Have you ever written A Dear John letter? Not so easy to do. And I dare say it’s even harder when you’re a writer in love.

Check this out. So so SO good…A Dear John Letter.

Day 5 of Spring Break. I’m surviving. (Barely!) Thank goodness school starts up again on Monday!

Today I’m over at the Mid-Willamette Valley blog talking about perfection and my new RS proposal. Hope over and say hi!

OMG…this has just been the week from hell. One thing after another sucking up my time. I’ll only touch on the highlights so I don’t bore you to death…

Highlight #1: We got our Christmas Tree. Did I mention our tradition is to drive up to the hills, cut a tree ourselves at a tree farm and pack it home? And did I happen to mention that my hubby had back surgery like 3 wks ago? Um, yeah. It POURED Sunday when we drove out to the get the tree. We were all soaked, Gremlin #3 slipped four times in the mud and the tree weighed a freakin’ TON. Luckily, some nice guys at the tree farm loaded the tree for us and the neighbors helped us set it up. We had to let it dry, so we didn’t decorate it until Tuesday. (Much Gremlin grumbling over the two-day delay here…and they were less than thrilled with mommy’s excuse that SHE HAS A BOOK COMING OUT AND THINGS TO DO!) So Tuesday afternoon I’m running around like a loon trying to get last minute details together for my last RWA meeting as president and the DH is supervising the tree decorating. Wait…let me say that again. The DH, who is still on major pain killers, can’t lift things, or hang things, or really crouch down, is supervising the tree decorating. I’m sure you get the picture. The bottom half of the tree got decorated, we had (I think) six ornament casualties (thanks to Gremlin #3′s slippery hands) and somehow still have an entire box of ornaments they never got to.

Highlight #2: Gremlin #2 (he’s 6) got in trouble at school. Now, I only mention this in the week’s highlights because it’s rather comical (and if you know me at all, you’ll quickly figure out why). His teacher was in front of the class, talking about Christmas or something, and said the word, “holy”. Now, my lovely Gremlin, being the class clown that he is (and my son), piped up and filled in the second word before she could finish her statement. Yes, you guessed it. She said “holy”, he said, “shit”. In the middle of class. He came home in tears, not because the teacher punished him but because he felt bad about it (kids must have been teasing him). And he’s telling the DH and I what happened and it’s all I can do not to laugh my ass off. If you’ve read my book or plan to read my book, you’ll know why this is so funny. (I SWEAR he doesn’t get this from me. Uh huh…I’m sticking to that story, at least when I talk to his teacher…)

Highlight #3: I lead my last RWA chapter meeting as Mid-Willamette Valley RWA Prez. It was kind of a bittersweet moment. While being president of my local chapter has been a HUGE time commitment, I have enjoyed it. I’ve made some great contacts this year and as someone who likes to be involved, I found it to be very rewarding. Not that I have any intention of a second term. I’m more than happy to pass the reigns to my good friend Lisa Catto.

Highlight #4: Okay, not a highlight but an excuse as to why I wasn’t around to blog much this week. My computer’s in the shop (again, don’t get me started). I’m hoping to get it back tomorrow. (Please God…)

And the BEST highlight…

Highlight #5: MY EDITOR SENT ME THE FIRST COPY OF MY BOOK!!!!! I was really hoping I could post a picture, but DH’s laptop will not let me download my camera card for some dumb reason. So I’ll post it as soon as I get my laptop back (please, tomorrow…). STOLEN FURY is beautiful. I keep looking at it, opening it, reading a page here and there, closing it and putting it away. I don’t want to bend the spine (I’m a major dork, I know), so I read it barely cracked. I’m showing it to everyone. And when my mother tonight saw it and said, “I want to take it to work tomorrow and show everyone,” my eyes got big as saucers. I’m not entirely sure what words I used, but they might have been similar to what got Gremlin #3 in trouble at school. Needless to say, she’s agreed to wait a few weeks to show everyone at her work.

Okay, so, before I forget…BE SURE TO CHECK BACK HERE MONDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 2008. My contest is going to go live that day and you do NOT want to miss it. It’s going to be FUN.

I’m blogging about TSTL heroines (*cough, cough…writers*) over at the Mid-Willamette Valley Blog today. Stop by and tell me what you think.

Because I suddenly realized it’s been nearly a week since I blogged!

Weather Report: It’s 53 degrees and rainy. Where did summer go????? I refuse to give up my flip flops. Jeans, a sweater and flip-flops. Yeah. That’s stylish. Not even three weeks ago it was 102 degrees. That’s right. A fifty degree swing.

The Gremlins have three more days of school. THREE. MORE. DAYS. That’s it. Looooooord help me. I fear a long summer ahead with me on deadline. I may be calling grandma to come and save me. A lot.

My half marathon is just over a week away. Today I bought new running shoes – finally – and proceeded to freak out when I realized the size the clerk sold me was a 10!!! (I never looked at the size as I was trying them on, and when she kept telling me I needed more toe room, I nodded like I had a freakin’ clue what I was doing. Who knew you were supposed to have lots of room in your running shoes? Maybe this will help my neuromas.) Normally I wear an 8.5.

The DH is a god. Last night he came home, took one look at me and realized I was stressing over books and deadlines and promo stuff. So he’s kicking me out of the house. A night away at the beach with my web designer next week so we can finish up my website and get that thing done. I love him. I really do. He takes good care of me.

My buddy Kendra and I are taking a handgun class in July. This weekend I have to be “fitted” for my gun. That sounds so cool, doesn’t it? Can’t wait for this one. Kendra just finished up a citizen’s police academy course. She had a blast. I’m planning to take one in the fall.

Tomorrow I’m blogging about series over at the Mid-willamette Valley Chapter blog. Stop by and tell me what you think about series. Specifically, I want to know when a series gets to be too long.

Oh, and I saw the new Indy movie! I had mixed feelings. Tell me what you thought of it.

Ran 8 miles today. My feet hurt. My legs are sore. Have I ever mentioned my running partner is a slave drive? No? Let me do so now…..slllllllllllllllllllllave driver. To the max. After all this running I better look freakin’ hot by the time we go to Hawaii in August.

(In case you didn’t know, I’m training for my first half-marathon in June. Today was my longest run to date. I don’t know how I’m going to survive thirteen. Ay ya ya…)

In other news…tomorrow my RWA chapter has an all day workshop, so I’ll be there most of the day. Should be fun. I love hangin’ with my gals. I really want to go to the Reader’s Luncheon the Rose City Romance Writers are putting on next Saturday, but alas, it’s not going to happen. That’d be two weekends in a row gone for writing stuff. At some point I need to go watch my two older gremlins play baseball.

Just for laughs (or shock, you pick), you should go over and read Gemma Halliday’s post from Friday at Killer Fiction. Oh. My. God. I’m so thankful I’m happily married.

What’s on your agenda for the weekend?

Last night was my RWA meeting. We had the great privilege of having fellow long-distance chapter member and SuperRomance author, Terry McLaughlin, join us from California for the evening. I can’t say enough good things about Terry. She’s one of those people you just love to be around – fun, witty, hilarious. When she talks to you she makes you feel like you’re the only one in the room and that what you have to say is important (I love people like that!). She’s involved in everything – national board for RWA, speaks at conferences and chapter meetings, was a local officer for years and a (very recent) past Golden Network president. Not to mention her stellar publishing record since selling only a few years ago. The girl is BUSY. But she still LOVES to talk writing as much as some of us newer to the business do – obviously, or she wouldn’t have made the long trek up to the rainy Willamette Valley to join us.

The pic above was taken after the meeting last night. From the left it’s me, Barb Cool Lee (also VP for the Golden Network), Genene Valleau (whose recent debut, Songs of The Heart, came out this month), and Terry. Terry’s topic last night was voice – and specifically, what makes yours unique. And while she didn’t talk a whole lot about craft, the one thing I came away with was that your voice is yours alone and worth fighting for. You can’t change it to make others happy or in order to sell. Because your voice is who you are as a writer. You can change style, genre, characters all you want, but your voice is the one thing that remains consistent through all of that.

I LOVED hearing what Terry had to say, and for me it was perfect timing. I just finished my para RS and have started revisions, and one thing I’ve noticed is that the first half of the book – which I wrote before Christmas – has a very stilted form of my voice. I was trying too hard – trying to fit with what I “thought” a paranormal romance voice should be. The second half of the book – which I wrote all in the last month – is written in my voice. My fun, a bit snarky, lighter voice. It’s me. And that’s why writing the second half of the book was so much easier – and faster.

I’ve heard a lot of writers say they “knew” when they wrote the book that was eventually going to be their first sale. They just felt it. I used to think that meant they knew they’d found a cool plot or characters or something intangible I hadn’t found yet. But that wasn’t it at all. They’d discovered their voice. The them that shines through their characters and writing and makes their story unique and different. I felt that way when I was writing Stolen Fury. The writing, words, characters, story came easier because I let my real voice come through and didn’t try to revise it to be something it wasn’t. And I found that voice again when I wrote the second half of my para RS.

So, Terry, if you’re reading this, I just want to say thanks. You gave me a light-bulb moment last night. One that – hopefully – will make my revisions (at least on the first half of my book) a little easier.

How about the rest of you? Have you found your voice? Are you still looking? Do you struggle to stay true to it (like I obviously do)?

Yup, that’s me. As of last night I am the new president-elect of my local RWA chapter. Scary thought, eh? I don’t officially take office until January, but I tried to get the ol‘ DH to acknowledge me as Supreme Ruler when I got home. He just scoffed and rolled his eyes, then cursed my chapter mates for unkowningly (knowingly???) making his life hell for the next year. (He says power goes to my head. But really, do I seem like a power monger to you????) Alas, I think I’m going to have to have a chat with my royal subjects so they understand the hierarchy here (specifically, DH).

In all seriousness, the meeting last night was great. I’m stoked over my new executive board. We have a great group of ladies with a lot of excitement. Lots of changes and – hopefully – good things on the horizon. I’m a little nervous, but I think it’ll be a great year. I can’t wait until the new website is launched and we’re off and rolling.

So now I’m going to turn things over to you…what do you like most about your local chapter? What things work for your chapter? What things don’t work? What do you wish you could change?

I guess I should start this by reassuring Lexi I haven’t fallen off the challenge bandwagon. While I haven’t been writing consistently every day (I’ve been sheepish the past two weeks as I transitioned into a new proposal and found myself floundering), I am very much still a part of the 100-Day challenge and even posted an update (renewed challenge?) at my chapter blog on Friday. As of last check (Friday), I was on day 40 and had written 49,000 words. So I’m nearly halfway to my 100K word goal with 60 days to go. Not bad. How are the rest of you doing?

Now to changes. Don’t worry, I haven’t totally lost my mind (as evidenced by my last post a few weeks ago), but I’m close. What had me in such a tither? Change. I’ll admit I’m not great with it. But as Alice so eloquently pointed out on my day of frustration, it really was a Star Wars moment after all, and I eventually did step up and face my destiny. Two weeks ago I was going to run for vice president of my local RWA chapter. After some changes (our president elect decided to resign for personal reasons), we found ourselves without a president. Yours truly has taken the bait and will now be running for president instead. The way our bylaws are set up, the vice president automatically assumes the presidency after a year serving as VP, so this would have hit me eventually anyway, it’s just happening a lot sooner than I expected. Nothing’s set in stone yet – elections are this coming Tuesday – but unless a sleeper candidate emerges from the shadows (Ha!), it looks as though I’m going to be in charge. (Now that’s a scary thought).

I’m excited about the upcoming office, but also nervous and worried people have more faith in me than they should. I’ve served as secretary of our chapter for the past few years so I sorta know what’s going on, but mostly I’ll be flying blind. Luckily, I have a great group of upcoming officers and there’s a lot of energy and excitement in the chapter right now. Hopefully we’ll be able to harness that and get some great things done this year. And when all else fails, I have my friend and CP – Joan – to commiserate with as she recently started her own RWA chapter and is a president herself now. (Joan, how the heck did this happen to both of us???)

Wish me luck.

Ever have one of those days where you want to climb back in bed, pull the covers over your head, stick your fingers in your ears and yell, “LALALALALALALLA!!!!!!!!” at the top of your lungs until everyone leaves you alone????

That is today.

I’m about to be talked into doing something a year ago I said I wouldn’t do. My dear friend Alice said to me, “This is one of those Star Wars moments where you just have to accept your destiny.” I’m too nice to repeat what I said in response.

I’m in a foul mood and it’s only 12:25 pm. I fear the rest of the day…