Crazy Week

My one friend from high school, who is single and has no children told me she can't multi-task. I'm sure she can, but hasn't used that ability.

Then I think about my life this week and everything that has been thrown at me and you know what? I don't think I can either. I might try but I'm worn out!

Monday was crazy. I tried to work on two of my books, but then catching up after three days off, set me back. My daughter complained about her jaw and tooth hurting and she made an appointment with the dentist.

You see, she had braces when she was in college and they had to remove two teeth because she had too many teeth. She needs implants and can't afford them. Once she had the braces off, the orthodontst made a retainer for her so the teeth will stay straight. She's broken the retainer a few times and the assistant came up with this idea of adding another 'tooth' to the mixture. This was two weeks ago.

At the dentist, she found out that this retainer had cracked one of her molars and now needs a crown and the dentist told her that she should make the orthodontist pay for it.

Wednesday, it was back to the orthodontist who fixed the retainer and no, she's not going to pay for it because my daughter should have told them right away rather than wait two weeks. We're talking about $500. Tears! The dentist can't work on it until the swelling goes down.

Our pool. For pool owners, you'd understand. It's our first and last pool. Too much money! It's behaved for a good year but the luck ran out. The fountain and the cleaner motor worked, but the pump was leaking. In one night, I lost three inches of water. I called my pool repair, who usually is prompt and they said they would come out Wednesday. Okay. I turned on the outside spigot to fill the pool and guess what? The spigot is leaking. I contacted my handyman and he said he wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. That does not bode well with me because after the monetary charge from my regular plumber, they are a bunch of scam artists!

In the meantime, my roofer showed up for the last of his checks from the insurance company for our roof repair. When I showed the spigot to him, he said he had a great plumber so I called him. He said he would show up on Saturday to fix it.

Also on Wednesday, my high school girlfriend drove back from our reunion in Springfield, IL and spent the night with us.

Guess what? No pool repair guys show up.

Thursday, I called my pool company and they assured me I was on the ticket for Friday because they ran into unexpected work. The temps are in the upper 90's and with the pool not running, you can have green or black algae which is hard to correct. I'm not a happy camper.

I wait Friday for the repair men and by two o'clock, I'm fuming. I called the manager and I was not nice. She promised she would have a technician out there first thing Saturday morning. I replied that I have been told that for the last three days! Why should I believe her?

Saturday, lo and behold! The repair man shows up at 9 am. I know who he is. He used to be a pool cleaner and is now learning how to be a technician. He looks at it and tells me what needs to be done. He takes off in his work van and comes back with the senior technician, whom I know very well. It takes them until 3:30 to fix it.

In the mean time, where is the plumber? No word, nothing. At 4 pm, the heavens open up and it rains. I don't think he's going to make it. Call me to tell me he can't make it? Ha! We lost power seven times last night.

Can I please have a week where there is no drama? I know things could be worse and I thank God they aren't, but still....

More Characters are Surfacing

I told you that I would attend my XX (ha ha) High School reunion and I did. In Springfield, IL.  I had more fun than I thought I would. There were about three ladies I didn't recognize and had to ask them their names. Needless to say, I was embarrassed because they remembered me.

But I was good. I listened to each one who recounted their adventures and I thought to myself, what a great story. Needless to say, when I tried to sleep that night, my mind raced with ideas for a new book. I finally got up in the middle of the night and used the hotel's stationary to jot down what the characters wanted to do. (My husband is used to this by now.)

On the flight home to Dallas, which was delayed due to severe thunderstorms in the Dallas area, I got an email from my Beta reader who said she is not happy with the hero in Breakout Heat. Bo needs to be stronger.

I haven't had any time to talk to him today because of personal errands I had to run to play catch up for my days away. But we have to have a serious talk! He has a great story to be told and has to step up for the role.

Men!

Writing Keeps Me Busy!

It has been an exciting week! I completed the Cover Art Questionaire for Cruise Into My Heart and the talented Resplendence Publishings' artists are working on the request.

I also recieved and signed the contract and the book will be out October 4, 2017.

I completed my first edits on Breakout Heat and turned it over to by Beta readers for their comments and input.

In my last blog, I asked whether or not to write a sequel to When the Runway Went South, so while I wait for two sets of edits, I will review WTRWS to see how I can do a sequel. Believe you me, I have plenty of material!

I questioned what I should write about next when it dawned on me that I'm going to my xx (fill in the blanks) high school reunion this weekend. I went to an all girls Catholic High school in Springfield, IL. I haven't seen my classmates in years. Yes, I keep in touch with many of them via FB, but it will be interesting to see them in person.

Please remind me to keep my mouth shut so I can listen to their stories!

New Book Sent to my Editor

I am so excited to announce my manuscript for Cruise Into My Heart, has been submitted to my editor with a tentative publish date of October 4th!

I want to thank all of my beta readers for their comments and how to make it a better story. It is based on a true story but somewhat embellished by me.

Which brings me to my next work of art, Breakout Heat. I'm halfway through it's first set of Lois' edits trying to make the characters more vibrant. I'm reading my favorite authors books like crazy to assist in that goal. Then I will give the manuscript to my cohorts in crime for their opinions and comments.

However, I've been deterred by life events. When the Runway Went South is really my third attempt at writing a book. As you know, we bought the Money Pit when we moved to the Dallas area. We have never spent more money on a house in our first year of owning a home. Everything in the story is true. Because it was a true story written from my heart, Lazy Day Publishing accepted it and stood behind my work. Then Blushing Books acquired the Lazy Day name. Unfortunately, Blushing Books Publishing made the decision to no longer carry the imprint of Lazy Day and therefore the book is no longer available.

Which brings me to my next step. This last year, the house has acted up again where we've had incredibe repair bills beyond our worst nightmare. It's to the point where we can't afford to live in this house, but who would buy it? My mentor is screaming SEQUEL! The characters are talking to me.
Should I do it?

Funny Story

When I tell people that I'm an author, most of them can't believe it. (Well, sometimes I wonder myself, lol). But I love when they launch into their stories if they could write, it would be a best seller.

My 84 year old aunt said I should write about my husband's family. Um, she's never read any of my books and I hate to tell her that a lot of my characters are based on my husband's family. When Play for Me was being edited, my editor told me that the heroine's mother was too mean and to lighten up the character because it was not real. I wanted to introduce her to my relative but thought better about it and changed the character.

My husband's uncle is a retired Chicago Policeman and he does have great stories that I'm compiling.

Next, I was at a pool party and met a delightful young man and his husband. They couldn't wait to talk to me. They wanted me to write a story about our next president who would be gay and his husband would not be the first lady, he would be the first man. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that one. I asked about the plot and they said that was it. A gay first man! I'd really have to do research on that topic....

While the plumber repaired my underground clogged pipe, ($$$$) he said I should write a book about Jesus as a salesman. How Jesus was able to sell his beliefs to the world and still maintain this belief to this day. I hated to burst his bubble, but I told him people have researched that very topic for years. I write contemporary romances, a feel good story that warms the heart. That topic is a little too heavy for me.

I wonder what will be next? Do other authors get the same reaction from people? I don't know!

Working with Characters of a Story

So sorry I haven't blogged for a while! We had out of town family come and visit us for seven days over the July 4th holiday. We also took three days of vacation to do much needed yard work. I think we're done and I'm ready to get back to writing. Having people around tends to do that to me.

I'm taking today and Sunday to read. There are so many inspirational authors that help me work through tough passages.

I'm finicky when it come to my characters and I want to make sure I'm portraying them the way I want them to come across. The latest book I wrote which I'm editing is not doing that for me. My heroine and hero are flat. Grrr! Spending ten days away from it is helping and each book I read gives me a picture of how the author gets their characters alive! Come Monday, I'm ready to tackle it again.

Granted, I have the best editor ever, Michele! But I want it to be perfect before it gets into her hands.

Back to personal stuff! It's been very hot and humid in Texas. We've had more rain than I can remember since we moved here in 2009. Usually, by this time of year, the grass is brown and there are fire warnings. Not so! We've had close to 6 inches of rain in one week. We've had to cut our grass twice in ten days. The pool is still cold from all the rain water, but at least it's refreshing!

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

How Innocent Suggestions Become True

It's ironic how things happen. I began my writing career in 2002. I wrote the book of my dreams, called The Network of Deceit, a Romantic Suspense. It was based upon my years in computer programming. Part of it was a true story but as first books go, well. It got rejected time after time. Looking back at it, I made every mistake known to the craft. I put it aside while I wrote it's sequel.

Then life got in the way. I got a full time job for the next three years; my daughter went off to get her Masters Degree in English, and we moved to Dallas.

That's when When the Runway Went South was born. Everything happened to our house and I cried the first year we were here. Me, being the organized person I am, made a spreadsheet of every incident that went wrong with the house. With the suggestion of a cousin, he told me to write a story about it. I did.

As of last year, guess what? Things are going wrong with the house again. It's been seven years since things were fixed but it still makes me sick to my stomach. Never have we had so many problems with home ownership. And the way businesses operate in Texas, verything is a racket and Texans just shrug their shoulders and pay. A good example is mosquitoes. The city sprays for mosquitos during the season to prevent West Nile Virus. Now there is the Zika! Guess what? Along comes Mosquito Joe, who will personally spray your yard twice a month for a costly fee and that's not all. You have to agree to a year long contract. The cost is close to $500 a year. And people are buying into this. I'm not like that, which makes it harder to deal with these firms.

My best friend suggested I write a sequel to When the Runway Went South, which unfortunately is out of print. That was last year. I toyed with the idea but put it aside. I ended the story with a happy ever after ending.

After posting my latest adventure with a rattlesnake, I'm getting more support to write the sequel. You know? Maybe I will!