Liz DeRamos

Pain and Pleasure

2007-02-18T00:47:00.000-08:00

So I’m listening to Tony Robbin’s CD, who is an outstanding man & motivator by the way, and the subject on pain and pleasure struck me. HARD. Those two twin forces is what motivates the brain to take action. Or do nothing at all. I’m in the process of writing down all the pain I will feel if I DON’T write, meaning I’ll always wonder if I continued to write and never gave up, would I have been published? I wouldn’t be able to work at home, make potentially more money, and be my own “boss.” Those are just a few examples of mine, but you get the idea, what is the ultimate price you’ll pay if you don’t take action to meet your goal. I think I’m motivated by pain more than pleasure. Although, writing down the pleasure parts are also helpful, it’s just not as strong for me.

I'm Back!

2007-02-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

Wow, it’s been 6 months since I blogged. Can’t believe I neglected this so long. But I’ve returned and won’t let my blog stay empty for THAT long.

So let’s see, what has been going on with me? First off, I bought my first house! Yay! Oh, by the way, I originally was going to buy a townhouse that was still in the building stage, but that didn’t work out because to this day, it’s still NOT done! Go figure! I also found out the Site & Project managers had quit. Needless to say, I wasn’t happy and withdrew my offer on the house.

I found something else. Something that cost less, something cuter and something that overall is better. I moved in November and I’m really content with my new house and neighborhood. Check out the pictures!

And now to my writing. I’m ready to go back to it. In fact, I wrote a page yesterday. Not much, but hey, it’s been MONTHS since I wrote anything, so this is great for me.

Another thing I started was writing down my goals. Not just my writing goals, but all of my goals. I’ll go into detail about them in my next entry, but for now, I need to go to bed!

break from writing

2006-08-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Sad, but true… I’m taking a break from writing. Honestly, I haven’t tweaked or even looked at any of my WIP’s in WEEKS! My days are filled up with overtime at work and my mind is consumed of the big move coming in October. Did you check out the house pics? So… I’m not sure how often I’ll blog now. Perhaps I’ll check in whenever I can, but I may not necessarily talk about anything related to writing, just my life in general. By the way, this summer is moving too slow for me. I guess it feels that way because I’m counting the days until I can move in to my new townhouse already! Two more months!!!

house pics

2006-06-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking of all my “must-do’s” and whole lot more, that needs to be taken care of before I have to move. And that leaves me with virtually no writing time or blogging. All this distraction is damaging my writing goals. Sigh… What can I say? Life happens. I’ll just get back up and write again, hopefully sooner than later. Gulp. On a brighter note, check out a picture of me and my house via my cell phone camera, it’s coming along.

I bought a House!

2006-05-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

It’s official. I bought a house!

A brand spanking new 2 bedroom townhouse!

How cool is that? I still pinch myself, just to check that I’m not dreaming. Now, my house is not finished yet, but the move in is scheduled to be on or before Sept. 15. I don’t mind the 3 month wait because I can really use this time to save up. Boy, do I have a HUGE to-do list for my house. I’ve been driving by my soon-to-be neighborhood and checking out the progress on my house. It’s a new development, so all the other houses are brand new as well. I was thinking about taking pictures of the different building stages, locking in the vivid memory in a photo album.

Check out the photo I got from the builder’s website so you’ll get a general idea of what it’s suppose to look like, but soon, I’ll post a “real” picture. I’m so EXCITED!!!

House Hunting

2006-05-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

It’s a hot house market out there! I’m looking right now and might be buying this year. I MAY or MAY NOT be. I’ve been browsing the Internet on real estate in my area and also toured 6 open house model homes. I have a mortgage broker and now looking for a real estate agent. I’ve had one referred to me, but have not called her yet.

What does this have to do with writing?

Absolutely nothing.

Except for, yup, you guessed it, a big distraction and thus no writing. Not good. I haven’t written anything for a couple of weeks or so. My extra time has gone to house hunting in person and on the internet, speaking with my mortgage broker, chatting with real estate agents and interviewing my friends and family on their mortgage experience.

So I’m struggling with sticking to my daily writing routine. I hate it when your mind is clouded of things not related to writing. I’m debating whether I should go back to writing on the weekends. I guees it would be better than nothing. I don’t know.

method update

2006-04-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Remember my new method of writing daily everyday? At least 1 page or more? I had started this last month and it went well in the beginning. But the last couple of weeks, it waned. Why? How? Good question. I let other “stuff” capture my time and attention. You know, I think I need to renew my commitment of writing. Everyday if I have to. Remind myself what my goal is. Ask myself how much I want to be published. I’m going to ask these questions in those moments of feeling fatigue or in the midst of a busy, full day.

I do have some good news. I’ve stood back up and have been writing everyday again since last Saturday. Today was busier than usual, but I still wrote. I worked, did errands and had to entertain my sister when she dropped by. Not my typical Wednesday.

Yes, I’m dead tired, but I wrote anyway. And wrote in my blog too. I think it’s because I asked myself these important questions that led me to focus back on my goal. Perhaps that’s where the drive came in and the action followed.

So, I’m going to do this everyday, maybe when I first sit my butt down in front of the computer so I don’t get sidetracked. But for now, it’s late, got work tomorrow and eager to slip into bed and go to sleep.

Easter already?

2006-04-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

I’m going to church on Easter Sunday. And go out to brunch afterwards. Should be a delight. Nothing springs to mind at the moment so enjoy the Easter pics.

A different method

2006-03-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

I’m trying something different. Let me back up first. My old writing schedule was only working on the weekends. And doing absolutely NOTHING related to writing on the weekdays. I would tell myself that I don’t have the time or I’m too tired or I can’t find my muse all because of my day job Monday through Friday. However, I’m changing that now. I will write EVERYDAY, regardless of my full time job. For now, I’m going to aim for 1-2 pages on the weekdays and write more on the weekends. Edit work will also be saved for the weekends too. I may tweak the number of pages a day or maybe the number of writing days I schedule, but for now, this is what I’ll be doing. I've been practicing this for the last few days and find it’s not cutting into my time too much. I actually feel better and I heard or maybe read somewhere that writing everyday is better than taking breaks. Occasional vacations are fine but the point of doing it daily is that it gets your momentum going and repetition helps you master your skill. Makes sense to me.

my birthday

2006-03-16T22:36:00.000-08:00

My birthday was on Wednesday, March 15! I turned 31. Unlike a lot of women, I don’t mind revealing my age because to me it’s only a number. I had fun dining out with family and friends. And of course receiving gifts is always wonderful. When I'm asked what I want for my birthday, my answer remains the same year after year. What else but Barnes and Noble gift cards. Occasionally, I’ll receive one for Borders or Waldenbooks and those are equally wonderful too. By the way, this goes for my Christmas gifts as well. So now, I don’t spend any of my own money on books but instead use all the gift cards throughout the year. Gotta love that!

new story

2006-03-05T03:19:00.000-08:00

I started a new story today. Actually, I’ve had it in my head for a while and never typed it out. The scenes have played out in my mind but I never bothered to get them on paper or rather on the computer. Why? I guess because I don’t know if I’m up to working simultaneously on more than one story at a time, but I’m gonna try. This WIP is coming easy to me. I know my hero, heroine, secondary characters and the main conflict. Sure, I could always add more depth to them, which I probably will, and tighten the conflict among other things, but I love it when I have the bare basics down. I feel the excitement and look forward to writing, which doesn’t always happen with every idea or story. I want to set a deadline on this story because I usually don’t set one, shame on me, I know. Maybe four months? Or sooner? I’m leaning towards four months, like say, by July 15? That date sounds good. And you know, the fact that I’m saying it here makes me feel more accountable and want to meet this goal. So okay, July 15 it is!

Valentine’s Day

2006-02-12T00:16:00.000-08:00

Is probably one of the most romantic days of the year. But not for me. Why? Did I mention I’m single? No husband, no boyfriend no man. Period. People often ask me why I’m still single. And frankly, I wonder too. But anyway, I think I’m just too picky. Or perhaps Mr. Right hasn’t arrived. Yet. However, I really do enjoy my independence and don’t mind being single one bit. I’ve always believed or rather preferred to fly solo than settle in a unhappy, mediocre relationship. I’m sure most of us have had those.

Have you heard of speed dating? It’s a new way of meeting other singles by chatting with someone for 5-10 minutes. You’d have several one-on-one dates that last 5-10 minutes each. If both parties are interested in meeting again, contact information, via email, is provided for exchange. This all takes place at a restaurant or bar from the company/event organizer. The idea intrigues me. Since I’ve had no luck and met Mr. Wrong on blind dates and online dating, why not try this, right? Who knows, it may be fun.

Go Seahawks!

2006-01-22T15:28:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Seahawks made it to the NFC Championship! The game is today, here in Seattle at our Qwest Field Stadium. It’s fun to see locals go crazy. I’m glued to my TV for most of the day and no writing or reading this weekend. Go Seahawks!

back to blogging

2006-01-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

I’m alive and breathing. And so is my blog. I believe I can dive back into my writing world since the holidays are behind us and my work schedule has returned to normal. I’m still thinking about what I want to accomplish for 2006. I want to set monthly goals as well as yearly ones. Weekly goals? Or maybe that’s asking too much from myself. I plan on reading “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield this weekend. If you haven’t already guessed by the title, the book is about how to reach your goals. And live the life you want and deserve. And a whole lot more. It’s refreshing to read a non-fiction book every now and then instead of my usual romance book. But don’t get me wrong; a romance book will still be my first choice any day:-)

Snow in Seattle

2005-12-02T01:05:00.000-08:00

Bah Humbug! I’m kidding. Blankets of snow now cover most of the Puget Sound Area in Seattle. A picture perfect winter wonderland. Did I mention this is my favorite season? I love everything from the hustle and bustle of shoppers in the malls, to sipping gingerbread lattes at Starbucks with Christmas music in the background, to devouring holiday treats at the parties and to receiving and giving gifts. I also love watching Christmas movies. The classics like “A Christmas Carol” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Speaking of movies, I recently watched “Pride & Prejudice.” Even though this was a condensed version, a little over 2 hours, I still loved it.

So what about my writing? What writing? I have not typed a single word or revised any pages. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working lots of overtime, draining my energy? Or perhaps I could blame the cold/fever bug that bit me? But then again, my muse could be hibernating since it is winter? Whatever the case, I hate it when I can’t get over the hump of a blank screen. Did you notice my last entry was 3 weeks ago? I’ve slipped on updating my blog weekly. I’ve entertained the idea of doing a monthly blog. I don’t know, I just can’t find my muse lately. Where is she?

Coffee addict

2005-11-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

I’m a coffeaholic (probably not a word but I don’t care). Starbucks is my addiction. The baristas have my order memorized and start on it when I step inside the café or enter the drive thru. Love them. Can you believe some Starbucks now have a drive thru? Amazing. Nothing wants to come out of my exhausted mind. I’m still slaving at work with overtime so instead of babbling, I’ll leave a yummy pic. Enjoy!

Overtime & Waiting

2005-11-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

I will take advantage of overtime at my day job this WHOLE month. With Christmas around the corner, why not? However, I will have less time to write. I may produce very little pages but I’ll still push myself to write. A little something is better than nothing.

On a different note, I haven’t heard from the Blaze editor in regards to my critique. Waiting is so hard. It feels like I’m sitting in pitch darkness, not knowing. It will be a month this week, not that I’m counting. Who am I kidding? I’m SO anxious to know what she thinks. What is her opinion on my strengths and weaknesses? I can’t improve unless I know what the problem is. In the meantime :::sigh::: I’ll keep busy with work and writing.

Messages off to avoid spam

2005-10-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

Spam is annoying. I had no idea I had so many. I’ll turn my messages off to avoid getting more. Contact me via email if you need to. Visit my website; http://lizderamos.com for my email address. And now I’m off deleting spam. Have a good week.

Conference

2005-10-20T00:48:00.000-07:00

I know this post is a couple weeks overdue but I was busy writing using the “book in a week” method and I placed posting my thoughts about the conference on the back burner. Before my mind wanders and I forget, I’ll post it now.

The Emerald City conference was awesome. I attended several workshops, met a lot of friendly unpub and published authors and had my FIRST editor and agent appointment. They were different though; meaning they were group appointments rather than one on one. Which was fine with me. My goal was for an invitation to send my manuscript. And guess what? They requested. Mission accomplished. In case you didn’t know, manuscripts requested via conference, agent, etc. have priority over ones that are simply mailed. The following workshops below were helpful to me.

1) The Selling Pitch with Melinda Rucker-Haynes
Delightful lady. She suggested using a popular theme to pull the editor in. For example: if your story is a paranormal, tell the editor to think of the tv show Charmed or for a vampire romance use Buffy. She also mentioned Desperate Housewives for a story in the suburbs. Use something popular. Make your pitch short, snappy and clear. Pitch the main points under 90 seconds. Or shorter. It was a good exercise for me to try and yes, it really can be done because I was able to trim mine under 90 seconds with practice and more practice.

2) The Sagging Middle with Pam Binder
Great presenter. She introduced the book “The Writer’s Journey” by: Christopher Vogler. Haven’t read it, but will check it out later. The middle is my biggest challenge to push through. She advised not to introduce all the characters in the first two chapters. If you present a new person later, it will guarantee more scenes for you to write. Hmm, interesting and true. Try to end each chapter with a cliffhanger and/or with a question for the reader. I do that sometimes but not with each chapter. I can’t remember what else she said but the book by Vogler sounds promising.

3) Chick Lit with Eileen Rendahl
Nice lady. She explained her idea of what chick lit is. A woman’s journey of overcoming issues. Usually it’s an internal conflict. A romantic relationship is not required. Chick lit is almost always told in first person POV and usually has a funny element. A popular example is Bridget Jones’s Diary.
I’m not a writer of this genre but a couple of people have suggested to maybe write chick lit. Why? According to them, my writing voice has a chick lit tone. Really? I had no idea. Anyway, I’ll keep my door open in case I decide to pursue this path.

I missed some other ones because they were running at the same time. And then there were a couple I thought were presented poorly or the concept didn’t work for me, but I’m speaking only for myself. Do what works for you. Overall, it was worthwhile and fun.

Book in a week?

2005-10-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sound crazy? Try doing it and perhaps you’ll go nuts. I did. I’m open to new ways of improving my writing, especially if it’ll increase the number of pages BUT, this method of “book in a week” did not work for me. The idea was in a workshop I attended at the Emerald City conference. Speaking of the conference, I’ll comment more about that later. Back to the BIAW idea, basically, you write whatever springs to mind as much as you can and as fast as you can. There are no “rules”, just type and do not edit. In other words, do not go back and reread what you typed. That’s easier said than done for me. I couldn’t resist. I went back and read. Then I had an epiphany. There are writers who can whip through the first draft and produce a second or third draft later and others who edit as they go along. I fall into the second category. This works better for me because I find less stuff I need to tweak and I can give my undivided attention to a chapter or two as oppose to the whole draft. I will say though, the “type whatever comes to mind” I applied with the dialogue only and it came out quickly and filled the pages. So in a way, a piece of the idea did work.

A short blog break

2005-10-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

I probably won’t update my blog for oh … a couple weeks or so (not that anyone is really reading this on a continuous basis). Why the absence? I have a lot of preparing, writing and revising to do for the upcoming Emerald City conference. I'll be drinking a lot of coffee. Check out the pic ... makes me want to drive by Starbucks right now and order a venti size caramel machiatto with whip cream. I’ll be back soon.

A special welcome

2005-09-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

A special welcome to my family and friends who are visiting my website and blog for the first time. Welcome and hugs to all of you. Thanks for all your support, it means a lot to me. (sniff sniff)

Reading … and no weekend writing

2005-09-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

Yep, I’m going to indulge and just read an entire romance book this weekend. No writing. No editing. Nothing. Nada. I need a break because I’m well aware of the coming weeks of non-stop writing and editing so I’m taking a breather this weekend and just read to my heart’s content. Why will I soon be writing non-stop? Well, I have so much to write and prepare for the upcoming Emerald City writers conference. And I still need to finish editing a manuscript for a critique by a Blaze editor. All that must be accomplished somehow while working my full time job. So, I’ll dive head first into my writing with a fresh, clear mind after I get my reading fix. And now, excuse me while I go back to curling up with my book.

Website Debut

2005-09-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

My website is finished! Liz DeRamos It’s up and running. Check it out and enjoy. Applause to DreamForge Media for the beautiful design.

Winner of Blaze editor critique

2005-09-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

My pulse is still racing from bidding and winning a Blaze editor critique via ebay auction. Whew, the last minute of an auction is intense because I was literally bidding the last 10 seconds of it. And won, yay! The price jumped considerably but it’s still very much worth it and the funds are going to a writer who unfortunately was affected by hurricane Katrina. I have never queried or submitted work to any editors so this will be the very first time any editor will see my work, no pressure. I will have to drop my current WIP, and edit “Single in Seattle.” I was planning on pitching this to a Kensington editor at the Emerald City conference next month, but now change of plans. This will go to the Blaze editor. Gosh, I’m so anxious to see what she thinks because frankly, I know the bottom line in selling a story is if the editor likes it, never mind the others who have read it and enjoyed or hated it. I’m hoping to learn a great deal from this too so I don’t repeat the same mistakes in the future. So, I’m off to editing BIG TIME this weekend!

Agents

2005-09-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

Approaching agents is something I haven’t given much thought to. I probably need to because my local chapter’s conference is a month away and I requested to have appointments with three different agents. I have no idea what I’m going to say or how I’m going to pitch my story. I’ve never queried any agents before so I think this weekend I’ll start working on my pitch. For me, impressing the editor is more important. Let’s face it, they are the ones that potentially could offer to buy your story. However, I do think having an agent is important in a different way. How? Negotiating the best contract for you and connecting your manuscript to the editor’s desk. I’ve heard having an agent before your first sale is next to impossible, but still, I won’t let that keep me from trying. Wish me luck. I’ll need it.

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

Sad times. The thousands of starving bodies, the hopeless & numb expression on every face, the signs displaying the names of missing loved ones, the rubble & ruin of land and so many other heartbreaking, powerful scenes bring tears to my eyes. My prayers to them. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s so good to see Americans come together and help one another. Please donate to the Red Cross, the Salvation Army or any organization of your choice. Help any way you can.

My website coming soon

2005-08-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a mockup of my website. Yay! I love it and I’m really excited for it. Having my website helps motivate me to keep writing and pursue it as a career. And this was tailored design for me, so I’m really happy. I promise to blog about it and add the link as soon as it’s finished.

I’m thinking of starting a new story. I have the idea lurking in my mind for at least a couple of weeks now but I haven’t started writing about it. I guess I feel like I should finish my novella first then start the next story. However, I’ve read many authors work on several stories at a time. I always thought I couldn’t do that but now I think I’m changing. For the better. I’m going to try this new “way” and see if I can keep my focus sharp and fresh between two stories.

Synopsis

2005-08-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished editing my entry for the Blaze contest. However, I haven’t started on the synopsis. Apparently, the contest requires a maximum 5-page synopsis to accompany the entry. I don’t know how I feel about writing synopsis. I’ve read many, many authors dislike or downright hate writing them. Right now, I think I need more practice but I don’t fear writing them. I think the more I write them, the more I’ll like the process. Also, I volunteered to have my work critiqued at my local chapter meeting in September. I am waiting to hear back and see if my request will be granted. I never had been to any of the chapter meetings because I recently joined mid-year. I’m excited and nervous at the same time (biting nails).

My WIP is gone

2005-08-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

My stupid disk ate my story!!! Ugh!!! When I tried to open it, my computer gave me an error message saying, “the disk has not be formatted” which is not true and is a bunch of BS, so I don’t understand how the disk just went bad and destroyed everything on it. I mean just a few days ago, I saved stuff on it without any trouble. My novella was on that. And now it’s gone. I feel frustrated, angry and … sad (sniff sniff). I have to start my story from scratch now. Well, I do have some extra printouts of my contest entries, so I’ll just need to retype them. But still, this sucks! I don’t know if I should now save everything on my computer in files or on CDs or what? I’ll figure something out. Have you ever had any problems with disks? Do you think it’s a bad idea to save your stories or anything important on disks? Any feedback would be immensely appreciated.

Lack of Writing

2005-07-31T01:30:00.000-07:00

I envy writers who push themselves to write. Especially when their muse shuts down. They don’t care if the pages were less than perfect or that only a few pages were produced. It doesn’t matter if they are exhausted from commuting to and working their eight-hour job, cooking dinner, driving the kids to soccer practice and vacuuming the mess in the living room. They sit their butt down and write their story. I have a confession to make. I’ve been slacking BIG TIME on my writing. It’s been a long time since I’ve opened my story and worked on it. I think my focus has been on my new position at work and not on my writing. Speaking of work, I really like my new department so much more than my old one. But to me, I feel that I should still write regardless of what life throws at me. Let’s face it; nothing in life is predictable. How do you stay motivated and focused on writing when other people and things are begging for your attention? I have yet to figure this out, but I do know that if I want to be a successful author, I better get my writing butt in gear and start typing away. The sooner the better :-\

RWA Conference

2005-07-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Are you going? I’ve never been to any writing conferences, so I’d love to go but I’m afraid I did not plan and save early enough to attend this year. I definitely will go next year though. However, I will attend my local chapter’s conference in October. Conferences aren’t cheap by the way. $200 is the price to attend the Seattle chapter conference (gulp), I’m thankful it’s just a short drive away and not out of state where I’d have to purchase an airline ticket. Can you imagine adding airfare and hotel expenses? Yikes! These two factors were holding me back from going to RWA annual conference. Despite the big chunk of money, I do think they are worth it. The wonderful workshops, the editor & agents appointments and meeting the talented authors in person all make up for it. For those of you going this year, have a marvelous time!

blog mini makeover

2005-07-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

I gave my blog a mini makeover this weekend. To me it looks more hmmm. . . . clean? Or better organized. But at any rate, I like it a lot better than before. It took a long time for me to figure stuff out, which is why I’ll be handing the task of creating my website to the experts. It would take me FOREVER to design my own site because I know close to nothing on technical stuff. I received an email back from my website designer and I was informed that she could start work on my website in August. I’m so happy to hear that. You know what’s interesting, I shopped around different companies that cater to website design, emailed them for the price ranges/info and I was surprised at their responses. Not at the prices (I never got it), but they turned me down because they were not accepting new clients or they had to be selective on who they chose (meaning a more established name or company). I’m surprised they turn business away but I guess I can understand. This just reminds me that aspiring authors have it tough in this business. Reaching publication and promoting their name and books are just a couple of hurdles I can think of at the moment. I’m grateful to find a web design company who will do business with me and I can’t wait until my site goes up next month (fingers crossed).

Blaze and Brava

2005-07-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

Kensington Brava and Harlequin Blaze are the lines I am targeting. I write what I love to read. I have countless Bravas and Blazes sitting around the house. The novella I’m working on now will be submitted to Brava. I fell in love with their Bad Boys Novellas. What a great package of three stories written by different authors in one book. This is also a way to discover fresh new authors on the rise.

Harlequin Blaze recently increased from four to six books out per month and is having a contest. Wait, I heard something outside. Oh … it’s opportunity knocking on my door and you bet I’ll open the door wide and enter the contest. The deadline for the Blaze contest is August 31; so polish those pages until they shine. You can visit eharlequin.com for more info regarding the contest. By the way, I miss the Temptation line that was discontinued. That line was also a favorite of mine. However, the “new” Harlequin Mills & Boon Temptation line in the UK are actively looking for new voices. For now, I will not submit anything to them, but I’ll keep the idea of doing so on the back burner.

Another line I may want to write for is Silhouette Desire. Love this line. I can usually finish reading a Desire book in one day because the stories are shorter, but they are still steamy and sexy.

I have carefully thought about which kind of romance book I want to create. Without a shadow of a doubt, I want to write categories, single-titles and novellas for different publishers. Why limit yourself, right? For me, writing for multiple houses is the way to go.

Romancing The Blog

2005-07-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to drop by and direct your attention to my new link at Romancing the Blog. Basically, it’s a wonderful community of bloggers composed of readers, reviewers and writers of the romance genre. They have a variety of topics that will capture your attention for hours and it’s a fabulous way to interact with others in this industry. I’m delighted to be part of it. Check it out. Here I am opening my blog door wide with a smile to those who’ve just discovered me. Welcome. Browse and come back often.

My mid-year worry

2005-07-03T01:11:00.000-07:00

I have this tendency to blog in the wee hours of the night on the weekends. Like right now for instance, it’s about 1:00 am Pacific Time. Why? Maybe I’m more of a night owl on the weekends and a “day” person during the weekdays. Or perhaps I have insomnia. Then again, my mind may want to stay awake because it knows it doesn’t have to get up before the crack of dawn for work in the morning. My point being, I blog at unusual times but at least I’m keeping up with my weekly goal to write openly … yay! I glanced at the calendar and it’s already mid-year in July. What? How? The year is half over and I have not completed a story yet. How depressing is that? I think I’ll work on a goal list for my writing. I’ll make it very SPECIFIC. How many hours or pages a day I plan on setting aside for writing. However on the weekdays, it’s more of a challenge because of my day job. By the way, I got the position/transfer at work … another yay! (refer to my previous blog to refresh your memory) I do plan on working on my WIP tomorrow. Oooh and Monday because it’s the 4th of July holiday and I’m off like most people are … nice! I wonder how some people manage to complete their goals while others fail? Hmm … there must be some powerful motivation or incentive attached to their goals in order for them to move toward succeeding. I’ll ponder more about this when I write up my goal list. Well, I hope you all have an exciting and explosive (pun intended) 4th of July and stay safe.

Office Politics & Pedicures

2005-06-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

Do you work in an office? Have you ever? Do you remember that one person who exaggerated on everything? You know, the person who thrived on drama daily by gossiping about everyone and everything else in life. Well, I just happen to work directly with that person. Oh … lucky me. So, I had my interview earlier this week for a biller position in a different department (hint: new department = away from drama queen). The duties are almost identical to my own with an exception of a different insurance and system. I’m still amazed at how fast news travel through the grapevine because only the hiring supervisor and one other trusted person knew that I applied. And then a day after my interview, two nosy people came and asked me about it. Oh well for trying to keep “this” confidential. Which brings me to blogging about it here. Now the whole wide web will know, okay?

On a different note, I had a pedicure today. Sounds relaxing and pampering, huh? Not in my case. The first few minutes were fine. I was sitting back in their padded, massaging chair with my eyes closed and then BAMM! I felt this sharp poke in my toe. Followed by pain. What the FU*%! A small scream slipped out. Apparently she was pushing back my cuticles way too far and certainly not gently enough. I was tense the whole time after that. Believe it or not, this is not the first time it happened. A couple of years ago, the same thing occurred but worst, my toe bled. Why do I come back? Because of the unique massaging chair with a remote that I get to sit in during a pedicure. The prices of pain women go through to look beautiful.

And now about my writing. Or the lack of it is more accurate. Sadly, I haven’t worked on it because of some minor stress from my job that occupied my thoughts. I have other work-related issues not mentioned here because frankly, this blog is getting long. But next time, I’ll talk more about writing. I promise :-)

Weekends should be longer ...

2005-06-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

I firmly believe weekends should be longer. They ought to be at least a week long. I guess I feel this way because I have to go back to work tomorrow. And wake up at about 4 am. Not exactly something I look forward to especially after sleeping in on the weekends ... sigh. So I decided to mold my WIP into a novella, at least for now. If it gets rejected, then I'll develop it into a category romance. Time will tell. I have no creative thoughts today. I think I'll blog weekly instead of daily, unless I have breaking news or I have something I want to rant about or other "stuff" to share. See ya later (waving hand).

My first entry .. Yay.

2005-06-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

How neat is this? I have my own blog! And it's free. Well, I don't know what to say (blush) except that I'm excited to join the ebloggers. For the most part, this will be my forum for documenting my journey to publication. Did I mention I'm an aspiring romance writer? Yep, I write sensual romances. Though I'm not published yet. But I'm working on that. I'll try to say something funny or at least interesting on my blog. I would like to interact with other writers, published or unpublished or really anyone who I can amuse. I do wonder if anyone will really read any of this, but at any rate, I could just write to amuse myself. Ok, so back to the writing, I'm currently working on my synopsis and character sketches. I'm debating on whether to make my WIP (work in progress) a novella, category or single title. I'll need to make up my mind before this weekend is over so I can get going. I'm also working on getting my author website up by next month so I can put my name out there. I know it may be a long while before I get a book offer, but hey, I can at least do something to promote myself in the meantime, right? I still need to finish updating my profile, like posting my picture, etc. so I'm going to run for now:-)