Archive for October, 2007
Until the next designated poster does their thing.
I have to say, some house ads are very sneaky. Looking at this house, I would not have been able to infer there’s a three story building built right against its back fence:
Click here .
Notice how deftly they photographed it so that the tree screens the building looming behind?
Oh, you want a better topic to veer off from? Fine. Here’s some tips for Halloween.
- Do not cross any black cats’ path. If you find a black cat crossing your path, throw tuna to lure it away.
- If you hear a strange sound in the basement, don’t go down there by yourself to check it out. (Especially if you’re young, female, with long blond hair and a flimsy nightgown). Something bad will happen; it always does.
- Never moon a werewolf.
- If you meet a man with a dark cloak, widow’s peak, and oddly pointed teeth… ask him if he’s ever read J.R. Ward’s novels. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
October 30th, 2007
I’m substituting for Wapak (as if anyone could truly replace her) who is busily pacing to and fro awaiting MAX!’s arrivial and unable to post this month.
With this post I am announcing the first annual Limp Noodle Awards. This award celebrates those persons who should be summarily flogged with a limp noodle without benefit of trial, counsel, blindfold or last meal. And the candidates are (drum roll please):
- Every driver in every city who blocks the crosswalk forcing pedestrians to go out into the intersection in order to cross the street.
- The person who was riding my bumper on the wet road yesterday only to zip around and pass me so that he could be in front at the next traffic jam.
- The idiots who blocked the drain in front of the building construction at the corner of 15th and K Streets which resulted in a lot of standing water that pedestrians had to walk through in order to cross the street
- People wearing large backpacks on the subway, thereby doubling their body mass, who remain oblivious of the fact that they now take up more space and thus should take care not to smack said backpacks into people standing/sitting near them everytime they shift position.
- The person who stopped in the middle of the subway car this morning, blocking everyone else’s access, in order to debate which particular seat they might prefer, as if the various seats might possibly be going to different destinations!
- Whoever it is that loaded the 3-hole paper backwards into the photocopier last week.
- The guy who pushed past everyone else on the subway this morning in order to score a seat for the duration of one whole stop! One stop! He just couldn’t standing the idea of, well, standing for the two minutes it took to get to the next station.
Do you have a favorite candidate?
October 26th, 2007
Nothing interesting to say. Comments were fading on JenT’s post so I just thought I’d give us somewhere else to chat.
I’m just writing a lot, when I’m not at work. Birch and bracken are companion plants which means my conflict has to come from something else. Did you know that if you google bracken, birch and compatibility, my question shows up on the second page? Scary.
What’s the strangest google results you’ve come across?
Continued prayers, hugs, and chocolate for those who need/want them(even those of you who never ask 
).
October 24th, 2007
I’m sorry, I just can’t resist posting this.
You ask - what is the cheese factor? Let me tell you. My DS10 was getting his teeth cleaned. The male hygentist loves my kids. All of them. Who wouldn’t. They’re fun kids. He has a special fondness for the DS14 (tomorrow) who is constantly telling him who has the hotest set of hooters on TV. Yeah. I know. He takes after his father. Really. He does. Ok. Cheese factor.
So, the DS10 was having his teeth cleaned and watching sponge bob. Every once in a while I’d hear the hygentist laugh. He’d look across the hall at me (i’m having my teeth cleaned too) and he’d shake his head and then tell me I have the greatest kids in the world. Yeah. I know. In that aspect, they take after their mother. Really. They do. My son was telling the hygentist about his hockey games and what a great wrist shot he had and how his coach was too hard on him. Yeah. His coach. His father. Sheesh. Everything is such a family affair around this place.
So. All of a sudden the hygentist burst out laughing. He couldn’t stop. He was practically on his knees, caughing and laughing. The dentist came by, trying to help him back up asking him what was wrong. I’m thinking, Oh God. DS10 said something about breasts or something. Oh God. What the heck did my kid say? So, I said:
“DS10, what did you do?”
He looks at me all innocent and shurgs his shoulders and says, “I didn’t think it was funny. Really, Mom. Not funny.”
I give him my best ‘you better tell me the truth’ look and all I get are the arms to the side, a funny smirk and the shrug.
Meanwhile, the hygentist has hoisted himself back in his chair and he’s wiping away the tears. He looks at me and says, “Jen. Only your kids would say something like that.”
“What? What did my did do?” Let me tell you, a million things are running through my mind. I might have good kids, but they are my kids. I know what comes out of my mouth, I hear what comes out of theirs. Yeah. “Just tell me.”
The hygentist can barely speak withouth laughing when he said, “I asked you son what flavor toothpaste he wanted me to use and before I could give him the choices he said ‘Cheese Please. I like Cheese. It’s tasty’.” And then the hygentist lost it again. Said that was the weirdest request he’d ever gotten.
Only my kids.
((((((((hugs))))))))) to Lou and hubby. You are both in my thoughts and prayers.
October 20th, 2007
Life in a small town, it truly is the best of places and the worst of places. There are some things that happen in a small town that still throw me for a loop, and I’ve lived here ten years.
In two weeks we have the trick-or-treat trail. Downtown merchants, along with a few others, hand out candy to a couple of thousand kids. This is pretty impressive when you realize we’re a town of about 11,000 people. I ordered 4000 pieces of candy this afternoon. It was one of those wonderful small town phone calls.
“Hi. This is CC from the XYZ Museum. I need Halloween candy”
“What kind?”
“Cheap and plentiful. Probably 2000 kids.”
“Okay, I have some coming in in a few days. When do you need it?”
“By 3:00 Halloween afternoon.”
“Okay, I’ll have it out to you next week. We should be in town Wednesday.”
Yep, the best part of the conversation was that she only delivers to my town a few days a week. After all they’re an entire ten miles away, wouldn’t want to make the trip every day if it can be helped. She never asked for a purchase order number, credit card information, or double checked my name. I never asked for a total or what kind of candy we’re getting. She trusts me to pay my bill and I trust her to get me plenty of cheap candy. It’s a good thing.
My name came up as someone to run for a board position with the local/area chamber of commerce. I know who nominated me and appreciate it. But I’ve decided to decline. I’m drowning at work as it is and can’t afford to gallivant from time to time for events. I do think it would benefit us, but . . . So, I was at the grocery store yesterday and an acquaintance came up to me and said, “You have my vote for Chamber Board.” Fuzzy doesn’t even describe me. What? Huh? I told her that while I wasn’t running. She then started telling me about mutual friends who told her I was running and all this other stuff. Kinda flattering, kinda disquieting. To know that I’m a topic of conversation among local business people is odd, and very small town.
I attend one of the largest churches in the county (county of about 25,000 people with more than 60 churches) and am active in our drama ministry. I was out running errands when I ran into one of the older ladies from church. She introduced me to a friend she had with her as The Girl Who Does Lights For Our Plays. And the friend knew exactly who I was and even commented on my work. The friend was from out of town, but she shows up every year for our plays. I said how wonderful and where are you from? You know that town ten miles down the road that I’m getting candy from next week? Yep. Living in a small town misses with your sense of distance.
Came out from a Girl Scout meeting a few years ago and my truck didn’t start. No big deal, walked home and then walked to work the next morning. I stopped along the way at my mechanics and told them I needed my car towed. I was told that they were full and wouldn’t have time to work on it for a few days. I explained that it wouldn’t start, and was parked in the family parking area outside one of the churches, with a funeral starting in about two hours. As I was walking to work they passed me to go get my truck. Small town people take burying seriously and marrying with a grain of salt.
I grew up in Dallas and Oklahoma City. I visit Washington, D.C. and Denver on a semi-regular basis. I enjoy the opportunities they present but I never see myself living in a town bigger than I do now. Because of small town people. So, big cities, small town, or quiet suburbia for you? Why?
October 17th, 2007
KL - thank you for posting that. BCB and OH, thank you for sending me e-mails regarding the bid for contracts.
While I think the offer that Loose id has made is a very generous one and kudos for them for trying to help us out, there is one very small problem with concept — the sale of intellectual property. The sale of non-transferable contracts. I really do understand what they are doing and really think it’s an amazing offer on their part, especially when not all the contracts are necessarily what they publish. They have really gone out on a limb and I do thank them for that.
However, many of us have a lawyer who is going to argue that the courts cannot legally sell these contracts. That once bankruptcy has been declared the contracts should be abandoned and returned to the authors. All rights should revert back to the author. This is specifically stated in our contracts.
I don’t know the law, so I’m not going to try and explain except that we have been told by legal counsel that court should not be able to do this.
Also, there is talk about how this will effect publishers who go bankrupt down the road. Who is going to come and bail out those authors? Just since Triskelion went bankrupt, I know of at least two other smaller e-publishers who have gone belly up. Lets face it, bankruptcy happens all the time. Even to good companies. The judge allowing this sale to go through is setting a dangerous precident in my humble opinion. Anyone can come and bid on these contracts. Anyone. All you have to do is file with the court. To my knowledge, this is unheard of in bankruptcy court where publishing is concerned. Normally, from what I can gather, rights are returned to the authors.
If the sale goes through, I’m certianly not going to be upset about it. I will either have my rights back, or possibly be able to make the choice if I want to publish with this new company. I’m just worried about how this will change the face of publishing. Publishing is already a really screwy place. We don’t need to make it more screwy.
October 15th, 2007
I like to read. I like to crochet. I like to laugh. I like to sing, although I don’t do it very well. I like to garden and resent my limited upper body strength. I like to cuddle my cat, when she lets me. I like to learn new things. I like good conversation with friends. I like margaritas, dark chocolate, pasta and Mexican food. I like to dance but my tolerance for loud music has waned as I’ve gotten older. I like the way the world gets so quiet after a deep snow. I like walking along the beach. I like bright jewel tones. I like to sit inside, snug and safe, and watch storms rage outside my window. I like vanilla lattes. I like action movies, comedies, and old classics. I like to sleep. I like things that are unique. I like things that make me think. And sometimes I like to lie back and not think at all. I like shoes. I like to feel the sun on my face. I like the smell of lilacs and honeysuckle, coffee and cinnamon, lemon and basil. I like to hear other people laugh. I like old songs, country music and smooth jazz. I like long, hot baths and showers. I like hugs from people I care about. I like to have my back scratched. I like long, lazy meals with friends. I like to see people get excited. I like to curl my toes in the sand. I like the smell and feel of freshly washed hair. I like cheesecake. I like to bite into crisp, ripe apples. I like hot, greasy french fries with lots of salt, especially dipped into malted vinegar. I like gadgets. I like fun jewelry. I like the way little kids view the world. I like to look at the stars on clear nights. I like to sit on my deck on Sunday mornings and read the paper. I like mysteries, thrillers and romantic comedies. I like decorative boxes. I like pictures of friends. I like khalua with cream. I like wine with popcorn. I like ginger ale. I like watching the sun’s rays break through the clouds.
What do you like?
October 12th, 2007
Okay, we are over 90 comments and it’s not even Friday yet. I’m not due to post until Saturday, but I thought this might be a good time to do the book discussion we’ve been talking about. I think everyone should have read the book by now, yes? Feel free to continue talking down at CMS’ NJ post, however, as I’m choosing to keep this one ON TOPIC ONLY.
So. I blogged over at RLOS about impressions and it led to thoughts of Agnes which I am rereading. That seems like as good a starting point as any.
At the start of the book, Agnes idealizes Brenda. Brenda is who she wanted to grow up to be, to the extent that she bought Two Rivers, Brenda’s house. She even argues with Lisa Livia who, really, ought to know her mother better than Agnes. And when Brenda does something even Agnes can’t ignore, Agnes makes excuses for her until finally she sees Brenda for what she really is. Brenda, of course, went off the deep end at the end of the story; but what she was at the core really wasn’t any different. What Agnes had really envied all those years was the mask that Brenda wore. Brenda knew how to say and do the right things to … wait for it … create an impression. And thinking about it, I’ve known a few Brendas, and you probably have too. Okay, maybe they didn’t sabotage a wedding dress and try to kill you; but I’m betting you know someone who turned out to not be as great as you thought they were. And looking back, you can usually see all the signs you ignored early on. Just like Agnes did. So a first impression can conceal the bad as well as the good. A good example of art imitating life. Ironically, Agnes acquires what she wants by being herself while Brenda faked it. And look at how they each ended up.
October 11th, 2007
No matter where I’m going, you all seem to be with me. Marilyn, from WODE (Write off the Deep End) and now an honorary CB, picked us up on Thursday morning and it seemed the laughter started right away. Did you hear us holler and wave as we drove past your place, JenT?
We found a mascot for our trip and named her in honour of GP. She’s not burnt but she is Sienna
Spiders represent connections and creativity while orange is the sexy, creative colour. And every time the bells ring, another CB is published. We hit a lot of bumps so you should all expect fantastic book deals any day now.
As soon as we got to the hotel, we dropped our bags and headed to the mall. I needed a new dress as there was a burn mark in a very eye-catching place on the one I’d brought for the dessert party. As it was one thousand degrees in NJ, we compromised on that need and raced back to go for a swim. in a heated pool. indoors. Until we were asked to leave because they wanted to close it for the night. Sheesh. We weren’t hurting anyone splashing around in there.
We needed margaritas to cool off while we waited for RSS to pull in. Me, Scope and I raised a toast to McB as is our tradition while Marilyn begged the bartender for a Kiss on the Lips (peach schnapps, mango juice and grenadine). There was much squealing and hugging when RSS joined us in the bar. Then her phone rang. McB wanted us to toast her with margaritas. I saw Me’s face drop with shock and excitement which kinda threw me. Until I heard McB’s voice over my shoulder. Oh. my. Bob. The shrieking scared the other people in the bar.
Our darling McB had come to cover Scope’s back in person. And every time she posted on the blog over the weekend to say she was in the bar waiting to hear how we had done in our interviews, she really was in the bar reading a book and sipping wine. It wasn’t decorated right, and the jukebox didn’t play our favourite tunes but she didn’t lie to you either. Merely misdirected.
We closed the place that night, but snuck out before the security guard who loved, loved, loved, romance, romance, romance, came along to escort us from the room. He was a hoot, and never seemed to sleep because I saw him at all hours of the day and night (no I didn’t sleep much either)
We started the day with a swim then went for brunch at Panera before the conference started. No, Jenny was not there. We looked. We also forgot to post from there although we discussed it several times. Bad CBs!
Despite the fact that the conference started badly as far as the editor/agent appointments went, the mix-ups were straightened out and everyone had an appointment. I was gifted with a free pass, straight to request as my chosen editor didn’t attend the conference. You’d think I would have danced across the room and saved myself the stress, but I signed up for an agent appointment as well.
We went our separate ways more or less for the workshops. RSS and I attended Susan Gable’s excellent workshop - Story Superglue: Make it stick with readers. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before, but the approach struck a chord.
From there, Marilyn and I went to How to fine-tune your pitch with Jessica Faust from Bookends. Marilyn and I had worked on hers in the car so she shared it with the rest of the workshop. Jessica thought it was “perfect” and asked to see a partial. That was a thrilling moment for Marilyn who was attending her first conference,after taking eleven years to complete her manuscript. Persistence pays off.
We met a lovely woman who Marilyn invited to join us for dinner. Barbara took us all in stride, and contributed a fair amount to the hilarity. I’m not sure why she didn’t join us for dinner the next night…
As you can see from the photographs we had our priorities.
The table was wobbly which resulted in far too much spillage of precious liquid so Marilyn attempted to fix that.
No luck but we sure couldn’t stop laughing. Nothing but good times. Aren’t those lovely glasses?
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We took them all home with us. They may reappear in later photographs.
We raced back to the room to dress for the Golden Leaf Awards Ceremony and dessert bar. Aren’t we all beautiful?
Sadly my critique partner Brenda Harlen didn’t win but Marilyn and I posed by the fountain with her anyway.
The three of us have been members of WODE for a very long time. These women, along with Kate who was unable to attend the conference, have been instrumental in my writing. I like how we all glitter.
As the bartender had promised Marilyn a Kiss on the Lips, we all trooped down to the bar for a nightcap. We ran into an author who told some Bob and Jenny stories that none of us believed. Now, we know The Cherry and the GAM are multi-dimensional and have a broader existence than the one we are aware of, but some of that stuff sounded so out-of-character that it caused much discussion for the rest of the weekend. It’s interesting to me, not her, how different people perceive actions and reactions.
Breakfast was early the next morning so we headed off for an early evening. I think it was after one am before we fell asleep but hey, four CBs in one room makes for some interesting discussions. Besides, RSS says I’m nice to sleep with. She’s willing to give me references.
People are tense for Saturday morning breakfast. RSS and I were re-writing our pitches at the table while other people interacted. I only remember part of Karen Robards‘ speech because I was focused on my upcoming appointment. I do remember it was good, peppered with funny stories about kids, flying and how she got started in the business. Oh my bob I laughed at the recitation of her first reading. She might not have known much about the business when she started, but she understood the need to get the book written and out there. Fascinating woman.
I missed the first workshop of the day because I was running around trying to help one of the speakers find the conference co-ordinator. It seemed like the right thing to do. It also gave me a chance to hug RSS and wish her luck before her agent appointment. Priorities. Then I ran into Me and Scope so more hugs and good wishes before I wandered off to practice my own pitch. I met Marilyn coming out of her agent pitch - a request of course - and pumped her for information as both Me and I (try saying that aloud in front of writers) both had appointments with that agent. “She wants to know about you, and makes constant eye contact.” Invaluable advice. Turns out Ky was a good icebreaker as she’s a dog lover, has three of her own. My new improved pitch wowed her and she asked to see the first fifty pages.
Lunch was a far more relaxed meal than breakfast. Sherrilyn Kenyon’s luncheon address had us sobbing in the aisles. Persistence, persistence, persistence. ” I am the best writer in the room and I deserve my dream.”
I had every intention of taking a nap during the first afternoon session but I met Kathryn Smith and her hot husband in the elevator. After a discussion about the romance writer’s documentary shown on Bravo in Canada, she asked if I was going to her workshop. I explained my need for a nap and went in search of McB for Scope. I locked myself out of the room after reading McB’s note about the bar. She gave me Scope’s notebook and sent me on my way - to Kathryn Smith’s workshop. There was no way I could just slip in and hand Scope her notebook then slide back out. I’m glad I stayed. The woman writes great emotional love scenes.
The agent panel was full of conflicting information. One loved cookies and gimmicks, several hated them. Several thought you could write a lousy query letter but a brilliant manuscript and vice versa while others thought the quality of the query reflected the quality of the manuscript. Apparently the editor panel in the previous session had raved about fantasy romance as the new up and coming hot genre.
The conference ended with a literacy signing. While waiting outside the ballroom, Marilyn, RSS and I were interviewed by romancenovel.tv - an online channel devoted to romance novels. One of the questions was about authors we hoped to see inside. Most of our answers involved authors whose workshops had resonated with us. Kathryn Smith, Judi McCoy, Nancy Herkness, Brenda Harlen, Susan Gable, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Eileen Dreyer and several others.
All that book buying was exhausting so we darted down to the pool to relax before dinner.
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It’s a good thing McB has strong toes. The pool was four and half feet deep. She’s only four foot, seven so most of the conversations took place with her on her tip toes. She almost drowned when she laughed - which was often.
Dinner was a long delicious affair in the hotel’s steakhouse. Virginia Kantra and Brenda Harlen shared their experiences as published authors, giving pitches and how to navigate the industry. We also laughed, toasted each other and shared the wonder of being together. I’m not sure how RSS got a reputation for being quiet. If she sat on her hands, would she be silent?
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I love her enthusiasm and performances.
By the time we left the restaurant the after conference party was well underway. We found Scope down there pounding back the beer with her friend Nancy. A room full of wine, margaritas and chocolate sang its siren song. We headed back up there where we poured wine into the margarita glasses and reviewed the weekend. I tried to post to the blog but McB’s battery died just as I hit send.
We were so silly and very little of it was a result of the wine. We were drunk on CB power. Our shovel pins had fortified our nerves throughout the editor/agent appointments. McB’s surprise presence had reiterated the lengths to which we are willing to go for each other. All of you were mentioned at one point or another. Heck, Me’s agent interview was with JenT’s agent, not that any of us knew that before she asked Me about the shovel. Lou and her DH were in our thoughts all weekend. GP’s math got us out of a couple of scrapes(McB didn’t drown in the pool) and Wapak’s generosity in Dayton was still being marveled at. We also talked about getting together on the west coast because now that Bob’s out there, a CB meet with as many of us as possible is a requirement.
As the wine flowed and the silliness continued, the conversations kept circling back to the Bar and Grill. Mary’s “Friends don’t let friends blog drunk” was practically a mantra and one we did not heed. I’m not sure how we got to the idea that blogging naked would be a bad idea too. But suddenly we were shrugging into our robes and heading to the business center, giggling and shushing each other all the way. We were happy. We didn’t hurt anyone. And we missed all of you so very much. While Marilyn and Scope slept, the rest of us toasted the CB Bar and Grill.
You’re all invited to McB’s in December to help trim the Christmas tree. We’re starting a new tradition. And then she’s making us bake cookies for the exchange. She might need a bigger kitchen.
And that’s my long winded report about CBs taking over New Jersey.
October 10th, 2007
lou, good thoughts to you and DH. ((HUGS)) anything we can do, we’ll be there.
***
i have certain expectations when i go in to see a movie, or read a book, or hang with a friend, or go to class. these expectations may be good or bad, but they’re mine, and they’re from past experience/trailers/things i’ve heard. sometimes things fall far below my expectations (i have a list of movies/books, somewhere), and some so far exceed them i think something that was probably only “good” was amazing, and most times i met my expectations.
right now there’s a huge debate going on among the romance reader community, and it centers on Ward’s new book, Lover Unbound. (no spoilers for LU, i promise). people are having very mixed reactions to the book, and while most center on the end, there’s enough other stuff thrown in that makes you think. and the way people are reacting- i’ve seen people in the romance community go at it before. but i’m still surprised by how many conversations start off reasonable, listing things the person liked/disliked, and quickly move into a destructive fight between the rabid fan base who don’t believe anyone can hate her stuff (or utter a mean word) and people who think the book was a cheap-cop out with a host of other problems, normally ending with “you suck” and “no, you suck”. (i may be paraphrasing- it may be more “no, YOU suck, #%#^$%^%$, and your mom sucks too”). now, i see things all over the internet with conversations ending this way, from anime talks to the best water heater to choose (”you like X Brand? moron, someone should do the public a service and cut off your internet…and your mom sucks too”).
and though i’m oversimplifying things, it comes to expectations. from Ward, i expect a) Brothers and their relationships with other Brothers; b) a certain way of talking (”true”, “feel that?”, “(rapper and song title) pounded out of the speaker”, etc); c) a romance between a Brother and someone else; d) secondary stories; e) an extra “h” in words; and so on and so on. but basically, i expect a good book with a surprise twist ending. and the thing is, her books kept getting better. i mean, i liked the first two, and then Z’s book blew me out of the water. (Z…*sigh* have i mentioned how much i love Z?). for Butch’s, i really didn’t have very high expectations; i wasn’t that big on Butch, or Marissa, and while i liked V i was still on a reader high from Z. so that book was more about loving Ward’s writing style and calming my jones till the next book. and LR, while still not as good as Z’s, so totally passed my expectations that i still think of it as better than i probably would have if i read it the first time expecting magic again. and that’s the thing. how do you keep surpassing reader’s expectations? because from what i’ve been reading, for a lot of these posters, Ward fell way below, and readers are PISSED.
i truly believe no author can do it right 100% of the time, just like no actor is good in everything, and no friend stays the same, and no class will keep me entertained the whole two hours, no matter how much i like the teacher or subject. no one can do something a 100%- there will always be that one off day, or book, or movie, or whatever. but every time i go in, i expect it to be good, and for authors, maybe even a little better than the last time, or at least at the same level.
so i’m turning it over to you all, now. what have expectations done for you? and would you- with what seems like a lot of ex-Ward fans- drop someone just because your expectations weren’t meant? would you completely give them up if they missed the mark that one time?
it’s coming down to- do you believe in second chances?
October 6th, 2007
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