*sigh*

My life has been... not conducive to doing anything that wasn't my life lately. I sit down to write... life intrudes. I get online and start checking emails and chatting with my girls... life intrudes. I try to read... life intrudes... heck life intrudes on itself lately. I'm just lucky Megan hasn't stopped talking to me altogether since I can't seem to string any number of days together where I get to see or talk to her. *sigh*

It hasn't all been bad, and it hasn't all been good. Health stuff (of my own and of close family members), everyday stuff, Holiday stuff that included two trips when I wasn't feeling my level best, life stuff that makes it hard to concentrate or to even get out of bed in the morning ... it's all been an interesting stew of things... and all I can think most of the time is, "I'd rather be writing."

But, I find that it's hard to concentrate on your writing when minor and major concerns keep cropping up. There are days I just want to cry and writing doesn't even enter my thought processes until the storm has passed. I cant' say that I stop thinking about writing completely... I've found that there's always some part of me thinking on something or other from a story. I have a few stories in the works, and I keep hoping that life will back off for just a little bit and give me a few minutes... hours... days... years to get done what I want to get done. So far, it hasn't happened.

I didn't want anyone to think that I'd just... quit... abandoned everyone. I just haven't been able to do much other than take one day at a time and hope for the best. I hope everyone is still around and that you don't think i've abandoned all you loyal readers. I'm thinking (read, HOPING AND PRAYING) that all will slow down again and I can actually get my name out there other than that girl who's the friend who is trying to write. I've missed everyone, especially my girls here at the Menagerie, but I hope everyone understands that life isn't always kind and it doesn't always let us do the things we want to do. So... yeah... *sigh*

So... What am I Doing Again?

Yes, I have those moments... who doesn't? You walk into a room with purpose. You are there to do something. Then you stop, turn in a circle, scratch your head and think, "What did I come in here for again?" Half the time, I can't remember what it was that I was in there for... until I walk out of the room and am in the middle of something else. *sigh* I'm not even "of an age" when it's expected. I blame it entirely on my children... and being blonde. :-D

I went out of town last week to the Lori Foster Reader Author Get Together. Some of you met me there, and know my "real personna". I kept hoping that the time away from home would mean that I would get some writing/editing/ANYTHING done without the interruptions of my children/spouse/dog every five minutes. Nope... I got a big fat NOTHING done. Well, not nothing, I saw some of my favorite people! But nothing with my writing got done.

Now, I'm home, my kids are out of school for the summer... fun, right? And I'm slowly getting more done. Right now, I have two major projects going with my writing: 1) I am going through the second round of edits for Appearances (working title) in which I'm adding more content; and 2)I am adding some more to my Cowboy per the request of an editor who is interested in it (I know YAY! right!). Add to that the stories that are running around my head and the outlines that I'm working on and you can imagine why I'm wandering through rooms wondering, "What am I doing again?"

So, below are the nifty little avatar thingies I found for my stories. That little raisin guy cracks me up. So, if you want to cheer me on, I won't turn it down, lol... and hopefully, I'll have awesome news soon... :-D

2nd Round of Edits on Appearances:



Additions/Edits to Cowboy:


Anybody else have issues getting to their butts into a seat to finish edits or even a story? Anyone? What do you do when it seems the world is conspiring against you and your muse?

The Spirit Is Willing...

So, I know I've blogged about this before, but it's something that seems to be a constant struggle for me lately. How do you find the time to write when life and the world seems to be out to get you?

As the holidays rush by and another year comes to a close I find that I'm only a little bit closer to my goal of being published. Yes, I have a couple of stories "finished" but nothing that is quite ready for submission... again. I actually have two finished: one that only has some minor edits left before I'm willing to resubmit it anywhere else and one that has been sitting and waiting patiently for me to get to the editing part of it. The one I'm working on has two of my characters stuck in foreplay for quite some time now. Not because I don't know what's going to happen but because I can't seem to find the time to just sit down and work on it.

This last year has been a rather... interesting, and sometimes difficult year. We had two deaths in our family and a very close call. For the past little bit I have been struggling with unknown health issues that are only barely being managed instead of fixed. These events left us all shaken, and left me a bit behind on everything, not just my writing.

As I slowly dig my way out of the pile of emails, laundry and other various household chores that got put on hold I find that I'm longing for the time to be able to write. I've missed putting up my Saturday Hotties more than I've remembered to do them and most Tuesdays I simply can't be bothered to post a new blog entry. I feel guilty when I sit down with my laptop and see that I have laundry that needs to be folded and dishes that need washing and a house that is basically a hamster nest (my oldest boy compulsively shreds paper... but that's another story). The only time I might possibly have to write is taken up with other chores that need doing.

Now, all of these things don't stop the voices in my head from screaming for their stories. I get new ideas all the time and certain plot aspects seem to come when I need to be doing something else. I really really really want to get the stories told and make room for the new ones I just know are there waiting for me. It used to be so much easier to just sit down, set my timer and write until my hands ached... but no more.

So, my question is, how do you deal with writing when you can't even seem to find the time to sit down and do more than stare at a computer screen? How do you schedule your life in order to make time to write? Hey, do you think I can ask Santa for more time to write?

What's My Name Again?

Every now and then (and in my case more than I'd prefer) life steps in and takes over. As a Stay-At-Home-Mom, who rarely stays home, of four children some days are more hectic than others. I honestly thought that with one more child off to school for at least part of the day that my life would be so much more peaceful... Stop laughing! It's not funny!

Those of you who have been in my shoes are not so quietly snickering at my naievete, I know. Granted, I do have a couple hours a day when the baby is taking a nap (yes, I still call my 20 month old the baby, he will always be unless we have another one... and don't hold your breath there). But those hours are consumed with playing catch-up. I know some of y'all know I finally got my story revised and sent off, now I'm editing another one that I did in a sort of ... challenge with Mysti. Her result is contracted and in the process of editing for publishing. Mine is still waiting for edits. But, I digress.

I once heard an author say, "We all have the same amount of hours in the day, it's up to us how we use them." Or something like that... I guess I should take the quotations off... Anyway, I know that everyone has the same allotment of time in their day. Everyone has a million things they need to get done. Why does it seem that I never get everything done? I know that I have quite a few irons in the fire (some that y'all have no ideas about) and I also have a distressing lack of the ability to say, "NO!" But, honestly, I don't squander my time! So, how is it that I look up and realize that the kids will be walking through the door any minute and I just barely got through emails? Or that I find after blinking my way out of a scene that I forgot to blog or put up my Hottie (which I am SUPREMELY sorry for... please forgive me) not once but twice? Where does the time go? And who the heck am I at this point in time? Mommy? Author? Wife? House-slave? Geesh... what's my name again?

Is anyone still actually reading this blog, or do y'all just pop in for the hotties? LOL, just kidding, I know y'all are around, it's ME who's been AWOL. But seriously, any suggestions on time management. I start my day with a to-do list and at the end of the day there aren't as many things crossed off as I would like. Am I reaching too far, should I just keep plugging along? I don't want to plug along, I want to accomplish something. I have quiet a few author friends and they seem to have the same problems. Does anyone out there do this without losing their sanity and their name? Just wondering... okay, and whining a bit... but seriously. Anyone?

I'm Late... I'm Late...

For a very important date. No time to say "Hello, Goodbye!" I'm late I'm late I'm late. Yeah, I know, sorry about that. I completely forgot. My only excuse is that I swore up and down for most of the day that today was in fact Saturday. No, I didn't have an aneurism... my hubby's work schedule just changed... this week. So instead of his old days off... he now has new days off. And since he was home, and we weren't in church my brain drew the logical conclusion that today was Saturday.

Anyway, I've been running around like a crazy woman for the past few days. My dance students are having their very first recital... sort of. It's more a Variety Show with several of the other classes at the Center I work at: Karate, Gymnastics, Hip-hop, etc. I was given three weeks notice for it. Yeah, have you ever tried to choreograph a dance and teach it to 13 little girls in three weeks? Let me tell you... I'm lucky to have any hair left on my head.

So, what is up with me... I am hip-deep in revisions for my MS, Claiming Her Cowboy, and I'm actually not feeling too bad about it. I know, I don't like doing revisions either, but some suggestions were made that have me thinking, "Oh, and then this can happen here and this person can do that right there." Never let it be said that I can't take direction. The downside of all this stuff that you saw above, is that I hit the ground running every morning and I just can't seem to find enough hours in the day. *sigh* Anyone else have this problem, yanno, a case of Lifus Interruptus?

So, other than me getting that song stuck in your head (and you know it is!), I don't have much to say today. It has been crazy busy and I just completely forgot that it was my day to blog. Please forgive me, and maybe next time I'll actually have something more interesting to talk about. :-D

Lifus Interruptus

*sigh* I suck... I'm sorry everyone! I forgot completely about Saturday Hottie. Actually, I started one and was so tired I told myself I'd finish it Saturday morning... instead life interrupted and I never made it back onto the computer Saturday. I have been making files and getting them organized to have posts ready to go ahead of time, but it hasn't come to complete fruition yet. Hopefully, soon I'll be able to have stuff all organized.

So, aside from a nagging case of Lifus Interruptus, things have been pretty fun in our house. I love Christmas, and with four children I am constantly given an opportunity to see the world in a whole new way.

We had a fun activity that we participated in this weekend: Breakfast With Santa! Technically, we didn't get to eat directly with Santa, but we had a nice breakfast as a family and then got to visit with Santa (there were a lot of kids, I think Santa would have been trampled if he hadn't sat on his... throne and had some order to the whole thing). My kids loved it... except the baby. His reaction was the most dramatic we've ever had to date. At first he was fine with this person taking him and holding him (he's a pretty easygoing kid), but once he did a double-take and saw it was some strange man with lots of white hair on his face... he got a bit frantic and started to scream and squirm to get away. The entire time I was trying to take the pictures with my hubby insisting quite loudly that I hurry cuz the baby was freaking out... and my camera wouldn't take the picture. Poor Santa valiantly tried to keep the baby from nose-diving off his lap until I could get the picture. He succeeded, but not a moment too soon by the way, my camera worked and my hubby snatched the baby from Santa who looked a little strained.

Needless to say, it was interesting and fun. It wasn't until we got home and loaded the picture that I realized that I had actually captured the baby's double-take at Santa. The look on his face is priceless!

Well, here's to holiday memories no matter what your traditions, and I hope Lifus Interruptus doesn't take permanent hold on my life, lol.