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Monday, April 30, 2007
how do you spell aaaaaagggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!?
 Hello, hello! I am returned from the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. And Virginia & Maryland, actually, since I drive through all three to get there & back. :-) It really was gorgeous down there. Yes, it's gorgeous here, but the farther south you go, the warmer it gets and the more flowers and birds are out, so it was a lovely treat.
Now, normally I would dive right in to telling you what a wonderful time I had & reporting everything I heard throughout the weekend. But I'm going at things a bit backwards this time because I am just too excited to keep this to myself. (As hinted at from the shriek in the title of this post. *g*)
On the way home last night, I stopped at the post office to pick up whatever mail had piled up over the weekend. Well, the June issue of Romantic Times happened to be there & I just couldn't resist opening it up to see what kind of review FORTUNE'S FORBIDDEN WOMAN had gotten. I had forgotten it was going to be reviewed, actually. I mean, I knew which issue it would be in & I knew it was coming up, but I hadn't paid much attention to when I thought the magazine would arrive or anything like that. If you have a user name & password at the RT site, you can even log in a bit early to find out what ratings new books have gotten, without the actual review. But, of course, I got busy, & I try not to obsess about that sort of thing, anyway, so I really had forgotten I was even suppose to be on the lookout for a new review.
Anyway, as soon as I pulled into the drive, I took a couple of deep breaths, closed one eye (because we all know things aren't nearly as scary when you decrease your vision in some way *vbg*), & flipped to the series romance review section. At first I just skimmed. I saw the "Top Pick!" moniker, but wasn't surprised since they often start with one of those. Then I skimmed a little further & saw that my name was the very first author name mentioned.
Aaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhh!!!!!!! That's exactly how it sounded when I screamed, & I swear I probably woke the neighbors. (They're kind of used to this from me by now, though. I'm not saying they like it, only that they're no longer surprised when strange noises or bizarre occurances come from my direction at all hours of the day & night. :-P)
I screamed. Then screamed again. Then broke into a series of shorter, higher-pitched little yips as I jumped out of the car & started dancing around.
I should probably explain that this is my very first Top Pick! from Romantic Times, & I have always, always wanted one. (So I'm shallow--sue me. LOL) Plus, those of you who were around during my long, sorrowful lament on this story may remember that FORTUNE'S FORBIDDEN WOMAN was one of those books that--to paraphrase Anne Stuart--had to be dragged into submission kicking & screaming. I loved the characters & the story, but as the final installment of the "Dakota Fortunes" continuity series, I had a lot of balls to juggle, a lot of characters to balance, a lot of plot threads to weave in. And then my editor asked for some rather extensive revisions that (aside from making me feel like a talentless hack, as revisions often do) had me worrying that the entire story was just a jumbled up mess that no one would ever be able to make heads or tails of.
The galley version of the story, when I finally got it, did alleviate a bit of that concern, as I read through the book & thought, "Hey, that's not so bad, after all. It's even kind of good." *g* But I'm a writer, so I was still somewhat neurotic about it. (You did know that all writers are neurotic, obsessive-compulsive, & perpetually about three seconds away from a nervous breakdown, right?)
The excellent review from CataRomance that I received only a few weeks ago also helped, but this 4 1/2 Top Pick! has me absolutely over the moon. I've been dancing around, humming, & e-mailing everyone I know. But don't worry, when cruddy stuff happens, I do pretty much the same thing--minus the dancing & humming. :-D
As soon as my heart rate drops back down to normal & my feet once again touch the ground, I will start telling you about my weekend. Be prepared though...I didn't come home with nearly as much industry news as just plain fun stuff.
Until tomorrow, you know the drill...happy dance to the tune of "Heidi got a Top Pick! Heidi got a Top Pick!"
If you don't dance, I'll know. And, yes, there will be a quiz. *vbg*
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
toodles
I'm almost completely packed for this weekend's conference in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The weather has been so crazy, I'm not entirely sure what to wear, so I've packed about three times more than I'll probably need. Three times more clothes, three times more shoes...oy. (Good thing we're driving instead of flying or I'd be in trouble. :-p)
I'm nearly finished reading Susan Andersen's Hot & Bothered (really good! :-D) & am hoping to be done with it before I take off. Of course, then I'll have to decide on a brand new book to take along, which may not be easy. I'm leaning toward Laurell K. Hamilton's Obsidian Butterfly, but I'm not certain yet.
I've got the DVRs set to record just about everything while I'm away, too. Don't want to risk missing any great TV shows just because I'm not here to watch them! Although, it will mean quite a bit of catching up next week. :-)
So try not to have too much fun while I'm gone...or if you do, be sure to fill me in as soon as I get back. And I'll let you know if I hear anything exciting at the conference. Mostly, I'm planning to just sit around, relaxing & talking with friends, but you never know what neat piece of gossip might turn up. *g*
Enjoy your weekend!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
a little help, please?
I'm on a new mission this week, & I thought you guys might like to help.
Oh, who am I kidding? I need help. LOL
I want to compile a list of romance novels that have anything to do with ice hockey. Hockey player heroes (or heroines; I'm not sexist *g*), ex-hockey player heroes/heroines, hockey settings, sports reporter characters who cover mostly hockey games...anything.
I know Rachel Gibson & Deirdre Martin have done a lot of hockey books, but I also know there are probably a ton of titles out there I don't know about.
So if you're familiar with any, I'd love to hear about them & add them to my list. :-D
Friday, April 20, 2007
time flies when you forget what you're doing
Okay, except for this morning when I actually did have trouble getting online, I have absolutely no excuse for disappearing for so long. I just sort of forgot what I was doing, & since nothing was going on, I forgot to post. :-p
Had my first appointment with a brand new chiropractor this morning, which went well. He's very nice, & if he can get my back to stop creaking (I think from sleeping in the form of a pretzel a few nights ago), then I'll be more than happy with the switch. I'm also starting to make my packing list for the conference I'll be attending next weekend. I don't want to forget anything, of course, & I'm having clothing issues, since I have no clue what the weather is going to be like. Usually, by this time in April, it's starting to warm up & the conference site is gorgeous, so I can get away with capri pants & light tops. This year, though, it's been so cold in recent weeks that I'm not sure what to expect. I may end up taking either double the outfits (which would be kind of a pain) or things I think could pass for both types of weather. You know...short sleeve tops, but also a sweater, etc.
Sheesh. I much prefer reliable weather forcasts. I even e-mailed a friend who lives down there to ask her to send me a weather report early next week, just in case. She'll probably think I'm insane. Then again, nothing new there. :-P
And that's about the extent of what's currently going on in my life. How pathetic is that? Maybe next week will be more exciting, though I wouldn't count on it.
Have a great weekend, everyone!!!
Currently watching The Island
Currently reading Hot & Bothered by Susan Andersen
Monday, April 16, 2007
what kind of biblio are you?
I found this list while clearing out some old newsletters & thought you'd get a kick out of it...
The following is a list of terms about books & bookish people. Which one best describes you?
BIBLIOCLAST -- somone who destroys books (gasp!)
BIBLIOKLEPT -- someone who steals books (double gasp!)
BIBLIOMANIAC -- someone who has an exaggerated love of books (that would be me)
BIBLIOPEGIST -- someone who binds books; a bookbinder
BIBLIOPHAGE -- someone who reads a lot of books (I do try)
BIBLIOPHILE -- someone who loves books (who doesn't?)
BIBLIOPHOBE -- someone who doesn't like books (do people like this really exist?!?)
BIBLIOPOLE -- someone who sells rare books
BIBLIOTAPH -- someone who hoards books ("hoards" is such a harsh word, don't you think?)
Saturday, April 14, 2007
the earth is back on its axis & all is right with the world
The satellite repair guy showed up first thing this morning & fixed the TV. Turned out to be a little box or splitter or something at the back of the receiver that was busted, so it was a simple fix, but nothing I either caused or could have repaired on my own. Yay!
And now...I have cable again! Whew.
I've got lots to catch up on & start recording. I think I missed a new episode of Raines (which I like, how about you?), maybe some Scrubs & Andy Barker, P.I. (which I don't really, but I've still been watching it--what's that about?), but nothing major. And like I said, it will all repeat. I hope.
Aside from that, I have a fairly lazy weekend planned. (It's been a busy & somewhat stressful week...don't ask.) I have a small amount of work to do on a current project, which I'm hoping to get out of the way fairly early, then I'm planning to veg out with a good book & play some major catching up with my beloved television. LOL
How about you? Anything exciting planned for this weekend?
Friday, April 13, 2007
out with the old, in with the new
For my cats, at least. And they didn't even get a vote on the matter. :-p
You're all aware of the recent pet food recall & how many pets have gotten sick or even died because of the tainted ingredients in many popular pet foods. Thankfully, nothing I was feeding my cats was affected. (And I hope the same can be said of your critters!)
But even before that, I hadn't been happy with the foods I was forced to buy. I didn't like the ingredients & knew they weren't the optimum products I should be feeding my kids. So when I saw a snippet on the news about a local woman who sells all natural pet foods, I was ecstatic. I called her up immediately & talked to her on & off for a few days about her products & my cats' needs. And yesterday I drove over to pick up brand new food--dry, moist, the whole nine yards.
When I got home, I immediately switched everything over, cold turkey. And I was thrilled to have three of my cats bustle right up & dig in. They love it! Two of them, however, aren't as impressed. I do think they're eating it, because they don't seem to be starving, but I haven't actually seen them eat the new stuff yet & when I put it down in front of them, they turn their little noses up. That's okay. The lady has other types of foods in case they remain finicky, but first I'm going to try easing them into the switch a bit more. Maybe mixing a tiny bit of the old food in, both dry & moist, to get them interested, or try a few other things, since the woman is also a huge fan of a raw diet for dogs & cats. That means I can try feeding them bits of raw chicken, salmon, beef, etc. (It sounds a lot worse than it is, believe me! She actually gave me a frozen rabbit patty to try & three of the five cats loved it. One liked it okay, but didn't dig in. And the other hasn't shown her face enough yet to make a decision. :-p) The great thing about this food is that it's much healthier for them, with none of the grains & fillers regular foods use. Already the three who are switched over seem happier & healthier & aren't eating nearly as much as before. (Because they don't need to; this stuff actually fills them & is processed through their systems way better than that other junk.) I know it's only been twenty-four hours, but I'm extremely pleased & extremely hopeful that I'll be able to give them this type of food well into the future. I'll let you know how it goes. :-)
Thursday, April 12, 2007
the least happy camper in the world
You know how much I love television, right? You know that I record & watch just about everything that's on, & own enough DVDs of movies & TV shows to tile the world. And you know that my TV is almost always on, whether I'm writing or reading or checking e-mail or just trying to fall asleep.
So what do you think my reaction might be if I were to suddenly discover myself without television? LOL I'd probably make Charles Manson look stable>
Yeah, well, by Saturday, we may very well find out. I have been without television for going on two days now. I have to say, I'm handling it fairly well. Probably in part because I wasn't home most of today. The fact that I'm missing out on recording stuff is about to send me over the deep end, tho. :-P
I have no idea what the problem is, & two separate phone calls to tech support got me nowhere. So now I have to wait until Saturday morning for a technician to come out & take a look, & hopefully get everything up & running again. He'd better be here early Saturday morning, I can tell you that.
In the meantime, I'm telling myself that all the stuff I can't record will repeat. Maybe not anytime soon, but it will. And I can still watch tapes or DVDs, which is something, at least. Plus, I've got books. Man, have I got books. And as far as writing in front of the television...well, I can do that with the tapes or DVDs, or I guess I can even put on some music. I used to write to music all the time; haven't done it for a while, but I'm betting it will work just as well.
See, I'm handling it. I'm taking deep breaths & pretending I live back in medieval times. And if all else fails, I'll knock on the neighbor's door & ask if I can borrow an hour or two of viewing time. :-P
Currently watching...nothing
Currently reading Wicked Games by Alison Kent
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
okay, now this is cool
  I got a note from Harlequin Historicals author Jenna Kernan ( www.JennaKernan.com) this week telling me that she just came from a visit to the Harlequin Distribution Center in Buffalo, New York, & saw my book ( FORTUNE'S FORBIDDEN WOMAN, Silhouette Desire #1801, June 2007) rolling hot off the presses. How cool is that?!?This is a photo she took of the printing process, & even though it's blurry, she swears it's my book. :-)
I've never visited the distribution center...& if I did, I'd never seen one of my own books being printed, I'm sure LOL...but I'll bet it was fun. And I do wish I'd been able to see FFW zipping along like that. Very cool.
I told Jenna I hoped she grabbed a copy when no one was looking. LOL I also promised that if I ever got to visit the distribution center and one of her books was being printed, I'd snap a bunch of pictures & let her know, the same as she did for me.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
happy easter!
Here in Central PA, it's a little cold & the ground is covered with snow, which might made Easter egg hunts a bit more difficult than usual, but I'm sure the kids will still give it a shot. *g*
Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you have a lovely day.
Friday, April 06, 2007
should I chicken dance this time?
  Just got a phone call informing me that SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION and BEDDED THEN WED are both finalists for the HOLT Medallion. Yippee! This is really exciting for me. I've known about the HOLT Medallion for quite a while & have to admit I've always wanted one. Yeah, this is just a final, I haven't actually won, but it still counts & I'll take it. And to be a double finalist! That's very cool...even the lady who called me seemed to be excited about that. :-D Currently watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Currently reading Hot & Bothered by Susan Andersen
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
question of the week
So I'm reading the Kick@ss anthology from Berkley, with stories by Maggie Shayne, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight, & Jacey Ford. (Yeah, I'm a little behind--so sue me. *g*) And it's good, don't get me wrong. Loved Maggie's & Angela's stories.
But every single time I've finished one story & jumped immediately into the next--and this is pretty much true of all anthologies, not just this one--I've had trouble getting interested in the new story right away. I don't know if the beginnings were actually slow or if I'm still feeling more connected to the previous novella than the current one. It's very peculiar. :-p
And that's the question I have for you guys:
When you read an anthology or collection of stories by multiple authors, do you have trouble transitioning from one story to the next? And if so, why do you think that is?
Monday, April 02, 2007
so this is how it feels to narrowly escape death
Okay, so I was having a pretty good day. Dropped CHRISTMAS IN HIS ROYAL BED in the mail to my editor this morning, which always puts a spring in my step, & then I was off to pick up my taxes. Well, you know...not exactly whistling my way to that, but it's okay. I knew it was coming, I do this every year, & it was an excuse to shop along the way. :-)
Oh, & at one of the stores, I fell in love with absolutely the most adorable little puppy I've ever seen. Part pug, part some kind of terrier...it was adopted from a local shelter, so who knows...but it was just the cutest thing. When I first pulled into the parking lot, he was outside, yanking a branch off a bush with his teeth. He got it loose, but it was about three times his size, & it was too funny to watch him trying to play fetch with it. As soon as I got out of the car...of course, I was already gushing & trying to devise ways of sneaking him into the car so I could take him home with me..he came running over, & it was off to the races.
What a wiggler! And a chewer! But totally adorable. I played with him for the longest time...& then I broke out in hives cuz I'm kind of allergic to other people's animals. I'd probably be allergic to my own, except I've worked up a tolerance. And it was totally worth it--both with my pets & the puppy today. I'm still working on a plan to abduct him. *vbg*
It was on the way home that I could have been killed. I still don't know exactly what happened, but a UPS truck was passing going in the other direction, & as it did, a great plume of smoke engulfed my car as it slammed on its breaks. And in the rearview mirror, I saw it swerving, cross traffic, & go right over into a rather steep ditch. I swear, those trucks are not very well balanced, because it toppled right over. And I think it might have had to slam on its breaks & swerve because another car was coming directly at it in the same lane...you know, the car had been trying to pass somebody else, then couldn't get back in its own lane quickly enough. I'm not positive, but that's my best guess from what I saw going on behind me.
It was scary, let me tell you. I pulled over immediately, even though I was well past the accident by the time it all unfolded, & called 911. Chances are, they got a lot of calls, because a lot of people started pulling over to help, but I wanted to make sure the police knew & an ambulance would get there as quickly as possible, if necessary.
Since the 911 operator took all of my information & I wasn't the best witness to what had happened, I didn't stick around much longer. I figured someone who had seen it happen in front of their eyes instead of behind them in the rearview & side mirrors would be able to give the police better information than I could. And if they still want to talk to me, they certainly know how to find me.
I just hope the driver of the UPS truck is okay. Like I said, I don't think those trucks are the safest vehicles on the road. I don't even know if they have seatbelts! Or if they do, do the drivers remember to put them on between stops? I'm praying for him, & hoping I can get more information about the accident from the news or the state police in the next few days.
But I'm telling you, if that truck had started to swerve even three seconds sooner, it would have hit me head-on & I'd probably be dead. I kid you not. It's also a blessing that the UPS truck didn't hit that other car head-on, either, or things could have been a lot worse than they were. That's provided the UPS driver is okay...& I'm praying hard that s/he is!
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Hello, hello! I am returned from the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. And Virginia & Maryland, actually, since I drive through all three to get there & back. :-) It really was gorgeous down there. Yes, it's gorgeous here, but the farther south you go, the warmer it gets and the more flowers and birds are out, so it was a lovely treat.
