Aug 28, 2012 | Photos, Life, General |
It can't really be the end of summer, can it? I can hardly believe it's nearly September. Though it doesn't get cold here for quite some time (thankfully!), September is Fall to me. That means I have to go buy potted mums, get the Fall wreath out, and start thinking about what I want for my birthday. Mr. Harris is not fond of my propensity to want a new handbag or shoes. If I wanted a gizmo that plugs into a socket, accesses the internet, and plays music and movies, he'd be all over it no matter the cost. But I have all the gizmos I need. (Sorry, honey.)
After the birthday comes the anniversary. I cannot say how many years it's been, because it makes me sound ancient when I'm not, but it's a lot. Last year, he bought me a silver heart Tiffany lock on a chain. I really, really love it! (You did awesome, sweetie!)
So, it's the end of summer. I feel whiny about that. I lived in Germany for several years, and I got used to cold weather. But then I moved to Hawaii, and I've never been the same. In Hawaii, you put your Christmas decorations out while wearing shorts. You go to the beach on Christmas day. Santa wears a very lightweight red suit at the mall (no velvet and fur there!) for the kiddies. The palm trees in Waikiki are decorated in lights. *sigh* I miss that. You'd think it'd be an abomination in some ways, since Christmas and snow go together like peas and carrots, but no, you get real used to it real fast.
Instead, I'll be in Alabama where the grass is brown and the trees are brown and gray and the leaves are all gone. On Christmas day here, you might need a coat. Or you might just need a jacket. You can never tell. It's been in the 60s and it's been snowy since I've lived here, so it's pretty much a mystery what you'll get.
Nevertheless, I look forward to the holiday season, though I'm usually never prepared the way I want to be. Some years I get the tree up, some years I don't. Some years I get the cards out on time, some years I don't. See, I'm already thinking about it and it's not even September yet! It truly is the end of the summer, and I'm sad to see it go.
Here's a pic of me enjoying the warm weather while holding up a giant column. Or maybe it's holding me up. Got any end of summer rituals?
Jun 18, 2012 | Writing, Life, Books |
I was minding my own business, working on revisions to my latest Harlequin, when Mr. Harris called. “You need to update your blog,” he said.
I blinked. I might have nearly choked on the sip of water I'd just taken. “Huh?” I said.
“You haven't said anything in a few days. You need to update it. It's just sitting there.”
Well, I know that. But since when does he care about my blog?
“People want to know what you're up to,” he told me.
I think he has a much higher opinion of me than I do of myself, as I'm not sure anyone really wants to know what I'm up to.
“What should I blog about?” I asked, eyeballing the calendar and the blog posts I have due for other people. And the revisions. Let's not forget those.
“Your new office,” he said. “Or something.”
Something. Yes indeed, something. So here I am.
It's true I got a new office. I finally decided that I may have a career going, so it was time to move off of the old dining room table I'd been using as a desk and get something nicer. Plus I needed new bookshelves as well, so I got an entire matching office suite with a desk, bookshelves, hutches, and all sorts of fun stuff. This entailed moving my desk to another part of the office. Today is my first day sitting at my new desk. And, well, it's taking some getting used to. I used to sit on the other side of the room, desk against the same wall the door was on, but now my desk is floating in the room, unanchored by a wall.
This is a new thing for me. I'm facing the door, which is good, and there's a window beside me — but I have to lean forward to see out of it, which is probably a good thing because now I'm not observing whatever asinine thing the neighbors are doing.
Still, my order has been upset, at least for a little while. And I think it's seeped into other areas of my life. Today, as I was trying to put on mascara, I not only got a big blob between my eyes, I somehow flipped the wand into the air and let go of it. It landed in my hair. :/ That was fun.
But here I sit, hair and skin de-mascaraed, desk floating, writing a blog post because Mr. Harris told me to. Strange times indeed.
Anything new in your life? Anything you're still getting used to? Is it more exciting than a desk in a new place? (Though I AM excited about my new office. Very. I feel all professional now.)
Another exciting thing in my life is the release of my 9th book in North America tomorrow!
Captive But Forbidden features a hunky security tycoon who agrees to bodyguard for my heroine for a little while. Things happen. Sparks fly. It's all very exciting, I promise!
The news that wild socialite Veronica St. Germaine has cleaned up her act and stepped into her father’s shoes as ruler of a Mediterranean principality creates a tabloid frenzy! But it’s not just the paparazzi that are out for blood…
Duty demands that bodyguard Rajesh Vala must protect Veronica—whatever the cost… But Veronica has always rebelled against commands, and she isn’t making Raj’s job easy!
He calls it ‘safeguarding’. She calls it being held captive at his beach house. Both realise that the attraction between them is inconvenient…
Veronica is forbidden, not for bedding!
Feb 21, 2012 | General, Photos, Pets, Life |
If you follow me on Twitter, you may think I tweet a lot of cat photos. And it's true, I do. My furry children are adorable. And they do adorable things. And I must share them.
This is Nimitz at his best. At his best means when he's sleeping. When he's awake, all bets are off. He is the most destructive cat I've ever had in my life. He once knocked an oil painting off the wall. A big one. He stood on the piano and pulled it until the (admittedly old) wire broke. Crazy cat.
I've discovered the most fabulous product, thanks to him. Quake Putty. If you live in an earthquake zone, you know what I'm talking about. This is not something we need here in the South. Unless you have a Nimitz, that is. Quake Putty looks like silly putty. Except that it holds things (like vases of flowers, for example) down on the furniture so your fuzzy wrecking ball can't destroy them. It doesn't harm wood, either, which is great. I have two packs of the stuff. Came in really handy at Christmas with the extra decorations I set out, I can tell you.
Am I the only person with a destructive pet?
Nov 28, 2011 | Photos, Life, Holidays |
Hope your holiday was grand! We had a great time with the in-laws and my parents. It was, without doubt, the least stressful Thanksgiving week I've spent in recent memory. I wasn't worried about turkey and gravy and all the trimmings. Oh, I was fixing them, but I wasn't worried. If it all turned out terrible (and it didn't), we'd have piled into the car and gone to a restaurant.
I've learned over the past year that you sometimes just have to let go of all the expectations and pressure. That doesn't mean I'm great at it, or that I always take my own advice, but this time, for once, I did. And everything turned out fabulously.
It's really easy as a writer to get wound up over things you can't control. Selling your book, getting an agent, discovering the secret to success. And once you've sold a book and have a career going, it's easy to obsess about things like sales, list placement, and whether or not you think your next idea is any good. You can drive yourself crazy if you let those thoughts swirl around unchecked.
So let go. Focus on what you can control, which is nothing more than the writing. Focus on the writing and the story and let the rest take care of itself. I know the holidays can be crazy, and I know the demands on your time will be heavier than ever. But take time for yourself somewhere in there. Take time to just be still and quiet, to know that you're doing everything you can and that you'll get there so long as you don't quit.
I had a great Thanksgiving, and I hope you did too. One other thing I got done this weekend — with the help of my husband and in-laws — was decorating the Christmas tree. There are some years where I'm running so late, due to deadlines and other commitments, that I don't even get the tree up. And other years where I get it done at the last minute. But not this time. This time it's done, and I'm feeling accomplished. I'm sure there will be things in the next few weeks that make me feel less accomplished, but for now I'm going to enjoy it.
Let go. Focus on what you can do and not on what you can't. Breathe. January will be here before you know it. 😉
Sep 12, 2011 | Personal, Shopping, Shoes, Life |
It was a long weekend in many respects. This is what I did:
I made crawfish dip for a party on Saturday.
I had my eyebrows ripped out with hot wax.
I went to dinner with friends and drank Pomegranate Margaritas.
I wore these shoes to dinner:
After dinner, I lurched around the mall with a group of women, squealing over clothes and shoes and generally having a good time.
Saturday, I attended a workshop given by Morgan Doremus and Stephanie Klose from RT magazine.
Saturday evening, I attended a party with homemade BBQ, the aforementioned crawfish dip, and lots of yummy Southern cooking.
I laughed my butt off. (I wish it were that easy to shed fat.)
I got home late and the cats were pissed. Fed them and dealt with the fall out.
Got to bed late.
Slept late. (Embarassingly late.)
Talked to a friend for 2.5 hours Sunday morning.
Watched football with Hubby.
Talked to another friend for an hour.
Wrote a blog post while football was on.
Thought of significance of 9/11, cried a bit with all the tributes and that Budweiser commercial, but decided not to write about my 9/11 memories. Many people have done so more eloquently than I.
And that's the weekend. Notice there was no writing in there. Today, back to work. Oh, and the New Voices competition begins tomorrow. I'm a mentor, and looking forward to it!
Sep 8, 2011 | General, Life |
Today's post is a series of random thoughts. Because I had a lot of random thoughts today and no way to connect them.
1. My stylist keeps vampire hours. I thought of this last night when I was waiting to get my hair done at 6:30PM.
2. Women who average up to 15 alcoholic drinks a week are healthier and live longer than their peers. Courtesy of CNN. Where's my wine….?
3. There will always be people who think they are God's gift to (fill in the blank) and don't mind telling you about it on a regular basis. Unfortunately.
4. Know-it-all's are irritating.
5. I still think we need the post office. How will I mail my packages to contest winners if the post office goes out of business?! The PO reaches more places than either UPS or FedEx — and cheaper too.
6. I have a really cool workshop to attend this weekend! RT Magazine people coming to teach us how to talk to the media. Awe. Some.
7. Is Kim Kardashian's butt really that big? Really? Because that is HUGE.
8. I love arrogant Italian heroes. Lorenzo, my current hero, is swaggering across the page in full motorcycle leathers. Sexy.
9. I despise election season. Despise. No one comes out of these things with any dignity.
10. Is that really another deadline staring me in the face? Because I thought I just finished one.
11. Did I mention that I'll be writing more books for Harlequin Presents? Because I will. New contract, new books to write.
12. Am I the only one who thinks that Bucky Larson movie looks dumb?
13. I bought my husband an e-book that he wanted. And then the next day, the hardback showed up. Because I forgot I'd preordered it. 😕
14. My cats are crazy. But I think all cats are crazy.
15. Can't wait for the season premieres of The Big Bang Theory, Glee, and Castle!
16. OMG, it's September! Birthday and anniversary this month. And yes, I refuse to tell you which number for both. 😯
What kind of random thoughts are pinging around in your head today?
