Monthly Archives: October 2010

Oct16

Deadly Promises

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Treated myself to a read today since I needed a bit of a break. I love the BAD Agency books by Dianna Love and Sherrilyn Kenyon so I bought this book of novellas since one of the stories was a BAD Agency story. It was great. Just like always, these two ladies nailed it. They just go from strength to strength.

I was happy to discover two new authors I hadn’t read. I guess that’s a reason for publishers to put out such books. The other two writers are Cindy Gerard and Laura Griffin.  Both have hot law enforcement types as the heros.  One has an agency called Black Ops, Inc. but the hero in the story was CIA and the other had a Navy Seal as the hero.  I recommend you pick up this book and enjoy three great stories.

The only complaint I had was the boneheaded thing one of the heroines in one of the stories did. I almost decided to stop reading when she made that move because it seemed as if the writer put the heroine in a dangerous situation in a manipulative way. The heroine was written as a very intelligent person and this move was out of character in my opinion. She was safe and then interfered in an operation where she had no business being. I didn’t think the author was true to the character she’d created. I was disappointed in that part of the story.

Oct15

Long Week

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Had a long week this week.  I’m worn out. Planned to read a while tonight but am just putzing around on the computer. I can’t seem to focus for longer than a few minutes at a time. I woke up this morning needing a nap and I felt that way all day. My staff gave me some great bosses’ day goodies and I even got a cake. It was nice.

I’m watching a movie called Circle of Friends from 2006. Not the one from 1995 with Chris O’Donnell, Minnie Driver and Colin Firth.  This one has a guy named Chris Kramer. Funny how the hero in each one played by a Chris.  Totally different plots, though.  The Chris in this one is very handsome. I like the scruffy look. Check him out.

Oct13

Why do we let rejections bother us?

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That’s the question of the day for me. I am a writer. Part of that process is rejection. Duh. I know that. But each one I get makes me think I’m a hack. Why is that? The funny thing is, I know I’m competent and capable. But send me a rejection and I think I’m horrid and worthless.  I’ve sold numerous short stories and two novels and just started a quest for an agent about a month ago. I got two agent rejections yesterday.  And on Monday, I got two short story rejections.  It was like a quadruple whammy.

And no, I wasn’t arrogant enough to think that the first agent I queried would fall in love with me but I did at least think I’d get a request for more pages. One of the agents said my writing was very strong but she wasn’t captivated by the first 5 pages, which was all she had.  The other one blew me off completely. Short, terse, nothing.

So, determined not to give up, I sent out two more agent letters and I sent the short stories out again. This morning I woke up to a contract in my email for one of the short stories- It was accepted by a children’s magazine (for ages 14 and up).  So, what a difference 14 hours makes.   I went from Gloomy Gus who thinks she can’t write to Delighted Debbie, the master story teller!  Until the next rejection, that is.

What a crazy industry this is. And me, too. Crazy, that is. 

Oct12

Ghost Encounters

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Haunted Grimm House of Old Town

Ghosts are definitely real. I’ve had enough of my own spiritual experiences to know that to be true, starting at age 16 and no, it was not a poltergeist. It was my grandmother’s spirit coming to comfort me like she always did when she was alive. It was not scary at all.

Other experiences have not been as comforting as that first one but I’m still not afraid. I believe there are lots of wonders in this world we can not see. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not out there.

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Oct11

My Ultimate Keepsakes

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kid’s baby pictures
This is something I can’t replace. My memories will always be there but would anyone believe me when I tell them how blonde one of my kids was until he was eight? Would anyone believe that my other son was a red head for a while? They both have very, very brown hair now and it’s amazing to look back at those baby pics. As someone who lives where hurricanes like to come ashore, I keep those baby books and scrapbooks in plastic bins. So, I’d be ready to evacuate if necessary

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Oct10

How I’ll Remember 10/10/10

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2010 All Girl Cayucos Pier Classic-76 Female Surfer Hangs 10 – Hangs Ten.

I’m working on a novel called Surfer Bride and closing in on 50,000 words. My goal is to get there this morning. I like the symmetry of 10-10-10 and 50,000 is a nice even number, too. Hope to actually surpass it by a few thousand by the end of the day, but 50,000 before noon works.

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Oct8

Watching CSI NY

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Anyone else unhappy with Sela Ward’s character? I’m getting a vibe about her. She’s up to something. Not sure what yet but I don’t believe she’s a “good guy.”  I guess we’ll see as the season progresses. Anyone else getting a vibe about her and her possible nefarious nature?  There has to be a reason she left the FBI. Why give up a federal position for a NYPD crime lab job?  Gotta be a story there and probably not a good one. 

NY City from atop the Empire State Bldg

Oct6

Good News for the Alter Ego

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She sold her 1920s historical novel named Redemption for the Devil.  It will come out in July 2011. Desert Breeze Publishing.  It is a story about an Irish Catholic lass that falls for an Irish Protestant lad who happens to have a very bad past. Can her love redeem him?  Can they get past the religious issue? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Last year was the first year I’d heard of NaNoWriMo. November is National Novel Writing Month. There’s a wicked cool web site that lets you track your progress as you try to write 50,000 words in the 30 days of November. This book my pen name and I sold was our NaNo book last year. We wrote it in 21 days as we had to travel down to Boca Raton for Thanksgiving and we knew there’d be no writing down there.

Recently, we added an additional 25,000 words to flesh out the story. The basic story was done November 21, 2009 but we edited in much more historical detail in the last month.  Made it much richer and it sold.  Yesterday.

Join me this November for the next round. My user name there is sfcatty. Friend me and we’ll journey together. It’s a blast.  Check out the website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Oct4

What I Miss About Childhood

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Virgina is for Lovers…. Of FALL!

wanted: rotting pumpkins

I lived in Virginia and I miss the change in the seasons. Driving up Skyline Drive to get apple cider, pumpkins and gourds in the fall was such a blast. The weather was cool and the cider was icy cold. So cold it hurt going down even though it tasted heavenly. There’s nothing like fresh pressed apple cider.

The leaves crunching underfoot were magical and I can remember kicking them to make them fly and thinking there were fairies and gnomes in the woods. I never uncovered one but I probably made so much noise that they ran from me. I was a pretty rowdy kid.

The smell of fires burning along the route was a tingle in my nose and I loved to inhale the scent. It was an idyllic time and I miss the heck out of it.

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Oct1

10 Things That Make Me Happy

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10 Random things that make me happy with a special tribute to fall in honor ot Oct 1

Boots
I love to wear boots in the fall and winter. They’re comfy and keep my toes warm.

A roaring fire in the fireplace
There’s nothing like a cozy fire on a cool day. sitting by a fire is a fine way to spend a fall day

Petting my cat
She’s a long hair cat and likes to cuddle only when the weather is cool. It’s relaxing and soothing to run my hand over her fur and hear her purr.

Writing
Writing is something I MUST do. It is part of my soul and my psyche needs it.

reading fiction
Escaping to other worlds is something I enjoy. There’s nothing like a well written book to take me to away from my day to day life.

Red doors
They are beautiful and represent sanctuary.

bare limbed trees
Mysterious and sexy, bare limbed trees speak to my imagination. A haze or fog over such a tree appeals to me. Have no real idea why. It just does.

lunch time
A break from the work day is always a grand thing.

Watching Cary Grant movies
He was so awesome and funny and suave and a wonderful entertainer.

Fridays
DUH!

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