Today is one of those bittersweet days. My boss of the past 4 years is leaving the company. I’m tremendously happy for her and wish her well but I’m also tremendously sad. She was, by far, the best boss I’ve ever had. And probably ever will have. She’s a truly awesome lady and I’ll miss her. A lot.

Today is also the last day of school. Happy-Sad. Happy school is out and homework is over. Sad we’re losing a bit of structure for the next three months. LOL I can’t believe the school year is OVER already. Where did the year go? Dang.

I volunteered at the kid’s end of year party yesterday and I totally worked my ass off. I was exhausted by the time I left there. They have several stations set up around the area and the kids can pick the things they want to do. I was suck with face painting, which I totally suck at. At least there were these stencil things that helped with that. Mostly I just made a mess. I had paint all over my hands and arms. It’s still in my cuticles and under my nails, even after numerous washings. I took the kid to his grandparents and then went to work.

I’m so happy it’s Friday. I’m so happy it’s the weekend. Hopefully, I can get back to writing.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! It was a really good day.

It started with going to the school to see the second grade celebration and then to work. Went to lunch with Man and had a little mini-celebration with the gals at work (a bottle of wine and flowers). Got presents from the kiddo, too. A very large box of chocolates.

Man brought dinner with consisted of chicken cordon bleu, rice with ciltrano and lemon, endamame salad. And, naturally, it wouldn’t be complete without my favorite – red velvet cake! I also got an iPod Nano from the Man and a totally cool new bedside clock radio with iPod docking station. It rocks. I love it all. I’d say I got everything I wanted for my birthday – wine, flowers, chocolate, iPod. Yep. That all works.

We had a very low-key evening. The kiddo took the portable DVD player and trotted off to his bedroom. I played with my new toys and Man read his book. We didn’t even turn the TV on until it was time for the 10 pm news. How novel. The peace was nice, though.

Today I’m off to the kiddo’s school for his end of year party. I’m volunteering to work one of the booths. And then it’s back to work.

And not much else to report other than that. Except, of course, the iPod ROCKS. Can’t wait to get the car adapter for my new stereo.

Have a happy Thursday!

Today I’m pleased to host fellow writing colleague, Jenny Storm. She’s celebrating her new release, a YA mystery called Dixie Dust Rumors, and took time out to do a little interview with me.

Here’s a quick blurb about the book:

Who could be luckier than a young girl whose father trains racehorses? That is, until false accusations could cause the loss of not only their livelihood and the horses they love, but their dreams. Due to the belief that horse racing is a crooked sport, even unsubstantiated rumors can be fatal to a trainer’s career. Twelve-year-old Rose Olen is determined to find out why a journalist printed innuendos that make her father’s business practices sound unethical without checking facts. Aided by her friends Maya Sanchez and Libby Kim, and her younger brother Simon, they investigate the charges and come up with a scheme to foil the reporter. They juggle responsibilities at school, the contempt and ridicule from other students, and responsibilities at the track as they search for the truth behind the Dixie Dust Rumors.

And, now, meet Jenny Storm!

Hi, Jenny! Thanks for taking time to answer a few questions about writing YA and mysteries.

1. My sister-in-law is an avid horse racing fan, so I’m no stranger to the sport. When did you first get interested in horses and horse racing?

JS: I watched and won my first Kentucky Derby in 1969, when I was seven years old. Majestic Prince was the winner – I fell in love with him. Gorgeous, gorgeous horse. I now have photos of him I will frame for the study in my new house. Along with photos of horses like Point Given, John Henry, and Holy Bull. My mom, dad, and I watched that first race on TV – in black and white – they thought it would be fun, and my grandfather worked part-time as a parimutuel clerk (the guy who takes your bet at the window) in MA on a harness track (He was a lawyer by day). I just fell in love with the sport. I grew up watching the races and took riding lessons at summer camp in New Mexico the summer I was 15. Because I was a girl, they only let me learn English-style riding, but I learned to jump and saddle and take care of horses, and just loved them. Being a city girl, working in theatre on both coasts, I didn’t really have much chance to follow that joy. When I worked on Broadway on MISS SAIGON, I started getting into it again, and some friends and I used to go the New York tracks, which expanded to Florida, Kentucky, and California tracks, and I started focusing my volunteer work on horse-related charities.

At the time I researched this book, I went to the track once a week. Now, I only get to go every few months, although this is my tenth year covering the Triple Crown. I hope to get back into more regular race-going over the next year or so.

2. How different is writing YA from adult fiction?

JS: You still have to tell a really good story and let the characters remain true to themselves. I found myself second-guessing parental response more than changing anything because of the kids. DIXIE DUST is on the younger, more innocent end of the middle grade spectrum by choice. You can’t have dark and intense ALL the time!

3. Any pointers you can give people who want to write cross-genres?

JS: Know each genre that interests you inside out. Read constantly. Pick elements you like best, or that you want to read and can’t find, and use them in your work.

4. I’m sure you get this question(s) all the time, but I’m going to ask it anyway. What are the benefits of having a pen name? The disadvantages? Why would someone choose a pen name over their own?

JS: It’s more for marketing ease than anything else. Different names in different genres. You can choose where to cross-market and where to keep names separate. There are people on the marketing side of it who have trouble wrapping their minds around anyone who’s good at more than one thing. One of the few positives about the bulk of marketing now dumped on the writer is that the writer can shape the individual campaigns better, and choose where to cross-market.

Pen names give you a huge amount of freedom. Each name has a personality and a voice, and yet you still can keep your life separate. It’s a luxury a performer doesn’t have. And, as you evolve, you can retire pen names that no longer suit your work or your life. Much easier than changing your real name over and over! It keeps you from being locked in other people’s boxes. You get to build and rebuild your own.

5. Will there be a sequel to DIXIE DUST RUMORS?

JS: It was originally conceived as a stand-alone, part of – hmm, I don’t want to call it a “series”, but an array of novels for this age range with protagonists in different sports. I’ve got one nearly done where the protagonist is a twelve-year-old female hockey player. And I’ve got notes on books featuring rowing and archery and fencing – all sports I’m interested in.

However, working on the proofs for DIXIE DUST made me realize that there’s more to say with these characters. I’ve outlined the next book with them, which takes place in Saratoga over the summer months, tentatively called DEAD MAN’S STALL. The title sort of gives you the gist of the mystery! The vibe in Saratoga in summer is fascinating, because you’ve got the flat race meet, where there’s a lot of pressure, a lot of quality horses, and the horse people are incredibly busy with that. Then you’ve got the rich, who flock to town to throw around money and their attitude around million dollar horses. Some of them are great, but there are plenty of people who show up who are really nasty individuals. And you’ve got the ballet, up for the summer, and all the other arts and charity events. Seriously, I take more clothes up for three days in Saratoga than I do for three weeks in Europe. It’s all the same people at a variety of events all day every day. I feel like I’m the wardrobe girl/quick change artist of my own life. I’m constantly changing clothes. And there’s polo. I love the sport and the horses; have very little use for the people and attitude around it. And harness racing. And slot machines. Then you’ve got the college students, both working summer terms and those just up from other places for summer term. And you’ve got the townies who couldn’t afford to flee or rent their houses for $3K/week and have to stay in the middle of all that chaos. It’s an interesting dynamic. The town’s much more mellow in the middle of winter. Mix that in with teen hormones, and well, it’s something I want to explore.

6. Since I know you write an adult fiction series (or two!) as well, tell us a bit about that. What is the best thing about writing a series? What’s the hardest?

JS: What’s great about a series is learning and growing with the characters, for both the writer and the reader. If you haven’t outlined the whole series in advance, you really have to make sure you don’t contradict too much in the earlier books, and make sure changes are rooted in past experiences and either compliment or contrast to them. If you’ve outlined the whole series, you have to give yourself enough freedom to let the characters surprise you.

The hardest is not to get caught up in the fear that the series will be dropped and you won’t get to finish it. If something happens and you leave or lose one publisher, just keep going and find another.

And, the longer the series runs, the more carefully you have to track details. I keep notebooks and, once the final proofs go up, I update details, like what backstory was revealed, any new character details, things like how a character takes his coffee, etc. That way, when I write the next book, I just flip to the page and make sure I keep details consistent. Or, if I deviate, there’s a choice and a reason, and I make sure it’s clear to the reader and not just a mistake.

7. Tell us a little about Dixie Dust Rumors. What inspired you to write it?

JS: Several things came together at once. I wanted to write a middle-grade novel, on the younger end of that age range. I love the series fiction from the early twentieth century: Trixie Belden, Ruth Fielding, Judy Bolton, Beverly Gray, all of those. I wanted to write fiction about horse racing. If you hang around a racetrack, you can find dozens of fascinating stories on any given day. I’d love to see a scripted cable show set at a race track. It’s fascinating, and the dynamics and the insular aspect of the world are complex. And yet, you still have to function in the outside world – especially the kids of trainers and owners and jockeys. I wanted to explore it, but also pick particular elements and explore it more simply than I could in adult fiction. I would have approached the same bones of plot very differently in an adult fiction piece, but I wanted to explore it living in Rose’s psyche as she lived it, not as an adult remembering it.

8. What appeals to you most about mysteries?

JS: As a reader, I like to try to figure it out, but also be surprised. I don’t want to get too far ahead of the protagonist, but I don’t want the protagonist to have and act on information I don’t have. I also don’t want the protagonist to be an idiot and keep making the same stupid mistakes. There are definitely mysteries I’ve picked up where I wished the protagonist would get killed off! I like the logic, the puzzle, figuring things out, the why, especially the psychological why. Also, for me personally, I like the sense that there will be some form of justice at the end, and the good guys win. I know that doesn’t always happen, and I respect writers who can pull off something more existential and complex and depressing, but for me, personally, I want the death to have meaning, even if I don’t agree with it, and to feel, by the end, that things have been set right with the world. Watch – having said that, I’ll go in a totally different direction with something like, next week!

Visit the Jenny Storm webpage: http://www.devonellingtonwork.com.jennystorm.html and friend her at: http://www.myspace.com/jennystormya

I’m over at Sole Struck today talking about my “fantasy shoes”. Come check it out!

The weekend was interesting. And long. And I’m glad it’s over. HA!

On Saturday we saw Night at the Museum. It was very cute and a lot like the first one. We both enjoyed it. Sunday, I took the kid to see Star Trek – second time around for me. It was a bit talky for him but he did think the explosions and stuff was cool. And all the black holes. Seeing it a second time made it even better.

Monday was about grilling everything not nailed down. Okay just kidding. We grilled chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers. And there was only three of us. I have no idea why we made enough food to feed an entire small village, but we did. We also tried this new recipe – grilled chicken with cherry-chipotle barbeque sauce. It was different but kinda good. Had a bit of a kick with the chipotle peppers that balanced out the sweet. The thyme was overpowering though so I think next time (no pun) we need to cut that way back.

The kid was bored out of his mind yesterday and fighting with the computer. So I made him shut it off. I told him to go use his imagination and play with his toys in his room. He stomped off, whiny. But a few minutes later, he’d managed to dump everything out of his toy container and get busy. I think all the computer games, Nintendos and Wiis have ruined kids’ brains. All they want to do is sit in front of them. Okay, I’m talking about mine here. I have to force him to do other things by unplugging him. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes it works.

I hope this summer he’ll find enough to keep him occupied. I’ve already forewarned my sister she’ll have another kid at her house for at least a week.

I got some comments back from Man on the Phoenix book. He caught a bunch of my fast-finger typos that I couldn’t “see” anymore. I’m grateful for that. He also really liked the book and said the ending surprised me. Score! I love hearing that.

And Sunday morning as I’m doing dishes and laundry, a new character started talking. I have no idea where it’s going or what it is, but I started writing. I got two pages in, only about 600 words, but I’ve started her story. Angelina, she tells me, is her name. And she’s a thief and a smuggler. And this is a sci-fi, by the way.

This week is going to be…difficult I think. A lot of things are coming to an end (school being one of them) and I’m feeling a bit reflective and apprehensive.  And maybe just a little bit sad, too. I’ll post more about it when I can.

Tomorrow, my good friend, Jenny Storm, will be here with her interview to promote her new book. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

And that’s it for me. So happy it’s a short week. I think.

So today, I’m cleaning up the house. Sweeping, vacuuming, etc. It’s a nice day – not too hot – so I have the doors and windows open. I notice this little bird flitting back and forth from the front door. I have this wreath on the front door with a fake little birdie on it sitting on a cactus. (Click on the pictures to see them bigger.) I figure she’s made a friend with the fake bird.

So I walk up to the door to investigate. And the bird flies away. Turns out she’s built a nest in the wreath! The nest is just to the right of the red flower (see below). That bird sitting there on the cactus is the fake one. You can’t really see the nest too well from this angle but it’s there.

That silly bird has gone and laid eggs! FIVE of them!

I took this one from INSIDE the house, so you get a bit of reflection from the glass door.

I took the others from outside the door. Mamma was close by, keeping a watchful eye on me. She might be hard to see in this picture, but she’s in the tree in the front yard, chirping at me. You can click on it to get a bigger version. Thank goodness it’s not a blue jay or we’d all get pecked on the head walking in and out of the house. haha

Of course, as soon as the babies hatch and the nest is no more, the wreath is gone. When we’re not near the door, she’s sitting on her eggs. It’s cute. And I can only imagine the chorus of chips when the babies come. I hope I’m around to see them hatch. That would be TOO COOL.

So… Friday I had to run errands and stopped in at the Dollar Tree. I pull up and there’s an assisted living van outside at the curb. Inside, there are lots of old folks with their walkers and canes buying stuff. And on the overhead speakers “Like A Virgin” was playing… I just can get the mental picture out of my mind…

First! An announcement. The new trailer for Take Me I’m Yours is ready and available for viewing! The embedded trailer will follow at the end of this post.

What a draining week. I’ve been so busy trying to get caught up that it’s already Friday and I’m looking at the aftermath in my house. I need to get by the bank today and the store for envelopes. I still have those thank you cards to get in the mail. But I have Birthday #3 out of the way this month (and I’m going to ignore my upcoming birthday…) so I think I can finally get back on track with the more important things.

Next week is the last week of school. The kid is having End-Of-Year-Itis that’s for sure. Yesterday the school nurse called me because he had been in the clinic for about 15 mins (I hadn’t even finished my first cup of coffee for crying out loud) complaining of a stomach ache. I had to leave work to go pick him up. He had an upset stomach and some bad allergies so I got him some meds and took him to his grandparents for the day. He immediately curled up on Grandma’s lap. By the time I got there to pick him up he was all better. Uh huh.

I’m sure he really didn’t feel good - we had a little “accident” if you will in the morning which was NOT FUN. Kids really are gross sometimes. When they’re small, it’s forgiveable. But when they know better, it’s not.

And lately bedtime has been a big chore. He doesn’t want to get to sleep when he’s supposed to. He’s up and down a lot. This is a new bad habit and it drives me up the wall.

But anyway… got some news yesterday too that wasn’t surprising but still kind of sad. It’s going to be an interesting next few weeks.

I didn’t feel like cooking last night either. I had some paperwork to catch up on for the chapter, checks to write, laundry to do, litter box to clean (I got some new litter that’s “all natrual” so we’ll see how that works out). I was a bad Mom and cooked a frozen pizza. Then we had cookies. I sat outside for a bit to enjor the nice weather and chatted on the phone to Man (he’s working late) and then put the kid int he tub and in the bed.

By the I was exhausted. All the events of the last week or so have finally caught up to me so I called it a night and turned in. Sometimes you have to do that every now and then.

I did get some other writing-related stuff done which was good. Still tweaking the manuscript, synopsis and letter. I’m getting closer to taking that plunge…

This weekend we’re going to the movies, just me and the kid. I’m really looking forward to it. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and I’ll catch ya here later. I might get the bug and blog this weekend.

Happy Friday! Oh and enjoy the trailer.

I got a new headshot!

What do you think? I had a difficult time choosing which one, so I took the whole lot of them to work and had my friends help me pick.

The photographer who came on Saturday was fantastic. I think some of the gals gave him a sex education lesson, though. AHEM. But he was a good sport and we loaded him up with books for the wife. 

The pictures were taken at the botanic gardens in Grapevine, the location of the luncheon. They all came out really good and I’m pleased with them. And now I have something decent and I don’t look like a dork! 

Anyhoo… I finished writing the synopsis for Phoenix Rising. Man, do I had writing those. Why is writing the synopsis so HARD? You’d think it would be easy. And I already had a skeleton done before I even wrote the book. Of course, the plot changed as I wrote it… But it’s DONE. And I’m glad.

I’m seriously considering sending the whole thing over to Dorchester and seeing what they think. It’s worth a shot anyway, right? All they can say is no, right? Of course, waiting is the hardest part. I so hate waiting.

Yesterday, of course, was Man’s birthday. We went to Cantina Laredo for lunch and I stuffed myself. And then for dinner, I cooked him his favorite – spaghetti and meatballs. Again, I stuffed myself. It’s really been a food-fest for the last few days. My hips are starting to revolt. I need to just STOP.EATING.

I’m still in awe at how fast this year is going. It’s making me want to throw on the brakes. Christmas, I’m afraid, will be here sooner than we think!

Okay that’s it for me. It’s off to school and work!

First: Happy Birthday to Man!! Hope you have a fabulous day, sweetie. I love you!

Second: I’m blogging at Pop Culture Divas today about Star Trek. Come on by and say hi!

I’m a few days late but I want to wish my good friend, Lara, a happy birthday! It was Sunday – hope you had a fantasy day!

In between my errands and the airport on Friday, I managed to get some shopping in. I ended up having to take back some of the clothes, so I stopped in on my way home yesterday from work.

The ladies at the store were so fun! One was in training and apologized but I wasn’t in any hurry and was feeling rather laid back. She said she liked my Kathy Van Zeeland bag, which of course you know made my day. She got my return finished, I swiped my card and she looked at my name. She said it sounded like a “famous” name – like a movie star name. Which I’m sure you know tickled me. I told her I was actually a writer. But that was as far as I got. There were others waiting to check out and I didn’t want to regale her with tales of publishing.

She said I needed to come back and look her up and that she would remember me. Well, I shop there all the time and I also go to the salon, so yeah… that’s likely. haha

Last night was about tying up all the loose ends from the contest. Got all the winners back their entries. Got the gift cards for the final judges packaged up and ready to go. Now I just need to get the labels made for the first round judges made up and get their stuff out the door. It never ends.

I’m also taking another workshop next month on query letters and synopsis. I need it! Because, quite frankly, I suck at both of them. The cool thing about this workshop is everyone gets a critique of their query letter.

I really needed to get to the grocery store last night but I just didn’t feel like it. By the time I got home and got busy, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. I have to go tonight – Man’s birthday is tomorrow and I need to get a few things. Plus, the freeze is barren, as well as the fridge, the pantry and the cabinets. It’s bad.

Time for work now. Have a happy Tuesday!

Wow. The weekend just flew by.

Friday was a very long day. It started early with errands and then picking up Joan from the airport, then lunch, and then back home for a little bit of resting up. Headed out to the book signing and then had some dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Since I was still full from lunch, I had coffee and tiramisu. It was delish!

Saturday morning started off early and raining. It rained pretty much all day. But the luncheon was a success and everyone enjoyed the speakers, the food, and the fun. We had a photographer come take headshots, which I’m really excited about. I actually have a professional headshot now! I should have those next week so when I get one picked out, I’ll start using it for the promo stuff.

That night a few of the gals and I took the speakers to dinner at Rockfish. It was a total food fest all weekend. I finally got home that night, laid on the couch and watched old episodes of Alias and passed out on the couch. I woke up about midnight and managed to stumble to bed.

Got up early the next morning, vacuumed, cleaned the litter box, did laundry. Man came over, picked me up and we went to lunch at Outback. Then we went to the mall and I finally finally finally got to see Star Trek! WOO! The movie rocked. I think I’ll have to take the kid next weekend. We had Dickie’s for dinner. More food! I think I can safely say I ate very well this weekend.

So it was a full three days. I’m glad it’s behind me so I can concentrate on other things like…writing! Except the end of the school year is upon us – school is out NEXT Friday. I can’t believe it’s over already! And Wednesday is Man’s birthday. For an entire week, I get to tease him that he is XX years older than me. See? I’m considerate. I don’t put the actual number in there. HA.

Okay that’s it for me. Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I’m off to work.

I’m a busy gal this weekend. I have lots of running to do today and tomorrow is our chapter luncheon, so not much time to blog.

But… here are a few things I’ve observed this week.

1. Let’s face it: Kids are gross. Especially boys.
2. Kid’s make you say dumb stuff: “Stop hitting the cat with the magic wand.” or “Stop using your Wolverine claws on the cat!” or “Please stop laying on the cat.” Notice a trend? Yeah, me too.
3. Most people in morning rush hour are a-holes. I so love being cut off because you’re too stupid to plan your lane changes ahead. I also so love seeing you dive for your exit across four lanes of traffic. Way to go!
4. Rejection sucks but you know what? It’s really okay.
5. LOST Rocked. Yes, that was with a capital R.
6. Summer approacheth! All the shows are winding down and it’s about to be 6000 degrees here. Joy.
7. Just when you think you have everything figured out and you’re all full of yourself…someone drops a bomb shell and KA-BOOM. It’s all over.
8. May is half over! Gads.
9. Cookies make everything better. Still.
10. I’m falling asleep at my computer even as I type this. Lame.

So … what are some of you’re observations?

Hey – in case you haven’t noticed! We have two new posts up at Sole Struck. One is from our newest contributor, Jeffe, who is talking about Old Is New. Check it out! Misty is there, too, with her usual Fast Fashion post you won’t want to miss. And Devon is there talking about lingerie. WOO! Stop by for a moment if you can. Discuss.

Oh, and ONE more shout out, if you please. Happy Birthday to my big sis! Hope you have a fabo day.

I didn’t blog yesterday because my allergies were killing me. I was a waste of space for sure. Got nothing accomplished except for being miserable and wishing for a nap all day long. That and wishing my nasal passages weren’t about to explode.

I’m better today. A little more clear, though they’re still kicking my butt. It’s all the damn cottonwood in the air. ARGH. Happens every year. You’d think I’d be used to it by now after 30 some odd years.

Anyhoo… Back to getting on topic of this post.

Back in high school, lo these many years ago… when we got our report cards, the teachers would put a comment at the bottom under the grades. The one I got most of the time was: Polite and Respectful; Dependable.

Boy, did I have the teachers snowed, eh? The real truth was that I was busy writing my masterpieces. Yes, that’s what I’ll call them. Scrawling them out on ruled paper with a pencil or a pen or whatever I happened to have in my hand that day. I’d sit in the back of the class (my last name started with a W and they quite often put us in alphabetical order), keep my story hidden under my work and scribble to my hearts content.  

And when I wasn’t doing that, I was busy writing notes to my BFFs.

“Hi. How are you? Algebra is boring! So I thought I’d write you. Well, gotta go. LYLAS.”

Or something like that. You remember those notes, don’t you? And LYLAS stood for Love Ya Like A Sister. That was before the days of texting, mind you. Now kids just text each other covertly in class instead of writing notes.

Ah, the days of pen and paper are getting further behind us…

But I digress. Back to my original story.

Writing in English or Algebra class was how I really became a writer. English was super easy for me so I always breezed through the assignments. And then came Lit class. I always loved that part of the year where we cracked open the three-inch Literature book and read Edgar Allen Poe. And then we had to find what was symbolic in his stories. Didn’t anyone realize he wasn’t trying to be symbolic? He was just drunk and wasted on opium. And maybe a little crazy.

Algebra was boring to me and I didn’t get most of it so I would ignore the teacher and write my little stories.

That’s when I got Needs to attend tutoring on the report card. I didn’t flunk, but I didn’t make great grades either. Passing and that was it. Of course I never went to tutoring because I was in band, creative writing, and took three classes of dance a week, newspaper staff, spring play, etc etc etc. I didn’t have time. I barely had time to do homework. I was in the bottom of my class. Did I care? No.

I wonder what I’d get on my report card today. What three words would describe me? (Articles don’t count in this case <grin>)

Hm. Let’s see…

Sarcastic yet Fabulous; Dependable

Or

Shoe Diva; Sarcastic; Dependable

Yes, I think I’d still get that adjective dependable on there. I just am. Have been all my life. Always punctual to everything. Even early. Can’t stand to be late. And always the type that if I say I’m going to do something, I do it. Of course, it may take me 5 years to do it, but darnit I’m doing it! Dependable. Like a rock. Maybe my nickname should be Chevy.

How about you? What three words would describe you then…and now?

I have two words:

HOLY SHIT

That is all.

Remember in Finding Nemo when Dory tells Marlin, “You know what you gotta do when life gets you down? Just keep swimming…just keep swimming…”

I’m swimming! I’m swimming!

I tinkered a little yesterday with the book and some of the exercises in the Deep Edits class. I can’t say it’s any easier but I think the rusty gears might be starting to click some.

On the brighter side, I got an agent appointment at Nationals with… NEPHELE TEMPEST. Dream agent, baby! Very thrilled about that. Now cross your fingers they don’t schedule me on Saturday morning when I’m supposed to be on a plane back home. If that happens, I will be severely put out.

ANYHOO… crappy day yesterday but it got better. Went to Kid’s last soccer game of the season and it turned cold. Now, when I say cold that’s becuase we got used to 85 and 90 degrees with lots of humidity and then all of a sudden it’s 70 with a brisk little breeze. I was freezing out there! More rain on the way this week. It’s that rainy season. The cottonwood is blooming and absolutely trashing my allergies. And the grass. There’s nothing like freshly mowed grass but man it kills me. Hate this time of year for that. And I detest having medicine head all day. Oh well.

Just keep swimming!