Sunday, July 26, 2009

Writing Again

I wrote THE END on one book, and now have to get started on my other WIP that was interrupted by Angel at Dusk. How do I go back to writing the suspense when I just finished with paranormal?

I sat down in my little hole in the back room, lights off, TV muted (for the purpose of ambient light and a distraction for my youngin as he fell asleep), my glass of wine and keg of water, and my mini to type. I read over the first 36 pages I had written to catch up on where I had left off, and started brainstorming on how to move forward.

“Let’s recap what exactly did happen,” she said as she eased up from the couch. She was standing rigid in front of him with fire in her eyes. “I was on my way to walk down the aisle to a man that loved and cherished me. A man who did not second-guess his feelings for me.” She started pacing, “I recall being stopped at the foot of the church steps by you professing your undying love for me after you had all but walked out of my life the year before stating you could not be with someone like me.”

Connor started to fidget at her version of what happened. She continued.
“Then out of nowhere this crazy son of a bitch comes at us with a gun, shoots at you as I’m being tossed into a truck! On my wedding day! Why exactly was I kidnapped? Oh let’s see, someone had the hair brained idea that they could get what they wanted from you by hurting what they thought was important to you. Ha!” She became louder as the story continued. “Little did they know you were a coward who didn’t know what love meant and couldn’t fathom what my soon-to-be husband, who did love me, was going through!”
“Mel,” he tried to interrupt.


“Oh, no,” she snapped as she stopped pacing to face him, “let me finish. I wouldn't want to bury these feelings again.” She continued pacing, “so here I am, trying to keep the horrible visions of my death from clouding my current predicament. The bastards knock me around a few times until I pretend to be unconscious, and as I’m lying there with the heel of a boot on my throat, I hear them discussing the next step in their plot for revenge.” In her ranting she never considered that her son and his friends might hear what was going on. Again Connor tried to interrupt, “Mel, please just…”


“Let me finish,” she said through gritted teeth. “They put me in a wooden box, dropped me into that dam mine and I was left for dead.” She was trembling. “I know why they wanted to come after you. I know whom they were working for. You lied to them to do what you thought was right and I was hurt because of it. I had told you before what was going to happen and you ran from me. All you cared about was your precious story, and you ended up dragging me into it anyway.” “Mel,” he stood up this time and grabbed her to make her stand still. “I’m sorry.”


And that's as far as I got...*sigh*

Friday, July 24, 2009

Cow Tipping at Chick-fil-A

Today I treated myself to my FAVORITE fast food joint: Chick-fil-A. I ordered my 'usual' #5 with a Diet Dr. Pepper. Yum. As I passed the drive-thru to get in line to go through the drive-thru (yeah, that many people waiting for the delectable delights) I saw the giant blow up cows by the main road. 'Cool' I thought, wandering what it would take to get one for my front lawn...


Finally driving through to place my order, I glance over to see the cows again and had to take a picture of them. One had been blown over by the wind or perhaps fell off balance from heat stroke. I jokingly told the smiling goober at the window that someone has already gone cow tipping. He didn't get it. I'm still thinking of a way to get one of those cows...



Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Sissi 2016

"No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."

Wow. I am obviously over qualified since I have a birth certificate proving my American citizenship. Oh but wait, I'm only 31 so I will have to campaign for the 2016 election. Then again our fearless leader only has two out of three so perhaps the government can make exception for me also?

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Bayou Country

Home from a fantastic weekend with family, I am back to my day job and trying to catch up on my blogging and writing. I had intermittent service with both my cell phone and my laptop since the connection in the location we were at most of the time was dependent upon the one little satellite that seemed to work for everything out there, and if it was feeling up to cooperating.

On the drive in to my parent's place our GPS went from telling us the roads coming up ahead to showing a little car driving on dirt and saying "Driving South". You know you're hitting God's country when the GPS says "destination location not found" and the Verizon team leaves your butt high and dry once you turn off of the blacktop and gravel road.


We were greeted by my parents' best friend, Jack (a two year old Chocolate Lab). Dogs run free in the country; no fences, or chains, no pens except perhaps at night if necessary. We considered bringing our four-legged boys and realized Nixon (our Golden Retriever) would run and keep running like the dog in Funny Farm, and Doug (our English Bulldog) would die from heat exhaustion or be carried off by another wild animal.

Our niece, who is 19, joined us for the weekend and is a true city girl. Her amazement and humor with country living kept us entertained for the entire adventure. She learned how to drive a riding mower, a John Deer tractor, rode a four wheeler while wearing a 10 year old's clothes...and they fit, she tasted boudin and fried fish, and let's not forget the "horse" riding she did at the Pike County raceway!



Ant, our oldest son at 10, lived it up as a true country boy playing paintball, shooting fireworks, riding the golf cart/quad/and go-cart, swimming, and hanging out with his cousins. He only gets to see all of them once maybe twice a year so it's a real treat when we catch them all together:



Bam, our baby at 19 months, couldn't nap no matter how hard he tried. There was too much going on at every turn, and he was involved in most of it. My parents ate him up with his jibber jabber, his swimming, his fascination with the loud race cars, and the concentration he applied to the bolts and screws he found on the golf cart:


We have nearly 500 pictures from the long weekend, and so many stories; the jackelope, the Pike County Raceway, Bedazzling cowboy hats and my niece's possible new business venture, riding the golf cart/go-cart/quads/and tractor, the fish fry with boudin balls, Jack and the bubbles, oh and let's not forget the fire...yeah, my hubster always seems to leave with a "bang":


So much fun in so little time, I can't wait to go back at Christmas.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Oh No She Di'nt! (Oh yes I did)

I'm a pretty easy going person when it comes to politics. I have my beliefs that are rarely discussed outside of close friends and family. Other's opinions are openly heard and respected though I do not always accept them as my own.

However, recent news coverage of our US politics has me a little up in arms. The political equivalent of monkey's slinging poop from their cages is happening on a national stage (internationally being viewed by our allies and foes alike) with the biased coverage of Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation--and future assumed plans--to the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

I'm a Republican. I keep my conservative beliefs fairly liberal as I am also a believer in utiliarianism (i.e. greatest good for the greatest number). The idea of a woman who had the balls to take on both political parties in her state, save millions for the citizens of that state while in office and by stepping down from that office, take on ONE of the highest honors in American history as a Vice President nominee only to be compared to the opposing party's Presidential pick, undergo public humiliation and attacks on herself and her family's private life, and still want to promote BOTH parties in an upcoming U.S. political tour sounds like a true 'we the people' American to me. I admire her moxy.

The idea of a woman taking a seat in our U.S. Supreme Court that can't decide on her personal beliefs about abortion calling it 'settled law' (a huge, ongoing case in our country), rules against well deserving firefighters for promotion because minorities in that group didn't do well enough on a test for promotion also, deny an innocent man convicted of murder at the age of 16 the right to an appeal is cause for concern when this very woman will be deciding the fate of future cases that affects not just particular individuals, but an entire nation.

It's hard being a woman in a man's world. I get that. Hell, I've lived it for most of my adult life. What I don't get is why female politicians like Sotomayor think once they are in that world everything will be handed to them. Pelosi is another thorn in the paw of the proverbial lion. It will take a mouse, like regular Americans, to get them out.

Some of you are likely strutting your necks saying 'Oh no she di'nt', but I'm saying 'Oh yes I did'! I went there. I publicly stated my belief on these matters, and if it comes back to bite me in the butt on my future campaign to become the first female Native American/Caucasian-Cajun/European-ish president then so be it; I've got a big butt...and I can't deny (you can finish the song in your head while you think about what I've posted and review the embedded links!)

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Today's Read

I've been over editing my WIP to turn in this month and needed a break. After a mad dash to the book store for something to read in a different genre, I came across a scifi book titled Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews. It's an angsty, magical, action packed read up to chapter three. I write romance, paranormal romance at closest. This looks promosing so I'll let you know how I like it at the end.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Cynderella's Castle: I'm Running!

Extra Extra! Cynderella's Castle: I'm Running! Fellow STAR member Cynthia D'Alba (a.k.a. Arkansas Cyndi, or Cynthia D. Morgan) is running for RWA PRO Liaison. Way to go Cyndi!