and early 30s, siblings from a blue collar family, would still rough house? Would you find it odd to see one tackle the other and wrestle on the front lawn? This is outside of physical sports (like football and hockey) where you would expect it.

I'm curious to hear your response.

===========

My battle with wildlife in my gardens has already begun. Around my well pump I have piles of spring bulbs, mostly daffodils and tulips. Two days ago, I went to check them out and found deer prints in the soil and ALL My tulips eaten down to nubs.

*sigh*

And so it begins.

Lest I forget that we do live out in the wild, last night upon our return home from agility class (it was dark) we returned to a moose in our yard. Moose are really, really, really big. Truthfully, unless you've seen one IRL, you can't begin to understand how huge they are.

More, they have pretty much no fear, not of people, cars, dogs... so you sit and watch them stroll away.

They are truly amazing. We haven't had a moose in my yard (that I've seen anyway) for many, many years. I honestly hope we don't again. They're quite intimidating.

=====================

A recipe for disaster: last night as the agility classes were turning over (advanced goes out one door, intermediate comes in another) two of our "reactive" dogs decided to ... um.... react.

One is a pit bull who loves people, likes about half the dogs she knows, but has zero tolerance for other alpha females. Her owner is about 5'2" and the dog is about 70 lbs of solid muscle.

The other is a lab mix, ditto the above. Loves people (in fact one of her favorite people is my DD ... the dog cries when she sees her), tolerates many dogs, but has no tolerance for any kind of bad behavior on the part of other dogs. Her owner is fairly tall (about 5'6") but very slim and the dog is about 90 lbs of solid muscle.

They saw each other, coming and going last night. The pit recognized an alpha female and starting barking, the lab was having none of that and responded in kind. Both dogs dug in and headed for each other, dragging their owners... oh boy. I happened to be close enough to the lab (who I trust completely not to tag me ... I don't know the pit that well, she's pretty new to class), so I grabbed hold of her and helped drag her away. But WOW! It was incredibly intense.

The dogs were all wound up yesterday. I suspect it was because of the rain... they hadn't been able to get their wiggles out during the day. It made for a very interesting class. The busy dogs were busier, the cranky dogs were crankier, the goofy dogs were goofier. Wonder what tonight at the beginning class will hold (aside from me having to push a 80 lb timid Doberman over the walk-it)?

I really do love dogs.

=====================

You Are Regular

You are lively and energetic. You are constantly seeking the new challenges. You are easily inspired and are always coming up with new ideas. You have a lot of enthusiasm. You stay adaptable and flexible. You want to be agile and ready for anything. You are a rule breaker to the extreme. You get a thrill from pushing boundaries and breaking taboos.

Are You Regular or Decaf?

About 75% right ...

===============

I Want My Meme-y

“Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.” - Melba Colgrove

First off ... I gave up on controlling my Google Reader and deleted everything. I'm starting from scratch because the sheer number of unread posts was overwhelming. I did try to visit most of my friends, but if I didn't I'm SO sorry. I'll do my best to not let that craziness happen again.

Now ... moving on.

This is from Groovy. Here's the deal: I'm to answer the following 8 questions made up by Groovy, make up 8 questions of my own, and then tag 8 of you to answer my questions (everyone who's reading ... consider yourself tagged!).

Here are her questions (and my answers, of course!):

1. What do you think are three top qualities to look for in a politician?

This is a tough one for me because ... I don't get political here (which is VERY VERY difficult -- those of you who know me IRL know I have strong political leanings).

1. A belief that government does not exist to take care of people.

2. A belief that problems don't need more money thrown at them.

3. A belief that freedom is the foundation of this country and that the Constitution is not a fluid document.

2. Which do you read more of, fiction or non-fiction? And please give us one awesome book recommendation while you're here...

I probably read more fiction, but it's awfully close. I was just mentioning to my mom the other day that I feel like Tom Cruise's character in Cocktail (remember how he always had a self-help book with him?) because I always have books on nutrition or food near me (though lately, I've had equally as many books on computer software).

Book recommendations?

For fiction: I recently finished "The Search" by Nora Roberts and LOVED it.

For non-fiction: One of the most level-headed authors on nutrition I've ever read is Michael Pollan. I'd strongly recommend reading either (or both!) "In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma".

3. What is your go-to outfit for dressy occasions? Describe it for us!

Um ... I don't have one? I don't HAVE dressy occasions anymore. I do have a plain black skirt that goes with nearly everything when I have to wear something a little more upscale than jeans. I still OWN fancy clothes, but they were all purchased about 40 pounds ago...

4. What song(s) do you want sung at your funeral? Why?

Maybe this:



Or this (but maybe they could say "A Good Woman"?):



Or this (for my daughter):



Or this:



Okay ... seriously, I don't have clue. Maybe I should think about it?

5. What is your favorite way to unwind?

Unwind? What's that? .... :::think think think:::

Um ...

Reading? Weeding? Maybe watching TV? A like a nice long walk early in the morning when no one else is up.

But, honestly, mostly I just don't unwind.

6. Do you think you could live contentedly in a 2 room home (plus a bathroom, of course)? Why or why not?

Okay, growing up I lived for a few months in a tent with my mom, sister, brother and step-dad. We moved up in the world to a tiny little camper with a shed built on.

After that, a 2 room house is a mansion.

Seriously, I think I could pretty much live anywhere and be comfortable. As long as there was a bathroom.

7. What is your all-time favorite breakfast? (Come on now, make us drool!)

Okay ... again, I'm going "um". I'm not a big breakfast person. Growing up, a special breakfast was going to Denny's and getting their Grand Slam breakfast, though my favorite part was having orange juice. That was SUCH a treat.

As an adult, I've gone from Pop Tarts (mmmmm) to cold cereal to fruit smoothies. Really, for me breakfast is a chore. Next time ask me about dinner...

8. And lastly, are you gonna join me in participating in NaNoWriMo this November? (I hope so!)

Heck yeah!!! See:



For those of you who aren't participating in NaNo, but want to support those of us who ARE? Lynn Viehl created these awesome badges -- feel free to grab one:




Now -- my eight questions for anyone who's brave enough to play (please play! I'll come visit if you leave me a comment saying you're playing ... c'mon, it's fun!):

1. What's one of your worst phobias. Why? Give us an example of a time it affected you.

2. What was your first pet? Tell us a story about it.

3. What color would you never paint your bedroom. Why?

4. What's your guilty pleasure on TV? If you don't watch TV, then what's a guilty pleasure you have in general?

5. What's your least favorite household chore? Why?

6. Most embarrassing moment from your youth?

7. The one song that defines your high school years? Why?

8. Summer or Winter? Why?

======================

You Crave Rest

You are realistic about your present and future. You have some work cut out ahead of you, but you also think you're up for the challenge. You see love as companionship. You're the type of person who would fall for his or her best friend. You expect other people to get along with you. You seem to always make instant friends. Your inner child is playful. You can have as much fun as any kid!

The City Park Test

I do crave rest ... not so sure about the rest of it!

=====================

In Which I Answer Questions

It's such a pleasure to write down splendid words - almost as though one were inventing them. ~Rupert Hart-Davis

I've been awful at responding to folks lately, but this morning I feel a bit more on an even keel again. I'll be able to start stalking ... er... visiting your blogs again, I think and I also wanted to answer some questions and respond to some comments that were asked over the past few days.

*

Charity said:

Feel free to throw things at me, but ...

This story is actually finished, so do I really want to change an integral plot point and then have to completely rewrite the entire thing?

Uh, are you going to send it out in its current state? If not ...

**sigh**

Charity and I have a bit of a history where she calls me on something and then challenges me and I grumble and then listen to her. Because, folks, she's an awesome writer.

So, yeah, C you're right as always. *G* It's just that unlike SOME very strange folks (**cough** YOU **cough**), I hate editing. But when it needs doing, it needs doing. Bother.

*

Ceri commented:

Have a friend looking over one of them to see if she can see where I can cut 30K to make it Harlequin length.

And then there's NaNoWriMo (oops, sorry).

Cut THIRTY-THOUSAND WORDS? Holy smokes... good luck with that.

And, you don't live so far away I can't come and smack you for the NaNoWriMo thing. Just saying.

*

MomJane and Dru had similar thoughts:

How do you keep up with everything? I couldn't even begin to remember all the things you are involved in.

I don't know how you do all that you do, but I would be tired and looking for a 48-hour day.

I'm a HUGE multi-tasker and I seldom sit still. I don't find relaxing, well, relaxing. Taking time off is stressful for me. But, I would really like a 48-hour day.

*

Wendi Zwaduk said:

I'm up for doing JaNaNo with you.

YAY!!! I'll make a note of it and send out an invite to the blog when we're ready.

*

Tori said:

Cleo Coyle also writes the ghost mystery series I've been reading, just under the name Alice Kimberly. :)

Woo Hoo! That's great, because I really enjoy her voice. Adding her to my list of things to read... eventually.

*

Groovy said:

Hope your school year is AWESOME! What curriculum are you going to use?

We're using Abeka's DVD curriculum. It's fantastic -- sort of cheating, IMHO, but I get the best of both worlds: she'd being taught by a trained teacher AND I get to keep my finger on the pulse of her schooling and stay involved. I even enjoy watching the classes, and will sit in with her now and then.

========================

In other news, I got DD enrolled in the art class for this semester. She's excited. So am I. I think she's really going to enjoy it.

The Y still doesn't have its fall schedule online, so that may be a bust for us. And, I've called and left messages for the leader of the 4H group we wanted to join, but haven't gotten a call back yet. If I don't hear this week, I'm going to call the headquarters again and ask for their help.

AND... the part for my washer came in yesterday. I have a repair appointment for this Saturday. I hope it works, because I do NOT like not having a washer in the house. My SIL has graciously opened her laundry room to us, and though I am very thankful, it's just not the same.

=========================

Your Defense Mechanism is Humor

When life gets you down, you just have to laugh. And that's a very healthy reaction. It's not that you don't take your problems seriously. You do. You just don't let them control you. You are able to make the best of things, even when things look very, very bleak. Some people may consider your sense of humor to be dark, but it has served you well!

What's Your Defense Mechanism?

Hmmm... sort of right...

=====================

Questions

A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor ~Victor Hugo

If you were going to have a reader/review blog for YA fiction, what would you call it?

Why did Nora Roberts release her latest trilogy in trade-sized paperback? So that I couldn't afford to buy it? So that it wouldn't fit on the shelf I have for my Nora books?

What's the difference between partly sunny and partly cloudy?

Why does my dog get sick whenever I take her to doggy day care?

Why is white chocolate called "chocolate"? Even the FDA doesn't consider it to be chocolate (and neither do I).

What are you doing this weekend? And, do you have any questions of your own to add?

======================

You Were Born into the Fire Element

You are an innovative person who values adventure. You believe life is magical. You are brilliant and expressive. You are naturally creative and artistic. You have to watch out for your self destructive streak. You can get depressed and moody. You are honest to a fault, but people find it to be part of your charm. You are entertaining and charismatic.

What Element Were You Born Into?

Huh... well that's about 95% correct. Pretty cool....

============================

Chick Flick or Comedy?

Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home. ~David Frost

A quick post because I woke late and still want to try and write a bit.

I caught my DH watching "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" last night and said, "You're watching a chick flick!"

"It's not a chick flick. I don't watch chick flicks. It's a comedy."

"Chick flick," I crowed.

"Comedy," he growled.

(Aside: I love using funky dialogue tags here... because I CAN!)

So, I post the question to you: Despite the fact that MBFGW is certainly funny, do YOU think it qualifies as a chick flick?

Inquiring minds want to know.

=========================

New review just came through on Google Alerts (aside: Google Alerts, how I love thee) for "A Change Of Heart".

Five angels from Fallen Angel Reviews, who said (in part):

Get ready to savor every moment of this delightful read. A Change of Heart is a page-turner...Marianne Arkins produces a star-studded read I enjoyed immensely. With realistic characters she allows the players to emit love, jealously, betrayal, and a turn of the heart to make all things flow at their own pace. The reactions and justifications of each of them are brought out in a way that threw the reader into the scenes, making one feel a part of it. Heartwarming and wonderfully spun, this story packs a wallop of an exciting tale.

Yay!

==========================

And, now... I'm off to write more for JaNoWriMo. I do believe a super-soaker will be involved in the next scene.

Muhahahahaha...

==========================

Questions Answered!

I'm such a dork... I keep forgetting to answer questions. I'm going to do my darnedest to reply in comments after today, okay? Cuz, I hate it when I go to a blog and feel like MY comment is ignored.

So, without further ado--

Dru asked (in regards to the yellow jacket nest): What does spraying and putting the grass back on do to the nest?

Spraying will hopefully kill anything that comes in contact with the poison, and putting the grass back keeps them from being able to escape easily. I checked yesterday, and nothing buzzed when I wiggled the grass so it seems to have worked.

Amy said: I'm a nudist!

That made me ROFLOL... thx. :-)

Amy said (in response to my comment about the Monarch parasite): Sad on the Monarchs. Will you be involving DD in the process of checking?

Yep, she will. And, the "good" news is, to kill them, you just freeze them. I would imagine it's fairly painless and I don't have to get bloody. Still, it's breaking my heart ahead of time to think about destroying something as lovely as a Monarch. **sigh**

I think I got them all, but if I missed you, I'm sorry. I'll do my best to stay on top of things from now on.

Have a lovely day :-)

Questions Answered!

It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions. ~Author Unknown

To answer a few questions from yesterday:

Allie, "Kitchen Matches" is a short story of about 18,000 words. My previous editor mentioned that Samhain, as a whole, was a bit frustrated that they weren't getting many less-than-novel-length submissions, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Dru, most contracts specify the longest period of time you'll have to wait to have your piece published. For instance, The Wild Rose Press contract states they will have you pubbed no later than one year from contract. Really, it depends on the amount of editing necessary on a piece. My previous editor, Eve, was thrilled because "Liv" was relatively clean and needed little editing. My time from contract to publication was amazingly short. I'd like to hope the same will be true of "Kitchen Matches".

Chris, it took Dakota a while to figure out that she had to carry the stick in the middle... watching her get it jammed into the lawn when she had it from one end or the other was amusing, as was watching her try to get up on the deck with it in her mouth, because it is longer than the opening was wide. Ha....

====================

I had a bit of shock yesterday. I decided I was going to buy the movie "Phantom of the Opera" finally. My library's copy was destroyed, and they have another on order, but I wanted it NOW (it was the Andrew Lloyd Webber theme on American Idol that got me going, I think).

So, I went to WalMart first. Looked, but didn't see it. Went to the guy who worked there to ask him if he knew whether it existed in the store or not. This guy was probably about 20 y.o., and going to town with a feather duster.

Anyway... I said, "Do you have the movie 'Phantom of the Opera'?"

He looked at me blankly. And silently.

I said, "You know, with Gerard Butler."

He shook his head. "Never heard of it."

WHAT?? How can you live in the commercial world and not have heard of this show? I saw "Phantom" numerous times on the stage before I saw the movie. I love this show. I couldn't begin to believe someone hadn't at least heard of it. After all, besides being a huge Broadway hit, and a much touted movie, its music was on the hugely commercial hit TV show, American Idol (of course, Jason hadn't heard of "Cats", either. Clearly, we're raising out children wrong).

Color me shocked.

=============================

What Your Front Door Says

You have simple tastes. You like the classic basics, especially when they're done well. Lots of space in your life is very important. You don't like physical or mental clutter.

The Front Door Test

But see... here's the problem with this test: they didn't have my first two choices. ::shrugs:: Oh well!

A Quick Note to Respond to your Comments

Hey all... yes, it's guest blogger day again, so just a quick post. And FYI... in case you didn't catch it, there was just a *hint* of sarcasm in yesterday's post *G*.

Dena said...
That tick is creepy, you sure are surrounded by some creepy bugs,cowbird,cutworms? Never heard of them.

Cowbirds are BAD birds. They lay their eggs in any available nest, kick out the right eggs and then play the year away instead of raising chicks, leaving that duty to the foster parents who have no idea their own children are gone.

Cutworms are equally bad, and can completely wipe out plants from dirt level. We lost an entire row of bushes one year to cut worms. They inexplicably died and when I went to dig them up, a slight tug was all it took -- the roots were GONE.

Amy Addison said...
This is why I adore you: You say things like, "I guess I'd better start pulling my bird-feeders in at night so the bear doesn't grab them" and you're excited by the appearance of a tick (ticks creep me out--they're like subversive little spiders)...as though those are everyday thoughts. :)

You mean they AREN'T everyday thoughts? LOL... they are here. Living at my house with the woods behind us is an adventure. Yesterday, I'd taken the dog out, stepped down from the deck and heard a galloping sound behind me. I thought, "Uh oh, neighbor's dog." when about a foot away, a squirrel dashed by for a tree. I had no idea they made so much noise when they ran. And, I am truly pleased he didn't mistake ME for a tree!

groovyoldlady said...(in part)
I took the quiz and they said that I was braindead. I just don't get it!

Hey. I joined Scriptfrenzy for April. Goal? 100 pages of any sort of script.

LOL... you crack me up, as always! And, hey--what about Jason???

Sylvia Dickey Smith said...
Sounds like you're just full of fun Spring ewe's. That and dog poop! It was in the high 80's here today. Ok, I'll shut up bragging!

Uh.. yeah... no sharing your happy southern weather, Syl!!

Have a great day, all!

Where Did that SNOW Come From?

"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." — Lady Dorothy Nevill

I got up at 3:15 a.m. this morning, dopey as all get out... had gone to bed at 9:30 (LATE for me), dog woke me at 1 a.m., took her out, back to bed... struggled to sleep, dog woke me again a 3:15 and I got up. I loaded the LASR pages and reviews, put some wood on the fire, looked outside and saw SNOW(!) and decided I needed to sleep some more. So I laid on the couch with the dog and the cat and drowsed.

I'm still dopey, but I think I might be able to function today.

======================

I'm working on a full read-through of my mystery. Fact is, it's been so long, I've forgotten things. So my working on it yesterday was reading it... therefore, no additional word count. Still, I am moving forward.

=======================

I got an off topic comment on the blog yesterday from DeeDee (who doesn't link her name, so I can't get in touch with her...) who had a question to ask about the romance publishing world. She said this:

For the past year, a girlfriend (published writer and publicist) has been writing a romance, her great american effort in 1st person, and she received this eMail:

"On page 3 of the newsletter, in the cream colored section, under the headline "The Black Velvet Seductions Wishlist February 2008" the second paragraph reads, "We do not accept any material written in third person. This is incorrect. We ONLY ACCEPT MATERIAL WRITTEN IN THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW. The sentence should have read, we do not accept any material written in first person point of view. Sorry for the error."

Why is romance the only genre mired in the tarpit of such pedantic rules? If the genre is to earn respect, shouldn't it treat works as literature instead of mere commodity? Could you dedicate a blog day to this topic?

Folks, I'm too busy to write an entire post about this, but I'd be willing to be that one or two or ten of you could think of something to say. Please do so in comments, would you?

I'll give you my two cents here: First off, a publisher is absolutely entitled to decide what they will or will not accept for publication. Period. This is certainly not exclusive to romance.

Second, some romance publishers WILL accept and happily publish well-written stories done in first person POV (The Wild Rose Press is one), so don't blame the rejection from one company on the entire business.

Third, I suspect *most* readers are used to third person. That's typically what we get when we open a contemporary romance novel. It's possible that the publisher is only trying to make certain that their customer base is satisfied.

Okay... I'm done for now. If I think of anything else, I'll post it in comments.

The floor is open.

=========================

Only seven days until "One Love For Liv" is published.

Squeee...

=========================

I spent ten minutes trying to find a quiz I hadn't taken, and struck out... looks like my daily quiz may be a thing of the past. You'd thing with ten gazillion people out there, someone would be making a quiz every day.

Sorry folks.

Finished!

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see. ~John Burroughs

I wrote 968 words yesterday and have finished my short story, "Kitchen Matches". Phew!! I was so worried, and I didn't know how I wanted it to end. I hope it's believable that the H/H fell madly in love so fast, as I'm not a big fan of that particular plot point, but it seemed to be what the characters wanted.

So... 12,658 words long. And I'm sending it off to my wonderful writing buddy shortly to tear apart. If it doesn't work, she'll let me know.

Just wanted to celebrate.

Note to Dru: You asked me, "After you've finished with the two writing challenges, what do you do with the stories? Do you send it out to publishers?

My answer? Sometimes.

My 2005 NaNoWriMo novel is the one recently contracted by Samhain. It needed much editing prior to submission, but NaNo helped me get down the bones -- a sh***y first draft (to quote Anne Lamott). My 2006 NaNo novel was finished, but just didn't work for me. I didn't like the heroine. And if I didn't like her, it's doubtful a reader would. BUT, I loved my hero, his roommate and a few other secondary characters. I even loved the town I created. So I'm giving him a new lady (A cat lady, to be precise) and he will once again star in my 2007 NaNo novel, with a working title of "The Cartoonist and the Cat Lady".

This short story I just finished will be submitted to The Wild Rose Press. I think it's a good story, and I want to share it. Do I submit them all? No. But I don't ever completely abandon something. There was a reason I liked it, so I just have to dig around until I find it and then use that particular thing in another piece of writing.

And that was probably far more than you wanted to know!!

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I just got my second round of edits for Liv, so I'll be working to get those out by the end of October (pre-NaNo... my editor **waves to Eve** is very understanding about my desire to NaNo, so is helping to work around that. I owe her flowers and chocolate--deep, dark chocolate). Don't know what I'm going to work on for Sven today -- instead of one of my novels (I've been away from them for a bit, so would really have to reaquaint myself, and I don't know that I want to do that for only 8 days of work), I may pull out one of my many unfinished short stories and see what happens. 8000 words on a short or two could be a big deal!

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There's a new contest starting today at LASR Romance Reviews -- the author we are interviewing tomorrow has donated THREE things for the weekly giveway! What a lovely lady. And, psssttt.... one of them is an AUTOGRAPHED book!

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What Your Halloween Habits Say About You

The scariest thing on Halloween is you! You definitely don't want any kids in costumes crossing your path - and you're willing to scare away any who do. You like to think of yourself as naughty. But compared to most people, you're actually quite mild. Your inner child is open minded, playful, and adventurous. You truly fear the dark side of humanity. You are a true misanthrope. You're prone to be quite emotional and over dramatic. Deep down, you enjoy being scared out of your mind... even if you don't admit it. You are picky and high maintenance. If you wear a Halloween costume, it's only when you really feel like it. And it has to be perfect.

What's Your Halloween Personality?

Okay, some of this is true. I DO fear the dark side of humanity -- deeply. I do tend to be emotional and dramatic, lol. I don't think I'm naughty, tho. And high maintenance? Ha. Not even. My DH tells me regularly that he's glad he's married to me and not to most other women because I'm easy to deal with.

You?

Top Eleven Reasons...

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. ~ William James

I saw this at Leigh Michaels' website and had to share:

THE TOP ELEVEN WAYS NOT TO FINISH YOUR BOOK

11. Read every book and magazine article ever published on how to write. Buy every tape. Make notes. Cross-index. Memorize all the rules. If you break one, you’re in big trouble.

The fact: Many how-to books are crammed with great ideas and information, but someone else’s methods aren’t a magic carpet to success. Try what the author suggests--and then keep what works for you and ignore the rest. The right way is whatever works for you, and you can judge that by looking at whether you’re making progress toward your goal and enjoying your work.

Learning about writing is fine, and if your work loses its pep, reading a how-to book may give you a refresher and get you back on course. But the only way to learn to write is to write. This is a skill, like tennis. You can’t learn to play tennis by watching Wimbledon or reading Sports Illustrated. And you don’t do it by trying once--the only way to get better is to practice.

Ask yourself if your time might be better spent in learning about the subject you’re writing about, or simply in putting your words on the paper.

10. Look for a trend. What’s hot right now? Editors have a secret list of things they’re looking for, and if your idea isn’t on it you’ll never sell.

The fact: By the time a trend appears in the bookstores, it’s usually overripe at the publishing offices. A book hitting the shelves today was written at least a year ago, more often two. Only a rare trend lasts that long.

Beware of writing a book to fit a series, or a trend, or a market listing, if it’s not something you want to write. It’s tempting to try fitting into a line which obviously has some openings right now. But no matter how good the writer, not everybody can write everything--nor should they try.

Especially for your first sale, concentrate on the good solid non-trendy story which will be just as saleable in five years. We hope it won’t take that long, but the fact is it might.

9. Write or call every published author you can get in touch with and ask for help, advice, and the name of her agent. There’s a foolproof combination for success, if only someone will share it with you.

The fact: Actually, there is a pretty-much foolproof combination for success: Study the field, learn how to tell a gripping story about engaging characters, write with the reader and the marketplace in mind, and be willing to do it over and over and over. The short version of that is, put your rear in the chair and write.

There is no substitute for hard work. All the networking in the world can’t get your book written, and you can’t sell what you haven’t written.

8. Plot the whole series before starting to write. You don’t want to set up something in book #1 which will make it more difficult to write sequel #12.

The fact: Getting the first book written and published is tough enough. Plotting several at a time in order to keep all the strings untangled is asking for trouble.

Too much planning is the best way I know of not to write. Certainly you need a blueprint, but you can’t sort out every detail ahead of time. Are you actually writing your story, or only thinking about writing it?

7. Tell everybody who will listen all about your story. They might have some good ideas. Even if they don’t, it’ll make them respect you as a writer.

The fact: With the exception of brainstorming with a trusted individual or group, telling someone your story is a bad idea. The average person’s ideas are almost guaranteed not to be helpful, and talking about the idea often disperses the desire to write it.

Another disadvantage of talking too casually about your work is that for the next two years you’ll have a hundred people asking when your book’s coming out. You won’t like having to admit that the idea didn’t work out after all, or the manuscript isn’t completed yet, or it’s been rejected--so be careful who you invite into your confidence.

6. Research every detail before you start to write. You never know what fact you may want to use, so you’ll have to know everything about the historical period, the place, and the background. That goes for your characters, too. If you don’t know all about their past, how can you tell their story?

The fact: Certainly we need to know the basics about the historical period, the place, and the characters before starting to write. Some mistakes are so huge that there’s no fixing them once the story’s started, and the only option is to throw it all away.

But once you have the basic background, stack the research books under your desk, prop your feet on them, and start writing. If you’re stuck for a detail, you can look it up. It’s easier to fill in gaps in your knowledge than to learn everything there is to know about the subject.

That goes for your characters, too. Let them tell you some of their history as you go along. You may be surprised at what they come up with.

5. Polish the first chapter till it’s perfect before you begin the second one.

The fact: This is the best way I know to lose momentum. By the time you’ve got chapter one glossy enough to satisfy, the odds are you’ll have lost interest in the rest of the book--or forgotten entirely what you intended to happen. Besides, you can polish your writing till there’s no sparkle or life or originality left in it.

4. Never stop questioning. Maybe your other idea, or your alternate plan, was better. Don’t be surprised if after you write three chapters, you conclude another story idea shows more promise. Go for it!

The fact: Every writing project hits a spot, about a fourth of the way into the work, where the idea suddenly seems stale, the plot illogical, the conflict dull, and the entire story impossible to finish. Sometimes that’s true, and the book is better off left on the scrap heap as an offering to the Patron Saint of Plots. More often, though, it just means that the honeymoon’s over. If you push on through this rough spot, you’ll probably find your enthusiasm coming back.

You don’t learn to write a book by writing a synopsis, or even a partial. You don’t learn to write a book by entering the first chapter in contests. You learn by slogging through the whole process from Chapter One to The End and then figuring out what worked and what didn’t so you can apply the lessons next time.

3. With every paragraph, ask yourself how an editor will react to your work. Is there a way to make this sentence better? Clearer? Closer to what she’s looking for?

The fact: Writing’s an art, editing’s a craft. Writing’s creative, editing is practical. Writing is right-brain, editing is left-brain. Nobody can do them both at the same time and do justice to either. When you’re editing, you’re not being a writer. When you’re polishing one sentence, you can’t be thinking about what fragment of the story should be in the next sentence.

The temptation which goes along with this for me is to wait till it’s all clearly in mind before trying to write it down at all--so I can get it just right the first time. That just leads to lost days, because things don’t get plainer the longer I think about them, they get fuzzier. But it makes a great excuse not to write.

2. Wonder if readers will think your sex life actually includes the things you write about.

The fact: They will. But they usually won’t ask.

What’s worse, people who don’t read your books will believe your sex life actually includes the things they think you write about--and their imaginations can run pretty wild. Learn to live with it. Or else ask them how many murders their favorite mystery author has committed.


And the grand prize winner: 1. Wait for inspiration.

The fact: Every once in a while, a writer gets an adrenaline rush where ideas fly and paragraphs write themselves and life is grand. But those times seldom produce a quantity of work, and they don’t come frequently enough to make a would-be writer into a professional. The pro goes to work, whether she feels like writing or not. Often, after she’s been there for a while, inspiration pokes its head through the clouds. But even if it doesn’t, in the end it’s literally impossible to tell which paragraphs came in a flash of light like the Ten Commandments to Moses, and which ones the author sweated over and rewrote eighteen times.

The top eleven ways not to finish your book. Get bogged down in method instead of story, try to edit and sell the book before it’s written, focus on the market instead of the story, delay the writing process till it feels just right, question yourself at every turn--and you’ll end up being a successful non-writer.

I’ll practically guarantee it.

Okay... with a show of hands, how many of you have done one or more of these things? Me, too.

My worst offender used to be number five: Polish your first chapter before moving on. Not having a perfect opening used to make me nutty -- I'd work and change and polish and change and polish... ARGH.

I must be learning, though. I don't get stuck in these too often anymore.

Anyone have big plans for the weekend? I'm just going to work out in the garden between thunderstorms...

Pamela S. Thibodeaux's Virtual Tour & the QOTD

“What is difficult is the promotion, balancing the public side of a writer's life with the writing. I think that's something a lot of writers are having to face. Writers have become much more public now.” - Kazuo Ishiguro

Remember yesterday I mentioned a nifty new marketing idea? Well.... it's the Internet Virtual Book Tour. How cool is that? Here's how it all began:

When "Miles From You" was released, I started really thinking about promotion. Though it was "just" a short story, I felt that I could learn a lot from marketing it. Each of my stories has sold successively more copies and I imagine that the latest one is no exception.

While searching the world over for inexpensive marketing ideas, I stumbled across a fellow Wild Rose Press author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux, who has embarked upon a Virtual Book Tour for her book, Tempered Dreams. The idea intrigued me, so I asked her about it.

First off, since she has authored more than one published book, I asked what other types of marketing ideas she's tried. She replied:

"Banner exchanges, interviews, listing my books at every free site I can find - though I've probably missed 1000's. Since Tempered Dreams is actually a reprint, I haven't solicited new reviews from any online review sites, however some have been posted. Here's a review from a reader, Lucille Robinson, on her blog. I've posted press releases and done book signings and speaking engagements. I mail out mall flyers with my bills and hand them out wherever I can and I talk to everyone I can when possible about my books!"

So how does she like the Virtual Book Tour so far?

"So far the book tour has been great and the questions interesting and challenging. As for sales, I have no way of knowing yet, but I believe what the Bible says about God blessing the work of our hands and giving us the power to create wealth. He also promises that if we commit our works unto Him that He will direct our steps and make straight our paths. Therefore only good can come out of this tour."

I firmly believe that online marketing is the wave of the future, and find the idea of a Virtual Book Tour fascinating. Pamela is hoping to have a spot somewhere in the virtual world for every day of the month and this is her schedule for May (of course, she's HERE today!):

May 1 - Writing on the Edge
May 2 - Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion
May 3 - The Book Peddler
May 4 - The Writer's Life
May 8 - Night Owl Romance
May 11 - WOW! Women on Writing
May 15 & 16 - Virtual Book Tour de Net
May 17 - Alison Kent's Blah Blog
May 21 - Over the Hill Boomer Chick
May 23 - Mary Emma's Potpourri of Writing
May 25 - Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion
May 29 - Conversations with Writers
May 30 & 31 - Families.com

So… support the tour and help pass the word. And, if you get a moment, head over to Pamela's blog and tell her hello and happy birthday… that's right. She's celebrating her birthday today, so send her a virtual piece of cake.

Even better: In conjunction with the tour she's offering a 25% discount coupon off of any Tempered title. Simply email her with "Virtual Book Tour Discount Coupon" in the subject line and she'll send the coupon with instructions on how to redeem.

In the meantime, I have to admit that her "Tempered" series sounds fascinating. If you like to read inspirational novels, maybe you should give them a try.

Hey Pamela, thanks for letting me pick your brain!

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Moving on...

I find that most men would rather have their bellies opened for five hundred dollars than have a tooth pulled for five. ~ Martin H. Fischer

A couple weeks back, I had to cancel my DD's dentist appointment because she had a cold. I finally rescheduled for this coming Monday (we were on the cancellations list) and when I got off of the phone to tell her, she cheered.

Cheered.

She WANTS to go to the dentist.

Now, I'm not dentist phobic, and am a little anal about my teeth (I can trace this back to my braces years when the orthodontist showed me that picture of the gross yellow teeth with the white squares in the middle because the person with braces didn't brush well), but I don't cheer when I go to the dentist. I have VERY temperature sensitive teeth, and they can never seem to remember to not spray that ice cold water directly on them. Why can't they have room temperature water in that little squirter???

So, this leads me into my Question of the Day:

Do you like going to the dentist? Hate it? Never go? Are religious about your every-six-month cleaning? Tell me your best or worst dental story.

Have a wonderful weekend!

I'm A Winner!

These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. From each of them goes out its own voice... and just as the touch of a button on our set will fill the room with music, so by taking down one of these volumes and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart. ~ Gilbert Highet

I am SO excited... I opened my email yesterday and found this:

Congratulations! You've won a copy of Return to Winter.

I entered Lynette Rees HEA contest at her blog last week (I included it in my list of contests... did you go enter?) and won a copy of her book. Woo! It sounds really interesting and I can't wait to dive in.

I got a comment from one WordPress blogger yesterday who said my comment ended up in her spam folder. The frustrating part of this is -- these are places I comment at regularly. Why am I suddenly spam now? URGH. And... why is it that they block me, but they don't block the real spam? I often wonder what their filtering requirements are.

I got about 600 more words written on my mystery. My poor heroine just got to see her first (and hopefully her last, in her opinion) "floater". Ugh. I'm not certain I'll make my goal of 30,000 words this month, but I'll come close. AND, I really like the ladies I'm working through MayNoWriMo with. They're talk of doing it again next month... Hmm....

Yesterday's question was fun! I'm amazed at the wide variety of tastes. Many of you went with the norm: pepperoni. There were a few Hawaiian pizzas (which I can NOT stand... I don't like sweet meat, and I'm a fruit purist). My faves? Anno's and Melissa's... yum.

Melody commented on the fact that I can check out so many books from my library. And it got me thinking... My "home" library allows unlimited books to be checked out, but does restrict DVDs. The next closest library I go to only allows you to checkout 12 books (this drives me crazy and is why my DD now has her own card). But the biggie ... the one I talked about yesterday, has NO restrictions. If I can find enough books that interest me that I haven't read, I go a little crazy. Typically, I can read 3-4 books a week on average, usually even more, so I need to have many on hand.

I can remember bumping in to my neighbor at the library a few weeks ago, and he checked out one book.

One.

I can't even begin to imagine.

So... what about you?

How many books do you check out at the library during your visit? And, if your library restricts the number, then make believe they don't -- how many WOULD you check out if you could? Why?

Oooh... while I was puttering around last week checking out promotion ideas, I came across an interesting one. One of the Wild Rose Press authors is using it, so I pumped her for information. I'll be posting it tomorrow, if you're interested.

Happy Friday!

Booking it Bookless

“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.” - Robertson Davies

It's time once again folks...

Booking Through Thursday

It happens even to the best readers from time to time… you close the cover on the book you’re reading and discover, to your horror, that there’s nothing else to read. Either there’s nothing in the house, or nothing you’re in the mood for. Just, nothing that “clicks.” What do you do?? How do you get the reading wheels turning again?

Once, I drove to a library about 45 minutes from here because they have the absolute best selection of paperbacks. I must have checked out fifty books and brought them home. And yet, when I dumped them out, there wasn't one I wanted to read.

The thing is, I don't own a ton of books. There aren't THAT many I love to read over and over, and the only reason I'll purchase a book is if it's a keeper. I usually read from the library first and then go buy. I did this recently with "Enchanted, Inc." and the series. I read the book and loved it -- so promptly jumped on my computer, headed to Amazon and bought all the books in the series.

So, when I put down the book I'm reading and find that nothing in my TBR pile interests me, what do I do? I head for my old favorites. If a book is really good, then reading it hundreds of times doesn't make it any less so.

I am never without something to read, even if it's "just" an old friend.

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Yesterday I was contemplating dinner. We'd had thunderboomers off and on all day long complete with tornado warnings. Um, I'm not in Oklahoma or Kansas, folks. I'm in NEW HAMPSHIRE. This is not the home of tornadoes.

Anyway, I hadn't really given much thought to dinner, so considered making a pizza. This can be a challenge in my house (like all meals, really). My husband prefers a thick crust pizza topped with every meat known to man. God Bless DiGiorno for coming out with their "ultimate" pizza -- four different kinds of meat.

I, OTOH, prefer thin crust veggie. Bell peppers, olives, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms... mmmm... my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

DD, OTOH, prefers a pizza made with pesto sauce and just cheese.

I wasn't up to making three pizzas last night, so we had something else. But this leads me to my QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What's your favorite kind of pizza (including crust and sauce)? Are there some ingredients you can't do without? Are there any that would make you throw an otherwise perfectly good pizza away?

Let me know in the comments and have a wonderful day!

Super Choices

I feel about airplanes the way I feel about diets. It seems to me that they are wonderful things for other people to go on. ~ Jean Kerr

I finished editing my next story with The Wild Rose Press yesterday, with the exception of the last page -- the story builds up to this moment, and the editor believes that I let the reader down a bit with how it's handled. Honestly, I agree with her. But because it is such an important scene, I want to make certain I handle it right. So I set it aside to work on when I'm nice and fresh.

Several folks have asked me whether or not all of my short stories will eventually be available in a print anthology. I have no idea -- but think it would be a great idea. I'll have to pose it to Rhonda and RJ.

A couple days ago, my best friend since forever (we met in ninth grade -- 1980, YIKES!) who lives in California sent me a card. I'd sent her an email bemoaning the fact that circumstances arose to stop our attempt to move out to Washington state. I haven't seen Cathy in six years and miss her terribly. The card had a picture of an adorable dog on the front, and inside said, "If I could fetch you, I totally would."

I don't fly anywhere on vacation because I can't (all right won't) take my dog, and she's never been boarded. She's big, so would have to take the trip in the baggage hold, and I've read the mortality figures for that. I'd buy her a seat for herself if I could, but people are funny about dogs. I'm telling you, I should start my own "pet friendly" airline. Anyway...

Some time ago, I read a question that pertains to this situation (sort of, bear with me) and I present it to you as my QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What superpower would you choose and why?

I think I'd like the ability to teleport myself anywhere in an instant. I thought about super strength or speed or bouncing bullets off my chest (or my magic armbands, LOL) and I contemplated the "Heroes" powers. Some are pretty cool -- and, of course if I could I'd be Peter Petrelli and just absorb them all, but that isn't an option here (because I said so, that's why).

If I could teleport anywhere, I could go visit folk or places with ease. No worrying about lost baggage or missing flights or crashing planes. And I could meet for a few hours every week or whatever, so wouldn't have to worry about the dog. I seriously think teleporting would be an awesome power to have.

What about you?

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Incidentally, the votes on eating in bed yesterday:

Those who do frequently: 5
Those who never do: 4
Those who do occasionally: 1

So it seems eating in bed is more common than I thought!

Edits and Eating

“Being married means I can [break wind] and eat ice cream in bed.” - Brad Pitt

I've been working both on my MayNoWriMo story (I'm behind... BUT I did get just over 1400 words written yesterday) and working through edits on my next short story, "Magic".

I really love my editor (sending XOXOXO's to Leanne) because she challenges me to excel. Apparently, I'm learning stuff pretty well, because I'm not getting caught on the things pointed out before, so that's good. But, it seems as though I'm finding new and exciting things to do in their place.

This time through, she said one thing that stuck in my brain: "look" and "walk" are first draft words. When you polish your story, use something more descriptive. She's right -- both look and walk are just begging for adverbs, aren't they? Don't do it! You character mustn't walk quickly, she should march. Nor should she walk slowly, she should drag her feet.

She also pokes at me to make things more interesting and specific. My characters didn't just go to a restaurant, they went to a quaint family restaurant with an outdoor patio. And they didn't simply order food, they requested two of their appetizer combos, with a side of steamers.

Moving on...

Yesterday, I headed over to Charity's blog where she mentioned carrying pie to the bedroom. I asked, "why are you bringing pie to the bedroom?" and she responded, "To snack on in bed, doesn't everyone eat in bed?"

That got me to thinking... and I decided once again to post a Question of the Day (did you hear the trumpets in the background when you read that? Dum-dum-dum-DUM!):

Do you eat in bed? Why or why not? And if so, do you have something that you WON'T eat there?

I don't eat in bed. I never have. Of course, part of this may be because I've never had a TV in my bedroom -- and I'm willing to bet most people who eat in bed watch TV. Oh... I just remembered: way back when (1987, yes I remember the year because it's the first and only time I'd ever purchased a brand new vehicle) I lived with my grandma for a while... and I'd eat in my room. Because it was a mobile home, my room was tiny and I had no choice but to eat on my bed. And, yes, that is the last time...

So -- what about you? C'mon, give it up. And if you have a question you're dying to have answered by the tens of people who read this blog, leave it in your comments.

Have a great day!

What Do You Do?

“The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.” - Sydney J. Harris

The other day, Charity wrote a blog post at The Wet Noodle Posse about what she does to relax... and it got me to thinking -- what do YOU do?

I love to weed. Most people think I'm a little crazy, but I really do enjoy it. There's something very satisfying about cleaning out the clutter in the garden and leaving the plants I love plenty of space to grow. I enjoy doing a thing that has a visual result -- where I can stand back and see that I've accomplished something. And, when I'm by myself weeding, my thoughts can drift. I get a lot of brainstorming done when I'm out in the garden. It's a good time for me.

So, what do you do to relax? Where's your best place to brainstorm?

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A quick aside: If you read "Miles From You", would you mind terribly going to the Wild Rose Press site and leaving a review? Thanks!