Done! Done! Done!

I'm happy dancing over here!!!! I finished my latest book and life is good!!!
Now granted, I need to go back and actually read what I wrote and fill in spots and fix things, but I'm beyond excited to write THE END!

I was determined to finish it today and so at 8:00 I parked my butt in front of the computer and wrote for 7 hours. I wrote 8,000 words during that time and I have raw marks on my wrists but it's done! BWAHAHAHAHAHAH

Of course, I have two other books I'm in the middle of, one more short story I want to write, and then I want to get started on another book that isn't erotic romance. I have too many ideas with no clue when I'll get them all written. It's actually rather stressful, so finishing a book gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

Now I'm going to put my contacts in, get the girls in the Halloween Costumes and get ready for work.

So much for relaxing, hahahahaha
Ari

Yay soccer is over!!

Well, it's almost over. Tomorrow is the last game for both my girls and I'm so excited. Not that I don't love the sport, or even coaching my oldest's team, but I'm pooped. My schedule looks something like this. . .

Monday: write during the day, help girls with homework, rush off to work that night

Tuesday: take 3 yo to pre-school, run errands, visit parents, bring daughter home, try to write, rush girls through homework, take to CCD, take to soccer practice, teach S.A.T. class

Wednesday: write, homework, dance class for 3 yo, work

Thursday: pre-school, Weight Watchers, write, homework, soccer practice

Friday: write, pay bills, dance class for older two

Saturday: teach kickboxing, soccer games X 2, clean house, church

Sunday: catch up on anything I didn't get done during the week if not visiting friends, family, or running kids to various birthday parties.


Now, that's just the basics, that doesn't include days like today when I have to take care of my dad (long story), or days I have to help in the classroom, do various wifely functions, get the oil changed etc. Our weekends are usually filled with activities too.

Do you blame me for being happy for soccer ending? That gives me four fewer things to do a week! I love my children and I want what's best for them, but I'm pretty much burnt out right about now. I've been a nightmare to live with because I'm almost done with my book but don't have time to finish the last little bit, I have another story pounding on my brain waiting to come out, and I want to READ SOMEONE ELSES BOOKS!!!! I miss reading without interruption, sigh.

Okay, sorry to whine at you! I didn't mean to bore you with my rants yet again. I do feel better getting all of that off my chest though!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!
Ari

El Klutzo strikes again

In addition to not being very technologically apt, I'm also a klutz. A big klutz. Trust me, my middle name is NOT Grace. I was the type of kid who ALWAYS spilt something at Thanksgiving dinner, who tripped over her own feet all the time, and who could drop just about anything placed in her hands. I've sprained my ankle running UP the stairs. I'm that clumsy.

But yesterday wasn't my fault!

I was walking down the stairs carrying an over-full laundry basket (there's no other kind in my house). I set my foot on one of my daughters' spiral notebooks and fell right on my butt! Laundry was everywhere, my girls were crying, the dog huddled in the corner afraid to move and my behind hurt like a son of a gun!!!

Now, I have AMPLE padding on my rear, but I fell so hard I have a banana sized and shaped bruise on my left cheek. It's making sitting at the computer VERY interesting to say the least. Sometimes I wonder how I've managed to get this far in life without breaking a leg. Guess God protects fools, drunks, AND klutzes!

Maybe my next house should be one level. . .

told you I'm not techno

Here's the picture from the firefighter banquet, but I can't figure out how to straighten it up on this thing. I should do a before and after so you can see how much work I had to go through, but I really don't think I want anyone seeing my "before" stage. Trust me, you can't afford the therapy. . .

Girl Groups Rant part deux

I'm a little tired right now, but I need to rant. If this post comes out snarky I apologize in advance. Sort of. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but I'm not sorry about the way I feel.

Here's the situation. . . A friend of mine--who shall remain nameless--volunteered for a Board position on a RWA chapter. During the course of the running of the chapter lots of misfortune dropped on her. I mean health issues, a death in the family, rejections-- you name it. Anyway, because of all of this she had to resign her position.

Well, while she was AT HER GRANDFATHER'S FUNERAL some of the other board members proceeded to send snarky emails about her on the special email loop they'd created to communicate with one another. Only THEY FORGOT TO TAKE HER OFF THE LOOP. So, she comes home from attending a funeral out of town and checks her email and sees all these comments about how she's being a slacker and other things she didn't tell me but I'm sure we all can guess at.

Now I know when you're a board member there is a ton of work to do, and absolute boat load. It's no fun when someone who's helping man that boat leaves. I'm not trying to say people aren't justified in griping when someone leaves a job and now their workload is tougher.

But come on people!!! Show some compassion!

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm only upset because this is my friend and they hurt her feelings. Maybe if the shoe were on the other foot and I was one of the hard working volunteers and someone quit their job on me I'd be bitching on a loop too.

Then again, I doubt it. First of all, I'm so swamped with my kids, my jobs, writing, and trying to take care of ailing and elderly relatives that I really can't volunteer any more than I do. Second, I'm not cut out for working on a board. I hate meetings, I don't like to argue endlessly over minutia (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong.) and when push comes to shove, I'm lazy and don't want to work that hard.

But I still wouldn't pick on someone who'd already donated a bunch of time and energy to set things up if they had to leave suddenly.

There, rant over. I think I'm going to bed now, it's been a long, long day and I'm not even on a board!
Ari

I'm so not techno!!!

Okay,
somehow I need to figure out how to do that word verification thingy on my blog. I have no idea how to go about doing this, so if you suddenly find that my blog has been completely deleted you'll know what happend. . .

I tried to put a counter on here too and haven't managed to find it yet. . .

Thanks for all the support about getting dressed up. I'm glad I went through the effort instead of throwing my hair up in a pony tail and skipping the make up. I ended up running into a bunch of people I used to work with when I worked on the fire department (not the same department my husband is on.) It may sound vain, but if I'm going to see people I haven't seen basically since I've been married I want to look good.

I wouldn't go straight to good, but at least I didn't look schlumpy. I haven't downloaded the pictures yet but when I do I'll post one.

I had more to say, I know I did but I'll be darned if I can remember it. I need to start taking notes. I find myself thinking "Oh, I have to blog about this" all the time, but then when I get the chance to sit down in front of the computer I forget what I was going to say.

Oh, shout out to Mary Stella, YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!! I'm really worried about what Wilma is going to do to you down there on the Keys. Cindy Grugier if you read this, you take care too.

Okay, I'm going to look for that word verification thingy now, wish me luck. . .
Ari

No! Don't take my sweats away!

Sigh, as you can tell from this post I'm wearing my sweats and I'm really comfy. When at all possible I wear sweats, flannel pajama pants, tee shirts, and thick fuzzy socks. I'm not what you'd call a fashion maven, obviously.

Today I'm suffering from cramps, a stuffy nose, and I'm over tired and cranky. Sweats are the perfect outfit for my mood right now.

UNFORTUNATELY I have to go to a fancy schmancy dinner tonight which means I have to put on a dress and heels. I refuse to put on stockings, I had to draw the line somewhere. I'm going to have to take my hair out of its nice comfy/sloppy bun and actually put styling products in it!

And worse yet, I have to put on MAKE UP!!!!

Most times I don't mind getting dressed up and going out for a fancy dinner, especially when it's free. I'm all over free meals. But today I'd much rather curl up in bed with a pot of tea, a bowl of popcorn and a good book or four.

The things I do for my husband! He'd better appreciate this. . .
Ari

p.s. If I remember I'll put up some pictures tomorrow. . .

I'm so ready!

Okay, it's 7:53 am and I am ready to write!

I've exercised, showered, got the kids fed, have their backpacks packed and they're waiting for the bus even now. The breakfast dishes are cleaned, lemons are cut, diet Coke is waiting for me along with a large mug of water and a pot of tea is steeping.

I've even checked my email and put in a movie for daughter number 3. I have my water fountains flowing and my lavender candle lit. Enya is ready to go on my CD player with my headphones warmed up for me. The dog and cat are fed and I've laid some treats out for them so they'll leave me alone for a while.

I'm telling you as soon as the clock strikes 8:00 I'll be ready. All I need is some

INSPIRATION!!!!!!

I know what's supposed to happen in the story I'm writing. I'm more than half way done with it and I have a general idea where it's headed, now I just have to get it there. That's the hard part.

I think that's what most people don't understand. I have lots of friends who say things like "I've always wanted to write a book. I have so many ideas, I just don't have the time to write them down."

Well, duh!!! If I got paid for my ideas without having to put them on paper I'd be a millionaire! This is the hard part about writing, not coming up with the ideas but plopping your butt in the chair and writing them down even when you have cramps and the kids are driving you nuts and your husband is making you want to kill anything with a Y chromosome. (not that he is right now but it's happened)

I'd spout some more about how hard writing can be, but it's 8:00 now and I need to get to work.
: )

Have a great day!
Ari

Cosmic Irony

After reading the comments about my reading addiction I had to laugh, apparently I'm not alone. Maybe we should form a self-help group? But then again, I don't think I really want to be "helped" I'm not using the rent money to buy my books--yet.

I noticed that most of the people who would be part of my 12-step program are also writers. That made sense, I mean you don't see many chef's who don't like to eat or vinters who don't like to drink, right? But it got me thinking. Do these other folks feel the same why I do when I read a book?

Before I started writing, I read everything I could get my hands on and for the most part enjoyed all of it. Occasionally I would find a book I wasn't thrilled with, but I couldn't explain why. Either it didn't hold my attention or I didn't like a character or something but I couldn't put my finger on exactly why it didn't satisfy me.

Now that I'm a writer I see more things. (Many of which I'm guilty of) I notice more about the character development, not that I just didn't like them for some reason but that they didn't grow through the book. Or I'll notice things about the plot--the ending was rushed (one of my big mistakes) or there were slow areas that weren't necessary to the plot of the story. I'm finding that I'm more critical of books now that I'm writing them too. I've found myself saying,
"Oh! My editor would NEVER let me get away with that!"

It's rather disconcerting. Who am I to judge someone elses book? After all, they got published, they must know something I don't know.
That's what I found cosmically ironic, the more I learned about the process and business of books, the less I'd been enjoying them!

THAT IS SO WRONG!!!! Bad girl, no candy bar for you!

I forced myself to stop thinking about books and just enjoy reading them. So what if the author switched point of view three times in one paragraph? If it worked who cares? I'm not her editor or her cp I don't have to clean it up, I can just enjoy it.

So that's what I'm doing. I'm reading like I used to, as a fan who's looking for a good story to take her away from a mundane life.

Has anyone else gotten too caught up in the "business" of books where they've missed the enjoyment of them?

I'm weak

I admit it, I have a weakness for bookstores. Today I went in Barnes and Noble to get some presents for my oldest daughter's birthday. We're doing the family thing tomorrow night so I really needed to get the poor kid a present before then! Anyway, I forced myself to go straight to the kid's section and not stop in the Fantasy/Sci fi or Romance sections. I had a hard time choosing which books to get her but eventually I settled on four.

But then I had to walk back through the store to pay for them. That was it. I hit my Waterloo! Since I have no money I was very careful not to buy anything for myself but as soon as I got home I went on my Amazon wish list and added about 10 new books before I forgot.

I was terribly depressed I couldn't get them all at once too. I love the way bookstores smell and how cozy they are. I love all the little book accessories and the coffee shops in them--and I don't even drink coffee! I honestly think I could max out many a credit card a book stores.

Luckily for me I didn't have one on me at the time. . .

Okay, I need to write more books so I can afford to feed my addiction!
Have a great weekend wherever you are!
Ari

Too early. . .

It's probably too early in the morning for me to be blogging, but I had to have an outlet for my feelings. Aren't y'all lucky you get to be my outlet!

Two years ago this week my very first book, STRANDED, was published. I have warm, fuzzy feelings about that book. In my opinion, it isn't the best thing I ever wrote. No one gets killed, chased after by gun-toting goons, or discovers a new planet. It's a straight contemporary erotic romance and it took me two glasses of wine to write the first love scene.

Before writing STRANDED I had never even attempted an erotic sex scene. I had tried my hand at a few romantic suspense books and didn't have much luck selling them so I thought I'd try a new genre.

Eleven books later I'd say it took. I still want to write romantic suspense, but I love writing erotic romance too. Over the last two years I've learned so much about the publishing industry. I think I can honestly say that all my myths have been shattered completely, hahahaha.

Before I was published I had this picture in my head that if I sold a book the hard part would be over. Boy was I wrong! The hard part was only just beginning! I learned about the wonderful world of promotion, editing, proofing, release dates, contracts, and all sorts of snarky behind the scenes behavior I never imagined existed.

I wouldn't give it up for anything. I haven't become the Nora Roberts of smut, nor have I managed to make a living writing full time, but I'm doing something that I love and I've met so many wonderful people that have become great friends, my life wouldn't be the same without them.

So, to eXtasy Books, thank you for giving STRANDED a home. Happy Anniversary!

It's all Susan Elizabeth Phillips' fault. . .

Some of you might remember me blogging about meeting SEP on the plane on my way home from Reno. If not, well you're not missing too much.
Anyway, after meeting her I decided I needed to read her books because she was just that cool. I had never read one before so I started with the free-be I got at the RWA conference.
AIN'T SHE SWEET totally kicked ass!!! I loved that book. So of course I had to go out and get my hands on as many of her other books as I could.

And that is the reason I've gotten no writing done, hahahaha.

Okay, I'd like to blame it on my binge of reading SEP books lately but I can't. I did manage to get a few pages writen today (2500 words approximately) but not what I wanted to get done. Hopefully when the kids go back to school I'll be able to get more done. I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel like every word is getting pulled from my brain with pliers. Usually I sit down at the computer and the words flow so fast I can't keep up, but this book isn't like that. I'm not even half way done with it and it's taking me forever to get this far. I guess I'll just have to plug away at it and hope the words start to flow.

As you can tell, I'm not exactly one to let the book just come to me. . .

Hope everyone has a more productive day than me!
Ari

I survived!!!

I did it! I survived my 8 year old's birthday party and I'm still smiling!!

Although it was two hours of constant movement and noise, it went very well. And best of all, IT'S OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR!!! My daughter wanted to have her birthday party at home this year, and since it costs upwards of $200. to have a party out somewhere I was willing to do it.

Yes, poverty will push you to do things you never thought you'd do. . .

All told I had 10 little girls running around my house following clues to lead them to find the hidden pumpkins, then we painted those pumpkins, had pizza and ice cream cake. I have multi colored paint all over my house and I don't know if I'll ever get the chocolate off the walls, but that was the worst of it.

Sigh, thank heavens everyone had fun and their parents came on time!!!

Tomorrow is a day off for the girls (HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL YOU CANUCKS!) and despite that, I need to get some writing done. I've been really slacking off lately. I don't know if that's leftover blahness from getting rejected, laziness because we've had hot humid weather, or just a result of my cold, but in any case I haven't done squat in a long time. It's far past time for me to get this book done and turned in to my critique partner. Too bad I have at least another 35,000 words to write. . .

I'm going to write tomorrow, damn it! I'll keep you all advised of my progress, maybe that will help me stay on the straight and narrow. I'm sure you're just waiting with baited breath to see if I get my word count done, hahahaha.

Have a great long weekend for all of you with Monday off!
Ari

I've discovered my calling. . .

I've discovered my calling! In my next life I'm going to be an official Kilt Inspector!!! hahahahaha

I went to a Celtic Music and Beer festival this weekend AND IT ROCKED!!! One of the t-shirts being sold said "Official Kilt Inspector". After seeing some of the yummy men wearing kilts I realized that wasn't a bad job to have.

I've never seen so many men in skirts when it wasn't during a gay pride parade. I think it's a trend definitely worth encouraging. Kilts are WAYYYY sexy. Unfortunately my husband was not going for that. Sigh, it's too bad because he has nice legs.

Besides oggling good looking Irish/Scottish men, I had a chance to hear some kick-butt Celtic rock music. As soon as I get some cash I'm buying a bunch of CD's.

In other news, I've caught a cold and I'm really crabby about it. I'm not a good sick person. When I feel crummy I just want to lay in bed and alternately read and sleep without anyone bothering me. I don't want company unless they are bringing me crackers and ginger ale. Unfortunately, my oldest daughter has a birthday coming up and we're having the party this weekend.
At the house.
With 10 screaming 8 year olds.

Do you see any resting in bed in my future? I don't think so.
I'll keep drinking tea and hope this sucker goes away quickly!

Take care everyone!
Ari