Read A Good Book Lately? (sticky post - scroll down for newer postings)

If you have read a romance novel or story that was published in 2007--print or eBook--and LOVED it, then why not nominate it for ((drum roll please)).....


We're collecting nominations until Christmas, and then will run a month long poll to see whose writing affected the most people in a positive way.

There are four categories, and even prizes!

What are you waiting for? Go forth and nominate!!

So Proud!

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~ From a headstone in Ireland

Yesterday, Michele and I were IMing about some editing issues on a book the site read for review -- a shame, because the book was really quite good except for that, and the author was cheated. Of course, if the author had been stronger grammatically to begin with...but that's another story.

Anyway, during this exchange, my DD walked up, showed me the book she was reading (an Encyclopedia Brown) and said, "This isn't right, is it, Mama?" and pointed to sentence. "Isn't that like 'mountain peak'?"

The sentence? "Joey looked into the room to peak at the hamster."

Yes, my eight y.o. daughter knows what so many aspiring authors do not--the difference between peak, peek, and pique.

I am so proud.

I'm thinking of having her apply for the job of editor at the publishing house that put out the book m. and I were talking about.

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Puppy was seriously in the doghouse last night. She was a one-puppy wrecking crew. I have had this lovely plant in the TV room, long and thick and lush... she shredded it not once, but TWICE yesterday afternoon. And after the way I yelled at her the first time (I was hoarse for a good twenty minutes after), I figured she wouldn't want anything to do with that area. At least not for awhile. Ha. She was back at it in a matter of minutes.

She tore holes in my clothes--she does this leaping/snapping thing where she jumps in the air at you, grabs on to anything she can and then falls to the ground. Sometimes she gets clothes, sometimes she gets skin.

I had a very intense training session with her yesterday, working on "come", "sit" and "off". She did famously. And then, when it was over, she promptly forgot every last thing.

I do realize that part of the problem is that she can't get outside and run loose all the time. I can't pitch balls for her, or take her for long walks because of the stinking weather. And the only place in town that used to host dog play groups stopped doing so because we had some dog parks open up in the area. Well, yeah... but HELLO! It's winter, here...

Okay, this is officially the last post I'll write complaining about Dakota. Promise.

In other doggie news, the vets office called to let me know Bailey's ashes came in and I can go pick them up. Yes, we had her cremated. We're going to build her a little memory garden out back AND have started work on a memorial shadow box, with her collar and tags, some hair I snipped off her, her favorite toy, etc. and will put a tin of her ashes in there as well.

I miss her. Everyday, I miss her. When I come home, I fully expect to hear her bark. When I wake up, I expect to stumble over her at the foot of the bed. I miss having her try to trade her chew bones for my snacks, or bark at the vacuum. It isn't getting any easier. Not yet.

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You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

Yes on the movie and cookies... NO on the rest! LOL...

"Alone" Time

In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog. ~ Edward Hoagland

All that lovely alone time I used to have every morning? Gone, gone, gone... Dakota, oh darling puppy that she is, keeps me on my toes. I am unable to sit at the computer for more than a minute or two, have in fact gotten up THREE times while writing this paragraph, and I get very little accomplished during that time (number FOUR). It frustrates me to no end. I told DH, NO MORE PUPPIES EVER. Next time, it's a grown up dog, or no dog. I feel the same about kittens... (FIVE)

I did manage to finish the most recent round of edits on "A Change of Heart" yesterday, so that's something. I have all these ideas whacking me in my brain, and I can't find the time to write. I'm not a writer who can work in fits and starts. I need to be completely IN to the world I'm working with. So, distractions like puppies and children keep me from working.

Those writers who say they go to the local coffee house with their laptop and work amidst all the hustle and bustle? I envy them. I can't focus with any kind of distraction: people, music, TV, etc. I hear some writers talk about "soundtracks" for their books... not me. Nope. If the music has words, I can't write with it on. (SIX -- the dog is eating the couch).

I imagine that I'll regain this block of time in the mornings at some point, but for now... I'll have to manage. Dakota certainly didn't ask to come here, though she has no idea how good she's got it. I just don't understand, however, why I can surround her with toys, and she still wants to play with my slippers (or the cat... which is another story altogether). Or why the two tennis balls already out aren't the right ones, she needs the one that is stuck under the sofa (SEVEN).

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Wild holiday parties? Not your thing. Since your home is such a tasty place (nonpareils, gumdrops, and licorice are very welcoming), you'd rather hang out there with a small group of invited guests. The holidays are a lot of work for you, but it all feels worth it when everyone compliments your artful decorations and inspired seasonal soundtrack. You surround yourself with sweetness at home, so you don't feel the need to venture out -- you're happier in your own, carefully-constructed holiday surroundings.

Well, yes (EIGHT) I am a homebody.

Puppies, Panic and Playtime

The time just before dawn contains the most energy of all hours of the day. This has helped me become an early riser and an early doer.... When I wake to see that it's light out already, I feel like the world has started without me. ~ Adabella Radici

It's started. The following-me-everywhere-I-go thing. Bailey did that when she was young, but as she got older and stiffer, she'd wait to see if I settled down first before she got up, creaky and tired, to move to where ever I went. The puppy? No matter how much I try to sneak, she hears and follows. She's learned that she gets treats for good behavior (like sitting on command) and so will do so regularly. And look absolutely adorable when she does. Since she has "sit" down, we need to work on something else. Like "off" (which means Do Not Touch It). Off would be good. Really good. Although, I have to admit, she learned not to touch the Christmas tree in only a day or two -- that surprised the heck out of me.

I couldn't train my cats in one or two YEARS. (Allie - re: cats superiority... yes, they definitely ROCK in the potty training department, but once I'm through puppyhood, my plants, knick-knacks and counters are safe. Cats NEVER outgrow the need to destroy at will. Except mine. She's too lazy to do any of that typical cat stuff).

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What's the panic? I haven't built ANY of the pages I need to for the website next week. Nor have I updated the pages that need updating with the most current reviews. And my DD came up to me yesterday and asked if we could do something together today -- because she said, we spend all our time together but we don't DO stuff together (yanno, except school and chores and errands). So I said "yes" and will probably end up playing board games or doing crafts today, which will give me the shakes if I don't have the pages done, which is why I got up at 3 a.m. today...

So....

No more jibber jabber. I need to go work!

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What kind of House will you live in for the rest of your life? Your Result: Country Cottage   You will be lucky enough to live in a normal house complete with all the usual amenities like a door and windows. You have a sensible 2 car garage, beautiful flower gardens, and a full sized yard surrounded by a picket fence and guarded by a collie and a bunch of kittens.
Van Down By the River
Sweat Shop
Beach House
Billion Dollar Mansion Estate
Tent, Teepee, or Lean-To.
Ranch Home with Barn and Stables.
Trailer
What kind of House will you live in for the rest of your life? Create MySpace Quizzes

I was glad to see that Van By The River was a distant second, LOL... doesn't my life sound idyllic? NOT! *G*

you?

Who's Training Whom?

Learn as much as you can while you are young, since life becomes too busy later. ~ Dana Stewart Scott

Dakota is lying, asleep on the floor, on top of my jacket. She got into the habit when I came in from the snow one day and left the damp jacket on the floor to dry. Now, when I'm working on the computer, she'll paw at where I have my jacket hanging on the back of a chair (so I'm ready at a moments notice to take her outside) until I put it down for her to sleep on.

I was worried about the puppy getting into the cat's food, or--worse--into the "crunchy treats" in the litter box. Bailey wouldn't eat anything that wasn't in her food dish, so she was never a problem, but I figured it would be an uphill battle with the puppy. Turns out I had it all wrong.

This morning, I see Dakota hovering near her food dish, and I hear the cat growling. I looked around the corner...and found the CAT eating the DOG'S food. Sheesh.

Dakota can make it about four hours between potty breaks when she's in her crate. So, bed at nine, up at midnight-ish, back to bed, up at four-ish. It's a lot like having a new baby (with TEETH, who can outrun you). Today, the DH and DD are going up to the mountains to hang with the family members who don't have a tree yet and are going to whack one down. This leaves me alone with the baby... **sigh**

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So, I actually managed to write a little yesterday. That's so earth shattering! I also almost finished the current round of edits on "A Change of Heart", so that's good, too. I'm moving forward, one little bitty baby step at a time.

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What Your Sleeping Position Says

You are calm and rational person with a good deal of balance in your life. Friends consider you to be kind, caring, and truly loyal. You are easy going and trusting. However, you are too sensible to fall for mind games. Open to the world, you are not afraid to be yourself. If you don't get enough sleep, you are: Able to cope It's hard to sleep next to you because: You're a bed hog

What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

Um... no. I'm NOT a bed hog. Me? Calm? Ha. Easy-going? HAHA... Open to the world? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....

You?

I Hate Puppy Pee or Why God Made Puppies Cute

I've figured out the real reason why all puppies are cute. If they didn't look like this:



We would happily murder them during the potty training phase.

I can't begin to tell you how much I HATE PUPPY PEE.

**sigh**

I miss Bailey all over again.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail. ~ Proverb

DH is going snowmobiling today. I honestly don't see the attraction, though he swears I'd love it if I tried. There are two downfalls to the sport, IMHO: snow and cold.

I'd love snow if it didn't have to be so cold to go along with it! My DD always wants me to go out and play in the snow with her... brrr.... I'm telling you, I got bone-deep cold when I'm outside in this weather. Doctor says it may have something to do with my absurdly low blood pressure (both numbers are in double digits ... like 90 over 67), so my circulation isn't so great.

Not to mention, I have a very strong sense of my own mortality, and a snowmobile is just a motorcycle with skis. DH rode me around our yard once, and scared the pogies out of me. At 20 MPH. So... going 60? So not interested.

Still, it keeps him happy and helps him de-stress, so it's all good.

Why is it, though, that husbands tend to have expensive habits? Boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles? Me? Books. Do you know how many books I could buy for the cost of DH's new boat? And, I probably get just as much enjoyment from them.

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DD was doing her grammar yesterday (comma placement, in case you were interested) and asked what was significant about December 7, 1941.

So we had an informal history lesson about Pearl Harbor, and our entry into WWII.



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Not going to write much more today, because I'm actually going to work on my writing (fiction writing, as opposed to blog writing). I have time! I just looked at my clock and realized there's almost an hour before anyone gets up. Woo! Maybe the puppy waking me up at 3 a.m. wasn't so bad.

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You Know a Lot About Christmas

You got 6/10 correct You know tons about the history and traditions surrounding Christmas. When you celebrate the holidays, you never forget their true meaning - or all the little fun details. Random Christmas fact: In early England, the traditional Christmas dinner was a pig's head prepared with mustard.

How Much Do You Know About Christmas?

Not loving that whole pig's head idea... ick... What did you score?