Last night, I finished Take Me I’m Yours!

YEAH! It feels great to finish that book, even though I’m kind of sad. I’m going to miss Marion and Greame and Delilah. (But not Ethan because he’s a snake. hehe)

The total word count ended up at 51,248. Of course, that may change some some it’s off to Editland now. Anyway, I’m thrilled and very happy with the story. I think it turned out great. I’m wondering if I have too much going on in the final chapter, though. I have Delilah and Marion make up, then Graeme walks in and they end up doing the whole “I love you” stuff so they can have their Happily Ever After. Hm. I might need to break it up a bit.

Will have to see what my readers think.

Anyway, now I can throw myself into my time travel, One Knight Only. I was in the book store the other day doing some browsing in the Romance section when I noticed that someone has already stolen my title! But you know what? I’m going to use it anyway. You can’t copyright a title, after all.

This will be for the time travel anthology, due May 31. I haven’t quite figured out how she’s going to time travel yet, but I’m sure I will as I’m a total Pantser.

Before I can get started with that, though, I have to concentrate on contest stuff. Oof. That will be all consuming for the next week or so for me. I’m really striving to get those out by the first week of February.

I feel good about this month so far. I like that I’ve set these goals and am actually sticking to them. I’m proud of myself. Especially because I’ve been such a slacker. Last year was horrible on the writing career. I produced next to nothing as far as new material. This year, I am determined! As God is my witness!

I started doing my taxes last night, too. Looks like I’m going to get a nice return which means I can pay off at least two bills. Finally! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had to run to the post office to mail out something and I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. The thought of being nearly credit card debt-free makes me lightheaded.

I can do it. I can do it. I can do it.

I just have to stay strong and keep on keeping on.

Anyway, I rewarded myself with lots of reading time last night. It was wonderful.

Oh and Jeri – to answer your question – I have the book Twilight. I just haven’t finished reading it yet. I’m going to get back to it hopefully after I finish Bloodfever. And Smoke Thief. And Dream Thief. Oh, and I’m dying to have Queen of Dragons, now. It’s Shana Abe’s new one.

Yeah, I have a long TBR pile!

Tonight, LOST is back. I so missed staring at Sawyer’s half-naked body. HOORAY! Curious to see how the story is going to end up. The kiddo has a birthday party to go to, though, so I won’t be home in time to watch it. I am so glad I have the DVR.

Tomorrow is FREE BOOK FRIDAY. I’m giving away Melissa Schroeder’s Lessons In Seduction. Be sure to swing by and play!

I managed another 1500 words today (rounding off), which pushes me over the 46K mark. I’m guessing there is about another 2000 words left for this story. Maybe more. I don’ t know. I keep changing my mind and adding more internal with my two characters. hehe

My goal is to finish by the end of the week. Because this weekend and next will be consumed with Contest Hell.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s not that bad.  I really don’t mind working on the contest, but it is very time consuming and will be absorbing most of my waking hours after work next week. I have a lot of steps to complete before I can get them out the virtual door.

I will be spending a lot of hours at the computer putting together score sheets and getting them ready to email to the judges. And I’m still short about 20 judges. Which is scary, to say the least. I did a mass email last night and got a few responses. Hopefully we will get more before the day is out.

Anyway. It’s a lot of work. But when I get comments that it’s a great contest and the entrants have received good feedback, it makes it all worthwhile.

However, this week, I’m consumed with finishing Take Me I’m Yours. Wrote a very emotional scene from Marion’s POV and got some great meat in there. I’m starting to visualize the ending, which is great progress for me. Especially since I’m so not a plotter.

I’ve found myself very “in the zone” with this book. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with these characters. There’s something about it that’s different from the others I’ve done and I can’t quite explain it. It’s like when I sit down to write, the characters start speaking to me and drive the story. It feels different to write this one. It’s not nearly as forced as Nice Girls Do was and much more in-depth than Talk Dirty To Me (and I won’t even go into the time travel books because they were a beast in and of themselves hehe). It feels very natural and easy and the flow just…happens. I’m not sure that makes sense to anyone but me.

And once I get this baby done, I’m packing it up and shipping it off to the publisher to see if they’ll–hopefully–buy it.  Well, after a good polish up, that is.

THEN I get to work on my time travel! YAY! This is the jousting novel I started way back when and decided to make it a time travel because my heroine kept talking like a twenty-first century woman. It’s called One Knight Only. I did start to add on a new beginning and it’s very rough, but I really want to get into it. I have a deadline I want to meet. I want a first draft done by the end of February so I’ll have time to edit and polish in March. It’s not due until the end of May, but I still want to get it done and out the door. Sooner is always better than later.

Because, as you may or may not know, I have a five manuscript goal this year. Almost one down, four to go.

I’ve been reading Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning, the second book in the “Fever” series and I really like it. I’m completely immersed in that world when I’m reading and I seriously think it’s helped my own writing. Not that I’m mimicking her or anything. It just seems to keep me motivated. How novel, eh? Now she needs to hurry up with the third book. LOL

And this is another week of Free Book Friday, so hope ya’ll come back and out of lurkdom to win Melissa Schroeder’s Lessons In Seduction (who is feeling under the weather lately – get well soon, Mel!).

Well I didn’t get back to the computer last night. I ended up having company, cooking Chickan Caccitore, and playing Wii. By the time all that was done and it was the kiddo’s bathtime and then I had to wash and dry his hair, read to him, and get him wound down for bed.

That was a feat, especially since he decided to take a 2 hour nap yesterday. It was next to impossible to get him up!

But I finally did and he was in a much better mood.

I did get those 1200 words in yesterday which felt really good. Today I want to read over that new section, see how the pacing is, and then start on the last chapter tonight. I’m fairly confident I can get it done. If not finished today, then fore sure tomorrow.

The kiddo didn’t want to wake up this morning – and no wonder! He didn’t go to sleep until after 10 (it was because of that nap!).

And now it’s off to school and work. Happy Monday!

The kiddo decided he needed a nap (and boy did he! Talk about crankypants…), so I got to write!

1200 words this afternoon and I’m about one chapter shy of finishing. I wrote the big scene at the restaurant where Marion lets Ethan have it in front of the other patrons and then she and Delilah get into a huge fight in the ladies room. And Greame overhears most of it. It was a great chapter.

I figure I have one more left. I busted my goal of 45k, so I’m thinking the final manscript will be about 47k, give or take. Two thousand words ought to wrap it up. I think.

Anyway, GREAT session today. I’m hoping to get back to it when the kiddo goes to bed tonight. Speaking of, I better go get him up. he’s been asleep for over an hour…

2100 tonight… Woohoo! I’m nearly there!

Well my 6-year-old just rose from the dead…I mean…sleeping. hehe I had him do the drawing. So the winner of The Accidental Countess is:

Jeri Fortin

Congrats, Jeri! Email me (michelle @ michellemiles.net – no spaces) your snail mail address and I’ll get it out to you!

AND, for grins, I had him draw another name for the winner’s choice of either of my ebooks, Talk Dirty To Me or Nice Girls Do:

Caitlin Hoy

Congrats, Caitlin! Email me and let me know which book you’d like and I’ll send it your way.

Thanks for all the responses! I enjoyed reading about your dreams. And come back next week for Free Book Friday - I’m giving away a copy of Melissa Schroeder’s Lessons In Seduction.

Happy Saturday!

…for HELL in a handbasket!

Thursday went from relatively calm to that in 2.3 seconds. I’ve been working on placing some advertising for Engineers Week (yes, they have their own week – can you believe that? It’s February 17-23, so be sure and hug an engineer that week. If you can stand to get that close to one, that is haha) and so I’ve been busy talking to ad folks most of the week. What I’ve found is – they really want to talk to you if you’re going to spend a small fortune with their publication.

I did talk to a lady with the Los Angeles Times who was so nice to talk to! Of course, she was at the local Dallas office and not actually IN Los Angeles, but you know, that was okay too. In fact, everyone I’ve talked has been super. It’s rather…refreshing.

It’s a good thing I have super organizational skills. Because I’ve talked to every publication in Southern California I think. hehe I was surprised to discover that not on publiation does a special focus on Engineers Week. Our local newspapers and business journals do that sort of thing. I’ve been putting everything I find out in stacks by state and then by publication. And then I add it all on this very gigantic spreadsheet in Excel.

I know. This is thrilling information, isn’t it?

But as I was filling out all this information, I got to wondering. What sort of people end up being Director of Advertising? Or an Account Executive? I wanted to do an in-depth interview with them to see what led them there and if they enjoy their job and if they do any other interesting work on the side. You know, like us writers who work full time jobs and write part-time.

I’m SO not a people-person (I can’t stand the general populace to be quite honest) so I know talking to people on a daily basis is not for me.

Anyway. Went to lunch with my friend. We were in search of Kincaid’s Hamburgers but never found it, sadly. We think it’s gone. Instead, we ended up at a Chinese place, which wasn’t exactly what I had my mouth all set for. I’ve been craving a big drippy cheeseburger for days. I still haven’t got it.

Afterward, we drove through and affluent neighborhood in Fort Worth called Westover Hills. He was showing me all the multi-million dollar houses. And WOW they were gorgeous. I mention a very affluent neighborhood in my book (which is also next to a country club) but I needed to see it to make the reference more plausible. Even if it is just a reference, I still want to get it right.

As we drove through the narrow black top streets, seeing this gigantic houses that were two and three stories (and the Rolls in the back), four car garages, iron gates across the driveways (and even SOME had their own guardhouse at the gate!), I wondered… what do these people do for a living? Where do they get their money? Is it old Fort Worth money? Or are they up and coming entrepeneurs? My friend said that most of them were probably CEOs, presidents of companies, maybe even a senator or two (with a guardhouse!).

I’m not sure I’d want to live in a house that big (two toilets is about all I can stand to clean), but it sure is nice to dream about it.

And so… it’s FREE BOOK FRIDAY – in case you forgot. I want to know… what do YOU dream about? Something big like a fancy house? A car? A boat? Or maybe it’s something simple…like a nice pair of shoes. Or a dress you’ve been eyeing in the shop window.

Post your comments here and if you want to be in the drawing for Melissa Schroeder’s The Accidental Countess, post that too. Contest closes at midnight CST and I’ll draw the name Saturday morning and announce the winner.

The weather is saying it’s going to be icy in the morning. I guess we’ll see!

At any rate – we got the kid’s Colin Powell presentation done. It looks pretty smashing if I do say so myself!

Friday is still FREE BOOK FRIDAY. So be sure and comment to enter the contest to win a copy of Melissa Schroeder’s The Accidental Countess. And now I’m off to bed.

Do you ever wake up one morning and think, “This SUCKS.”

I did. I haven’t been sleeping well lately. So I’m rather cranky. I got up this morning and thought, I hate my clothes. I hate my car. I hate my job.

Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. Let’s just say I had a serious strong dislike for everything around me today. I can’t help but think – is this all there is? Is this it? Am I done?

I’m frustrated and annoyed. And it looks like the book signing is not going to happen. At least for me. And it’s really kind of a double-edged sword. My book is out of stock (YAY!) but the publisher doesn’t know when it will print again (BOO) and they can’t guarantee it will be printed for the February signing (CRY).

I guess there’s not much I can do about it. Except feel like I’m on the outside look in again.

Yeah! That’s exactly how I feel! (Image courtesy of EmotionEric.Com.)

Anyway.

On another happier note…I managed to get in 2200 words the other night on Take Me I’m Yours. I’m in the home stretch and busted 41K. I think there are only one or two chapters left. I’m wrapping it up.

Except I still don’t have an end.

But I’m starting to get an inkling of one, so that’s good.

My first grader has to do an oral report on Colin Powell and he has to make a poster on poster board and everything. We started the process last night and it was excruciating to say the least. Getting your 6 year old to write small and clear and NOT smudge on the poster board is next to impossible. I should have just done it. But then, that’s just not right is it? We have to finish tonight and then practice his presentation for the class. Oof.

I forgot when I reproduced I signed up for school projects all over again.

PS – Tomorrow is Free Book Friday!

We get another cold front today. Temps should be in the mid-20s tonight. BRR

I like the cold weather. However, I have no desire to be out IN it. I’d much rather stay at home and have a fire and a cup of coffee and a movie (or a book).

I did get some writing done yesterday. Not much, but some. I’m starting to get to know these characters even more than I did before. They’re actions are very telling and it turns out there’s a long sordid history between Graeme and his former best friend, Ethan. They really do hate each other. And they both want Marion but for very different reasons. I love how the characters reveal themself to me as I’m writing them. And there’s nothing better than have a “zone” moment.

But I’m anxious to finish this one up and move on to the next one.

I still can’t get Darkfever out of my mind. I think I must have dreamed about it the other night because I kept waking up looking for Unseelie – scary Fae monsters (read the book – no really!). I still marvel at how masterful Moning was able to pull off the first person in that book. And I can’t help but think, “Damn, I wish I’d thought of that.” hehe

A good friend ordered Bloodfever for me as a gift so it’s on the way. I.can’t.wait.to.get.it. The suspense of wanting to know what’s going to happen in the next book is killing me.

I’m going to be looking for more dark fantasy books, I think. Just to see whate everyone else is doing.

And I still want to read more YA.

Yep, that TBR pile is getting longer every day.

I think I mentioned yesterday I’m giving away a book this week – Free Book Friday! The prize is Melissa Schroeder’s Lessons in Seduction. So all those who post on the comment section this week will be entered in the drawing. So all you folks in lurkdom, come on out and play. You have until midnight CST Friday to play. Winner will be announced Saturday morning. I’ll have my kiddo draw the name.

Anyway. My ad was in the February issue of Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine on page 55. Everyone needs to go check that out, pronto. I’ll have an ad in the March issue as well. You’ll just have to go find it to see which book I’m promoing. hehe

AND – it’s official, folks. I’ll be doing a book signing on February 9 at the Barnes & Noble in Highland Village from 2 pm to 4 pm. I’m signing copies of A Bend In Time and I’ll have cover flats of the ebooks to give away. So if you live in the area, come on out and say hello. I’ll be signing with several other authors that day.

And that’s it for now. It’s off to work!

I fell off the wagon yesterday. Hard and fast. I’d been having a time lately. Lots of depressing moments when I look at my bank account. Doesn’t help I have a sky-high electric bill to pay this week. Those bastards.

Anyway. I woke up on Sunday, got up, had coffee. And all of the sudden all I could think about were those two $10 gift certificates from DSW. They were burning a huge hole in my pocket. So I started laundry, read email, and thought about shoes.

It’s really a sad obsession I have.

They opened at 11 am, so I figured I’d head that way about that time. I showered, got dressed, read more email, watched the Food Network, and decided to fix my couch. It was the only thing standing between me and DSW – fixing the couch I mean.

It seems there were two springs out of place. It’s happened before and I put them back in place. But this time I was going to fix it so it wouldn’t pop out again. I got my tools of choice – work gloves, hammer, epoxy, staple gun. I managed to get the springs back in place. Both of them! And then I took the lid off the epoxy, got a toothpick and put epoxy in the holes on the front and back of the springs. They won’t be going anywhere this time!

Then I stapled the ripped covering on the bottom of the couch back into place. I even sewed up the holes. Aren’t I crafty? Then I took the cover with the big green and white flowers off and washed it. My couch is all clean and shiny and perfect once again.

Which means I can hold off for a while on purchasing a new one. Darn it.

DSW, though, was still beckoning me. Why not? I thought. I can just go look. There’s no harm in that. Right?

I stuff the two certificates in my bag and off I went. It was cold but sunny and beautiful yesterday. The wind was blustery. I drove to DSW, arriving after them being open about twenty minutes.

I found the clearance rack right away. And two pairs of brown flats – one was 80 percent off. I couldn’t NOT get it. A pair of Steve Madden suede brown ballet flats. I decided to stroll through the store, just to see if there was anything that would catch my fancy.

On the back wall…I saw it. Sitting there in all its beauty. I swear I had the Inward Sucky Noise of Joy.

They were Steve Madden in this luscious striped brown satin. Peep toe with a stiletto four inch heel in dark brown. A little rhinstone faux-buckle on the toe. I was in heaven. I had to have it.

But they didn’t have my size. The closest to it was an 8. I was devastated!

So I took my purchases to the register and asked if they could call another store. Yes, I know. It’s excessive. But I couldn’t help it.

The other store didn’t have my size either. Bummer.

I went to Nordstrom and Macy’s and Shoe Pavilion. No luck. No one had it. (Incidentally, Shoe Pavilion has this really weird smell about it. I know they are trying to compete with DSW, but really – they are no match – and they smell.)

I stopped at Taco Bell on the way home and spent my last $4 in cash. But I couldn’t stop thinking about those shoes. How sad is that?

I scoured the internet for them. I couldn’t find them anywhere. Not even on the Steve Madden website. Again…devastated.

So as I shoved the remaining Nachos Bell Grande in my mouth, I had an urge. I was going to drive across town, to the other side of Fort Worth to see if that other DSW had them. I figured what the heck becuase I didn’t have anything else to do that day and it sure beats sitting at home.

Of course, I had a helluva time finding that other store. But I finally did. And JOY of JOY they had it. But in a 7.

Luckily, the 7 fit. And it was the last pair. So I cradled it against my body as I walked the rest of the store. And found a pair of blue and black Nicole Miller that were to-die-for.

Turns out the lady in the same aisle was a big shoe person like me. We had a lovely conversation about shoes and our favorite brands and we both ended up buying the Nicole Miller. Her husband walked up as she was trying them on and said, “But, honey, look at them. They’re so fabulous.”

hehehehe

Yes, I had a hand in that. It felt great!

So I ended up purchasing four new pairs of shoes. I couldn’t help it. I so needed them. There’s just something about buying shoes that make everything all better again. You know?

After I got home, I decided to have some seriou downtown. I finished reading Karen Marie Moning’s Darkfever and I loved it. It TOTALLY rocks. Of course, I simply must have the second book so I can continue the story and see what happens. It’s very different from her Highlander series. A lot darker. But I liked it a lot and I found myself amazed at the smooth way she could write in first person. It’s amazing. I laughed in a lot of places and even wanted to cry in some. The mark of a fantastic writer.

I picked up Smoke Thief by Shana Abe next. She’s got a new one out called Queen of Dragons but I wanted to start with the first one. Of course, my TBR pile is getting longer by the minute. I have Melissa Schroder’s to read, too.

And I plan to have a giveaway on Friday of one of her books. Yes, I’m teasing you. So all you lurkers out there will have to post a comment to win.

As for me, I’m off to work. For some it’s a holiday. I wish it was for me!

I went to Melissa Schroeder’s book signing yesterday afternoon and ended up purchasing four books – two for me and two for giveaways. I have The Accidential Countess and Lessons in Seduction. So, be on the look out this week for Free Books! (This will be cross-posted at MySpace, too, if you’re a lurker there hehe)

I also printed some promo stuff for the signing I’m doing in February with her. AND! I printed business cards. I’m all fixed up now.

Yesterday was super productive. Got lots of that business stuff done as well as some writing. The word meter moved! Did you notice? Anyway, just a quick entry here and then definitely more tomorrow.

Still reading Karen Marie Moning’s Darkfever and I am LOVING it. It’s a fantastic book.

YAY! I got a review from FallenAngels Reviews for Nice Girls Do!

This story has an uplifting message that although it may be hard, you can choose to change your life if you want to and you don’t have to give up everything!

I love that!

You can read the entire review here.

AND – here’s another one from Romance Junkies:

In addition to the combustible sexual relationship between Cara and Mark there’s an intense emotional bond that develops which really captures your attention.

You can read that one here.