At Least It's Friday

Friday, June 29, 2012
Why Today Could be Great:

  • It's Friday!
  • Magic Mike releases in theaters today!
  • Buzz for the Fourth of July is building.  My husband, daughter, and I have been invited to go two different places (feeling loved!).
  • From her postcards, my mom seems to be having fun on her vacation. 
  • My kid loves her new swimming pool. She can sit on her knees and still clear breathing room for her mouth. Asks to go "wim" constantly!
  • My hubby is actually working a day shift today, so...I get to spend a Friday evening in his company.  Cool!
Why Today Could Suck:
  • If alive, my dad would be eighty years old today. 
  • My editor read my manuscript and didn't like: the title, romantic conflict, overwriting, POV, order, and a couple of other minor things which totally made me dislike my manuscript as well. Rewrites are like dining on cardboard. Bla.
  •  Don't think I'll be seeing Magic Mike tonight. *Sniff* Have to wait until Tuesday.
  • The kid woke up at two a.m. and didn't want to go back to sleep until after three, so I'm draaaagggging right now.
  • It's the last day of my fiscal year at work, so I have all kinds of things that MUST be finished by 4:00 today.
So what do you think, should I be happy or glum today?  Yeah, life is a gift so I guess I'll just enjoy the present!  What about you. Is it a good Friday or a bad Friday?

Tomorrow: Only a day away!!

Monday, June 25, 2012
The fan-girl in me is getting restless.  Two books I've been all excited to read for months and months now finally release TOMORROW!!!!!

So don't expect to hear from me for the next few days because I'll be all busy reading:

THIEF OF SHADOWS
by Elizabeth Hoyt
Steamy Historical Romance
Bk 4 in the Maiden Lane Series


Blurb:

A MASKED MAN . . .

Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he's the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles-protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide. A DANGEROUS WOMAN . . .

Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she's asked to tutor the Home's dour manager in the ways of society-flirtation, double-entendres, and scandalous liaisons-Isabel can't help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar-and his lips so tempting.

A PASSION NEITHER COULD DENY

During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed . . . But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything-the Home, Isabel . . . and his life.

Link to the awesome excerpt: HERE

AND

Steamy Paranormal Romance
Bk 1 in the Angels of the Dark series
Spin off of the Lords of the Underworld series


Blurb:

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless—and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost…until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation—or her ultimate damnation?

Link to the longest excerpt I could find: HERE

Now the only question is...which story do I read first??

Time Marches On

Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The lazy days of summer have definitely consumed me. At work, the air conditioning is not working; so we have this ancient fan pushing around stale air to keep us from slowly dying of sweat before four o'clock rolls around every day.

When I'm home, I don't feel like doing much of anything except lounging on the couch, soaking up the sweet cool air, and either reading or watching all the episodes of Drop Dead Diva on Netflix.

Drop Dead Diva is definitely my new obsession. My sister and niece told me I needed to watch it.  So finally I did...and couldn't stop. I think I've bawled during pretty much every episode, but the romance junkie in my just can't help it. Grayson and Deb/Jane are SOUL MATES; their souls need to be together. It drives me crazy when I start to think finally they're about to get together and then something interrupts, keeping them apart. Season Four just started this month on Lifetime and I've been DV-Ring it like a maniac!

Lydia isn't so much a fan of the show, however. She hates when I watch it because I tune her out a little too well.  Then she'll clap when the ending credits start to roll, announcing, "No  more, Mama, no more."

We got her a little ten-foot pool to play in. Actually, after we bought it at Wal-Mart, one of my hubby's friends gave us their old pool they didn't want anymore. So we took the new, still-boxed pool back and spent twice the amount of its price, buying chemicals and pool cleaners to keep it in good condition. It should be safe to climb into the water tonight. Fingers crossed that the kiddo likes it!

Oh, hey!  I finally heard back from my editor ninety-three days after I sent in my full manuscript.  I haven't been offered a contract but I didn't receive a rejection either (yay, me!). Ms. Editor wants me to change a few things so it will fit into a certain line in the company. As of right now, I'm currently waiting to hear back from her on where she'd like me to go with the story.

In other news, my mom is now making her first big trip since becoming a widow. She and her youngest sister started out yesterday.  They'll drive across Kansas and wind their way up into Colorado to see one of my cousins, then eventually land in Montana to visit their oldest sister.

When I asked Mom when she'd be home, she vaguely answered, "Oh, before the fourth of July, I think."  I'm happy for her.  She's always wanted to travel like this, but has been tied to the farm, always taking care of kids, cows, grand-kids or her declining husband. This is probably the first bit of freedom to do whatever she wants in her entire life. I just hope she enjoys it.

And that's what's up with me and my loved ones. What's keeping you busy this summer?