I missed V tonight!!!

Earlier in the day when I came home for lunch, I noticed it advertised on YouTube with the words, "V Returns Tonight" or something to that effect. But of course, with the potpourri that is my life, I got sidetracked. My hubby invited me out for a walk after dinner, but I'd already made "girly plans." You know--get a pedicure first, then hit the tanning salon. After that I came home to watch American Idol with Bill, Yesica & Brandon while my granddaughter strolled around the living room wearing my flipflops (the blue ones with the little silver starfish, which that young lady just LOVES to pieces). Forgot all about V, darn it. Hopefully we can catch up with all the aliens' doings on the next episode without getting too lost.

There just aren't enough good sci-fi shows on TV. V caught my attention, and although it's not Invasion, which goes down as one of my all-time favorite shows (and it has William Fichtner playing the very mysterious Sheriff Tom Underlay, although I'd watch William Fichtner in ANYTHING--the man is sheer romance hero material!), it's definitely entertaining and worth catching.

While You Were Away

Remember those little pink pads with those words at the top of the sheet? WHILE YOU WERE AWAY, so & so called, etc. Does anybody still use those? It's been some time since I've been a secretary; my "civilian" job is as a medical records clerk, so I haven't gotten to use those WHILE YOU WERE AWAY thingies.

In any event, that should be WHILE I WAS AWAY because I've been AWOL from this blog for almost a couple months. Since I last wrote I finished a short novel, shipped it out for a publisher's review, started a new novela, and started...belly dancing classes! Whenever I can get my hip scarf away from my granddaughter Aubrey--she loves that thing, even thought it goes around her tiny hips about 7 times, I think--I zip off to class. So far I'm still a beginner, but it's fun!

More recently, my husband threw me a surprise 50th birthday party, and the weather complied with a gorgeous, sunny, blue sky. (Hey, it isn't every day a girl gets to turn half a century old. For the occasion, my best friend treated me to a gift certificate to Victoria's Secret. Only a GREAT friend would dream up that one, y'all!)

It's been a crazy weekend but I've got to get back to work on this new WIP. As for the other work, it's great to have something out making the rounds again. I don't know if it's my age or the spring slowly rolling around again, and I find the spring to be very inspiring, creatively speaking, but I've had something of a reawakening. Lately, each day I look forward to stealing away enough time to get at least 500 words done.

And of course, stealing an hour on Wednesday for some belly dancing!

Novel Spaces

Hey--I'm blogging today over at Novel Spaces. Very fun place, so drop by!

NEW REVIEW & December Hello!

Wow, it's been a long time since my last blog. I make no excuses, either. Mostly doing some writing but also the usual at this time of year, getting ready for Christmas. Also, let's be honest here--playing Farmville on Facebook! Did ya'll know you can get presents sent to you? Collect all 60 and open them on Christmas Eve, get 60 surprises for your farm??? Or are you all grown up and don't do that stuff? ;D

Okay, well, enough of that! Onto book stuff.

My latest book, FASCINATION, received 4 & 1/2 books from Long & Short Reviews! The reviewer writes: "If you are in the mood for a charming, gentle, feel-good-factor read, then this is the book for you."

You can read the review in its entirety here.

Coffee Time Romance Review

FIVE COFFEE CUPS FOR FASCINATION!

Considering I've been feeling under the weather with the flu the past couple of days, this came as a real pick-me-up today!

"This is a beautifully written story of true love." Find the full review by Hollie by clicking on the Coffee Time Romance pic below!

New Look!

Though I'm still learning and tinkering with this, both this blog and Consuelo Vazquez have gotten a new look! Hopefully more fun and interesting to look at, too.

Night Writers

It's that time again. The little clock on my computer says 9:43 PM.

Of course, I can always come up with plenty of excuses not to go to my office. Not the first writer to do that, that's for sure. I can kill time, play on Farmville or FarmTown on Facebook. (One of my friends on there sent me an elephant as a gift--ha! I LOVE elephants!! Just got another one, too! Can't have a farm without elephants, right?) After all these years, coming up with reasons to avoid my office are easy.

Work, as in my day job, is over for the day. Dinner's done, the dishes are drying or doing something. I don't know; I let my dishwasher handle those details. Exercise tonight was a relaxing but brisk walk in the woods. We watched Hell's Kitchen, which we taped from yesterday so we could watch Chef Ramsey screaming at those poor, young wannabe chefs setting fires in his kitchen. I've updated pics on my blog but now it's time to go upstairs.

But...wait. I could do my nails. They've taken a beating this week with all the paper shuffling at work. Or I could surf on YouTube for old beloved songs that I haven't heard in a long time.

Except now it's 9:54. And I need to put in some time with my story. What I've found over the years is that you need to touch base with your WIP every day or pretty much close to it. Not doing that could actually cause it to slip away. You can always pick it up, but it's better to write a little bit each day, spend time with your story's "people."

And this being my first Consuelo Vazquez novel in years makes me want to make sure I show up.

9:56 now...it's dark and mysterious and quiet, the time fictional characters start coming out.