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Friday, October 28, 2005
taking off again...in a satellite stupor
Still enjoying the Dish (so much!) & trying to get used to all the little idiosyncrasies. I've already recorded programs on the DVR & watched them, but all the different channels & new channel numbers are going to take a while to learn. I may have to call the 800 number on Monday, tho, because I have some questions. One of my remotes isn't working on both the TV & satellite (even tho I'm pretty sure it was before the installer left yesterday), & I also haven't seen the on-screen Caller ID come up yet (even tho I've gotten several phone calls). But those problems are definitely minor & can wait until after I get back from Maryland.
Yes, I'm taking off again. First thing tomorrow, I'm heading for the Washington Romance Writers' Booksellers' Luncheon in Bethesda. It isn't being held until Sunday afternoon, but the way my luck has been going lately where travel is concerned, I thought I'd better get there a day early just to be safe. :-p
This is my last big to-do before winter, thank goodness. I can't wait to have a practically clear calendar & stay home to do nothing more than write!
For tonight, tho, I still need to pack. I planned to do it earlier, but when I tried to get into my closet this morning, I realized the door wouldn't open. Turns out, when the Dish guy put the cable across the floor in my bedroom, the closet door was closed, but it's so tight to the floor that it wouldn't open over the cable. Small panic attack, until a friend--who also happens to do carpentry work--came over & took the door off altogether. He unscrewed the hinges & is going to saw a half inch or so off the bottom of the door before replacing it. Hey, it needed done; even when I could open & close it, it tended to scrape the floor or stick. And at the moment, I can get into my closet for both my clothes & suitcase, so that's all I care about! :-)
See you all Sunday night or Monday! And if you're a bookseller or librarian who plans to attend the WRW event...I'll see you sooner than that. :-D
Thursday, October 27, 2005
this may be more tv than I can handle
The Dish guy was supposed to be here between 12:30-5pm, & showed up a little after 2pm. Just as I was sitting down to eat lunch, of course. I knew that would happen...which is kind of why I went ahead & fixed something. It took him a couple hours to get everything hooked up & running, not to mention explain how the system works, but now I officially have Dish Network. Digital cable. How excited am I? I have to admit, tho, that this may be more television &/or technology than I can handle. I mean, there's recording without tapes...an on-screen viewing guide...TV1 & TV2...watch here but record there...pause live TV...180 channels (for the first month, anyway). It's too much. I'm in overload. Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! It is going to take me months to figure out what the heck is going on. And, of course, I got no writing done today. Because first I was waiting for the satellite guy to come. Then because I was showing him around & helping whenever he needed something. And now because I'm fiddling with the system to learn how everything works. :-P There's still tonight, tho, if I can tear myself away from this nifty remote control long enough to focus on my story. All right, gotta go. Can't sit here typing when I have 180+ channels to watch. Most of which I've never had the chance to experience before. I may never leave the house again. :-P
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
question of the week
Last week, I promised to try to set up a guest blogger for this week, but it didn't work out. Sorry about that! :-p Instead, I thought I'd start something new that I can do on a weekly basis...a Question of the Week. I'll try to post these each Wednesday & give you a chance to add your answers or opinions. This week's question is just in time for Halloween... Ooooooooh.What are you afraid of?To get the ball rolling, I'll confess to being afraid of spiders. I used to be much more afraid of them, but now they just sort of make me yip instead of run screaming from the room. Except those damn jumping ones. They're tiny, but they leap all over the place & scare the spit out of me. Especially when they jump in my direction! Your turn...
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
it's snowing!
I can't believe it, it's actually snowing. Yes, I live in PA & I know we get some harsh winters, but who expected snow this early in the season? Usually, it doesn't begin to snow until closer to my birthday, which is still a good two weeks away. In fact, we don't usually get a significant snow fall until Christmas. That's what we're known for...only the occasional light dusting of snow right up thru the end of December, then we get just enough on Christmas Eve to say we're having a white Christmas.
But when I woke up this morning, it was raining, & as I watched, the rain slowly turned into flakes of snow. Now it's really coming down, as well as lying on the ground--another oddity for this early in the year.
Wow, it's really pretty, but I sure hope this doesn't mean we're in for a rough winter. I already expect it to be cold, but I was kind of hoping for a light snowfall. (The more snow we get, the more shoveling I have to do. Ick!)
In other news, I stayed up late last night to work on THE SECOND MRS. RAMSEY. With everything else that's been going on, I've been away from it for a while, so it took some time to refresh my memory & get back into the story. But I managed, & now I remember why I thought I would like this book so much. :-)
Monday, October 24, 2005
please stop trying to convert me, I've already accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior
At the booksigning on Saturday, I was accosted by a little old lady who, of course, thinks I'm going to Hell for writing about sex. I don't even write the really hot stuff, but I still get this a lot. Even my own grandmother never misses an opportunity to criticize & sermonize about the fact that what I write is pornography. (Hey, I say if she--or anyone else--thinks what I write is porn, they've never seen real pornography. Believe me, it's much worse. Or better, depending on how you look at it. LOL) I've even been handed literature, in the hopes that I would change my wicked, wicked ways, so I can only imagine what kind of flak actual erotica or romantica writers get.
But what I want to know is, what makes these people think it's okay to come up to me, get in my face, & tell me I'm evil? Who told them that their beliefs are right & mine are wrong? And why do they even bother stopping at my table if they A.) don't read romance (or at least not the type of romance I write) & B.) disapprove so heartily?
The woman on Saturday stopped, looked at, & touched all my books, but when I asked if she read romance, replied, "I read the inspirational kind." Hey, good for you; to each his own. "But not the dirty stuff," she added. "Yeah," I replied, pretending it was a terrible shame, "these do have the dirty stuff in them." Then she wanted to know why I have to put the dirty stuff in at all. I don't know, that's just what I write, I told her. "Well," she informed me, hands on hips, "sometimes you just have to take a stand." Since I figured smacking her was out of the question, I smiled, looked her right in the eyes, & said, "I have. This is it." And--epitome of maturity that she was--she actually stomped her foot, made a harrumph sound, & said, "I'm leaving!" before storming off.
Bye-bye. Adios. Why the heck did you bother stopping in the first place? Don't let the mall door hit you in the ass on the way out.
After that, the incident pretty much turned into the joke of the day. I mentioned it to a couple of die-hard romance readers who showed up & they just rolled their eyes & said, "Hey, those are the good parts!" And the bookseller, who also rolled her eyes at the older woman's antics, told me that the sexy stuff sells way better than the un-sexy stuff, anyway.
I'm glad to hear it, but either way, I have no intention of changing the way I write. Or what I write, for that matter. For one thing, I love writing Desires. I suspect the love scenes I write for them are hotter than some, not as hot as others...which pretty much sums up the sensuality level of all my books. And just because my grandmother, or grandmothers all over the world, disapprove, that doesn't mean I'm going to hightail it over to the Inspirational market. Nor am I going to triple the sensuality level in all my books just to hop on the Erotica bandwagon. To those who write in both genres, I say, More power to you! If you've found your niche & you're happy writing it, go for it!
I've found mine & am extremely happy here, so I have no intention of leaving. No matter how many dirty looks you give me...no matter how many lectures I have to endure...no matter where you think I'll be spending Eternity...no matter how many pieces of religious literature you hand me.
My name is Heidi Betts--I write steamy, extremely satisfying love scenes & am damn proud of it. So sue me.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
blame it on goddess
(Goddess, are you out there? I blame today's entire entry on you. LOL) Because of goddess's comment the other day about not being able to record one show & watch another on the same TV with Dish Network, I stopped at Sears yesterday while I was at the mall. They carry Dish Network, & I figured someone there would have a clue what I was talking about. All right, I admit it, I actually stopped by to look at DVD recorders...with all the new channels I'm going to have, I'm thinking of trying to save some of my favorite shows on disc instead of video, since videos degrade after a while & because my VCR seems to be on the hungry side lately...but as long as I was there, I decided to ask about the Dish thing.
Anyway, the kid listens to my woes, then tells me he's pretty sure I can do both on the same TV, & to "come here" & he'd show me. Unfortunately, I only got more nervous when he couldn't seem to get it to work, either. Uh-oh, I thought. This can't be good. I definitely need to call Dish Network when I get home & find out what the heck is going on. Because if I can't record & watch on the same TV at the same time, it defeats the whole purpose of signing up in the first place & I may have to cancel before they even come out to hook things up.
So I called this morning & the woman assured me I really should be able to record & view at the same time. She thinks perhaps those who can't accomplish those two things--i.e. goddess--may have older equipment or may not have the DVR receivers. She also told me to be sure I ask the technician when he comes to install the equipment &...her words, not mine, tho she may come to regret them...not to let him leave until I'm sure I'm happy.
LOL Okay, so if you hear on the news that a Dish Network employee is missing or being held for ransom, I guess you'll know where to look.
Goddess--FWIW, the first or second time I called (I've talked to them so many times, it's hard to remember) they told me that I can upgrade my Dish equipment if new technology comes out that I don't have. If you're having trouble, maybe you should call & look into that. I'm not saying it won't cost you, just that it might be an option. And that's not to say I won't still have troubles with Dish...I'm just hoping they'll be few & far between.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
home from the signing with holes in my head--literally!
Just got home from the booksigning & can't wait to wash my face, take out my contacts, & get into pajamas. But it went well. Poured down rain the entire day, but I think that might have brought more people to the mall because I signed a decent number of books & met some very nice readers. The folks at Waldenbooks seemed happy with the turnout, so I'm happy, too.
I also held a drawing for customers who bought my book & gave away a set of really pretty rose bookends & a cute little bustier purse filled with fun stuff like chocolate, bookmarks, Grow Your Own Boy Toy seeds, & a Grow Your Own Boyfriend doll. Hope the winners like their prizes.
Right after the signing, I did something a little odd. I walked down to Claire's (in the same mall) & had my ears pierced a third & fourth time. Yowza! Don't know what came over me. I've been toying with the idea of getting third holes, but never really thought I'd do it. And I never, ever thought I'd get a piercing in the upper ear (in the cartilage). But when I got there, I just felt like it. It took me longer to pick out which earrings I wanted to buy for the piercings than to decide to have them done in the first place. :-P
And I really like them. Yes, they hurt. Well, burn is probably a better word. New piercings make your ears feel very hot for a while. But the one I thought would hurt most--the top one, in the cartilage--didn't hurt at all. It still doesn't. It was just a little pinch & then it was fine. The lower ones, down on the lobe with the others, definitely hurt more. Even that wasn't awful, but they are a little sore now.
I decided on yellow topaz (my birthstone) for the bottom two & just a plain white stone (cubic zurconia, of course) in the top. But the top one is pretty. It sparkles really nicely in the light.
So now the trick will be to remember they're there. To not just clean & take care of them, but to remember not to yank at them with I push my hair back or when I wash my hair. Yeah, that'll be fun. I've already bumped them a couple of times. I am also an extremely sloooooooow healer. When they say the holes will take 6 weeks to heal, I know I'm looking at a year. The last ones took a good year & a half before they stopped being red, sore & puffy, so I'm expecting the same this time around.
LOL Am I a glutton for punishment, or what? I mean, if I know they're going to be that hard to heal, why in God's name would I go back to get even more holes punched in me? But I like them. And winter is coming up, which means no more "events" I need to get my hair done for, no swimming, etc. The perfect time to simply put my hair up, stay indoors, & let the darn things heal.
And my body had better get used to it because I'm not finished yet. Next up: a tattoo. I've always, always wanted one, I just can't decide what I should get where. And also, you know...needles, pain, lack of healing. But I'm still gonna get one. And one of these days, I'm also going to get my navel re-pierced.
Time to disinfect my new holes. :-D Nite!
Friday, October 21, 2005
put ms. in mail--check...order Dish Network--check...
Yesterday turned out pretty well, even after getting off to a bumpy start, & I've been crossing things off my To Do list left & right.
Got the manuscript I was working on polished & printed, & the whole bundle mailed--boy, the box was heavy when I got done, too. :-) But it feels so good to have those finished & out of the way. Now I can focus on getting ready for tomorrow's booksigning...a booksellers' luncheon I'm attending next weekend...& most importantly, my next Desire.
Also yesterday, I bit the bullet--oh, yeah, it was such a hardship LOL--& signed up for Dish Network. I called the 800 number one more time with another list of questions, & before we were finished, I knew I was going to give them a credit card number & tell them to come out & get the system set up ASAP. Well, next Thursday, I think they're coming. But that's okay; it's nice to know a better viewing experience is on the horizon. I just hope I don't end up regretting the decision.
But I am looking forward to it. No more gnarled video tapes or malfunctioning VCRs...well, hopefully not. I'm not getting rid of all my old equipment, of course, but I'm hoping I won't need to use them nearly as often as before. And no more scratchy channels because there's a thunderstorm in Johnstown or a snow storm in Pittsburgh. :-P
I'm still working on reading Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb, Like a Knife by Annie Solomon, & that darn Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix...lord, that book is just taking me forever to get thru. And on the treadmill, I started Private Indiscretions by Susan Crosby. Very good, so far--but then, her books are always good. :-)
Thursday, October 20, 2005
post office or bust
I am still working to polish up one of my manuscripts before getting it in the mail to my agent. It's driving me crazy, because it should have been done long before now. But, as usual, life intrudes. And intrudes, & intrudes, & intrudes.
But today is the day. I will finish proofing this last book if it kills me. (Only 4 chapters to go, thank goodness!) Then tonight or tomorrow, I will print it out, pack it up, & take it to the post office. What a sigh of relief that will be, to finally have it out of the way. Of course, I then get to start worrying about what my agent's reaction will be, but at least I'll have a few stress-free days before that becomes an issue.
I also have to start getting ready for a booksigning on Saturday (October 22, 2005). I'll be at Waldenbooks in the DuBois Mall, DuBois, PA, from 12-2pm. WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN will be the featured book, of course, but I'm sure there will also be copies of my other titles available--the Desires, at least.
For anyone who's local & can drop by, I'd love to see you! We'll also be holding a drawing each hour--one at 1pm & one at 2pm. The prizes aren't huge, but they're fun, & customers get one entry per purchase. You don't even have to be present to win; as long as you leave your name & phone number, the store will contact, & you can come back to collect your prize later. :-)
All right, enough lollygagging...back to work!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
the quest for better television
One of my VCRs ate another tape today...this has been happening on a regular basis for months now. It's not even the same VCR or the same tape so I can pinpoint the problem. Oh, no, it happens any time it wants & is driving me insane.
Then I could barely hear Dr. Phil thru all the static of one of our local stations. This happens whenever there's a storm in or near the town where the channel is located. This, too, drives me a little batty.
So I have begun to research my other options. Since no other cable companies service our area (remember, I live in the boonies), I'm looking into Dish Network & Direct TV. I've investigated them before & have to admit that, until today, I was leaning toward Direct TV. I forget exactly why, but I think it had to do with them offering a couple more channels that I wanted over Dish Network, & also their free DVD & free DVR sign-up offer.
Well, today I took a trip down the road to a local satellite dealer & picked up pamphlets. Then I went over to visit a neighbor who has Dish Network & asked her to tell me how the whole thing works. Now I'm thinking I might go with them. They're also offering a the free DVR, their prices are a little lower, & from what I can tell, they seem to get as many channels as Direct TV, if not a couple more. Just about all the ones I want, anyway.
If I decide to go thru with this, I'll likely be signing up for the Top 120 package, & the one thing I'm bummed about is that I won't get The Hallmark Channel. I really wanted that, but it's in the top 180 package & is not only more expensive, but it's the only channel I care about in the upgrade. So I guess I'll have to live without it a while longer & maybe hope they bump it up to the Top 120 option soon. :-D
What are your thoughts on this? Do any of you have either Direct TV or Dish Network? What do you think of them? Are they worth the added expense over basic cable? And why did you choose one over the other?
Just like with iTunes, I think I'm ready to jump into the 20th century when it comes to television. My brother would be so proud. LOL
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Tuesday Trivia
Good morning! Well, it may be lazy of me, but I'm still kind of tired from last night's late chat, so I've decided to post my final piece of trivia about WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. For next week, tho, I really will try to get all my ducks in a row & set up the guest blogger. Promise.
Now, for this bit of trivia, you'll have to have read the book to really know what I'm talking about. (This is only a small ***SPOILER ALERT***, but if you hate to know anything about a story before you've experienced it for yourself, then stop reading this post now!)
At the end of WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN, Ethan opens a new nightclub called The Jazz Hot. A sister club, if you will, of his original club, The Hot Spot.
Can anyone guess where I got the name of the second club? Go ahead, think about it for a minute. I'd tell you to visit the "Heidi Recommends" page for a hint because it came from one of my favorite movies, but I just realized this one isn't on the list. Hmph. I'll have to make sure it gets added the next time I do updates.
All right, give up? The name of the nightclub, The Jazz Hot, came from the movie Victor/Victoria. So funny! Remember one of the songs Julie Andrews sings while she's a woman, pretending to be a man, pretending to be a woman? It must have been on TCM while I was writing Ethan's & Gwen's story. :-)
And now, of course, I can't get the song out of my head. LOL
great chat!
I'm still up after tonight's long chat at eHarlequin.com. It was lots of fun, even tho I had a heck of a time getting in at first. I even got online 10 minutes early in case I had trouble, but it took 20 minutes to get everything figured out. The moderator said several people were having trouble logging on for some reason, but I really think my problem first had to do with my dial-up connection & then my McAfee Privacy Service. I have my Privacy Service set to "reject all cookies" & keep forgetting that I often need to set the options to "allow" certain websites. Then, once I do remember to add a new URL, I have to restart my computer, which is a huge time hog. It's a pain & can be very frustrating, but it sure beats the alternative. I'll take a little teeth grinding & hair pulling over catching a devastating virus or worm any day!
So, anyway, the chat was a blast. Since I was late getting there, I offered to stay a bit later than planned--it was supposed to be a 1 hour chat, but we didn't finish until 10pm. The nice thing, too, was that most of the people who dropped in had already read WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. They all claimed to have loved it, so I can only hope they were telling the truth. If they weren't, I don't want to know. :-D
The chat moderator also said she was going to try to set me up for some more stuff at eHarlequin. More chats when I have a new book coming out, & even a Q&A session. That could be interesting. And I'm totally for it, as long as someone explains the process & tells me exactly what I need to do.
Tomorrow is Tuesday Trivia day, but I still haven't decided whether to post my final tidbit of information about WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN that you won't find in the book (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter) or have a guest blogger stop by. Guess we're all in for a surprise come morning. :-D
And now, I'm tired, so I'm going to bed. ;-p G'nite, everyone!
Monday, October 17, 2005
gearing up to chat
Did laundry today. This is a rarity, since I tend to let it pile up for a few weeks. Seriously, once every month or two is plenty often for me. And I've got enough clothes to last me that long, believe me. Of course, when I do finally decide that clean underwear might be in order, it tends to turn into an all-day job. But I'm almost finished; have a load in the dryer & one more in the washer, then I'll be done.
Also worked at proofing a manuscript I'd like to have printed & in the mail this week. It's going a little more slowly than I'd hoped, but I'm working on it.
And in only a little over an hour, I'll be chatting about WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN at www.eHarlequin.com. The chat will be easy to find, since it's listed right on the eHarlequin main page under "Look Who's Chatting". Hope to see you there!
I'd better grab a bite to eat before it begins, tho, since I haven't had dinner yet. :-)
Current reading: LIKE A KNIFE by Annie Solomon
Current Listening: Chris Isaak ("Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing") & Barenaked Ladies ("If I had a $1000000 Dollars")
Sunday, October 16, 2005
join me at eHarlequin.com
Tomorrow night--Monday, October 17, 2005--at 8pm (Eastern), I'll be chatting at www.eHarlequin.com about my October Silhouette Desire, WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. Come join me, & you can ask whatever you want about Ethan, Gwen, The Hot Spot, Georgetown... I'll be waiting with my Thinking Cap on. :-D Hope to see you there!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
market news
I've been hearing some interesting market news lately that I thought I would share...for those of you whom may be writers yourselves... *Harlequin announced last week that it has aqcuired BET Books, the publishing arm of Black Entertainment Television. Imprints include Arabesque, Sepia, & New Spirit, which Harlequin will be combining with its own African-American romance program under the direction of Linda Gill. *Warner Books will be launching a new imprint in early 2007 called Solana, which will feature six English-language books a year aimed at Hispanic and Latina women. * www.WriterUniv.com is offering a "Seven Secrets of Romantic Suspense" class November 1-30 with bestselling author Lisa Gardner. (I love her books, btw; she's fabulous!) Registration is $25 & more information is available at their website. *This is more of a through-the-grapevine thing, so I can't guarantee its accuracy. I did hear it from my editor, but that still doesn't mean I'm getting the details right. :-p Anyway, it looks like Silhouette Desire covers will be getting a minor overhaul, starting in January. Don't expect anything drastic, but back in July, they began to go in a new, more mainstream direction--WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN was one of them :-)--& now the line is apparently going back to a more traditional "series" look. They will be doing a couple of unique and interesting things, but I guess we won't be seeing as much of the wildly different fonts we've come to expect. (You know, how they were starting to use certain fonts for certain authors. I actually just got my first "special font" this month for WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. Guess that won't happen again. :-)) But, frankly, I've always thought Desire had some of the best covers going, so I'll be happy with whatever they decide.
More market news as it crosses my desk...
WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN is definitely out there!
Took a trip to Altoona today to sign stock at the Waldenbooks in the mall. The romance expert there is so nice, & she always e-mails me to let me know when one of my new books has come in. Then I run over to sign & sticker them, in hopes that it will help them to sell. :-) While I was there, I also hit the local Wal-Mart, K-Mart, & Giant Eagle. WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN was in every single one of them. Yay! The only place that still had the September Desires was Target, so I'm guessing the October books will show up there soon. I'm also guessing that this means LIGHTS is now out in most stores, so if you haven't bought your copy yet, run & buy it pronto! :-D
While I was over there, I made the mistake of going into The Disney Store & found Pooh mugs on sale. Yeah, just what I need is another mug. But, you know, I do drink a lot while I'm writing. (Tea & water, thankyouverymuch. What do you think I am, a lush?) And it's a big one, which can hold a lot & will mean fewer trips to the kitchen. So, really, it was a business expense. Right?
SERENITY was still playing & I desperately wanted to stop & see it again, but I just didn't have time. Boo-hoo.
And now it's late, I'm tired, & want to read a bit more of HUNTING MIDNIGHT before I go to bed.
Nite, all!
Current reading: HUNTING MIDNIGHT by Emma Holly (this is the first of Emma's books that I've read & it's really, really good!)
Current listening: ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" cast recording (love this soundtrack!)
having trouble leaving a comment?
I've gotten a couple of reports recently that visitors to my website are having trouble leaving comments on the blog. Well, this is certainly not good. And I'm not sure what the problem is, since I've tested it out myself in every way I can think of & haven't had any trouble. So...if you've tried to leave a comment to one of my posts without success, please e-mail me using the "e-mail heidi" link/form at the top of any page of my website & let me know exactly what problems you ran into. I'll forward the notes to my web designer & see if she can figure out what's going on.
In the meantime, I apologize for whatever glitch is causing this & thank you for your patience while I (hopefully) get everything straightened out. :-p
Thank you!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
a new release date & the new TV Guide sucks
Found out yesterday, while talking with my editor, that THE SECOND MRS. RAMSEY (if it actually remains THE SECOND MRS. RAMSEY) has been moved up on the schedule from December 2006 to September 2006. That's cool. I definitely like having less time between it and my May release. Now I just need to get the book written & turned in.
And has everyone seen the new, full-size, magazine-like TV Guide? Does anyone else think it sucks big-time? Honest to God, what are they thinking? If I wanted a magazine devoted to what's happening on television & behind the scenes, I'd subscribe to Entertainment Weekly. Oh, wait, I do! I want TV Guide as a guide to what's on TV. Gee, what a novel concept.
Meanwhile, this new version lists the major network shows that appear on a regular basis on about three pages at the back of the magazine, then list "Local Programming" for everything else. Gee, what a big help--not. I mean, I'm pretty sure the local programming is what I need, since I already know that CSI is on Thursdays & L&O: CI is on Sundays... And it only covers prime time, with the exception of some very sketchy late night coverage (most times are covered by "Movie" or "Various Programming"...wow, tell me more! tell me more!) so if I'm still up at 2am or want to watch TV at 9am, I'm on my own.
How pissed am I that my subscription is renewed thru 2007, hm? This new version is a complete waste of time & money. I'd be better off using the weekly listing that comes with the Sunday paper, or printing a local schedule off the internet--which is probably what I'll end up doing. The only thing I'll still look forward to in this stupid thing is the horoscope. :-P
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
burning up the keyboard
The Writerspace chat last night was great. I hope some of you got the chance to stop by. And don't forget that I'll be chatting at eHarlequin.com on Monday, October 17, 2005, 8pm (EST). It's going to be all about WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN, which should be fun. Come prepared to pick my brain & put me on the spot about plot points I may or may not recall. LOL
As for the writing, I'm on fire today, crossing items off my To Do list left & right. Finished the bulk of my revisions for MR. AND MISTRESS last night, which feels great. I just have to ask my editor about one point I'm not sure of, then I think I'll be able to get them in the mail.
I've also been working on some other projects I want to show my agent. Completed manuscripts I haven't really done much with in recent years, but that I thought I'd pull out & fix up. There are three of them, so I've been making my way thru them to make sure they're in good shape, polishing up the synopses, etc. And I put together what I hope is a super-sexy parnormal novella idea that I also want to run past him. If nothing ever happens with any of them, that's okay, but digging them out at all is at least better than having them just sit there, collecting dust.
After all these other things are done & out of the way, I'll be able to really dive into THE SECOND MRS. RAMSEY. I can't wait! Mitch is hot, if I do say so myself, & I'm eager to dive back into his story to see what happens.
Time to get back to work!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Tuesday Trivia
Last week, I promised to tell you who I think the hero on the front of WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN looks like. Besides Ethan Banks, of course. :-) Can you guess? Maybe it's just me, but I think he looks like Eric McCormack, who plays "Will" on NBC's Will & Grace. Look carefully...don't you think so? Hey, I like Will, so I'm fine with it. The woman looks a little bit familiar, too, but I haven't quite figured out yet who she reminds me of.
By this time next week, WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN should be in bookstores and retail stores across the country. In fact, it's due out this week...around the 15th, tho I wouldn't be surprised if it begins to show up as early as tomorrow. I hope you'll keep your eyes peeled & pick up a copy when you see it, then let me know what you think of Ethan's & Gwen's story.
I haven't decided yet what to do next week... I have one last piece of trivia related to Ethan's and Gwen's story that I could post, but I also have a guest blogger in mind, if I can convince him to drop by. Guess you'll just have to stop back & see which I go with. :-)
And don't forget to drop by Writerspace.com tonight at 9pm Eastern time to join the Desire Authors chat. It's going to be a blast!
Monday, October 10, 2005
come chat with me!
Tomorrow night--Tuesday, October 11, 2005--at 9pm (EST), I'll be participating in a Desire authors chat at Writerspace.com. We'll all be discussing our October titles, which means this is your chance to pick my brain about WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. If you've already bought your copy and had the chance to read it, all the better. :-)
So mark your calendars, & join me if you can. I'll hope to see you there!
Sunday, October 09, 2005
the curse continues
I actually tried to blog yesterday, but was having all kinds of trouble staying online. (Part of the curse, of course, not to mention this damn dial-up.) But it's good to know things didn't miraculously get better as soon as I got home--I might have grown complacent & let my guard down. :-P As it is, I woke up yesterday with a big pink zit right on the tip of my nose (which is gone already, if you can believe it) & ended up dropping the toast I'd made for breakfast--butter side down, of course.
I'm not the only one walking around with this black cloud hanging over my head, tho. Since coming home Friday night, I've talked to a few other people who are having equally lousy weekends. Talk about a streak of bad luck. Or maybe it's celestial--the stars are misaligned or something. Luckily, I've been thru this sort of thing before, so I know that eventually things will start to get better. You know, if I don't trip & fall & kill myself first.
I also forgot to mention one of the fun things that happened Friday while we were stranded at that exit. While we were eating lunch, we got to talking to a couple of the waitresses & other diners, many of whom love to read romance. So I ran out to the car & got the books I'd packed for the conference & held a little impromptu signing right there in the middle of Perkins. It was really fun, & if I'm lucky (which, you know, we've established that I'm currently not) maybe I found a few new readers.
Friday, October 07, 2005
the road to hell is paved...& they call it I-80
Well, I'm home. Not so much by choice, but by necessity. Altho it was pouring down rain even before I woke up this morning, the trip to NJRW still started out okay. I had to stop three times in the first hour to go to the bathroom (I think from nerves, since I hadn't had anything to drink), but I hadn't suddenly remembered something critical that I'd forgotten to pack, so...okay. And then, not two hours from home--boom! Traffic on Interstate 80 slowed, slowed, stopped. Dead stop, pouring rain, a line of cars & trucks like you would not believe. Turns out there was an accident (of course!). But even tho we were stopped, we kind of thought we'd only sit there for a little bit before they cleared enough space for us to get around. Oh, that is for to laugh. We could not have been more wrong. We sat for an hour with the engine off before we were ready to pull out our hair. I was supposed to moderate a PAN (Published Authors Network) roundtable on "writing sexy" at 3pm--a topic I was really looking forward to discussing, too!--but knew I'd never make it at that point, so I used my cell phone to call the hotel & leave a message for the PAN coordinator. (I hope they were able to find someone to fill in for me.) By that time, other cars were starting to turn around or back up the on ramp, & we decided to do the same. Just as we were coming off, they have a fire marshal-type guy directing traffic & we asked if there was a back way to get around the exit & hop back on I-80 further down the road. He told us how & we headed off, thinking we were so very far ahead of the game &, boy, wouldn't this be a piece of cake. Ha! This time, it took us 45mins to crawl about 4 miles. It was horrendous. Not even show tunes helped to alleviate the stress level. We were about ready to abandon the car on the side of the road & walk...& if it hadn't been raining cats & dogs, we might have. So the first chance we got, we made a U-turn & headed back the way we'd come. There was a mall right off the exit, & we figured we could kill a little time there. Again, we were thinking, "Well, let's just give them a little time & I'm sure everything will be cleared up." (Are you getting a sense of where this story is going?) So we went to the teeny-tiny, rather pathetic little mall. Went to the bathroom--again, because I apparently have a bladder the size of an acorn--& putzed around as much as we could. Found some junky jewelry & hair accessories in a "10 for $5" bin at Claire's, not to mention a Spongebob Squarepants journal. Yay! Then we asked a guy at the pizza shop for directions to I-80 via another back road. We so thought this would do the trick; that is was such a back way, no one else would know about it & we'd be on our way in no time. Ha-ha! Not even a mile down that road, we came to another complete stand-still & traffic was again stopped for as far as the eye could see. Yikes! Turned around again & headed back to the mall area. This time, we decided to stop for lunch & kill another hour. Surely by that time, the accident would be cleared up & I-80 would be moving again, right? Right. Whoo-hoo, the exit was open & cars were moving (albeit slowly), so we hopped back on the interstate, ready to complete our trip. For all of about two minutes. Next thing you know, we're stopped again...I swear, in the exact same spot we got stopped the first time. And we sat...& sat...& sat... This whole fiasco started at 10am...it was now 2:30pm. We were at our wit's end, with nowhere else to go & nothing else to do. So we turned around & headed home. I certainly didn't want to, but traffic was backed up for miles & miles. Ten miles, to be exact. Even if we'd hung around, it likely would have been another 4hrs before things were moving enough to get us away from that exit, & we still had another 3-4hrs to go before we'd reach NJ. I'm sorry, but as much as I wanted to get to the NJRW conference, I just did not have the consitution to stick around there much longer without going stark raving mad. As it is, it took another 3hrs to get home. Remember, I said we were less than 2hrs from home when we got stopped to begin with, & the reason it took an extra hour is that we kept getting stopped on the way home, too. Oy. We ran across three more accidents, & another complete stand-still of traffic. Thankfully, this time it was right past an exit we were familiar with, so we got the hell off I-80 altogether & came home the back way. Meanwhile, it is still raining buckets & I had to make about a dozen phone calls on the way home & once I arrived home...to the pet sitter to let her know she didn't have to come this weekend, after all; to the hotel to cancel my room reservations; to the hotel again to leave messages for three different people who needed to know I woudln't make it... What a nightmare. I'm thankful we weren't in the accident & thankful we made it home at all, but I really am bummed that I won't make the conference. Yes, I could start out again in the morning, but I just don't have it in me. Now that I'm home, I darn well want to stay here. And God knows I can use the extra time on those revisions that are due next week. But I'm going to miss seeing & chatting with friends again, especially those I only see once a year at this conference. And I'll miss signing at the Book Fair tomorrow evening & attending the Booksellers' Luncheon Sunday afternoon. But what can you do? After everything that went wrong today & how many times we tried to get back on track but failed, I can only think God had a reason for not wanting us on that road, or at that conference, or wanting to get us back home. Who the heck knows? I just keep thinking, "Oh, sure, I get my hair done & it's finally looking good (after the 5+ years of my bad hair spiral), & this is what happens." What a waste of a good hair day. And a good outfit. And good jewelry. And packing a darn suitcase. :-P
thought for the day
Since I'll be away at a conference over the weekend, I leave you with this "Thought for the Day" a bit early.
And for those of you who watch Arrested Development, you may recognize it. It appeared on the top of a cab in a recent episode, & I got a chuckle out of it since I just got back from Reno myself not too long ago. :-D
Make the biggest little mistake of your life in Reno!
Thursday, October 06, 2005
my very first full-page ad
Made an exciting discovery today... Believe it or not, this is the first time I've gotten a chance to check out the September Desires, & while I was flipping thru one of the titles, I happened upon a full page ad for WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. My first ad! And a full-page one, with cover art, to boot!
I went thru all six books & found two more ads for WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. Two are on pages at the back of the books, & one is actually on the inside back cover. How cool! I've never had my books advertised in the back of other books before, except for that one page where they list all of the next month's releases. And I've especially never gotten a full page ad all to myself.
It's really pretty, too, imho. So if you get the chance, check it out & let me know what you think!
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
the further adventures of my hair color(s)
Another conference, another hair color. :-)
And since it's Fall, I decided to go for the "Autumn Leaves" look. This time, I went with a brunette base. It's basically my natural hair color...or as close to it as I can remember, since it's been a while. Anyway, brunette base with copper & red highlighted streaks. I actually thought it would be a bit more dramatic--was even hoping for it--but I love, love, love the way it turned out. Right now it's hanging straight, parted down the middle, so I'll be curious to see how it looks when I use combs or clips or something.
Now I need to pack. Probably should have started a week ago to keep from forgetting something important, but I'm nothing if not a procrastinator. As usual, I have no idea what to wear, what all I'll need. I swear, I should just leave everything in my suitcase between conferences to cut down on the confusion. But with my luck, a shampoo or mouthwash or something would explode & ruin everything else. :-P
Off to make a list...
I've been spammed!
It finally happened...my blog was spammed. Two seconds after I posted yesterday's message, seven or eight spam posts showed up in the comment bin.
Hey, I get spam every day in my e-mailbox, why should my blog be any different, right? (Damn spammers. Don't they have anything better to do with their time? Go read a book or watch TV or something. Leave the rest of us alone!)
Anyway, I went in & deleted them, then set a "confirmation word" option that's supposed to cut down on that sort of thing. This means more work for you guys, tho, & for that I apologize. It's actually only one more quick step to posting, so it shouldn't be that much of a pain, but I apologize all the same.
Just so you know...
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Tuesday Trivia
Did you know that not every word an author writes for a particular story necessarily makes it into the final book? That's why their bosses are called editors. :-)
As you're reading WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN--which should start to show up in stores in only another week or so!!!--take note of what Gwen is wearing the first time she visits Ethan's nightclub, The Hot Spot. Originally, I had her in a short black skirt, leather bustier with silver buckles, and silver platform sandals. Perfect for a nightclub, but maybe a little over-the-top for Desire, so I had no problem at all toning it down when my editor asked me to.
The same goes for Ethan's bedroom. Given the kind of guy he is...or was before Gwen entered his life...I can totally see him owning a round bed and having mirrors on the ceiling. Believe me, those mirrors would have gotten a lot of use. But now his bedroom houses a simple king-size bed, and the ceiling is just a ceiling. He got to keep his satin sheets, tho. :-)
Next week, I'll tell you who the hero on the cover of WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN reminds me of. Can you hazard a guess?
Current reading: BETWEEN DUTY AND DESIRE by Leanne Banks
Current music: "Cry" & "When the Lights Go Down" (of course!) by Faith Hill
Monday, October 03, 2005
rainy days & mondays always get me down
I hate Mondays. Well, okay, I don't always hate Mondays, but since they mean an end to the weekend, I don't like them very much. Mondays are always catch-up days for me, trying to get done all the stuff I put off over the weekend. And then sometimes, like today, Mondays mean even more work than I was expecting.
Got my Desire continuity manuscript (MR. AND MISTRESS) back in the mail this morning with revisions needed. This is nothing new; just about every book needs revisions of some sort. I just happen to hate doing them & bang my head against the wall for a few hours each time they show up, until I suck it up & get down to work. And almost every time, when I finally start working on them, they don't end up being as difficult as I envisioned, so I'm not even sure why I let myself get so worked up about them. I think it's just a matter of feeling done with a book & having already moved on to a new project, then having to stop & back up. It's sort of like exercise; I actually enjoy exercising once I get started, but darned if I can't talk myself out of getting on the treadmill or airbike almost every time.
But it's my job, so I'll do it. After maybe only 24hrs of whining & complaining first. :-)
I'm still flying high from getting to see SERENITY over the weekend--thinking about going back to see it again already!--& even did Tae Bo this morning. (Whew, it's been a while, but I still managed to get thru the whole routine without passing out or dying. Always a plus. :-p)
I've also got another conference coming up this weekend--one of my favorites, NJRW--so I need to start making lists & packing & make sure I take everything I'm going to need. It's only three days long, but you'd think I was leaving for a month the way I pack!
Sunday, October 02, 2005
back from the atmo
If you're a fan of Firefly, you'll get that header. If not...well, you'll figure it out.
Anyway... Success! Took off this morning & got to see the very first showing of SERENITY at the theatre this afternoon. And I only have one word to describe the film... Awesome!
It was everything I'd hoped for & more...basically just like a really long episode of the television show. Which is fine with me; I pretty much want them to bring it back, anyway.
I only have one complaint. It's kind of a big complaint, tho. It also requires a...
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
They killed off one of the main characters. Well, two, actually, but the first was already somewhat removed from the crew. The second was really integral to the Firefly gang & I liked him, darn it! I mean, Shepherd Book I can sort of understand. Up the ante, as well as the emotional quotient, & they'd distanced him enough from the main crew that it didn't hit quite as hard.
But how could they kill off Wash? He was one of my favorites on that ship! Funny, quirky, a great pilot. Not to mention, he & Zoey were great together.
I'm really, really upset about this. I just cannot imagine the Firefly crew, or the show, being the same without him, even tho I do think the end of the movie left things open enough that the tory could continue & another film or maybe a return to the series could be made. But still...how could they kill Wash?!?
*****END SPOILER ALERT*****
All right, I got that out of my system. I'm still not happy, but I guess I can deal.
All in all, I thought it was a totally righteous movie, & I am of course now chomping at the bit for it to come out on DVD. :-)
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