Donna Caubarreaux

Jolyn Palliata - Connected

2011-12-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

Did you ever get a song stuck in your head? Or part of one? How did you get it out? Did you avoid the song at all costs in the blind hope it would stop hammering you into submission? Or did you listen to the song over, and over, and over, until you were so obsessed that all you could think about was that delicious, devilish little laugh….er, what was I saying? (Right. Song stuck in my head. Ahh...I mean, your head.) Now, I know this has happened to every person reading this post, so I’m hoping you’ll relate to my little story here.

Let me give you some background. In October, I released Connected (Twists of Fate #1), and here’s a brief description of the story: A rock group’s rhythm guitarist, Rhys Alexander, dies and finds himself bound inside the body of a woman he’s never met. Can she help him move on to the other side, or will he end up finding the love of his life…after his has already ended?

For a time, I had this for free on Wattpad (where I posted as I wrote it). And several readers asked me how in the world I came up with the concept. The short answer was ‘By taking the longest route possible.’ The more involved answer is this…

It all started with a song—Imagine that, huh?—which began with a synthesized-sounding guitar and a sinful, maniacal laugh that made my gut quiver. (Yes, I do realize this may be an issue I need to fully address later.) It was Disturbed’s “Inside The Fire”. Add a little Framing Hanley (with that oh-so-sexy voice), and Tavion, lead singer of the band Persevere, was born. And what kind of woman would knock a strapping rock star to his knees? Why, a best-selling author, of course.
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So here I had two people who worked in the entertainment industry, but were worlds apart. What could possibly bring them together? The answer seemed so simple, really: Fate. Then my next though was “What if Fate was a living, sometimes-breathing, entity? What an interesting point-of-view that would be!” And it spiraled from there. I dug deep into the protag, Devan (the name of the girl in Disturbed’s song), and put pieces of me and my personality into the mix. Naturally, then I had to mock myself and my works along the way. (i.e., Suddenly Impending Reprisals became Devan’s masterpiece, and guess what…it made it all the way to the NYT Bestsellers list! Way to go, Devan!!)

Now, the question was ‘What inspired me to write Connected’, and so far, I’m telling you how I started writing Twisted (Book 2). Yeah, well, I’m getting there. (Remember how I said it was the longest route possible?)

So there I was, writing Twisted and having a hell of a time. And then the unthinkable happened (insert suspenseful music here)…I got writer’s block. I’m talking a stint of writer’s block that could only have originated from the deepest, most vile and sulfuric, bowels of Hell. And, man, was it stubborn! Over a year went by before I picked it up again, and even then it wasn’t because I came up with a grand master plan, or that my head was swimming with ideas. No. It was simply because I missed my characters. So I started to reread/revise/edit the 30K words I had written, hoping it would shake something loose. Enter: two new inspirations.

The first was the Demonica series by Larissa Ione. In the series, paired up mates can sense each other’s emotions and I got to wondering “What would that be like?”

The next piece of inspiration came from Avenged Sevenfold (A7X). I was studying up on rock bands for Twisted (and can A7X ever ROCK!!), and checking out the band members (*drool*) and it inspired a new character—Rhys.

From Ione and A7X blossomed Connected (finally!) where Rhys’ spirit was stuck inside Addison (my protag), and they could sense each other’s emotions.

But I had one problem. I absolutely REFUSED to walk away from Twisted again. Soooo…how could I use this? Well, first of all, Rhys couldn’t be a lead singer since that’s what Tavion is. And secondly, I wanted this to be a fast-hitting novella used to compliment Twisted’s story. What I needed was a supporting member of the band... Hello, Rhys, my luscious rhythm guitarist!

But then I had another problem. (Because I needed more, right?) I couldn’t picture Rhys in Tavion’s band, Persevere, which is a more mature, established group. No, he belonged with some just-making-it-big band that wasn’t afraid to play with the formula, to take chances, and was just enjoying the ride and what life had to offer. He belonged with the guys of Black Codex.

Then problem #3: How did Black Codex and Persevere tie in to each other? I mean, if Connected leads into Twisted, they have to know each other somehow, right? Well, as luck would have it, they’re all friends. (Who knew?!) Eh, okay, so actually two members from Black Codex are brothers and they grew up with a guy from Persevere, so, by association, they became friends. (It’s all in the details, right?) ;)

All right. Now what? I didn’t want to introduce Fate (my sassy, capricious entity) in Connected even though he’s definitely hard at work behind the scenes. It would’ve been too distracting from the plot, and I had plenty to maneuver already! (Hello…dead rock star stuck in some chicks head!!) So what I did was plot Connected so it all occurs during the same timeframe as the first half of Twisted. Perfect! Then when people read Twisted, they’ll get all the behind-the-scenes-extras that were going on in Connected that either 1) I didn’t have time for, or 2) I couldn’t smoothly transition in.

At the end of my long-ass journey, not only did I have Connected, but I shook myself loose on Twisted…aaand came up with storylines for the other eight band members. (I’ll spare you the details on those. LOL) Thusly, the Twists of Fate series was born.

So, let me ask you again: Did you ever get a song stuck in your head…?

Donna here...I bought Jolyn's book Connected and while not finished with it yet, her concept is brilliant and I don't know how she's going to get out of the corner she's painted herself in...it's a great read and I wholly recommend it.

For more information on the Twists of Fate series:

Twists of Fate series Facebook Page:

To purchase Connected (Twists of Fate #1):

Book Lovers' Buffet - Holiday Extravaganza

2011-11-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

CLICK ON THE BANNER!!

This is your chance to fill your Kindle with eBooks for under a dollar! Check it out!

The Gift by Mary Marvella

2011-11-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

THE GIFT - Women's Fiction

by Mary Marvella

On Edna Mae's 40th birthday she buried her controlling father and lost her virginity in a one-night stand with a stranger she never expected to see again. Her life is about to change in more ways than she could have imagined.

Like Cinderella, she had no real life. The world opens for her now that she has no sick parents demanding all of her attention. Finding new friends and a world she thought had passed her by is wonderful, but there's more!

THE GIFT is story about an old-fashioned woman in a modern world, written in an old-fashioned way.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Mary is also the author of two paranormal romances,

Haunting Refrain & Forever Love

http://MaryMarvella.com/

MMARVELLAB@aol.com

http://www.pinkfuzzyslipperwriters.blogspot.com/
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Hide'n Go Seek by Dale Mayer

2011-11-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

BLURB -

A twisted game of Hide’n Go Seek forces an unlikely alliance between a no-nonsense FBI agent and a search-and-rescue worker.

Celebrated search-and-rescue worker Kali Jordon has hidden her psychic abilities by crediting her canine partner Shiloh with the recoveries. But Kali knows the grim truth—The Sight that she inherited from her grandmother allows her to trace violent energy unerringly to victims of murder. No one knows her secret until a twisted killer challenges her to a deadly game of Hide'n Go Seek that threatens those closest to her.

Now she must rely on FBI Special Agent Grant Summers, a man who has sworn to protect her, even as he suspects there's more to Kali and Shiloh than meets the eye. As the killer draws a tighter and tighter circle around Kali, she and Grant find there's no place to hide from themselves.

Are her visions the key to finding the latest victim alive or will this twisted game of Hide’n Go Seek cost her…everything?

You can find Dale's book at Amazon - All Romance eBooks

You can find Dale on her website:
Twitter

Facebook

THE PAST CAME HUNTING by Donnell Ann Bell

2011-11-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

Fifteen years ago a young Colorado Springs police officer arrested a teen runaway accused of aiding a convenience store robbery and attempted murder. She was innocent, but still served prison time briefly. Her testimony sent the real thief to jail for much longer. Now she's a young widow raising a son, and the man she put in prison is free and seeking revenge. She moves to a home in a new neighborhood—then learns that her next-door neighbor is the by-the-book officer who arrested her. Now he's a Colorado Springs P.D. Lieutenant. Like it or not, he may be the only one who can protect her and her son from the past he helped create. ~ The Past Came Hunting by Donnell Ann Bell

Donnell Ann Bell is the recipient of numerous awards for her fiction writing and the co-owner of Crimescenewriters, a Yahoo group for mystery/suspense writers, which is 2,000 members strong. Donnell was raised in New Mexico's Land of Enchantment and today calls Colorado home. Visit her at http://www.donnellannbell.com/

When you check out Donnell's book The Past Came Hunting at Amazon.com, you'll see SEVENTEEN 5 Star Reviews. This is a book you don't want to miss. It's in my TBR pile.

The 2010 Contest Divas Tiara Winners

2011-11-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Contest Divas Tiara Winners Nineteen Wins Isis Rushdan Most Titles - (Seven) Robin Weaver Grand Slam - Golden Heart Winner - 1st - 2nd - 3rd place for Lost and Found Jo Anne Banker You can check out the announcement here.

The Devil Has Dimples is out!

2011-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Adopted!

Sara McLaughlin never knew and now she wants to find out why and who's her daddy? A question every Southern girl is defined by.

Grant St. Romain, attorney, is supposed to be helping, but the hunky dimpled devil is making her mind think of other things.

Can she find the truth? Or will she break her heart?

by Pepper Phillips

"The Devil Has Dimples" available at:

Amazon - Smashwords

Sassy Southern Romance

Unconditionally is finally alive!

2011-05-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

I noticed that several authors had placed their screenplays up on Kindle and Smashwords and figured why not? So here it is. And it's free for a limited time. So enjoy...

Lew Hunter, author of Screenwriting 434 read it and wrote 'Wow!' on the cover after he read it.

Award winning? Yes. In RWA's Screenwriting Chapter, Scriptscene.

If you've never read a screenplay before it's a different experience. It helps if you're a visual person when you read one.

It's a drama about unconditional love...there are some tender moments in there where the character's react to what is happening in their lives.

Trying to convert it to the different formatting venues was a challenge. Happily, Zoe Winters gave much shorter and simpler directions to convert to Amazon than anyone else. If you want to epublish get her book, "Smart Self-Publishing" available on Kindle. I have it on my hand-held Kindle, but also downloaded the free PC Kindle so I could look at each page individually.

You can get a free copy here until May 17th. The coupon code is ZZ87T.

Enjoy! And if you like it, how about a review?

Manuscript Makeover - Chapter One - Inside Out: The Voice of Style

2010-02-08T19:41:00.001-08:00

A group of us are reading "Manuscript Makeover" by Elizabeth Lyon and this is my take on her book. It is one you should read.

I just read the Introduction, and I totally agree that there are as many ways to revise as there are authors.

Pg. 4 half-way down was what I learned in Margie Lawson's Edits class. The examples were fascinating to read.

Cultivate deep listening:
LOL, her first sentence cracked me up. I 'mishear' words all the time. I guess it might be my tinnitus. I've read that you should read your work aloud. In judging contest entries, if there's an awkward sentence, I tell the author to read it aloud.

I have a program on my other laptop called TextAloud. I see where you can download a free trial at http://www.nextup.com/TextAloud/ . I have TMJ, I think that's the right initials, but if I talk aloud for a continuous amount of time, my jaws ache.

I'm wondering...how many pages you should read aloud at one time? A chapter? Ten pages? Speak up, inquiring minds want to know.

Silence critics; banish censors:
There is a Pogo cartoon many years ago...1972..."We have met the enemy and he is us." Oh, so true...

For nay-sayers, Julia Cameron stated in her book, "The Artist's Way", about 'crazymakers', here's a blog entry that deals with this problem.
http://survivingtheworkday.blogspot.com/2007/03/enter-crazymaker.html

Practice riff-writing:
Now I like this part. I write very 'tight'...and it's hard to insert new writing into what has already been done. But with riff-writing, I'll be like Scarlett and 'think about that tomorrow'.

Ms. Lyon has a great example of riff-writing.

This is a great concept. I'm in a NaNo writing challenge this month with friends, and am having a difficult time getting the words down, even though I have an outline. So, maybe riff-writing can add words to the page and as Ms. Lyons writes this "example shows what the agents and editors mean when they say, "I know it when I see it," referring to original voice and a fully developed story."

That's what I want!

Revise from your truth:
This is where I'm going in the wrong direction. Putting in the character's emotions, truthfully, is extremely difficult. I'm thinking that the riff-writing might correct some of that. Of going into deep point of view, where I can tap the emotion so that my reader can feel the angst, the hopelessness, the decisions, the joy and the journey that my main characters are traveling toward happiness.

Harvest your emotions:
This section reminds me of Dwight Swain's 'feeling-action-speech,' in his book, "Techniques of the Selling Writer." His book is a classic. It's not an easy book to read, but he brings out techniques that every writer should know. Ms. Lyons also discusses visceral responses. Another Margie Lawson workshop explained that to me. If you haven't taken one of her workshops, do. It will improve your writing tenfold or more.

Catch fireflies:
Another truth, always carry a notepad, pen, and tape recorder to capture those snippets of dialogue, plot twists, etc., that come at odd moments.

I was driving home the other night and some dialogue between two characters came to mind. It was great dialogue. No paper, as if I could even see to write it down, couldn't move to the side of the road as there wasn't any side, just a ditch. Five minutes later when I arrived home, that wondrous dialogue was lost. I might be able to capture some of the words, but I know in my heart that it won't be as good, it never is.

I've also used my subconscious to hammer out plot problems, going to bed at night I concentrate on the problem. It took several weeks but I woke up one morning to an answer to my plot...it drives the whole story.

Who knew what to call these 'flashes.' Fireflies is a good name.

Ego? I don't think so...

2010-01-31T15:52:00.001-08:00

Question: is writing about ego?
---------------

No!

When I was a kid, I invented stories...

Then I received a 'puppet' book when I was around nine or ten. This was back in the day when Howdy Doody was the leading kids show. Howdy was a marionette. I looked at how the marionettes were built, their costumes constructed, and then read the play that was on the page over and over and over again.

An only child, in a very small town, I was allowed to roam during summers. The library was my 'hangout'. It was extremely small and I read the entire kid's section. Devoured 'Toby Tyler Joins the Circus', any book written by Lois Lenski and loved to brush my fingers against the light rose fuzzy binding on 'Pollyanna'.

At the age of twelve, I pulled down 'The Diary of Anne Frank'...I remember that the cover was black and the title was embossed in gold. When the librarian looked at the title, she then looked at me, and after a moment or two decided to allow me to check it out. Nothing was said, but I knew that she was gauging me. When I returned the book, she asked me how I liked it. 'It was okay'. Three years later when I had to reread it again for high school, it was as though it was a 'different' book. It resonated my awkward teen years.

Books are my friends. I spend a few hours in another world, another time, another place and come out happier at the end, except for a few! 'The Lovely Bones' was the only book that 'haunted' me for days after reading it. Eileen Dreyer's 'A Man to Die For' was the first book with a ending that surprised me. Susan Sizemore's first book was another with a surprise ending.

I want to be one of those writers who can make someone laugh, who can make someone cry and who can make someone think. If I can do that, I'd be happy.

So to me, writing has nothing to do with ego. It's like a huge jigsaw puzzle, something you want to figure out. It still holds a fascination for me. Developing a story is such a 'creative' thing, spinning worlds out of words. Throwing problems at my characters to see if they can get themselves out of trouble, their growth process, getting to a satisfying ending. It's like a movie in my head. They are my companions when I go to bed at night while I try to figure out 'what happens next'.

Those that are 'ego' driven are the ones who do the 'vanity' publishing route. My true name will never be on a fiction book, so that is not my goal.

I have an ego, but it doesn't make me write. The story itself makes me write.

2010 Goals

2010-01-07T07:39:00.001-08:00

2009 was a bust with my goals. So, I'm revisiting and updating that list. I have a monthly calendar dedicated to my writing, with other out-of-town conferences that I have to attend for my business. One of those dates crossed out another thing I wanted to go to...
Some of the months don't have any projects listed, but I want to evaluate my options during those 'free' months. But write I will.

Writing:
January: Finish screenplay started in 2007 for March.
February: George's Christmas story. GIAM Tour de Force
March: NOLA conference in Shreveport. Montreal Screenwriting Retreat. Finish Chloe's Choice. Do outline for ScriptFrenzy.
April: Script Frenzy - Do Pierre's story.
May: Go through projects and select which is most feasible.
June:
July: Attend RWA National. Thrillerfest???
August:
September:
October:
November: NaNoWriMo for the month.
December: Enjoy the season, but write daily.

Write at least three pages daily, try to do two hours.
Edit material once finished.
Send out queries to material that is finished and ready to go.
Post on blogs weekly.
Do Contest Column monthly.
Check email in the evenings when watching TV.
Enter at least four screenwriting contests.
Enter at least four romance contests.
Study the craft - read one chapter from craft book.
Adapt my writing spreadsheet to include things that might apply.
Read at least thirty minutes for pleasure.
Work on Genealogy Book for self-publication by year's end.
Write in daily journal, highlighting various subjects that are on this list.

Non-writing:
Be serious about losing weight. (Only lost one pound in 2009)
Exercise daily at least twenty minutes.
Follow my housekeeping schedule.
Do more in the garden.
Take a picture every day as an exercise. Write down why I took the picture and print it out on presentation paper and bind in a book at year's end.
List five daily gratitudes.

__._,_.___

'Tis the Season to be Jolly

2009-12-13T20:04:00.000-08:00

And I am. Chemo and Radiation are over with, just waiting to take another mammogram to see how everything is, which isn't scheduled until January.

Life is good.

My daughter's friend was diagnosed this month, but only has to have radiation, she's delighted that it's easily treatable. And so am I.

I celebrated another birthday, and find myself mellower (is that a word?) than I've been in ages. Maybe it's because I'm finally coming to grips with life and the lessons we can learn while we take our journey.

I'm planning my writing schedule for 2010, and it promises to be full. A screenwriting retreat is a definite, so is RWA's National Conference. There are several other excursions that I'm looking at, plus, of course, the writing.

Writing every day is a must, even on weekends. My weekend work will be at least a limit of one hour. The daily work must be at least one hour, but I rather do two.

There is a screenplay that must be done before the middle of March. It's started, I have a complete outline, just need a great title and the rest of the pages cranked out. My working title is: Sam's Story...LOL So, you can see why I need a great title.

Then there is my series contemporary story that I started this year and need to finish.

My middle grade story which needs some world-building, and I need to do some research. I purchased the research books, I just need to sit down and read.

I also want to read a chapter of a craft book daily and cull the neat stuff I can use.

Plus, I want to read...I have so many books and this year my book reading has been off, I've listened to a lot of books while driving myself back and forth from radiation. I keep a book in my car so I can listen to it while I drive instead of wasting time listening to music. I know, music isn't a waste of time, but my local channels only have the golden oldies or country music. Some of the books on tape/cd's are interesting, I tend to listen to thrillers, though I've listened to a mixed bag this year. I'd like to read at least fifty pages a day.

So, writing, reading, studying, conferences, retreats, etc., are covered.

But, and here's the big but, I also need to find an agent to represent material that is already finished, and polished. Egads!

But the time has come.

Have a wonderful, joyous Christmas!

The End or Is It?

2009-10-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

105 office visits later, I think I'm through.

Though I do have an appointment next week and one in December.

That's a hundred and five office visits. Not all of them were directly the result of cancer, there were other health issues that were included. I now have seven physicians that take care of me in one way or another.

There's a saying that 'if you have your health, you have everything.'

I believe in that now.

When I was younger, I was seldom sick and if I did get sick, my mother had something about physicians, so I was generally neglected. But, my grandparents lived into their eighties and nineties, my mother is knocking around in her eighties. So, I have some good genes to draw from. But it isn't enough.

I have one pill that I have to take for the next five years to, hopefully, deter my cancer from coming back.

There are no guarantees. I accept that.

Once my radiologist gives me the okay, I'll be taking another mammogram. I will as often as it's prescribed.

One in eight women. I've been informing all my female friends to get their test yearly. It's not fun, but it can save your life.

If you've been reading me this year, you've come along on quite a journey with me. I want to thank you for that. At times I wasn't my best. But I think at the end of this journey, that I am stronger than I thought. I've become, hopefully, a better person because of it.

Again, many thanks...

"Crisp and Crunchy, or Raw" - What Radiation Really Is...For Me At Least

2009-09-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

The title says it all.

Last week was 'deep tissue' radiation, which left my skin red, a bright burn red. Since I've always been pale, and red only when I stayed in the sun too long, this is something else entirely.

The skin from my neck to the top of my bosom, has the quality of dried alligator skin. Not that soft belly gator skin, but the top part, the scaly part. There are blisters, peeled skin, crunchy skin, all in all, not good.

Then there is the 'girl' as Whoopi Goldberg refers to it. My girl is in poor shape. Blisters formed under the clear bandages that were used to keep my blue marking lines in place. Some other blisters broke, one bandage, along with the skin it was covering, came off completely. OUCH! There's another blister that is as big as a quarter that looks ready to burst.

So, there is raw meat. Blisters. Healing blisters. Infection. Dark purple liquid stuff that is helping to fight infection, which stains everything it touches. Plus some Silver Sulfadiazine Cream that I smear on as often as I can.

The sports bra hurts to wear. Clothing...well, I do puff out the shirt a bit on that side. The seat belt...LOL...it didn't take me long to unclick my safety device, as the belt wrapped directly over the biggest stretch of raw meat. If the cops stop me, I don't mind showing them the 'evidence'...or maybe I need a note from my doctor, showing the girl might get me arrested.

But, guess what. I can do this. There are three days left. The end is in sight.

And I shouldn't complain. I feel shameful that I am, especially since watching 'So You Think You Can Dance' this evening, where a young twenty-five year old woman lost her left hand to soft tissue cancer. It was her hand or her life.

I'm so so lucky.

I've been blessed with the wonderful friendship that has been offered to me during this journey.

I'm so so lucky.

.

They Lied about Radiation.

2009-08-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

They lied to me about radiation.

It's the most painful process during this whole cancer journey.

Not the radiation part. I don't even feel that.

It's the freaking position I have to hold to get the radiation. I can now write about the Spanish Inquisition from the prisoner's part.

It's the only part of the treatment that has brought me to tears at almost every session.

It's where I can't bother to chant my "I can do this" and am instead wanting to scream out, "Hurry up and get me the h*ll out of here."

I've lost my sense of humor.

The position...

Imagine lying on a narrow table with your right arm in space. Now raise that arm where it is even with the side of your body, and your right hand about a foot from your head. There is a little brace to hold you just above your wrist. Since they want to give radiation to the side under my arm, they tape my arm to the brace, moving the fatty batwing that I carry around up and out of the way.

Then the "stretch your neck and look up and over to the left"...that's another part of the pain. I should have a lovely neck on the right hand side, the left will be full of wrinkles.

AND...hold that position for at least twenty-five to thirty minutes.

OUCH!

The ouch doesn't even cover the pain I'm in. I try to step up to the plate and be brave, but it's hard. If they manage to linger too long, and why do they need so many x-rays, then I'm in tears by the end of my session.

Just think, only five freaking weeks left. FIVE FREAKING WEEKS.

Like I said. I lost my sense of humor.

Radiation is in the future...

2009-08-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I would have started my radiation by now.

It seems that indeed, I need to learn patience.

I was told by my oncologist that I should be done with my treatment by Halloween.

Halloween!

Apparently, the trick is on me.

My appointment on Wednesday was two weeks after my last chemo. Now I need to go to a new OB/GYN doctor, as my regular doctor doesn't accept my insurance plan, and get a PAP Smear and general check-up.

Then I have an appointment with my surgeon to discuss the removal of my port. I'll be thrilled to get rid of it. Wearing a sports bra 24/7 hasn't been comfortable. But after the consultation, then the surgery, and after that recovery.

In mid-September there is the bone density test. Radiation has something to do with that. It's on the cancer protocol sheet and my oncologist goes by the book. Then another mammogram.

Then about ten days after that I see my oncologist again. I hope that the radiation will start after that. It's six weeks with radiation five days a week. The radiation will last for about a minute, the drive to and fro will be an hour and a half. I was going to use some of the grand kids as drivers, but school will be in session, so that plan is out. Not that I feel I need a driver, but the dh is insistent.

I am so anxious to go on a trip, to do something out of the ordinary, to visit old friends, to have a family retreat, to be determined cancer-free. Is my list too long? No. It's been almost a year since I was diagnosed.

So many people have reached out their hands to me in this time, and I truly appreciate it. They have made this journey bearable and heart-warming.

Life is good!

On the Downhill Slide

2009-06-25T16:52:00.001-07:00

Nine weeks of the second chemo down. Three to go. Then there are six weeks of radiation. It seems like a lot, but I'm more than halfway down this journey.

x
They give me liquid Benadryl first, to combat any nausea. You can feel the Benadryl as it's cold in your blood stream. It puts most of the patients to sleep. A lot of them request blankets, the lady next to me had two. But, I'm one of the few that gets wired on Benadryl. Instead of a lounge chair, I'm ready for a treadmill. Like I would actually run! I sit on the edge of the lounge chair, fidgeting, trying to read a book, antsy. Sometimes I stand as sitting is so uncomfortable. But, it doesn't take long before the procedure is over with.
x
Three weeks ago, two of my grandchildren lost their grandfather to cancer. He was diagnosed after I was. Unfortunately, he was given three to six months to live. So, they had two grandparents with cancer at the same time. One dies. One lives.
x
It's a hard journey for them now. One needs to check on me often.
x
I've figured it out. Cancer is about caring for people. I've seen and felt how cancer patients are treated by others. Your true friends come across for you. Others disappear. It's been a learning process.
x

Sharman, a dear friend of mine of over thirty years has shown me what caring means, a get well card once or twice a week, small gifts relevant to cancer. I know I need to do the same thing with friends of my own. Just be there. Show you care.
x
Rosalyn, a new friend, is a true joy. So positive, so knowledgeable, so generous. She bought pink straw hats for our little writer's group. The hat doesn't have a brim in the back which is perfect for chemo, as you can wear it and lean back in a lounger at the same time. But she challenges me, which is what I need now. Someone to push me, make me think, make me happy. She does all of that and more.
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I'm on a lot of group loops and I find that others are kind with sending prayers, cheering me on this journey, and reading about what's happening in my life. Then there comes a private email from several of them, asking how I'm feeling. A special touch. I need to remember that as well.
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Some people who were friends of mine haven't stepped up to the plate. That saddens me. I thought that they were friends, but they let too much time elapse, and now I don't want them back in my life because I don't want to be hurt again. Maybe I should open my heart to them, but I'd rather spend my limited amount of energy on those who have shown what real friendship is about.
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My family has been so supportive. The hubby of decades worries about me all the time. He checks in on me often during the day. I feel his morning kiss on my head while I'm in that slumberland where you're not quite awake. So, even after all these years, we're closer than ever before. We talk in the car driving to and from chemo, over luncheon afterwards, on the patio in the afternoons when we take a break, have a drink, coke zero for me, and enjoy our home. It's so peaceful and serene on my patio. The birds are singing, we check to see if the redheaded woodpecker is still notching out a home on the telephone pole across from the driveway, the occasional squirrel, the blue jay and yellow bellied warbler fighting for territorial rights, the cat and kittens who decided to live with us and who sneak around the corners of the property. The beautiful plants, especially the climbing pink Mandeville. Life goes on.
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The kids and grand kids have also shown me great love. They don't mind me walking around with no hair. I have a fuzzy growth now, but not enough to disguise the fact that I'm baldish. I've learned that hats make your head sweat, I didn't know that. So, I'll wear one for awhile, then am happy to take it off and cool off the dome. My doctor said that several women wear scarves under their hats, I can't get a scarf to stay on the head, so I don't bother fooling with them. Though I do have two that are gorgeous.
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So, maybe I was destined to have treatable cancer to learn some lessons. If I had to say what those lessons would be, they are:
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Be a caring wife, mother, grandmother, friend.
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Be patient. I keep wishing that I was finished on this journey, but maybe its important that the road be longer than I like.
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Listen to others, what they are really saying underneath the words they speak.
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Always tell my family, "I love you"...they need to know that I do.
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Life is good...enjoy it to the fullest!
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I Can Do This

2009-06-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Finding out that you have cancer is a life altering sentence.
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First you're hit with fear. Will I die? Can they kill it? What's going to happen to me?
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The oncologist talks to you, but your mind doesn't catch everything. What did she mean by 50/50 chance? I finally figured it out. I have a 50/50 chance of developing breast cancer even after treatment.
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The first few weeks of chemo were the hardest for me. I honestly believe that they need to prescribe anxiety/depression medicine when they tell you that you have cancer.
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It took me awhile to get over that anxiety/depression. Every time I started to slide to the dark side, I would think, "I can do this."
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I prayed. I prayed to every person I knew who was no longer with me, and to God. I'd cry at night, my mind full of fear. Then I'd say, "I can do this."
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"I can do this."
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Four little words. But they helped bolster my spirits. "I can do this."
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I can, and you can too.
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There is nothing in this world that you can't stare down if you believe. Believe in yourself and in others, but mainly yourself.
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For some reason, I've been in a dark mood the past week. It might be because I'm exhausted all the time. Every chore is time-consuming. Making the bed takes a long time. First the bottom sheet. Rest. Then the top sheet. Rest again. Then the comforter, the pillows. Then throwing myself on the made up bed to rest again.
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It's not fun, but I can't give up. "I can do this."
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That's my mantra. It's what's holding me together.
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On Being Bald

2009-05-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it is done.

I had my daughter clip my hair.

It was looking horrible, sticking up, or straight out. So, I had it clipped. It was about a one-fourth of a inch long, but is growing.

That's not a picture of me. My face is much rounder. It was pointed out to me that I look like my oldest granddaughter when she was a baby. With her little round head and bald head, I have to agree. She was precious. I don't think that I qualify for that moniker.

My kidney function was misbehaving again, so no chemo this week.

It was disappointing as another week has been added to my cancer treatment. Insert a big sigh here.

At least I'm feeling good, though tired most of the time. It could be worse, so I'm feeling lucky.

Life is still good. What else can you wish for?

I'm blessed...

What's Chemo Without the Chemo?

2009-05-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Due to the low count of white blood cells, my chemo was cancelled this week. Instead I received a shot to boost my cell count.
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I was disappointed.
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It pushes back the end of chemo and radiation another week. I've figured out that if I stay on track, I'll be done with chemo and radiation on August 22nd. I don't want to be pushed into September, but another low count of white blood cells, might do that. I finished my third round of the new chemo drugs, and have nine more to go. If every three weeks I have to sit out, well, September it is.
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Thank heavens I didn't make any firm plans on what I wanted to do to celebrate.
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Las Vegas! Oh, hello, my favorite town. The kids and I are planning to go, but we don't have a date in mind, that will come later. Vegas is more than gambling, which I like to do as well. You can spent time just cruising the hotels and looking at all the free stuff, such as the water dance in front of one of the hotels, plus, the pirate ship take over. The roller coaster ride, it costs, but it's a lot of fun.
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Cruise me baby! I love cruises. I've been on three, and my next one will be in the Caribbean, the beaches are too beautiful for words. I've also taken side trips, I've seen two Mayan temples, and they have them designed to the summer and winter solstice. When the sun rises, the light goes through a hole and lights up the whole area. How did they know how to do that? I find that very interesting.
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Writer's Retreat. I'm wanting to be with like-minded writers. People whose eyes don't glaze over when you talk about writing. Family and friends will ask about your writing, but if you get excited to talk about it, their eyes go blank quickly. So, a writer's retreat is on my list.
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NYC. I enjoyed my trip there last Thanksgiving week. We saw a show every night, from a Korean play to Momma Mia! I visited three candy shops, (who knew!), two museums, quite a few restaurants. Food was debatable. Some restaurants weren't up to snuff. There is a steakhouse across the street from Chelsea Market that is fantastic. Our waiter worked there for over forty years! Yes, I would make time to go back there again.
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That's my list so far, I'll keep adding to it as I think of more fun things to do.
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Life is still good, even if it's delayed.
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With Seventeen Hairs on My Head Do I Really Need a Beautician?

2009-04-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

The average human head has one hundred thousand hairs.
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I now have seventeen.
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And I need a haircut.
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It's not cute when your hair sticks straight out from your head.
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The Chinese Crested Hairless dog in the above picture looks cuter than I do. Plus, she has a lot more hair than I do. Insert big sigh here.

It took me a long time to find that photo, and I found out that there are Chinese Crested dogs with lots of hair, and I fell in love with Toby who is for sale in Oklahoma. Isn't he the cutest little fella...unfortunately his sale is pending.

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I purchased a wig more than a year ago, but it doesn't look good on me. I think I bought the wrong size, as it rides up in the back. At least I think so. It looks like a blonde Paula Deen. Not to far off my own color (white is a color!). Then there is the bright emerald green one I bought for St. Paddy's Day.

I was thinking that doing a henna job on my head might be attractive. It could look artsy, or something from the thirties. I found the Chemo Chicks on the internet, and they have a Henna Tattoo Kit available for sale.
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Lil Kim had some face decorations when she danced this week that looked like curls on her face from a distance. I have no clue if they have anything for the total head.

I did find a place where I could buy Hairy Moles, perhaps enough on the head would fill in with the seventeen hairs. I wonder if they have white?
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I was thinking that if I lost all my hair I could get the grandkids to sign my head. There are thirteen of them, so that would cover a lot of head. I wonder how long a magic marker would last on my head?
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I have a coupon to get a head massage that would help damaged hair shine. Wouldn't they be surprised when I walked in! Sometimes being almost bald is fun. The massage might feel good, and my hair is so damaged, I'm sure the seventeen would be lost when shampooed.
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Of course, that would eliminate the need for a hairdresser to trim my crown.
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At my last RWA chapter meeting last month, I told the girls that due to my hair loss, I would be wearing a hat. All of us wore hats. We meet in a restaurant, and almost everyone that walked in looked at us and when we left, everyone did stare. It was very empowering. Who knew?
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I'm old enough to be a Red Hat lady, but there aren't any in our small town. I now know how they feel when they enter an establishment to eat all decked out with their red hats. One lady wore a purple one, and it was really cute. The one lady in a red baseball cap didn't have the panache that the others had. Go Red Hats!
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I asked my son today if I needed a hat to go out in public. (I was kidding with the question.) He is twenty-one, and very respectful, he told me to be comfortable with myself, if I felt I needed a hat to put one on. Don't you love it when your kid says something so wonderful!
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And that's what I do. I have hats in my car, some nice ones, some baseball caps. I wear whatever I feel like wearing. And when my head gets hot, I take it off. (In the car, otherwise, I leave it on.)
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With hair or no hair, I'm still the same person I used to be...except maybe more caring, more tolerant, more forgiving. Which is a good thing. Maybe that is what I'm supposed to be learning from this experience.
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Life is still good.
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New Beginnings - New Chemo Drugs

2009-04-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today was chemo day. My chemo drugs were changed. Woo Hoo!

These are 'lighter' than the previous four chemo sessions. No coldness. I didn't feel anything.

Of course it wasn't all fantastic. The nurse who inserted the needle into my port used a short needle, I need a long. Since she was wearing gloves, another nurse handed her the sterile long needle. It went in with a slight snap that I could feel. (No pain.)

Then they push in fluid to flush the port, and when they draw back on the syringe, blood is supposed to come into the needle so that they know that the chemo drugs will enter the blood stream. If it doesn't, well, the talk about the chemo drugs eating your flesh comes to mind.

She didn't get any blood back. She asked for another syringe, again, no blood. Two syringes later, with three nurses in my cubicle, they asked me to raise my left arm in the air several times, and that did the trick. The dh was standing outside the cubicle, but knew something wasn't going well, as it was out of the norm.

After starting the chemo, I laid back in the lounge chair. It was one of the ones that are difficult to get out of. They also push saline solution along with the chemo drugs, I imagine to dilute it. With all the fluids going in, a loo break is a necessity.

For some reason, I was restless. Maybe, it was the Restless Leg Syndrome, though the extra Iron I take daily has alleviated most of movement. I sat at the edge of the lounge chair. One of the nurses asked me if I needed anything, but I told her no.

I have to say, that the nurses, who are very attentive to their patients, and the other patients around them. You don't necessarily get the same nurse all the time, but if one is busy and your machine starts to beep, meaning that one of the bags is on empty and either needs to be changed, or that you're through and can go home, another nurse will step in and take care of you.

So, once we finished, it was noon. The dh took me out to eat. Since we will be going on Wednesdays for the next eleven weeks. I need to see if they have other restaurants in Alexandria that we haven't tried out yet. He likes Mediterranean food, so since next Wednesday is his birthday, that might be a neat surprise.

So, as my son says, "It's all good."

And it is. I am truly blessed.

Get your mammogram. I do care.

Cosmic Intervention by Melanie Atkins

2009-04-13T06:00:00.001-07:00

COSMIC INTERVENTION by Melanie Atkins is a Wicked short story now available at Cobblestone Press.

Blurb:
Paige Mangum attends a sales conference knowing she needs to come out of her shell if she's going to keep her job, but she doesn't count on meeting a hot, sexy stranger with magic hands and a mouth that drives her over the edge. Conference sessions have never been more fun.

Tell me how you discovered this story idea.

I got the idea while I was at a hotel at a conference, and one of the elevators seemed to have a mind of its own. It would stop whenever it wanted, whether you wanted it to or not, and then take off for another floor. It was really kind of creepy. LOL

Was this always a 'short' story?

Yes, I wrote it as a short story, specifically for Cobblestone Press.

Did you have to do any research?

No research on this one. I just relied on my vivid imagination. LOL And that's a bit scary too, because of the the story's high heat level. It's much hotter than I usually write, but I had a lot of fun with it. Guess you can say I really pushed the envelope with this one. ; )

Where can I find your book?

It's available at Cobblestone Press.

Melanie Atkins is a friend of mine, and a delightful woman. Buy her book, you won't be sorry!

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Round Four, I won again!

2009-04-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Monday was my last round of the first set of chemo drugs. My doctor stated that I was doing fine. My white blood cells are maintaining, neither going up or dropping down like they did in my first week. I'll take maintaining. It must be the extra iron that I'm taking that is helping.

I have this next week off, except for the weekly blood sample. But, they finally found a good vein, so that's where I'll direct all future needle punctures. One is so much better than three!

This week I've felt good, except for yesterday. But you have to have a bad day to replenish 'the well', so I did a lot of resting.

I'm still losing hair and rather discouraged that I will have to shave my legs before I wear shorts. What's with that! Wouldn't you think that if I were losing the hair on my head that the legs are fair game? I do. But it isn't happening.

My next chemo regimen begins a week from Monday, with a new course of treatment. Apparently, our bodies don't like chemo drugs and will build up to fight them, so the treatment is changed in order to get all the cancer cells. Only this time, instead of every other week, it will be weekly for twelve weeks.

On this last round, I did feel that bone-chilling cold during one of the medications, but it wasn't as bad as the second round of chemo. As you walk around the treatment room, most of the patients are bundled up. So, I'm not the only one who gets the chills.

The only bad thing, is that the cold chill stays with you. I can't seem to get warm enough.

But, there are sweaters that can be donned, or my favorite, a sweat shirt.

The dh is still very protective of me. Plus, he does sweet things like putting a white rose on my keyboard while I'm snoozing away. It must be love.

How lucky can one girl get...

It's all good.

Round Three of Chemo - I Won This One!

2009-03-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

I had my third session of chemo today, and didn't feel that bone chilling coldness that crept over me the last time. Thank heavens, that was an eerie feeling.
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Once I came home, it was three in the afternoon, and I crashed until seven. But, I didn't sleep well last night and it might have added to the need for sleep.
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Also found out that since my diagnosis of having a Prepyloric Ulcer, I will need to go on a different chemo regimen, my second course of chemo, which was to last for four bi-weekly sessions, has now changed to every week for twelve weeks. So, that's an extra four weeks.
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There are finally two patients younger than me getting chemo. I don't know what kind of cancer they have, but so far, most of the patients are much older than I am.
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The Sisters In Action, supported breast cancer in the lobby with pink lemonade and cupcakes. Which I thought was nice.
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My hair is slowly coming out. No one stares at me with horror, so I'm good to go. I've had thin hair for years and jokingly told people that I had three hairs on my head. That prediction might come true. LOL
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But, I feel good. So life is great. The dh is wonderful during this time. We've spent a lot of time talking on the long drive back and forth, and the occasional lunch out after chemo. We're trying out different restaurants. We chose Chili's today, and at one in the afternoon, they had a thirty minute wait. So we went to IHOP. I love breakfast so that was my choice, and he ordered a sandwich that was enormous. He wasn't expecting that. The waitress even brought him a diet drink 'to go' when she brought the check. He didn't expect that either and remarked that it was a first.
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Picture of the white iris's, when I was administrator at Valley View Health Care Facility, a resident by the name of John Dauzat came into my office with a plastic bag. His hands shook so the plants sticking outside the bag were waving in the breeze. He brought them to my desk and said that he took them out of his garden, especially for me.
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John was a delightful man. Short, slim, he had a fantastic sense of humor. For Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras to the rest of the world, he wore an old-fashioned straw hat (one like Fred Astaire would wear) with a flower sticking up a foot in the air. It would whip back and forth as he walked up the hall. He had a gentle smile, and though he has been gone for years, I still remember him every spring.
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He brought me native Louisiana white iris plants. I planted them in one section by a pecan tree. Today, they surround the tree, as though they are playing merry-go-round. Their white blooms, while not as beautiful as their colorful cousins, have a virginal quality. When I see them, I always get a picture of John Dauzat in my mind, and a smile on my face. As long as I live, he will always be remembered.
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What more can anyone ask for, but to be remembered.
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Stressed! Who Me?

2009-03-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last week was super busy. Monday was the chemo, Tuesday was the Neulasta shot to keep my white blood cells up, and also the phone call that I was scheduled to see my surgeon on Wednesday, there was blood in my specimen.
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Wednesday my surgeon told me I looked 'rough'...something a girl always wants to hear. Another prescription to cleanse the interior on Thursday as I was to have the interior peek show on Friday.
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Since I learned I had cancer in December, I haven't bothered to get my hair cut. Why? I was going to lose it anyway. But Wednesday I phoned my hairdresser to get a cut, and a brow wax, it's amazing how quickly that grows in, and I was scheduled for Thursday morning.
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Thursday afternoon I started to take the cleansing pills. Twenty in an hour, four starting at two pm with eight ounces of fluid, then fifteen minutes later, repeat the process. At eight pm, do the same process with the remaining twelve pills.
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My daughter came over and told me a funny story about a friend of theirs, he stated that he went to bed with his jammies on and by ten o'clock, all he had on was his running shoes.
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He wasn't far off the mark. I think that the instructions should state: Rent a portable commode, park it in front of the television and sit for twelve hours, beginning at three-thirty in the afternoon. A cell phone might be nice, though you can't get up to get the pizza delivery, but you can call a family member to bring you a sandwich and a drink. This process should also be in a private room, as any family member won't want to be in the same side of the house until this process is completed. So, it might be wise to pack an ice chest and park it next to you. A roll or two of toilet paper is also a necessity.
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Don't laugh. It's true.
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Oh, and Thursday was limited to apple juice, sprite, jello, and chicken broth. Nothing with red dye. If you could read through it, then you could have it. So, forget the sandwich and pizza, but the ice chest could store the jello and cold drinks.
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Friday morning I was at the hospital for six am. It didn't take long for processing, as I was not on the usual 'surgery' day. They took me in the special room they have for the procedure, and then tried to give me an IV. That didn't work. I have two sites on my left arm with horrid bruising, one is two inches long, the other an inch, thankfully my surgeon walked in and told them to go into the mediport. They slipped me some drugs, told me to open my mouth and sprayed a numbing agent that had a rotten, bitter banana aftertaste, they sprayed that twice. But within minutes, I was in la-la land.
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I awoke at eight, and was home by eight-thirty. The doctor took pictures of my Prepyloric Ulcer, which is a new diagnosis, but it seems to be on the mend. It was the cause of the internal bleeding. After another pass at the pharmacy. I sacked out on and off until noon. Those drugs have lasting results.
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Saturday was my chapter meeting date, and off I went. It was nice talking writing. That afternoon, the dh and I made it to a high school baseball game, we had a grandson on each side, and the weather was nice. The sun was out, it was in the seventies. Everyone was in sandals and shorts. I was in my sweats and wearing a jacket.
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Later that night, I had my first bout of nausea. It was awful. I had a little trash can tricked out in liners that stays in my bedroom, well I grabbed that sucker and made a mad dash to the bathroom. It took three bouts of that through the night to realize that under my excess weight, there are abs.
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Mad abs. Even if I cough today, it hurts. A lot.
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Monday, another blood sample. I still have a massive bruise on the top of my left hand from last Monday, and the two bruises from Friday, so they searched around for a new spot. That didn't work. They tried my wrist, which is a small vein and always hurts the most and managed to fill a very small vial, but that wasn't enough. So, yes, back on the top of my hand.
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I only have one more appointment this week, and that's to check and see if my heart is up to the challenge.
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Did I mention that my hair is slowly dropping out. It is. Wig.com is have a 25% off sale that ends today, so I might do some online shopping.
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Life is still good.
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Even if I do have an ulcer.
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Round Two: Chemo Wins!

2009-03-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

As usual, there is a blood donation for the lab. This time it only took one stick of the needle. I have a lovely purple patch on the top of my left hand. At least it wasn't my wrist like last week.
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Then, after waiting for my lab results, I head back to the treatment room. There was only one chair available, other patients sat in all the other chairs, receiving drugs via the drip method.
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My nurse wasn't happy with the needle placement in the mediport, as blood wouldn't come up in the needle, so she restuck me. It doesn't hurt when she does this. I had to apply a cream, then a transparant bandage over the cream that covered my mediport an hour before treatment. This is to deaden the area, and works, as I didn't feel anything. Always a plus.
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They flush the tube then hung the chemo bag, it didn't take long for the chemo to hit. I wore a long sleeved sweater, and pulled it closer around me. A chill crept over my body and it felt like my body was on ice. Not the ice where you shiver and shake, but a deadlier ice, as though you died but your brain was still alive.
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But not for long. Thankfully, I fell asleep through most of the rest of the treatment.
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I still have the inner chill today.
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Alas, I also have other problems to worry about. My body is bleeding internally, somewhere. Some more tests are being scheduled while I write this blog.
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How do I feel? My spirits are up, the chill makes me want to snuggle in bed with my feather comforter, and my dh brought me a camellia and laid it on my computer.
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Life is good. Enjoy each day you have.
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Iron, Iron, Where Did I Put That Thing?

2009-02-26T18:33:00.000-08:00

I would have a photo of a bag of blood being administered through all the tubes, etc., here, but it cost $15.95 and I figured that you would know what that looked like anyway.
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Woe to me.
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The second blood transfusion this week. Another two pints.
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What is happening? Well, I thought it was my white blood cells falling too low, when in fact, it was my red blood cells. Hello! That's what I get for thinking.
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I'm anemic right now. So, a handy-dandy little package for me to get a sample of something I'd sooner forget about. I need to bring it back on Monday...that is unless I need to go to the hospital between now and then.
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The week-end ER doctor has already been notified that I might be a guest.
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The overnight bag I was supposed to get together and didn't, should now be packed. Just in case.
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The brave dh is covering up his concern. But I know he's worried. I'm fretting as well. But what's a girl to do?
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Follow the doctor's orders, and get my act in place.
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The iron reference (I do know where the dusty thing is kept), is to the iron in the blood that I am now missing. An interesting fact...I have been suffering from RLS, better known as Restless Leg Syndrome lately. While searching the net yesterday concerning this, I found a blog that had a wonderful review of a book and it had an URL for me to check out. The blog also had some comments that stated what a great book it was. So, checking it out, it costs $29. bucks. There was some great advertising going on, but cautious me (well, cheap), wondered if it all wasn't a hoax. It described that we needed one mineral, and our RLS would disappear.
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Well, little internet junkie that I am, while I was really looking for was a stock photo I could use, I found an informative text concerning anemia, which is what I now have. And guess what!
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You guessed. That one mineral is iron. So, maybe my RLS can be relieved once my iron levels go back up. Color me thrilled and richer by $29.
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Where to Start...

2009-02-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

A week ago Monday, I started chemo.

Friday, it looked as though my tongue died and should have been a specimen on 'Bones'. A special mouth wash managed to clear it up several days later.

Late Friday night, I had a nature call, and could barely make it back to my bed. I was so weak, dizzy and generally 'out of it'. It was all I could do to throw myself on the bed.

I took my temperature, which is usually low, and found that it was two degrees higher than my normal. That freaked me out, as if my temperature rose to 100.5, it would be time to check in at the emergency room with an order for direct admission and isolation. So, taking off my flannel pj pants, I put on shorts, turned on the fan in the bedroom, threw off the feather comforter and the quilt and slept with a sheet. It worked.

Saturday and Sunday, I was exceedlingly tired.

Early this morning, the dh and I went to the local physician and had blood samples taken. Mine were to be faxed to my oncologist. I went home and crashed on the bed. About an hour later a phone call. I was enemic, big time. The nurse had to get the okay for me to drive the thirty miles for a blood transfusion. Another fifteen minutes and the order was to come as soon as possible.

I got Kid #6 to get dressed. The dh already had plans for the day and wasn't home. So, #6 dropped me off at the Cancer Center, another needle to draw blood. The third of the day. The first one didn't work, as usual. They checked my blood type and iron, which took about a half an hour, then back to the treatment room, where the nurses proceeded to enter my mediport and give me two pints of blood. During the wait, I called Kid #5, and managed to cry over the phone when he told me he loved me. Kid #4 called right after that to see if I was okay. I remembered that Kid #1 worked a few minutes away and made arrangements for her to bring me home later.

A very sweet pink lady, who had on a lovely coral top, got me lunch, so I ate, then fought with my restless leg syndrome leg, as I intook color into my face. Apparently, I was so white that it was scary. Since I'm very pale, unless my freckles are out, needing two pints of blood drained me of all color.

Four and a half hours later, I was almost normal. Kid #1 picked me up, and drove me home.

I need to go back Thursday for another blood sample.

This means that my entire diet must change. No fresh fruit or vegetables, everything I eat must be cooked, peeled or skinned. There are more dietary rules which I'll get into tomorrow. If I have the strength. Right now, I'm feeling okay. That's what some new blood will do for you!

So, thanks to you who do give blood. I appreciate it.

Chemo and What It Feels Like

2009-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

Chemotherapy started Monday.

We were late. I forgot the correct time, eight in the morning, and thought it was nine. I think the appointment card I received for March with a nine o'clock time was what threw me off schedule. Anyway, the dh and I watched a short educational piece on chemotherapy. The person on the tape was also the nurse who is the point person for any questions. I signed more forms concerning my care.

Secondly, I needed to give a blood sample. As usual, they couldn't find a good vein. Several nights ago, I dreamed I had great blood vessels, much like my husband. But dreams aren't reality. They stuck me once, gave up on that spot, and tried my wrist and managed to suck enough for their needs.

We waited for a moment in the waiting room and were called back to the treatment room. Lined with recliners and privacy curtains, we found an empty chair and companion chair. I was introduced to the nurse who would be caring for me, she is the daughter-in-law of one of my hubby's old-time Wildlife co-workers. So, that was nice.

She got her gear together, and stuck a needle in my port. She couldn't draw blood back, a major item, as if the chemo didn't get into a vein, it would literally eat my flesh. So, she tried a longer needle and thank heavens, it worked.

The needle in the port thing didn't hurt at all. It was like getting a little pinch. No big deal, especially after the two tries to get a blood sample.

The dh asked what time I might be through and went off to do whatever men like to do. The two medications were to take an hour and fifteen minutes or thereabouts. Cell phones are our friends.

They gave the chemo in two segments, first one, then the other. I felt a little flush in my face, as though my cheekbones wanted attention, I was told the next day that your face might flush redder on your cheekbones, so that was interesting.

There were three or four nurses taking care of the chemo patients that lined the four walls, if a pump gave an audible sound, one of the nurses would check up on you. There were a few rooms with beds in them for the patients who needed them.

Time passed, I read a book. Watched another patient getting her dosage. The dh came back, he never left the truck, but had three phone calls from his buddies. Men! They're so funny.

Finally, the procedure was done. I was instructed to come back the next day, at approximately that time as they needed twenty-four hours before I could get my shot to boost my white blood cells, as chemo attacks them as well as the cancer cells.

It was after lunch, we both decided that the hospital's lunch menu wasn't for us and went out to eat.

That night, I felt as though tiny ice shards were streaming through my blood stream. I wasn't cold, but there was a coldness in my blood.

The next day, we made the trek to get my shot. By the time the dh parked the truck, I was done. Aha, we went to lunch. Italian food this time.

So, all in all, it's a relative painless process at this point. The mediport isn't tender anymore, as it was after the surgery. I was given some cream and a huge see-through bandage to administer before my next treatment to deaden the area. That's always a plus.

I have to give another blood sample next Monday, and can do it in my hometown, so that saves on a long drive. I'm hoping that my white blood cells are feeling up to the task. They are the ones that fight infection, so I might be very prone to catching anything and everything unless I watch myself.

Monday night, we did go to the funeral home as my hubby's last uncle passed away. I did hug a few relatives, but they weren't my usual hugs. My hubby was counting them.

But...the NOLAStars Conference is out. As is RWA National. I haven't missed a RWA Conference in years. But I'll be at home, my chemo and radiation should be finished by then, but knowing how things are, maybe not.

How do I feel right now. Fine, except for those little tiny icy shards that are flowing through my blood stream.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-02-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

THE GOOD

Well the results are in, and they're good. The PET scan didn't find any cancer in my body, except for the one breast area. The family was concerned because of the lympth nodes being infected.

The Good News is that chemo will start on Monday, with four treatments every other week, then the medication is changed, and then another four treatments every other week. Then comes six weeks of daily radiation.

I was warned that there would be hair loss. Hello! I won't be shaving my legs for awhile, nor will I have any bad hair days.

I have a few hats, but they are straw. I wonder if the insides will scratch my head? This is a good time to buy a really cool hat. Something that will go with my personality.

And of course there is that wig I bought last year that I haven't worn yet, as I couldn't get it to look right on my head. Maybe a loss of hair will make me look better.

THE BAD

The oncologist gave me three prescriptions to fill, and one of these is for nausea. I hate being nauseated. Now this might turn into a 'good' if I can shed some poundage.

.
We'll be doing a lot of driving as the Cancer Center is thirty miles away.

For the first time in years, I'll be missing the RWA National Conference. I figure if everything goes right, that I'll end treatment in July a week before the conference begins. But there might be delays, and radiation is a daily thing.

Only three 'Bads'...that's doable. I can live with that!

THE UGLY

I still have some bruising from the last two surgeries. But they will go away in time.

SOME MORE GOOD

I can't help but admire all the good people who have reached out to me during this lengthy process. Their words of encouragement are so comforting. Let me end this post before I start crying.

Oh, the picture of the beagle is there, because it reminds me of my childhood dog, who was like a brother to me.

Swimming in the Stream

2009-02-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

The Cancer Center has a huge aquarium with various saltwater fish, including Nemo and his mate. Watching them is very relaxing, while you sit and wait for your appointment.

The dh and I were there for my occupational therapist meeting. With the node removal, I will be more likely to develop lymphedema. Just what I needed, another thing to watch out for. One of the things she told me was not to carry my purse on that side. That might be hard to remember until I retrain myself. While I was with the therapist, the dh went and bought a ladder.

Afterwards, we went to the kidney specialist, where their personnel drew blood (again!) and I had to fill the cup. They should give people a plastic glove, cause it's hard not to go on your hand. Or is that TMI (too much information). LOL

It was lunch time and we stopped and ate.

My next appointment wasn't until 3:15, so we went to Sam's and my dh went shopping while I rested in the truck. The day was really nice, so the windows were partially down.

It was still early for my appointment, but we hoped that they would take me early. They did and didn't. We waited for an hour, and they finally let me in at 2:45. The dh walked across the street to check out the prices on framing his Yank magazines. I had jelly rubbed on my kidneys during the sonogram. I think there might be something wrong with the one on the right, as that was the only one she made me stand up for.

On the way home, we stopped at LSUA's agricultural barn as the area 4-H clubs were showing their animals. Our granddaughter won a Grand Champion ribbon for her pgymy goat. I sat in the car. My daughter and grandson walked out to the truck to talk to me, the daughter grilled me!

So, I'm on hold until Monday, when I see the oncologist again. The mediport area is still sore. It's not painful, but a dull ache and tender to the touch.

How does the title connect. Like the fish in the aquarium, I'm following the stream of women before me.

One thing I've noticed, is that people are generally kind and thoughtful once they hear I have cancer. The lady doing my renal sonogram asked me questions, and one of them was 'Did you ever have cancer?' which was hard to answer, I mumbled something that resembled 'I'm in the midst of cancer treatment now.' And she said something comforting, which touched me.

A lot of people have 'touched' me during this journey. And one good note, one lady read my blog on the vegan diet and found it helpful, as her hubby is having blood pressure problems. That's the whole purpose of me detailing my journey, to help others that might find themselves on the same path.

The MediPort

2009-02-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

My narcissus were upset because I put up the picture of the daffodil before theirs...and they've been blooming since late December.

One of my goals this year was to take a daily picture, and I'm failing in this goal. I have a digital camera, but it seems like it's never around when I see a photo opportunity.

Yesterday was the installation of the MediPort. I was to be first in line for surgery, but got bumped. We had to arrive at 6:45 am, and after getting into the gown, laid down on the narrow bed, throwing a sheet over myself, the dh and I were left alone to wait. We both fell asleep! It was too funny.

After nine, they started to prep me for surgery. My veins are not good. If only I had my husbands, you can see his from across the room. Mine like to hide. So, the first needle stick didn't work, the second one did. In my left hand index finger! I have so many needle tracks in my wrist it looks like I'm an addict! Not to mention the bruising.

They gonked me out and off I went. Waking up later, I was ready to go home. But, the first thing they did was feed me lunch, a liquid lunch. I slurped up a vanilla pudding, strawberry jello, chicken broth, milk, apple juice, berry juice, a grape popsicle, and two other items that I can't remember.

By two-thirty we were on our way home, a quarter of a mile away. I went to bed and managed to sleep the rest of the surgery drugs out of my body, I was comatose.

So...I have a three-inch incision just above my heart area. It's sore, but nothing that a pain pill can't control.

The adventure continues. Tomorrow is an appointment with an occupational therapist at the Cancer Center.

PET Scan

2009-02-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

The daffodils have started to bloom in my garden. There's nothing like seeing their bright faces around the yard.

The PET Scan was yesterday. A total breeze. While in the waiting room, our next door neighbors walked in, so we visited for awhile.

When my turn came, I was in a small room with a lounger chair, was given the radioactive drugs. Yet another needle injection. Then was told to relax until they came back, which was thirty-five minutes later. I know I fell asleep, thankfully, I didn't snore!

Then it was into another room where the scan is done. I laid down on the narrow table, a foam triangular pillow was put under my knees, and my head rested between a curved surface. A blanket was thrown over me, as the room was cold. I was asked to put my arms down with my hands on my lower stomach, then the man pulled up a velcro wrap that kept my arms in one position.

Asked to remain as still as possible, the scan started. It's a good thing I didn't weight five more pounds, else I might not have fitted in the tube. My mind wandered, I breathed as normally as I could, but did count three breaths where I took in more air than usual. The test took about thirty minutes.

Painless...and restful.

I'll find out the results next Monday.

Tomorrow is the installation of the Medport.

Going 'Green'

2009-02-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

I'm at a strange stage.

Last Thursday I had an echocardiogram of my heart, with good results.

Then we raced to the building where I was to have a PET Scan. After drawing some blood (I need a little zipper for all the blood everyone has drawn) and my blood sugar was up. The scan had to be rescheduled.

Since it was still early in the day, I scheduled an appointment with my family doctor. Luckily, after an hour's wait at the clinic, he put me on a long-term insulin to take at night. That relieved me. Unfortunately, the next morning the blood sugar only went down six points.

Friday I had an appointment with my kidney doctor. My lab results were elevated. They sucked more blood out of me, and later I had to go in a cup. (Don't need to get too graphic.) I'm waiting on those results.

This is Sunday, my blood sugar went up this morning from yesterday. I am not a happy camper. Tomorrow morning is very crucial. I need the PET scan, so the blood sugar has to be down.

I'm afraid it might not be down tomorrow...

As I was doing some work on the computer, I had the food channel on, and a woman with high blood pressure and type II diabetes was featured on a show dealing with vegan diets. Apparently, she was able to get off her oral medications for those two diseases and managed to lose sixteen pounds, as well, in a three week period.

I'm sure you know what synchronicity means and if you don't here it is: Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events which are causally unrelated occurring together in a supposedly meaningful manner.

Vegan diets apparently work to lower blood pressure and blood sugar.

Hello!

So, this morning I ate oatmeal, no sugar, no milk. I like oatmeal so it wasn't a biggie.

While cruising the internet, I found this article on what is a vegan diet.

Right now, I'm desperate enough to try anything. Even if it's going the 'green' route. If it works the benefits would be fantastic. Lose weight, control my blood sugar and blood pressure. It's a win-win for me.

Again, thanks for all the kind wishes and prayers, you can tell that I need them!

In Between

2009-01-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

I've been in a semi-fog since last Friday.

I had to do a errand, was hungry and needed to check my mail.

Three little tasks, and I only needed to leave the car once.

The car interior was warm when I got inside and it felt so good. It seems like I've been cold for ages. Even my blood temperature is low, so just sitting inside felt like a rare treat.

The first task was easy, then I drove to get a burger and even that was easy. I pulled into the parking lot after my purchase, enjoyed the meal and the warmth of the day had me putting my head back and just resting.

About thirty minutes later my hubby called. "Where are you?" "At McDonald's parking lot." "What are you doing there?" "I got a burger and now I'm resting. I have to stop at the post office and then I'll come home." He was okay with that answer.

Driving to the post office, I felt really tired. So, I parked outside the door closest to my post office box and rested my head back against the headrest. I just didn't have the energy to go inside. I sat there awhile, a long while, then finally went inside and emptied my box.

I dumped the mail on the passenger's seat and leaned back in the car seat. I was exhausted. I rested my head again, and instead of feeling the warmth inside the car, I started to shiver. I was cold and my body started to shiver. Finally feeling that I needed to get home as soon as possible, I drove slowly home.

Once home, I threw myself in bed and started to shiver like there was no tomorrow. It took a long while to finally stop.

So, since Friday, I've felt 'out of it' and hung close to bed. I don't know what the shivering was all about, but I've had it happen to me at a RWA Conference one year.

Today, I 'feel' great. I still get tired easily, need to rest often, but it's as if the cobwebs have been banished from my brain. And I'm not cold.

So, I figure it's like this.

There will be days of clairty, days of dullness and days in between. What I need to do is not let the dark days get me down. Because if I let them grab hold of me, I might not see the sunshine days for what they are. Yesterday's title would have worked great for today, but my brain was apparently 'in between' and I didn't recognize it.

Waking Up to Sunshine

2009-01-26T08:55:00.000-08:00

What is that title about? I'm not quite sure. It just came to me, so I used it.

I finally decided to 'come out' about my cancer through my signature line.

I've told a few groups and online friends, but didn't come all out until today.

And why should I?

This cancer thing is scary. I wasn't scared before, then the words 50/50 came out at the last oncologist appointment, and it took several days to settle in.

50/50

And ONE out of EIGHT women will develop breast cancer. So, if you don't have it now, you might in the future. Here's some good advice, get your breast exam current, and go back in a year and do it again and each year after that.

I was suprised at this second surgery. The first one, which I 'thought' was going to be a needle biopsy, was instead a full removal of the cancer, wasn't even painful enough for me to fill out the prescription. My surgeon raised his eyebrows when I told him I threw that prescription away.

Sure wish I would have filled it and kept them for later.

This second surgery, going in and redoing the first site to make sure and with the node removal, has given me great empathy for those people who are stabbed. (I know that this will happen in one of my books in the future.) I still have pain and need to work that arm to regain function.

While in the reception area of the cancer center, my daughter handed me a catalogue, and apparently, if you have your nodes removed, say on your right arm, you shouldn't have your blood/pressure or any needles on that arm. And I just gave a big blood sample out of, you guessed it, my right arm.

Which comes down to this, if one in eight women develop breast cancer, maybe, just maybe, you can gather some knowledge about the disease from this blog.

You are not alone.

You are one out of eight.

A Pin Held Me Together

2009-01-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

Last year at the RWA Nationals, in the goody room, one author had these as giveaways. There was a little cover of her book hanging from the pin. I picked one up as I thought it was a nice gesture.

Little did I know.

I had two, then one drainage bags for the past ten days. When I got home from the hospital, I used this pin to hang the bags on my pants waistband. It was the only safety pin I could find in the house.

How appropriate. I can't remember the name of the author, and really would like to thank her, for several reasons. Why did she use this as a giveaway? Was her book about a cancer survivor or did it have to do with her?

Whatever her reasons, it came to use. It reminded me each time I touched the pin, that I wasn't alone. Someone out there, a stranger to me, gave me comfort.

This cancer thing is so new to me. I have strangers praying for me, online friends reaching out to comfort me. Just knowing that there are people out there willing to share online hugs and prayers brings tears to my eyes. When you're most scared, you can rely on an invisible hug or pat on the back for getting through another day in a positive mood.

So, after yesterday's doctor appointment, the results are:

Get a PET SCAN.

See a cardiologist, I have one of those.

See a nephrologist, I have one of those as well.

Get a port installed in my chest. Wouldn't it be funny later on to get a little pink ribbon tattooed there. I might consider that for later on.

Results of the PET scan determines what course of chemotherapy I will need. The radiation also depends on those results.

A nurse is responsible for making all my appointments, and from what I heard from my surgeon, I'm booked for next Thursday and Friday.

My hubby is feeling great that there is a plan in action.

I'm still feeling sore, and have great empathy for anyone who gets stabbed in the chest. That sucker still hurts. So, the cancer itself doesn't give you any pain, it's the treatment!

As for the lovely cancer pin, they are available from Oriental Trading. Again, many thanks to the author.

Some days are not happy days...

2009-01-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

I couldn't find a neat clipping or drawing for today's post. I woke up past my wake-up time and was close to an hour late draining my drainage bags. These two dangling darlings are not fun.

Today was an office visit at the surgeons, so I had to shower, dry the hair, dry off the dangling darlings and put on a blouse. Why can't we wear our pajamas to the doctor's office?

The dear hubby drove me the block to the office, and he waited in the lobby while I went into the examing room, where I immediately put my head back and fell asleep.

My doctor interrupted the beginning of my dream, and I should have stayed asleep. He showed me my test results. I officially have 9 of 20 axillary lymph nodes positive for metastatic carcinoma. He said the results were 'bizarre,' and that's not a word you want to hear from your surgeon. Then he asked me why I was draining my bags every day at the same time??? Both his nurse and I rolled our eyes. Then he caught on that I was told to do it when I was discharged from the hospital.

I have an appointment with the oncologist on Thursday to determine what is going to happen next.

My dear hubby and son at home are treating me awfully nice. That's what worries me the most.

My chant 'I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.' is hard to do today. I imagine that I will have more of these days in my future.

An online friend stated today that I had 'tremendous grace'...I hope I don't let her down.

Cancer: The Next Step

2009-01-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

I was in Tuesday Morning a week ago and noticed the cutie in Pink.

All the Breast Cancer Awareness stuff is in pink, so I thought, why not?

'Dottie,' so-named by her manufacturer, sings and dances. "Walking on Sunshine" in a little ducky voice.

"I feel the love, I feel the love, I feel the love..."

Something quirky that brings a smile to my lips, and those of my littlest grandson. I felt that if I get depressed it should perk me up. So far, I haven't been depressed. If I get a little anxious, I just start muttering, "I can do this," over and over until I believe I can do this. At least it's working.

The latest step in my battle was another slice and dice at the local hospital. My surgeon went in and did a lumpectomy and node removal. I spent the night, and slept pretty good, tho, it might have been the morphine!

The next day, I was back at home with all my pillows and recurring bedhead. That first evening I forgot to take the pain meds and hello! One moment I was feeling great, the next I felt like someone stabbed me. (Yes, someone did stab me, but I didn't feel it until the meds wore off.)

I whined like a wimpy girl. Now I have my cell phone on 'alarm' so I won't forget again. I'm a fast learner.

Went the next day to the surgeon, changed the dressings, checked the two drainage bags and was asked to report back in on Monday. He works just a block away, so it's more than convenient. He called, yes, you read it correctly, he called to let me know that he hadn't received the report from the node removal. I thought it was sweet of him to do that.

So, I'm waiting. Next Thursday is the visit with the oncologist to determine if I will need chemo or not. The radiation is a sure thing, but the chemo is a maybe at this point.

That's it.

I want to thank all the friends who have reached out to me at this point in my life.

I feel the love.

I feel the love

Breast Cancer

2009-01-13T08:02:00.001-08:00

Yes, I have breast cancer. I did the breast exam in October, 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month', and with further testing it was determinded that I did have cancer.

I decided that I would come public with it, as the stats say that one in eight women will develop breast cancer.

One in eight!

Maybe my journey will help another cancer victim deal with this strange new process.

Last week was the first visit with my oncologist and I wrote the following to a group of friends:

Well, did I mention before that the dh wanted to go with me to the doctor's? I'm sure I did somewhere. We've been married for over 46 years, and he has NEVER gone with me for a doctor's appointment.

Well, we're sitting in the lobby and I'm filling out pages and pages of paperwork when my name is called. I get up, he remains sitting.

"Hey big boy, let's go".

He reluctantly gets up and goes into the examination room with me.

This is a problem that we always have. He says one thing, then later denies it. "You said you wanted to go to the doctor's with me." "I meant drive you." "Why would I need you to drive me." "You asked me to come." "No. You said you wanted to come." "I didn't mean in the examining room." "What did you mean?" "Well, when you talk to the doctor, you know, in the office."

The doctor comes in, examines me, I redress, and then she comes in again and I'm told exactly what stage of cancer I am in. That it was removed during the biopsy. But I would need to have my lymph nodes on that side removed. Then once there were examined, it would be determined if I needed chemo, at which point I would need a port. But not to have a port installed during the node surgery, as I might not need it. But I would need radiation to kill any remaining cancer in the breast as it's hard to get everything out during the previous extraction. Pretty much cut and dry. Do this, then we do that, if this happens, then we do something else.

So...as we leave the hospital, I ask him if he was satisfied with the visit.

"Yes, but I didn't need to come, you wanted me too."

Later, he did say that he was feeling positive about the whole process. Ah, he was worried.

Which is no wonder that the side of my head is flat from beating it against the wall.

So, I moved up my appointment with my surgeon to Friday, to schedule the node removal.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

2009-01-10T08:42:00.001-08:00

We seldom have 'snow days' in the south. But rainy days? We have a lot of those.

I should be cleaning up the abode. Or reading. There's nothing quite relaxing like reading when the rain hits the metal roof hard enough to make sound.

We've had a lot of rain lately, several days in a row, and I didn't do a durn thing.

Which is relaxing as well. You know that you are protected in your cocoon. Pajama days are wonderful. Though scary if someone knocks on the door.

I know, the first thing you are supposed to do is get up, get dressed for the day, etc., but some days are more enjoyab le if you don't have to get dressed.

I also have the stacks of magazines, which I'm thinking of moving into the bathroom instead of leaving in the hallway. I've given up on tearing out articles, I find that I never use them. If I want a special recipe I generally go to FoodNetworkTV and get one of those. Of course, I have a lot of those that I have never prepared. But the ones I have, were wonderful.

The closet needs to be cleaned out, but I'm saving that task until the end of February as the grandgirls are having a huge garage sale to help finance their trip to Europe during their senior year. Of course, if I started now, and did the whole house instead of just my closet it might be beneficial to all three of us.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow. I need to get busy and start culling my stuff.

2009 Goals

2009-01-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

Writing:
January: Finish Young Adult story.
February: Work on the New Orleans story.
March: NOLA conference in Shreveport. Finish the New Orleans Story.
April: Script Frenzy - Finish script started in 07.
May: Finish that naughty story.
June: Start writing on LI, be ready to pitch at Nationals.
July: Attend RWA National July 15th-18th; work on LI
August: Finish LI.
September: Work on the time-travel.
October: Finish the time-travel.
November: NaNoWriMo for the month.
December: Enjoy the season, but write daily.

Write three pages daily.
Edit material once finished.
Send out queries to material that is finished and ready to go.
Post on blogs.
Enter at least four screenwriting contests.
Enter at least four romance contests.
Study the craft daily. Keep the book in the throne room.
Read more.

Non-writing:
Be serious about losing weight.
Exercise daily at least twenty minutes.
Follow my housekeeping schedule.
Do more in the garden.
Take a picture every day as an exercise. Write down why I took the picture and print it out on presentation paper and bind in a book at year's end.

Signature Dish: Cornbread Dressing

2008-11-22T05:45:00.000-08:00

I'd have to say that everyone enjoys my Cornbread Dressing.

I've had to make double batches for family events praying that I have some as leftovers.

So...it's great with any turkey or chicken menu and super delicious with giblet gravy on top.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

I won't be home for Thanksgiving this year and as my sweet daughter-in-law is cooking dinner and invited my 'men' to join their family, I'm offering to make it ahead of time and freeze it for her. My son just asked, 'Give her the recipe.'

So here it is.

2 boxes of Jiffy Mix for Cornbread.
Make as directed, you can make this the day before assembling the rest of the ingredients.
1/2 cup each of celery and green onions, chopped
1 stick of butter
Saute together for several minutes.
Cut the cornbread into one inch squares and put in a huge mixing bowl.
1 can of Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup.
1 can of Chicken Broth.
1 large can of sliced mushrooms, do not drain.
1 tablespoon of Tony's Seasoning.
Mix well.
It will be 'loose' so don't worry.
Pour into a baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Super delicious with a giblet gravy.

National Novel Writing Month

2008-10-25T09:48:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm planning to write. It's been too long since I've written. November 1st is the opening date for National Novel Writing Month.

The goal is to write fifty thousand words on a novel.

Enough to write a young adult or two.

Or the first draft on a longer piece of work. Novels are generally a hundred thousand words. If you're writing a series romance, the word count is lower.

Have other stuff to do in November...write around it. I'm planning a week long trip that won't leave much room for writing, but I want to do this. Take away our chapter meeting date, the family birthday bash, which means cooking for twenty-five! So, that takes away nine days out of the month.

So, divide fifty thousand words by thirty days and you end up with 1667 words a day. Going even further, there are generally two hundred and fifty words on a page if written in Courier. That would make 6.7 pages per day to finish by the end of the month.

Take into account that if you use lots of dialogue, you would need more pages to get the word count.

So, check your word counter on your writing program. But I only have twenty-one days to get it done. That means 2381 words per day, or known as nine and a half pages a day. Yikes!

It is a plan, if I start working now, I can get the basic structure of the novel down, the characters involved, the conflict, etc. Then it would be easier to get to the computer and hammer out the daily page count.

Can I do it?

I don't know, but it's worth a try.

Care to join me?

I double-darn dare you...

Fun, Fun, Fun, Till My Daddy Took My T-Bird Away

2008-02-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ah, that song brought a smile to my face.

Fun at conferences.

I believe it was making new friends, sharing a meal, and talking craft.
I met JL and several of her buddies at a conference. When we finally found a restaurant that would seat us, it was a truly enjoyable meal. One, I'd love to repeat.

Long time friend, Joanna Wayne and I ate breakfast, and as we were finishing, two of her friends appeared. She invited them to our table. The three of them were published, so I felt a little out of place, but then it was magic. We talked about everything, and laughed. One part of the conversation stalled when we tried to come up with a gracious word for a part of the female anatomy, then I came up with 'her happy place.' We roared at that one.

So, for me, it's making contacts with friends, old and new.

Now, you might be wondering why I have this picture of Rob Adkins, well, I purchased a life size stand up poster of him at RT in Houston. He stands in my office, giving me encouragement to write.

Or drool.

Fat Tuesday - Some gals have all the fun!

2008-02-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

These are some brave girls!

But Mardi Gras in Louisiana is always fun. Some towns, like Lafayette, usually have three parades on this day. The Kids, the Queen, and the King parades. Smaller towns have just one parade.

You hear kids and adults shout at the floats, "Throw me something!"

People throw anything from beads, plastic cups, small stuffed animals, candy, and even miniature Moon Pies. One year I threw out five thousand! My arm was sore for three days. It was so much fun. But not when it's raining. My feet were in four inches of water as the float didn't have holes in the floor to drain out.

It's a custom that has spread across Louisiana, even north Louisiana. Believe it or not, it's like two different states. The southern part is definitely French speaking, and just north of the middle of the state are the rednecks. (Sorry if it offends.) My daughter married one, and since he has that 'twang' when he speaks, sometimes I don't understand what he is saying, and that's just ten miles north of us.

I thought my grandkids would be safe from the 'twang' until I had to pick up my granddaughter at school when she was in the first grade. As I walked to her classroom, I could hear..."One, Two, But-ton My Shoe" all in the 'twang'--I knew she was doomed then. And yes, I wasn't wrong.

LOL

So have a happy one! We all deserve to have fun in life.

The Titanic - Cajun Humor

2008-01-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

One thing about Cajun's, they have a marvelous sense of humor.
.

If you have the time, visit this site...and wait until it downloads until you watch the whole thing.

You'll never view Titanic the same.

There's nothing like a good laugh. Especially, if you can laugh at yourself.

So, sit back and watch PooPoo Broussard's rendition of a moving scene from that movie.

And no, I didn't make that name up...

My Tarot Card

2008-01-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

You are Strength

Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy.

This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Measuring our goals...

2008-01-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

Organization for me means....knowing where all my tax information is at the end of February, when all the 1099's are supposed to be in our hands. Not being reminded at the end of March by my accountant to get my stuff together.

Having a 'clean' house, on schedule. That's a part of my organization. I have a huge spreadsheet, call me anal or forgetful, the latter being more the case. While working on this spreadsheet project, my hubby notified me that we had dinner guests coming in an hour, and to 'spiffy' up the place. As I looked around, there was nothing that needed my attention. Welcome, guests! It was a crawfish boil, so not a biggie to have extra people over. But I knew my house was 'company clean' and could relax instead of the giving the infamous 'lick and a promise'.

Paying my bills on time. That pesky water bill had better be paid and in their office by the tenth or they will turn my water off! And other bills as well. I'm supposed to pay any and all bills on each Sunday, to mail out on Monday. Sounds simple, but sometimes the bills aren't put in the correct 'pile'.

To me, being organized isn't meaning that it's done by the end of the year, but each and every day. At least in my estimation. Some projects can slide for a day or two, but not when the water bill 'must' be in their hands by the tenth.

This year I expect to have finished two screenplays, three novels, and to get the attention of a publisher for my finished projects.

One day a week, I would like to work an afternoon on my genealogy book. There is a 'family cookbook' that I'd like to do for my future generations. One of the grandgirls asked me for my macaroni and cheese recipe. The only recipe that I have from my grandmother is to add pepper to pumpkin pies, it was the 'family' secret, that she told everyone. LOL

But when it becomes time to make pumpkin pies, I sprinkle pepper in it as a tribute to my grandmother. I'd like to be remembered like that.

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T07:57:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine a 'better' toast than this.

Make yourself a "Happy" New Year.

Which means...choose to be happy. Do what makes you happy. Smile at family, friends and strangers. Be happy in your heart for the tasks you have to bear. It sounds strange, but it is within you to choose to be happy. If you can't be happy, then it's time to make some changes in your life that will make you happy.

Once you are 'happy' then life is a joy. Each day will bring a smile to your face, therefore making you appear younger. People will want to be around you more. Your life will definitely change for the better.

A small word, happy, but it can bring joy into your life.

So, have a 'Happy' New Year

It's Christmas Time

2007-12-07T08:29:00.001-08:00

Wow...Christmas is so close. The only decorating I've done is emptying two bags of Hershey's Kisses in silver, green and red wrappers in a crystal dish on my hall tree.

And that's it.

I have a long list of things to do, but work comes first. Today is the Christmas Bonus check day at our business. Figuring out over a hundred bonus checks means a spreadsheet and several factors. Length of service, job position, earnings this year divided by your evaluation score, then calculating that out. It took time, then print out the checks, sign the suckers, make a decorative label for the envelope, fold and stuff. No wonder I'm exhausted.

Then there is a party at our house this Sunday, it's the monthly 'Birthday Bash' where we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries for the members of our family. There are twenty-four of us in three generations, so every month is on except for January. But of course, three sets of grandkids are 'home' every other week, so figuring out what day is good takes a bit of doing.

I'm wondering if I can decorate the abode by Sunday.

Stay tuned for details...

The "C" Word

2007-11-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

I normally don't do things just because someone says I should. I've had mammograms in the past. It felt like I slammed my breast in a car door.

Not something I would want to repeat again.

Then in September, I felt something in my breast. I was in my doctor's office the next day.

Two weeks later, a mammogram. They've improved the procedure. It didn't hurt. Either that or I was so numb from two weeks of worrying that I didn't care. I did ask when the results would be available. Ten days or longer.

Geez...so much for early detection.

Two weeks passed. No word. I did get a bill from the hospital that Friday, then Saturday, a letter that told me to see my physician. Thank you. I love that extra worry over a weekend.

Monday morning I was lucky enough to get an appointment. Never mind that I sat next to a lunatic who was explaining to a young black boy what prison would be like. The man stated that he had never been in jail, so I'm seriously doubting his facts about prison life, but his toothless girl friend was chiming in with her three cents. I kept telling myself that this would be a good character study for a future novel.

Then my appointment time was up, only forty-five minutes late.

I brought my physician the letter. He hadn't received anything yet, so left me to my own devices while he went to check on the results.

I always bring a book to read and managed to get eighty-seven pages read during my doctor's visit.

He finally came back to the examination room, and told me that I needed another mammogram, but it was on the other breast, the one that I thought was okay.

This time I only had to wait until Thursday. This is the fifth week since I first saw the doctor.

The nurses at the hospital must have a special time for additional mammograms, as this time they were nicer. Which only made me worry more.

My physician's nurse told me to check in with her the week after my mammogram, which I did. I actually didn't get to talk to her, but I left voice mail. Twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

I got a call on Friday. Everything looked normal.

So, six weeks and two days later I found out that I'm normal. Well, my breasts are normal, the rest of me is somewhat undecided.

The month of October was Breast Cancer Awareness month. So, every time I turned around there was something in the newspaper, or on television concerning Breast Cancer. Can I say that I was very much worried during this whole process.

But now I know the drill. Get your mammogram done once a year.

It's in October.

2007-08-04T10:36:00.001-07:00

During the last two weeks of June, I attended Lew Hunter's Screenwriting Colony.

What an experience!

Imagine dedicated writers gathering together to learn more about screenwriting with a professional to guide you along the way.

Lew Hunter is such a professional. Along with him, we were treated with the attendence of David Thomas, another screenwriting professional who visited with us for several days.

Throw in the mix, one of the attendees was a part of the Hollywood scene in the fifties, who treated us with stories about the stars and films of that era.

It was an amazing experience. And I'll definitely be going back in the future.

Life Goes On...Without Margaret Plauche

2007-06-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is being buried today.

Margaret Plauche...

It's been a few weeks since I saw her wave at me, a big smile on her face, while volunteering as the room mother for her eldest daughter.

She was always available to give a helping hand to the community, her business and especially to her family.

Intelligent, articulate, a tiny woman with a bundle of energy. It seemed to me that she could do anything she set her mind to...except to protect herself.

Dragged out of her home during the late night hours, she couldn't protect herself as her husband allegedly shot her in the throat.

She didn't have a chance.

So, in one instant, the time it takes to pull a trigger, this wonderful woman was destroyed.

Her two daughters lost their life as they knew it.

Everything changed.

Yet, life goes on.

We weep the tears, knowing that nothing will ever bring her back, but, I'll always remember her wave...and her smile.

Tubing Down the Red

2007-06-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Ah, tubing down the river.

Sounds peaceful doesn't it.

Well, you've never been on a trip with my dh!

There we were five kids, two adults, and several small suitcases.

"What are the suitcases for?"

That was his first mistake. Assuming that we knew what to do. None of us had ever ventured on rafts going down a river. We needed clothes for the next day. He didn't tell us to get the stuff together beforehand. Well, the small suitcases were loaded in the rafts.

We had two rafts tied together, another mistake, but the reasoning seemed good at the time. We didn't want to have the kids in one raft going faster than the second raft. At least that was my thought. The kids jumped from one raft to another during the extremely long trip. (That was another mistake.)

It was really nice. We set off around ten in the morning. (Mistake. We should have left earlier.)

It was smoothing. The Red River was flowing around bends in the river. (Another mistake.) There weren't any people on the river besides us. We saw a few on the bank, but that was it.

We ate lunch while floating, and time passed.

Our youngest son leapt from one raft to the other, and missed. I did tell you that the rafts were tied together. Well, he disappeared under the water between the two rafts and I could feel him as he came up under my raft. Being a mom, I threw myself into the water and rescued him.

Since I was wet, I thought that riding on a life preserver in the water would be fun, so I held the end of the rope in one hand and positioned my derriere on the life preserver and floated downward with just my shoulders and head out of the water.

Everything was going nicely except for the barge parked on the bank. For some reason the river pulled us closer and closer to the barge, with me in the middle. Before I would have my face scraped along the side of it, I hopped off the life preserver, and while holding it in one hand and the rope in the other, managed to get myself hooked up underneath one of the rafts.

My husband thought that was funny when I finally sputtered upward, gasping for breath.

We decided to let the kids play awhile on the bank of the river. Big mistake.

As two of the kids (the youngest) ran on top of the bank, the middle kid decided to walk across the ground by the river and immediately sunk up to his hips in mud.

I was back on my life preserver, in the water. My hubby was in one raft, our eldest daughter with him, and our eldest boy in the other...and the rope tying the two rafts together hit a snag.

My hubby grabbed an oar, stood up and was trying to dislodge the snag, when his raft suddenly stopped dead in the water, throwing him off.

It was beautiful how his body flew up in the air, turning a complete circle, as he still held onto the oar.

He came up from under the water screaming to "cut the rope".

The eldest son, cut the rope. The eldest daughter was in the loose raft without a paddle.

It was an adventurous trip...

Needless to say:
We ran out of drinks.
The suitcase contents were drenched.
Everyone was damp.
The loops and turns in the river threw us way off schedule to reach our camp.
Night fell.
And the bugs came out.
Biting in places that weren't even exposed!
We finally saw a light.
Hubby didn't want to stop, but we were paddling like crazy.
He didn't stand a chance.
It wasn't our camp, but gracious people who took us in, fed us, loaned us towels, and drove us to our camp.

We haven't gone tubing again.

I wonder why? LOL

Magical Spring Evening

2007-05-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I have property in the 'woods'...acres and acres of woodland, ponds, and bayous.

The wildlife there is extensive. Deer, coyotes, racoons, beavers, rabbits, and egads! Snakes!

Some friends of ours are birdwatchers, and while I was able to identify and name two -- Joanne found forty-seven!

I won't even get into the flora...but one worker cut the red trumpetcreeper that drew Hummingbirds, which I don't see anymore. Anyway, it'll keep you busy for ages trying to identify the wildflowers and trees.

Not to mention our Tree Farm. I groan whenever I read 'save the trees.' Please write as many books as you can, so when we sell our harvest we can make some money.

So, the purpose of this blog...the other night I decided to stay the night at our camp. Of course, twenty minutes after I arrived and was fighting the DishTV to get something beside the blurry local channels, the power went off. So, it was twilight and I went on the porch. Lightening and thunder began to do their thing in the sky, then it ripped open and dumped a tremendous amount of rain. Catching my hubby crawfishing. So he took a shower in nature after crawfishing (meaning the water doesn't work in the camp without electricity, but he got the job done.)

We ate by flashlight, if you can call 10 million candlight lantern that he has a flashlight. It did the job on low, and lit up the whole room. If your hubby is an outdoorsman, get him a THOR-X. It will make him happy.

THOR-X finally went dim (mind you he hadn't recharged the battery for a year.) So, it was bedtime for me, no TV, can't read, we already talked for several hours and it was dark.

Then he called me to look outside. Being the dutiful wife (don't laugh, it's impolite.) I went.

There in the bayou, up to the top of the trees, were tiny blinking lights. Fireflies, or lightning bugs, it depends on where you grew up, but there were hundreds of them.

It was magical.

They aren't seen in town anymore. But now I know that they are alive and well and doing their mating dance on our property.

What does this have to do with writing?

I'm going to use this scene, somewhere, sometime, and I plan to use the magical essence of the evening. I hope that it will give a reader a 'happy' moment. We all need those.

I got my moment the other night.

Vegas...Vegas...Vegas!!!

2007-04-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

While some of my friends are attending the Romantic Times Convention in Houston this week, my son decided to treat me to a trip to Vegas for his birthday. (Time I got something for lugging him around for nine months...and more, as it took him a long time to walk.)
One thing that I like about Vegas is people watching. You can fill your 'character' notebook in a hurry.

In the past I've seen...an older woman with her thin grey hair teased so much that it looked like the stuff you pull out of a hairbrush. It was perched on the top of her head like a leaning bird's nest.

A man with a mustache that must have measured six inches or more from each side, complete with a curl on the end. While interesting, I wondered what it looked like wet. Ewwweee! Not attractive. I also wondered how long it took him to wax that sucker and get it to look like he wanted.

Then there was the woman who walked from the front to the back of The Jockey Club, where I was playing blackjack. Every man in the place (and moi!) stared as she undulated across the floor. She wore a chocolate colored crocheted dress, with nothing underneath. Yikes!
I looked up from one hand at blackjack and a new guy was seated beside me. It was a wonder I didn't attack him on the spot. Dark hair, three day beard and eyes that were the most fascinating that I'd ever seen. He was absolutely gorgeous. Be still my fragile heart...

There are stories as well.

For some strange reason, my daughters and I decided to save on cab fare and rode a bus. Two young men in their twenties, looking like escaped ax murderers were standing next to me (the bus was full). As we passed in front of an IHOP, one of them said, "They really know how to flip an egg." That's a line I might use in the future.

At one place we had a true doofus dealer. He looked like a total loser, down to the longish fingernails, which is a big turn-off for me. When he went on a break, the whole table was thrilled. An attractive woman came to our table. She was a pro. She could count your hand before you could, and knew before we did if we should hit or not. It wasn't long before everyone at the table lost every hand. Repeatedly. I think she bombed out one time. We were happy dancing when our doofus returned. At least we felt we had a fighting chance with him.

While at that one casino, the name of which escapes me. A bomb threat was going on. I noticed some security rushing around, but did they empty the casino. NO! I heard about it on the news the next day.

Then there was another hotel, where the fire alarm kept going off. We never left our room. The next day, we went to the wrong floor. When the elevator doors opened, the floor was dark, with the smell of smoke in the air.
There are more stories to relate...but I have to pack. See you next week.

The "G" Spot

2007-04-21T07:26:00.001-07:00

I just couldn't resist that title...as I went to a F.U.N. party last night.

So, the 'G' spot, Goals, the bug-a-boos of my life.

I'm not where I want to be in my goal setting. But I've made some progress. I now have a large housekeeping spreadsheet. I used to have one, but it's on another computer, and in a different format. But my new spreadsheet is updated and quite detailed. I'm cleaning things that I never cleaned before. So, I'm ahead of the game there.

My writing goals are not where I want to be. I have finished some new work this year, but more remains to be done.

I need to work with the Nike motto, "Just do it!"

Maybe I need to make a sign and put it up where I can see it daily. Perhaps my laptop keyboard, I have an ergomatic keyboard attached to my laptop as I hate the rigid setup. So, the laptop keyboard just stares at me. I can't understand why none of the computer companies haven't designed one yet. I'd be one of the first to buy one.

So...my plans for the rest of the year...write daily. There's a new project that I could easily finish in a week. I have another book that needs ninety pages. Another one is begging me to finish it. Plus I have another idea for a new book that's been toying with my brain cells. So, it isn't for lack of ideas to write about. "Just do it!"

The 'experts' say to do fifteen minutes of promotion (marketing) a day. That's doable. Either research the markets or send material out. I need to ..."Just do it."

I think this is where I'm supposed to kick my derriere into high gear.

I have the goals, I have the desire.

"Just do it!"

The Egg Hunt is On!

2007-04-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

Today is the day for our annual Easter Egg Hunt.
When the kids were teenagers and 'too big' for Easter baskets, I got depressed. What's a Mom to do?
So, I dyed eight dozen eggs, hid them early on Easter Sunday, and woke the beasts up.
There were only three left at home. Two boys and a girl. The other son was away in the Air Force, and the daughter was in the Army. I was slowly losing my children to their own lives, and I wanted to have some fun with them while they were still at home.
It was about 7:30 in the morning, and the party animals didn't want to get out of bed. Still in pajamas, they stood on the back patio protesting against an Easter Egg Hunt.
The rules were: Find an egg, return it to their father and he would give them a dollar bill.
They drug their feet across the lawn, each found an egg and brought it in and collected a dollar. Everything changed once they received several bills. It dawned on them that it was 'free' money. Something they could get by finding an egg! No work involved!
That's when it became fun.
They ran around the yard collecting eggs and bringing them to their father one at a time. (Remember the rule.)
I was killing myself laughing at them. Finally, Easter was fun again.
That's been at least twenty years ago, and we've done the Egg Hunt ever since.
Once the grandkids came along, there were two hunts. One for the little kids, with plastic eggs holding candy, money or both. Once they become sixteen, they can join the 'big' kids. Because shoving someone to get their hands on an egg has been known to happen.
It's something that everyone looks forward to, and something that I hold dear to my heart each year.
They might be licensed professionals, and respected by the community...but they are my kids, honoring a family tradition.
The Egg Hunt is on.

Spring in Louisiana

2007-03-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

We know it's spring when the crawfish come in season. Thecamillias were blooming for Valentine's Day. The daffodils came out a few days later. I love their bright yellow color, telling me that it won't be long until spring is finally here.

But, when they start harvesting the crawfish. We know it is spring and we get out the boiling pots.

Yesterday, we had our second boil of the season. The first boil was of crawfish that were won by our two year old granddaughter in a drawing held by her brother's baseball team.

But yesterday was special. These were 'our' crawfish. Grown in our own ponds, they are generally 'select' size. Meaning that every now and then the tail meat is as big as your thumb.

So, two and a half sacks of crawfish, a bag of small red potatoes, a small bag of tiny onions, a bag of corn on the cob, whole mushrooms, two dozen boiled eggs and the special sauce, add up to a boil.

Paper plates to hold the sauce, corn, potatoes and eggs and you're ready to go.

Add a dozen adults, fifteen kids and mini-corn dogs for the kids that don't like crawfish (they haven't tasted them yet!) and you have a fine evening in the breezy mosquito-free outdoors.

Jumping on the trampoline, baseball, football, playing tag and conversations are the activities of the night. That and eating.

It's when you enjoy your family the most. Tall tales are told, gentle sparring between the men and the women, it's all in fun.

When it's over, and the cleanup has finished, each family leaves for their homes feeling full, refreshed and loved.

Isn't that what it's all about?

My Keeper Shelf

2007-03-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

I seldom reread a book.

The one that I have read four times is "The Lady's Companion" by Carla Kelly, which came out in 1996. Amazon sellers value this book at ten bucks a pop. Since this is on my keeper's shelf, I won't have to buy one. But it's also a book I refuse to lend out. It breaks a lot of rules, the hero doesn't come until after page seventy, and within pages, I adored the man.

Carla has a new release, her first since 2002, so I was delighted to see it came out this month. I will be searching my local WallyWorld to get my copy. I've even purchased her book "Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army." So, put me down as dedicated fan.

I've read "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl" twice. Once when I was eleven, then again when I was sixteen. The book's meaning changed a lot between readings. She was talented.

When I was a kid, I haunted the small one room library, I read every book in my age level. The soft pink fuzzy "Pollyanna," "The Adventures of Toby Tyler," everything by Lois Lenski, who I adored.

I do have all the Harry Potter books. I believe J. K. Rowling is brilliant in developing plots that when you're reading, you're absorbing, and then at the end, everything folds into place. I won't loan these copies out either. I haven't reread them, but most likely will.

"A Man to Die For" by Eileen Dreyer, written many years ago, is a case book on 'hooks' and was one of the first books whose ending surprised me.

Susan Sizemore's "The Price of Innocence" is also a case book on how 'flashbacks' can improve your story.

These books stay on my 'keeper' shelf.

This week's eye candy.

First Line Contest

2007-02-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

Karin Tabke, writer extraordinaire, started a 'first line' contest on her blog. Seventy-five entrants threw out their first lines, and the first week, ten were cut.

The second week, everyone left added another line and ten more were cut.

Karin has both editors and published authors checking out these lines.

Week three, another line added and five more were cut. And so it goes.

Now there are forty writers left. Speaking for myself, just finding myself still in the competition is amazing. Another line was added today.

The five writers left standing can submit ten pages to an editor.

Karin has brought forth new meaning to Mondays. Writers nervously check her blog to see if they have progressed to the next round.

Round six was posted today, and I'm still in the running. Amazing!

Organization is the Key to a Fun and Fruitful Life

2007-02-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

And I have some land to sell.

I've been trying to get organized for ages. And it's coming together.
For my writing goals, I use this spreadsheet.

I also have a spreadsheet for each book. That's still a work in progress as I'm always adding stuff to it. But I love it. It keeps me grounded in the manuscript.

I have a worksheet for housekeeping. It's a real plus as I found out last year, we didn't get our health insurance premium due to Katrina, and were without insurance for two months! So, now I know when to pay that sucker, when to get my oil checked, my vehicle's yearly checkup, my driver license renewal, when to clean the oven, to take down and clean the hallway light fixture and clean out the fireplace ashes.

If I do four to five housekeeping tasks a day, my house stays relatively tidy, fresh smelling and company clean. A plus for any writer. Given the fact that it's detrimental to your health to sit for long periods, when I get up to stretch, I do a chore. While doing the mindless housekeeping chore, I'm thinking about what I should be writing next. A win-win project.

I also have a spreadsheet for the various loops that I promote. Writing Tips; Screenwriting Tips; Simple Abundance - The Artist's Way; Contests. All of these I use for myself and share with others.

Then I schedule extra stuff in a little notebook that I carry around with me. As I sit in bed at night, I plan the next day. I know that today I have to give my Screenwriting RWA Chapter some URL's for our new website. Done.

Write this blog, making notes of what to include. Almost done. Go to the PO to check and see if the last final round judge has mailed their results in, and if not, nudge her to get the contest over with. Process new moderators for two loops, where I finally get to bow out. Go grocery shopping for the birthday bash tomorrow, the menu is already completed, the gumbo will be made today as it always tastes better the second day...tomorrow. Oh, and write. This is my day today. And once I finish with it...I'll feel that I've accomplished something.

Listening to a Brian Tracy tape, he stated that all successful people plan.

I'm considered a success in some aspects of my life, but I want to be successful in ALL aspects of my life. It's a work in progress folks. I might never make it, but I'm in there plugging away.

And just to show you that I do have a 'fun' sense of humor, here is the eye candy for the week.

2006-10-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

While in Memphis several months ago with family and friends. I got the bright idea of getting a 'mascot' to pose in pictures. Mainly this idea came from a French movie, where the subplot was a grieving widower's daughter, who took the gnome from his garden and gave it to a stewardess friend, who then took pictures of the gnome in various sites around the world. I wonder which came first, the movie or the Travelocity ads.

Then, another friend, received a stuffed bear from her beloved...she wanted jewelry! So, to get back at him she brought the bear on all their trips and took pictures of him on all their globetrotting adventures. Now, she won't go without him!

So, there we were in Memphis, in yet another Elvis souvenir shop, when I noticed a small bear with an Elvis print material...seven different ones with various prints! I couldn't resist, I asked my friend which one she liked the most and picked up 'Spike' for myself. After explaining the purpose of the 'mascot' she got busy and soon ran out of film of her Elvis bear being posed around anything and everything that had to do with Elvis in the store, outside, etc. You can get the idea.

And I had Spike.

Spike's real name is Sizzles, due to his bright red color and fuzzy strands that stick out all over. But I prefer Spike.

So far, beside Memphis, he's been to Reno, where you can see him sitting on the Jukebox at Mel's Diner. Atlanta, where I didn't get any pictures of him. Which is a shame, as he travels well.

Right now, he's sitting on a sofa on my desk. Yes, I have a small sofa on my desk which is next to the computer screen, so I have a visual of him whenever I'm hacking away on the keyboard.

Muse?

Why not?

He makes me smile. And somedays I really need to smile just to get through it. I think we all need that smile.

NaNoWriMo

2006-10-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

National Novel Writing Month begins the first of November. I signed up. This is the year that I'm going to do it. Write a fifty thousand word novel in a month. It's doable. Hundreds of people do it every year. And this is my year as well. They even have a little symbol to put on your website.

So far, I have two 'buddies' to go along with me on this process. I have two ideas, well, really more than two, but I've narrowed it down to two. One is an inspirational, I do have the title, and some thoughts on the main characters, nothing fully developed. And the other one really needs to be longer, so...I guess it will be the inspirational.

Check back with me to see my progress.

2006-09-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled!

My screenplay, The Miller's Daughter - the true story of Rumplestiltskin came in Second in Scriptscene's Share The Dream screenwriting competition.

Unconditionally, my drama came in fourth place.

So, apparently I don't suck as a screenwriter. I just need to start submitting these works out in Hollywoodland!

Anyway, it makes for a happy day for me.

Lights! Camera! Fiction!

2006-09-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

It isn't often that I get my hands on a 'writing craft' book that thrills my little heart.

This one does.

Apparently, I'm a visual learner, and Alfie Thompson has developed this 'novel approach' to writing by explaining different elements as seen in the movies.

Internal conflict, external conflict, chacterizations, premise (that little bugaboo that's so hard to explain)...plus much more are described in the book from movies. She made it look 'so easy'...

I've spent hours in workshops, and with reading a few pages in her book, I go, 'aha'...

Why didn't she write it ten years ago? She could have saved me a lot of time!

It's not just for novelists, screenwriters could learn their craft from it as well.

Get your copy at Amazon - you won't be sorry.

Visit Alfie Thompson's website to learn even more about the book...plus she has some printable forms from the book available.

Thank you Alfie, you're brought my writing up to a higher level.

Slave to Sensation...buy it now!

2006-08-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com. To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

$200 Amazon gift certificate
Signed copy of Slave to Sensation
New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh
ARC of Christine Feehan’s October 31 release: Conspiracy Game
You can read about the experiment here and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

SLAVE TO SENSATION
Nalini Singh
Berkley / September 2006

Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities…or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt

There's a class on how to write 50 books a year!

2006-08-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

Write 50 Books a Year!
(Not really, but it got your attention, didn’t it?)
Online Workshop
Aug 27-Sep 2
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Can’t make yourself write?
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Go to www.rosescoloredglasses.com
Click on the Online Workshops and follow the buttons!

Write 50 Books A Year!

2006-08-14T11:23:00.001-07:00

This was a workshop presented at RWA National by sisters Elle James and Delilah Devlin, both prolific writers.

It seems like I have been doing things right, except for cranking out the pages faster. They have three Excel worksheets: one for weekly, monthly and yearly goals.

I already have a 'book' worksheet called Your Own Handy-Dandy Little Daily Writing Page Generator which you can get if you click on the link.

So...in order to get myself organized, I also did the monthly and yearly worksheets. I think better organized.

Those who know me well are probably laughing their heads off now.

Filling the Well

2006-08-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

If any of you have read Julia Cameron's, The Artist's Way, you know that sometimes you have to fill your creativity well.

That happened to me last week at the Romance Writers of America National Conference held in Dallas.

One of my chapters, the screenwriters, hosted a two hour workshop with Michael Hauge, a screenplay consultant, who used one of my screenplays (one of two samples) as a constructive part of his program.

Afterward, I was honored to have lunch with him.

Then that afternoon, he did another two hour workshop for the general members of RWA. I've never seen so many people taking notes with such a flurry. The main thing I learned was internal conflict. Michael didn't use the same terms that romance writers use, but that was it in a nutshell. Internal conflict.

So, I know where I need to go with my rewrites.

I'm ready to pound the keyboard.

And on a good note, I also found out that my two entries in Scriptscene's, Share the Dream Contest, were both finalists. That was a sweet surprise. I'll see how I place in September.

I'm still waiting on the final results for another contest...they are way overdue in announcing the winners. I feel for the coordinators.

What's a theme anyway?

2006-07-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Since I'm in 'editing' mode, I took an online class to help me out. The first question asked was to define the theme of our book.

Theme.

Well, on the spreadsheet from hell, I thought I had a theme. But it wasn't a theme after all. It was a teaser line.

She thought she was unlovable, he knew he was.

Certainly not a theme. Well, it took me three days to figure it out. Three days! But I finally came up with one. It affects both the hero and the heroine, plus some of the minor characters are also dealing with it.

My muse knew all along what my theme was, but I wish it would have clued me in before I thought for three days. Thinking of theme can give you a headache. I'm not going to tell you the theme. I'd rather you buy the book and figure it out for yourself. I might even run a contest on it.

Metsy Hingle, fantastic writer, beautiful, etc., wrote several books before she discovered that all her books had an underlying theme, something close to her heart.

And looking at my theme, it reflects something that is close to my heart as well. How strange that these elements creep into our work.

Back to the rewriting.

If it's July it must be...

2006-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

RWA's National Conference time...

Later on this month, two thousand women and thirteen men will be attending the Romance Writers of American annual conference.

This year I'm reducing the stress and not pitching. I have a request for a full and until that gets out the door, I'm not concentranting on much else.

I'm still waiting on two contest results where I am a finalist. One is a couple of months overdue. Interesting. One will announce at the conference.

July in Atlanta. It will be hot and interesting.

2006-06-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

I've hit a mountain.

I was going to say 'roadblock' but 'mountain' describes it much better.

Revisions.

I finally got a request for a full manuscript from an editor who's interested at a NYC publisher...

So, what's the problem?

I found a few holes in my manuscript, and I won't kill my chances at finally being published by submitting anything that isn't my best.

I'm working on a spreadsheet to find those holes and have chipped away at the mountain, but I'm having doubts.

I imagine that everyone has doubts about their work at times, and maybe it's first time jitters. (I'm a virgin! Er...in being published.)

The carrot is dangling in front of me, I need to beat the donkey and finish these revisions.