On the word train

Good morning! So I got through the first 50 pages I had written a long time ago when I thought Frame and Fortune was going to be book two instead of The Wrong Drawers. Not bad, not bad at all. A lot to work with, but some firming up and expanding to do. So now that it's all done, I'm on to completely new words! YAY! I'm determined to get this done by the end of the month if not sooner, so keep an eye out for the word count. I'm starting with 10,575 and going from there. Ivy is usually about 60,000 so that gives me 50,000 to do :)

Misty

And So It Begins

I finished Something Old, Something Dead last night, the third in my Ivy series, so I could get ready for writing this next one. I'm hyped up and ready to go. It's funny, though, how many things I set up in the third book that I can use in the fourth. I love when that happens without preplanning!!!!

Yesterday was interesting as we bought a four foot tree (fake) because I no longer have the room in my house to put up my six and a half foot one. My grandmother (God love her) gave us an organ (the piano type kind, dirty birdy). N loves it and that's great, but it sits in the exact spot where the Christmas tree goes. Hence the four footer that will now go on a coffee table. Fine with me. Less ornaments to put away at the end of the season - unless she manages to get them all on there :) Could happen, don't laugh.

I never did figure out how to put that word counter on here for a working manuscript, so I'll just have to report in with numbers and percentages. I may take a little bit to start posting big numbers, but my goal is to be done by the 31st. Keep me honest :)

Misty

Gearing up

So as I gear up to write the next Ivy, I'm reading the last one. The one that inspired the tattoo on my back :) And I'm cracking myself up! Maybe that's narcissistic, but I think it's a hoot. To still enjoy the book after I've written it, edited it, gone over it with the publisher, read it again and now reading it again, gives me a real thrill. Fortunately, I'm laughing at all the right places instead of thinking how stupid it was to put it out in the first place!

So I'm getting back into the groove and the voice of Ivy, making a point to get back into her head and gleaning some additional ideas along the way on how to make the next one richer and hopefully even funnier. Wish me luck. I hope to start writing on it tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. I will be done by the end of the month. How about you ride along for the journey?

Misty

Let the parties begin!

I don't think there is really anything better than hanging out with a bunch of friends who have the same interests as you. Yes, parties where there are a variety of people with a variety of jobs is great. Learn something new, find out about a job or hobby you've never experienced. But then there are the parties where a group of people with a common job get together and these are also a blast.

Today was such a party as the people from CPRW (Central Pennsylvania Romance Writers) got together at the wonderful Fran's house and had a rollicking good time. I love to hear all the different conversations going on throughout the room - from writing to just getting to know each other outside the monthly meetings we have where mostly business is conducted. It was awesome and such a boost. Now I'm going to critique a friends manuscript and then tomorrow I hope to start the next Ivy. Woo-hoooo!!! I love writing Ivys and I hope you love reading them :)

Have a great day and have a blast going into this holiday season. Nothing better than enjoying the time with friends and family.

Misty - who is so proud of herself for blogging today :) LOL

Working Hard, but no excuses

Okay, I'm not going to try to make excuses this time for my absence from the blogging world. It happened, let's move on since I get no good doggie biscuits for being gone for so long!

In my world - I did a fantastic book fair in Maryland at the end of September, had a fabulous time and got to talk to lots of people and sell books. In October I went to a Out for Lunchevent sponsored by THe Patriot News and had a blast talking to over 700 women and selling more books! Halloween was a freaking blast and if I can figure out how to put pictures up I will. I'm the one in the French clown outfit though my daughter kept calling me a mime! In November, the lovely Rida (publisher extraordinairre) contracted a book with me and my two very good friends Victoria Smith and Vicky Burkholder. It's a fabulous anthology of shifter stories called The Shape of Love. Keep your eye out for more news! And I hope you had a great Thanksgiving because I did :)

And now we move into the holiday season. Mine's going to be crazy, but I'll be here even if it's just to bore you with what I'm doing :)

Oh, and I wrote 45,000 words in 10 days about a week ago. Woot! And now I'm working on the next Ivy for those people who want to know. Bad news for Bella! I can't wait.

Till tomorrow!
Misty

Yet Again! and cool contest!!!!!!

Yet again, I am a bad bad blogger. Sucks for me. But thank you to anyone who has still come back on any given day to see if I actually got off my butt and posted something new :)

My main reason for posting, beyond getting the freaking ball rolling again, is to show you a fantastic, FANTASTIC, new contest beign put on by my friend Megan Hart, author extraordinaire. You must run out and make a trailer for her book and it better be a good one. 'Cause she'd going to fondle a copy of Tempted for you and then sign it. PLUS she'll be doling out a $100 gift certificate for Amazon. HOLY FREAKING COW!!!! Run, don't dawdle and get started on a trailer. The rest of the details can be accessed through her website www.meganhart.com. I'm going to try to put the video up but I don't know if that will actually work. Here goes: LOL.


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Click To Play

Another Triumphant Return

I think this makes it fourteen or fifteen times I've triumphantly returned. We won't talk about the not so triumphant ones, okay?

News: I had an absolute blast at RWA Nationals, got me a zebra striped cowboy hat from my friend Meri, saw people I haven't seen in a year, made new friends and got to meet Alfie Thompson who so totally rocks almost as much as her fantabulous book Lights! Camera! Fiction! A Movie Lover's Guide to Writing a Novel. If this book is not on your shelf then shame on you! It's wonderful and a complete keeper. And I got a kiss from her when I said I had it, but I'm not going to tell you where since I am a woman of mystery and I don't want to wound Alfie's great reputation :) LOL. Let me have my fun. I also got to meet Kathy Carmichael who also rocks. I got to hang out with Donna Bagdasarian (who is magnificent) and get an elevator story with Kelly Mortimer. I got to stand close to Chris Keesler and I told him I was taking him home in my bag :) It was a fantastic week. Oh, and I sold out at the Literacy book signing for charity. What a wonderful feeling.

And now I'm back to real life. I've done some critiquing for friends, written some and polished a manuscript called What's Life Without the Sprinkles and am writing something I call Twice on a Blue Moon. Basically having a blast and happy to be back.

How's everyone else doing? You okay there, out in blogland? I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to drop a line :)

Misty

Like the Phoenix

So here I am again but tomorrow I will be leaving for Romance Writers Of America Nationals conference in Dallas so I won't be blogging until next Monday. I'm pretty excited about the conference. I get to see some of my friends, meet new ones, put faces to names from over the internet, and make new friends. Always a blast.

I'm cleaning up a manuscript for submission and have put It Ain't Broke on the back burner for the moment to do that. I plan on getting back to it once I finish this up which will hopefully be sometime in the near future :)

On the personal front I went to see THE FIXX last weekend at a small bar in town and it was awesome!!!! The lead singer could have sweat on me it was so small. That's the way I really like to see concerts, but it doesn't always happen that way. We're going to see THE POLICE weekend after next and it will be huge! Which is good, but not nearly as intimate. I also found out that VANILLA ICE is going to be at this small local bar. I almost fell over. Could you imagine? Do you think he'll do Ice, Ice Baby? That would be so hilarious. His posters say "The Legend - Vanilla Ice". I might just have to throw down the $12 and see what he'll do. LOL.

Anyway that's what I've been up to. Along with camping which I'm going to try to get this picture for since it is typical of any trip I take. Wait for it! I'll be back next Monday and blogging again. I hope you'll come back even though I've been totally unreliable lately as to how often I post.

Take care,
Misty

End of Contest :)

Well, I had three books to give away and three comments on my various blogs, so it looks like my kid doesn't have to pick names out of a hat :) Winners are Laney from myspace and Barrie and Alli from Blogger. Congrats, ladies!!! Let me know where to send them and you get SHINY NEW IVY'S!!!

In other news, today is Jubilee day here in town and I think our normal population is somewhere in the low 20Ks. My understanding is that there could be as many as an additional 90K here today. WOWOWOWOWOW!!!! Maybe I can sell some more books :) LOL.

And in even other news, I started a new book called It Ain't Broke and am a solid 15 pages in. Not going to hot rod it with this one. I figure anything upward of five pages a day works for me. So that's all from my little corner. Oh, except that there will be new links posted soon for friends blogs I love to read. Don't forget to check over there and follow the bread crumbs to some fabulous authors.

Take care,
Misty

CONTEST!!!

All right, so I went MIA (and why does it feel like I say that a little too often?) and now I am back again. Shiny New Release Day was fantastic. That weekend I had my monthly RWA meeting and took some books with me. There was a line at the front table which I thought was for the raffle tickets. Turned out it was people waiting to get a signed copy of SOSD!!!! How freaking cool is that? I felt like a STAHHHH!!! And I'm still selling them.

But for you, dear blog readers, I am running the contest that should have run last week (I know I'm bad but at least I 'fess up to it) and here is my burning question. What is the best and/or worst cliche you've ever heard? I love 'em and want some more of 'em. So wow me. Post here and I'll take everyone's name, jumble them up, have my kid pick three (yes I said three) and get some winners! I love winners. You love to be winners. Put your favorite cliche in the comments and we'll get along fine.

Later Gator,
Misty

Shiny New Release Day!

So yesterday was SHINY NEW RELEASE DAY for Something Old Something Dead. And I gotta tell you, I don't think I've had a better day in a long time. The books came to my door right before I had to go pick up the kid, so I got to take one with me to the school and show it off. The clothes I ordered for RWA Nationals showed up on the doorstep too and everything fits (unheard of!). And then I got a fantastic review posted over at Fallen Angels Reviews for Reignited - five, count them, five angels. baby!!! Woot! Then I finished my latest book, typing the end yesterday afternoon.

And if that wasn't enough, I then got to go lay brick in my friend Vicki's backyard for her patio. Seriously?!?!?! you say. And I say heck yeah! And it was a blast even though her husband had to watch every brick I laid :) He wasn't that bad, but it was a close thing :)

Had a fantastic day and counting on enjoying the rest of the week. I hope you do the same. And come back tomorrow because it will be contest day here in blogland and a shiny new book is the prize!

Misty

Something Old Something Dead - Tomorrow!!!!!

Tomorrow is release day for the newest Ivy book called Something Old Something Dead and I can barely stand myself!!!!! I loved writing this book and can't wait to hold it in my hands. My copies will hopefully be here on Friday and then I'll be running a contest for a free, signed copy. SO keep your eye out and I promise to actually do it on time this time. If that made sense :)

I'm steaming away on my new book. Have a couple more tweaks and then it's done. I can't wait to be able to officially type the end.

And summer's almost here, school's almost out, and I'm almost ready to have a nervous break down! LOL. Just kidding. It will be fun to have my daughter home and not have to go anywhere if we don't want to. But I am hoping my mom will take her off my hands a couple of times :)

Stay cool,
Misty

YAY!!!

So I'm soon off to the movies to see my beloved Jack and Will! I am so thrilled and find this to be an okay substitute for not having a new Supernatural tonight. Oh, my boys, I miss you!

I got a whopping five pages today, which isn't terrible but not what I was hoping for. But I ended up with an extra child and doing lunch today with a friend and had a fabulous time. I figure I'll work it off tomorrow after I wake up from not going to bed until 3 am :)

Things are going well on the ms. The five pages have gotten me almost through the next scene and then it's some light editing until the next part. I'm also taking a class on Romance writing through ed2go with Lori Widle and having a blast. Learning to look at some things in a much different way. Hoping that I'll be a better writer because of it. I'm all for continuing education :)

That's it for now since I think I jut heard my ride pull up! I hope I stay awake!

Misty

Making Goal

So I went to my writer's retreat this last weekend and got a huge boost of energy. I did some serious work on the new book and restructured all of it. Now I am filling in scenes as needed and polishing. Sometimes I love this part and sometimes I absolutely cannot STAND IT!! Wish me luck that this is a good moment :)

Tomorrow night I am going to drool...I mean watch Will and Jack on the big screen at 11:30pm. I am so thrilled! My wonderful friend Natalie got the tickets already and we are set to rock that freaking theater! This is a pretty doggone good week for me :)

As far as goals, mine is to have this whole book done by June 2. I'm close but I need to step it up. We're going to have company this weekend but I'm supposed to have Sunday all to myself :) We'll see how that works out.

Ta!
Misty

I'm baaaaaa-aaaaack!!!!!!!!!

Hello, party people!!! I'm back and I'm doing well. I have some exciting news to share. Rida, my publisher, has given the printer the okay for SOSD and it will be available on May 31st!!!!!! I am so totally jazzed about this book. I loved writing it, I loved reading it, and I'll love holding it my hot little hands! Excuse excess !!!!!! I am too hyped up.

So I plan on getting back on track here in blogland. Right now I am rewriting an old story and trying to get it into shape. Then I'll be writing a new story and doing editing for the rest of the summer. I'm all planned through the rest of the year, actually.

Going to get the cliches back up and running so look for it. And I'll be doing a contest to run with Ivy and her new release :)

Misty - back on the wagon

Tattooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vicki, the trooper :)

Here's me not grunting!




And here she is in all her loverly glory! I had a blast and Vicki may never be seen again after she said I grunted! I do not grunt! Other pictures can be seen on her blog :) I am thrilled with it and Jeff at Visual Addictions is a genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He did a great job and the shop is fantastic. Highly recommended.

Cliche Of the Day

As Useless As A Screen Door On A Submarine! Om my word. What an image. I love too that a lot of cliches give you this great instant picture that pops into your head. Especially if they are totally incongruent. The screen door might keep out the undesirable fish, but what about the water? Can I exchange the screen for the storm door? Use it at least once today. Come back and tell me how it worked out for you!

The great revision begins today. I'm thrilled to have a working synopsis for this project and the drive to get it done. Between now and my retreat on May 17th, I have a ton of crap to do, so I will be a busy bee :)

T minus 27 hours til tattooing!

Misty

No Tin!

I am so far away from a biscuit, I don't even have a tin of them. Sigh. Give me one break and I don't get back in the habit. Sucks. But I'm going to try to get back into daily. No excuses.

So, today I had my local chapter meeting. And may I just say I belong to THE COOLEST GROUP IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!! I loved it. I got to do mindmapping today and it was a blast. Something about long flowing blond hair on Karl and Vicki pining after a playboy. I think you had to be there :) Lunch at Red Robin, then a trip to Staples (which always warms my little heart). Fixed the format of the manuscript I'm going to start revising tomorrow. Very productive, so good stuff.

T minus 62 hours til tattooing commences. I am so hyped!!!

Dean was fantastic on Thursday, be still my beating heart. I love the lawnmower and the whole damn thing. Supernatural should never go off the air. NEVER!

Obviously this post is kind of a catch up thing. I hope to have new progress to report starting tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me :)

Misty

Cliche Of the Day

Alrighty, people!!! I took a small hiatus from blogging and now find myself ready to jump right back into the saddle :) Time's a wasting. I don't want to be between a rock and a hard place. Okay enough trite sayings. The point is, this begins Cliche of the Day!!! My friend Vicki Smith and I are going to be doing one of these a week, just for fun. If you have one you want to see us discuss, don't be shy. She did hers yesterday and yours truly is lagging behind. But here I am!

And here's the cliche: Going to Hell in a handbasket. Now, I think this one is funny. I once saw a bumper sticker that said-WHERE ARE WE GOING AND WHY ARE WE IN THIS HANDBASKET? I cracked up. But seriously, why is it a hansbasket? What precisely is a handbasket? Why not a shopping cart? A paper bag? A huge purse? I don't know but this cliche makes me smile. The imagery is quite funny :)

Progress: I am newly plotted and beginning my journey to writing a new book. I've put aside TIHS for right now in favor of writing a book I think would make more of an impact right now. It's called Right Under Her Nose. I'm liking it at the moment, but you've seen how that goes. I would however really like to write something that is completely new before I write any more Ivy's and that is scheduled to be written at the end of the year. I'll be going to a retreat in the middle of this month and hope to finish the new book out there. We shall see!

Oh! And I'm getting a tattoo of my latest Ivy cover on my back! My wonderful cover Artist, Patricia Storms (www.patriciastorms.com) said that I could use the drawing as long as I sent her pictures. If you have not checked her out, run now and do it. Her stuff is wonderful and so funny! I love all my Ivy covers but this third one really hit me in the "I have to have this tattooed" spot. I'm getting it done next Tuesday and will try to post pictures soon after if I can figure out how to do that :) The guys at the tattoo shop thought it was hilarious. I hope in a good way. And it will be all healed for summer and for RWA Nationals this year. I foresee some low backed dresses in my near future!

Misty

Zesty!

I have had a ZESTY time doing the alphabet :) Seriously this has been great fun and I hope you have been checking out the other Draumr Authors who are doing it as well as Vicki Smith's blog. It's funny that we've all chosen different words and used the blogging differently. It makes for a ZESTY mix;) All right, I'll stop I'm pushing it too far. Next up is Cliches. Vicki Smith and I are going to do cliches every day for the month of May. I think it will be a whale of a good time (that one's free).

Over a thousand words again today but it was more mapping than story time. Still progress. I'm moving right along!

Misty

Yowza!

I admit it, I like words like this. I like asides in the text of books. Or funny one word punchiness. I tend to use them a lot but they can always be edited out, so I don't worry overly much about it. But I did turn in the next Ivy with a whole bunch of SIGHS :) Rida was not too happy. And Yowza is such a good one, it says so much in so little. I hope you'll think about using it, adding it to your vocabulary. It even feels good in your mouth.

I did get some progress under my belt today. Over 1100 words and I have a rough synopsis done. I realized I had a few minor problems and was able to iron them out a bit before moving too far ahead. YAY! <--similar to Yowza!

Misty

Xanthous and other words that stop the story

This is a pet peeve of mine, so please don't take offense because I only police myself on this :) So here's the thing. My word, xanthous, is an adjective meaning yellow. If I read this in one of my own novels (and with this word maybe even in someone else's) I know it would totally pull me out of the story and force me over to the dictionary to figure out what the heck it was. Even if I could tell from the context, I think I'd still have to go look it up. And that's not what I want people to do when they are hopefully sucked into my story world. In the Ivy series I freely use big words and have made it a game for Ivy to try to use the best and biggest words she can think of. But I do try to give the reader the meaning through the sentence and not make it something they've probably never ever heard of.

So that's my little rant and my word for the day, all wrapped in one :) Enjoy. I think I'm going to go paint my kitchen a nice cheery xanthous.

Misty

PS Progress on new story!!! I'm calling it The Thorn in His Side and I have my first 4500 words done today!!! W00t!

What?

Almost done with the alphabet. Phew! I've been plotting my little brain out over the last few days in preparation for starting another new book :) I love this stage and am truly enjoying not forcing it to go too fast. I plan on starting to write tomorrow morning since my dogs will be at the groomer and I'll actually have a semi-quiet day!

So my word is what. As in what if...And this is what fuels my every story. I love this question. What? What if a woman looking to recapture a little of her youth finds a magic 8 ball with some surprising qualities? What is a woman who's always lived at home inherits a costume shop all the way across the country? What if a woman who always thought she'd be alone has an unexpected visitor and a chance at making a good first impression?

See how it works? And that's my word for the day. What? What are you going to do next?

Misty - waiting to find out :)

Holy Schnikeys Batman!!

Well, all I can say is that it has been one hell of a bleeping weekend. In a semi-good way, but I won't bore you with the details.

I owe two words and then I have to get back on track with doing this daily. It's a discipline I really like and want to continue.

So, words. Let's see. U and V. Hmmmm. Ha! Undecided. I am undecided as to what my V word should be. I have had many times when I am undecided as to what exactly I want to write. It's funny because I know I like funny stuff, I like to write funny stuff...now. I used to write stuff that made me cry and would depress me until I was in tears. Think Lifetime movies with the woman in jeopardy. So now I write funny, which I love. But what kind of funny? Romantic Comedy? Paranormal? Women's Fiction? I have no idea. I keep trying things and seeing how they fit. And I might have a line on what I want to do, but I'm not saying anything in case I change my mind and become undecided again :)

Which leads me to another great word: Vacillate Def 2 : to waver in mind, will, or feeling : hesitate in choice of opinions or courses (thank you Merriam Webster) and this is me sometimes. I have so many ideas, so many things I want to do and yet I do want a clear path in my career. I want to build a following of people who read me. But in what subgenre? I know I will always write Romance. It's too intrinsic to my writing to change that, but what subgenre? I love the mysteries, I love the paranormal, I love women's fiction, I love Romantic Comedy :) I was going to do vicarious for my V word but this one seemed to fit better.

Have a good day, I think, but maybe not. LOL. :)

Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

So, my heartthrob Dean SAUNTERED out of the trailer his smile a TESTAMENT to what he had just been doing. If the trailer is a rockin' don't come a knockin', Sam!!!

What a wonderful, wonderful episode. So funny! I loved Dean and his attachment to the belt and the headset. His lingo grasp cracked me up. And it was just wonderful, absolutely fantastic! I am in awe of the writing, the characterization, the fun they have with this show. Please let it run forever. And the FOOOOOOOD!!! He was killing me with eating throughout the whole show. I loved the taquitos and the mini cheese steaks!!

So fabulous!

Misty

Resilience

The word resonates with me as a writer. I think in this profession you absoultely have to be resilient. From rejections to critiques to reviews, there is a constant threat of negativity. You get a bad review and you could sulk. You get a rejection and you could give up. You get a critique that, while it is constructive, didn't tell you that you are absolutely brilliant and to not change a single word.

Now all of these are choices. They are things you could do when a small setback occurs (and yes I look at even rejection as a small setback - eventually!). Your other choice is to bounce right back up like one of those clown punching bags with the sand at the bottom. They keep on coming, waiting for the next.

And that's what I want to be able to always say about myself. I can't say I've never had a down day or one where I want to throw in the towel. But my resilience comes from the fact that at some point I do get back up. I do roll to my big clown shoe feet and put myself back out there again hoping someone will see my work and think it is truly brilliant and I shouldn't change a word. :)

Misty

No Biscuit for Me!

LOL. I can't believe I broke my streak!!! I had blogged for 75 days straight and then yesterday nothing!!!!!!!!! ARGH! Well, I'll have to start all over again and continue on, soldiering forward :)

I did however write 3500 words yesterday and 3000 today, so I'm not too disappointed in myself :)

Onward with the words!!! I owe you P and Q so I'll mind my p's and q's :)

Peccable: Now this is a word that I hadn't realized existed. I'd heard impeccable and thought that was it like when you see the word impoverished and I can't find a word poverished. But apparently peccable is a word and it means likely to sin. So if you're peccable you will probably sin, but if your impeccable you won't. And yet the definition for impeccable is nattily dressed or without flaw or imperfection. Verrrrrry interesting. To me at least :)

Quietude: a state of tranquility. Something I very rarely achieve :) But I do try. My child was a raging case of sugar today and couldn't stop long enough to barely breathe and then she dropped over like a rock and has been sleeping since 7pm. Her normal bedtime is 11. I've enjoyed my quietude :)

See tomorrow for a ROCKING good time :)

Misty

Oh Osculate me, Rhett!

LOL. So my word, in case you were thinking of looking it up it means to kiss :) What a great word this is. Now I'm not positive that I have used it correctly in the blog title, so if you know, let me in on the secret. I just love our language though and how many different words mean the exact same thing and yet sound nothing alike. Hmmm.

Progress: I did 4567 words today!!!!!! I am so damn happy, I'm dancing. I have officially passed the 50K mark and now have less than 30K to write to finish the book. I am well on my way to being done by my next group meeting and that is fantastic! Woot! Please excuse over!!!!ing! LOL.

Misty

Nincompoop

What better word in the English language is there than this? A nincompoop is a foolish or silly person. The short form is ninny. Who knew? I thought ninny was a word unto itself, not realizing it was a shortened form! WOW! Learn something new every day. So nincompoop is just one of those words that sounds good to the ear for an insult. Something to be muttered under your breath. It releases the pressure when I'm mad, because really, I can't say it without smiling. So there's my word. Go forth and use it in my honor :)

I got a whopping 500 words today, but my daughter and I are on the mend so that is at least something. I'm hoping for bigger progress tomorrow. Hope with me if you have a moment.

Misty

M-m-m-m-m-Marshmallow!

Oh, man! I am hating life. Still don't feel good, but the daughter feels so much better, running around, yelling screaming, basically acting like an inmate let out of solitary confinement for the first time in days. I have a headache. But enough about my issues :) I did manage to write some today. 1500 words that put me over 45K finished for the manuscript. Fantastic.

My word: Marshmallow!

Copied from Wikipedia
The marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, consists of sugar or corn syrup, beaten egg whites, gelatin that has been pre-softened in water, gum arabic, and flavorings, whipped to a spongy consistency. The traditional recipe used an extract from the mucilaginous root of the marshmallow plant, a shrubby herb (Althaea officinalis), instead of gelatin; the mucilage performed as a cough suppressant.

Commercial marshmallows are a late 19th century innovation. Since Alex Doumak's patented extrusion process of 1948, marshmallows are extruded as soft cylinders, cut in sections and rolled in a mix of finely powdered cornstarch and confectioner's sugar.

Marshmallows are popular with children and adults alike, and are eaten with or without accompaniments. In the United States and elsewhere, marshmallows are also used in hot chocolate or café mocha (mochachino), Mallomars, in Peeps and other candy, on top of candied sweet potatoes during Thanksgiving, in Rice Krispie treats, in ice cream flavors such as Rocky road, and several other foodstuffs.


How very cool is that? I like to take a marshmallow between my fingers and draw it out then back to make taffy. So versatile! And who knew it used to be a cough suppressant when made with roots?!?! Obviously someone did since it's right there in the explanation. HAHAHA!

Okay. I have to go if I want to post before midnight and still be on the 13th. CYA! And I hope you had a wonderful and trouble free Friday the 13th! BWAHAHAHA!

Misty

Luuuuurve

I am primarily a romance writer. I have never written book with no romance at all. I love writing in this genre. There is such hope in luuuuuuuuurve :) I like to see books where the hero is worthy of the heroine and vice versa. Where you experience falling in love. I adore falling in love again and again in books.

And if this post is too short, I am way sorry. The daughter has strep and I am now on antibiotics just in case. I feel loopy and my eyes are burning up. But I didn't want to miss a day of blogging :) I'm that dedicated!

Misty

Kook, Kook, Kooky

All right, so, K word is kooky which I am a big fan of. To be perfectly honest with you I don't know many so called normal people. And if they are normal I don't generally get along with them. I like people who are a little out there (please note this is not some license for a crazy stalker to decide he wants to meet me!), just a little out there. I'm pretty open-minded and I like to meet people who don't take themselves too seriously or too humorously or too angstily (should have used that one for a). But I do like kooky people in all forms. My husband is a perfect example. People who go into Home Depot and almost get kicked out for sitting on the toilets and call each other on mock phones are another. I once was dared to dance outside our car after a concert because we were waiting for the parking lot to empty and were bored. So they cranked the music thinking I'd chicken out. But I didn't. I got out of the car, started shaking my bootay and actually had people cheering me on and giving me money. Now I won't swear that that money couldn't have been for me to stop. But I prefer to think of it as tips :) There's also the story of one of my first conferences where we had a pj party and I karaoked, winning several trophies and breaking the ice at the same time. You have to get out there and shake things up sometimes. No one has ever dies from making a little bit of a fool of themselves. Oh, or there was the time last year when I drank some blue drink and went around trying to show everyone my blue tongue - editors and agents included :) Bet they remember me!

Anyway, kooky. I like the way it sounds and how it can free you. Be a little kooky tomorrow and let me know how it worked for you!

Progress: OVER 4000 WORDS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am officially over halfway through the ms!!!!!! Woo-freaking-hoo!!!!!!!!!!

Misty - little excited

Just park it right here

I was going to do something very scholarly with my J. Maybe juxtaposition or jurisprudence, but couldn't make myself care about them today. So here I am writing about JUST. Which ought to be a hoot since I can't seem to get away from the word in my writing. Little definition and then we're off. JUST: precisely, barely. For this exercise I'm just (ha!) looking at the adverb definition because that's generally how I use it.

So I'm working through edits with Rida on SOSD, my next Ivy Mystery, and apparently I had almost 200 (200!) justs in a 300 page manuscript. OY! But I love the word and I use it all the time. I say just this and just that. I do try to be more precise but it's like using the word like. And I use both waaaaaay too much! I should use barely if that's what I mean or only or merely. Writing is about being precise, about conjuring up a clear image, making your reader forget they are really reading. Using just on my part is lazy and can muddy my picture. Gotta just watch my justs :)

Progress: 1100 words yesterday and 20 old pages edited. Today 1200 words, I passed the 40K mark (w00t!) and 35 old pages edited and changed to reflect the new story. I'm on my way!!!!!

Misty

It's irksome

Now this is a great word. Irksome just sounds irritating by the way it grates. It means annoying or disturbing. It's a great word to use...you irksome boar! That is so very irksome! I love it :) Go out and use it today on someone, maybe your mother-in-law!

Progress: Over 1200 words yesterday amongst all the family stuff we had to do. I also dropped in 12000 words of the previous manuscript. Which gets me up to almost 40K - good feeling that :) I'm nearly halfway through though I do need to read over the dropped in words carefully to make sure they still fit the story which can be time consuming. But it works and that's all that matters! Seriously, I will be breaking open the bubbly when this book is done. I hope you'll join me in celebration. I have 1300 words so far today and am ready to call it a night.

Kid finally goes back to school tomorrow. She's been home since the Friday before last and I am so ready for my three hours alone!!!!!!!! YAY!

Misty - who hopes to be very productive tomorrow.

Hoyden!

My word, as seen above, makes me laugh. I love the way this word sounds. And the definition is a boisterous woman. How cool is that? A hoyden was not only boisterous but also usually scandalous, especially in historical novels. I highly doubt those same women would be quite the sensation today as they were back then. So much more is acceptable now. A peek at an ankle sliding out of the bottom of a dress isn't the taunt today that it was then. Running around town in pants isn't an offense either as far as I know :)

But I want to be a hoyden. And so for today I am. Maybe tomorrow too. Or maybe I'll make one of my characters one and then I can live vicariously through her (and oh! that is V day's word. No one steal it!!!)

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. Happy Passover to those who celebrate. Happy Sunday to everyone :) May the coming week be a good one!

Misty

Gee, that's Generous

These late night postings are killing me :) I'm hoping to get back on track on Monday. I much prefer to post in the morning but it just hasn't been happening. Yesterday I wrote over 3000 words then dropped about 3300 into the manuscript from the previous one. I'm almost a third of the way through this freaking book and YAY!!!!!

Generous: gracious, unselfish, ample. This is a great word. I think most of us aspire to be generous, with our time, money, feelings, resources, etc. We want to be there for someone else if they need us. Generous is something that can come in many forms, it's something that means many things to many people. Some think you have to whip out the check book to be generous or hand over your wallet. But what about soending time with someone and just talking, or listening. Isn't that generous? It can certainly be priceless.

Misty

The F Word

I know, I know!!! Title is trite but true :) Deal. I've written over 3000 words today and have passed 100 pages on my redux of Sprinkles. Technically I've written over 300 pages on it now, but I'm not thinking of that since I can only claim 100 pages done. Wah!

So my F word is fortitude. Determination, strength of character. I like to give these to my characters in my books. They have to want something and be able to find the strength inside themselves to surmount impossible odds to get it. Now I don't always give impossible odds. But I do try to notch up the tension often and make you the reader wonder if there's going to be a way for them to get out of this.

But the other part of fortitude I wanted to explore has to do with being a writer. You have to be determined to be a writer. You have sit down nearly every day whether the words flow or not. Some people write when the mood strikes them. I applaud those people for being able to come back to it when they are ready. But I'm not one of them. I sit down every freaking blessed day and write or think about my story or work out plot problems, character problems, something. You also have to have strength of character to write. Escpecially if you are writing and letting other people see your work. Even if those other people are your spouse or your mom or a friend at school. That takes guts. It also takes guts to send your work out to an agent or editor and hope and pray you won't get a rejection back knowing you probably will. Guts, people!!! And seriously tough skin :)

So to all my fortitudinous people/writers out there - I salute you! YOU ALL ROCK THE CASBAH!!!!!!!!!!!

Misty

Break out the effervescent bubbly E

Ah, posting right after eleven pm is so not my style. I have to get back to posting first thing in the morning tomorrow :) I did get 7 pages written today, lots of house cleaning done, my eggs boiled and colored and puffy painted. So I'm good to go.

Effervescent is one of those words that simply sounds right. It brings to mind bubbles and light, life. At least for me, your experience may vary :) Effervescent is lively or vivacious. If you remember back a little bit I once did a questionnaire while others did too and I laughed when I found myself in their answers as the loudest friend. It's totally true. I pull the phone away from my mouth when I laugh because I can hurt the ear. I can call my kid from across the park and don't even have to hit full volume. When I worked at a fast food restaurant and the microphone broke...yep, you guessed it, I got to call out the orders :) And this leads back to effervescent because I also have a funny disposition to go with that loudness. I laugh and talk a lot. I'm a pretty positive person most days and full of life and spirit. I can be bubbly. And I often am. So me=effervescent. But don't try to go find my picture next to it in the dictionary. I was already there and they had my dog who is only effervescent because she licked my daughter's bubble bottle before I could get to her. But that's a story for another day!

Misty

D, baby, Deeeeeeeeeeee

D is for down. I just really like a word that is so freaking versatile. You can go down, fall down, come down, feel down, be down, look down, sit down - and 44 other types of down - and that's just using it as an adverb. There's the down on a ducks back, the fine hair on a young baby, the furry like softness on a plant, the big rolling upland grassy country. I love them all and there are so many more. I don't have much more to say about the word Down, I just thought this was fascinating and wanted to bring it to your attention :)

Have a good night!

Misty

Compromise is where it is

Woo-hooo!!!! Almost didn't make it today and I'm actually sneaking in under the wire before I go to sleep :)

Compromise....I like compromising only when it favors me more than the other person. LOL. That's not entirely true, but it can be sometimes. Am I befuddling you? Compromise is something that I like to have my characters deal with. I think it shows real strength and courage to be able to put aside your own needs or bend your expectations to try and meet another person's needs also. Marriage is compromise. Sometimes raising a child is too, though you can't let them know it :) Writing is something I try not to compromise and especially the time I spend doing it.

So there you go. Probably not a new word for you, but one to think on, nonetheless!

Misty

B is for Befuddle

And that's my word for the day. To befuddle is to confuse and that's something I like to do :) When I write my mysteries (the latest is in the editing process with Dear Rida) I like to befuddle my reader, at least to some extent. I don't want them to not be able to follow the story. I don't want them to throw my book against the wall because they have no idea what is going on - known as a wallbanger. :)

But I do want them to be befuddled by the mystery. I would like them to not know who the killer is and why. I'd like the befuddlement to be fun for them, to be a pleasant feeling as they run through my pages of a whodunnit and try to outsmart Ivy. Befuddling is something I strive to achieve. Plus it just sounds cool :)

Misty Befuddle

A - It has come to my attention

Well, howdy again! It has come to my attention that my lovely publisher/editor signed up all of us Draumr authors for a little something she likes to call NaBloWriMo. We are all going to blog about the 26 letters of the Alphabet. I hope you knew there were 26 letters and I hope you also realize that it will mean additional posts from me, at least on Dean days :)

So my word for the day is antihero. I'm just picking these at random by flipping open my trusty dictionary. But I like this one. I like antiheroes. I like when I open a book and don't necessarily come across your typical alpha male who rules the world and only needs to find the right woman to cure his wily ways and settle him down but he'll still be domineering and over-(insert word here). Now I may just have pissed some people off, people who only write alpha heroes. And that isn't my intention. I like alphas sometimes. But it is refreshing to come across a hero who isn't obviously a hero at first. I like to see women who mesh with the guy, who work together with the guy to make each other complete. I like men who can immediately see that the woman is smart and capable and want to be a part of that instead of being the captain of the ship all the time. So there you go - antihero :)

Now, I was going to count the amount of a's in this post just to be perverse, but I'm a little worn down and seeing how long this is - not that crazy. But if you want to join in, want to have a predetermined topic to blog about over the next 26 days, we'd love to have you. This is going to be a blast. Can't wait to see what my u word will be :) Link me in the comments if you do the NaBloWriMo. I'd love to see it. Though after I type that word, I wonder if the Blo sends the wrong message. LOL!!!!

Misty

HA!

I wish I was invoking my right to pull pranks on April Fool's Day when I say I did absolutely NO WRITING yesterday, but sadly it is the truth and I'm the only fool.

But I do have 3 pages so far today and if I write 7 a day between now and Saturday I will still manage to reach my goal by a hair. So that's what I have on schedule for the next week. I came home to my living room nearly destroyed by the dogs from Hades and will now be caging them when we leave to go anywhere. They completely ate my calendar that I use to make sure I'm on the right day in a book and haven't said it's Saturday when it's really Wednesday. And they actually ate a CD of my daughter's. That ought to be interesting coming out.

Anyway, enough about my woes. Hopefully, I will come back tomorrow with more enthusiasm, less destruction and more pages. Wish me luck.

Misty

Nearing the halfway

All right! I'm nearing the halfway point of Sprinkles and that is A OK with me. This book is not the normal flowy writing that I do, but that can be a good thing :) As I've said before it is a completely new thing for me as I haven't written a romance in a while and I haven't written a women's fiction ever. So here I am in new territory, but my horoscope today said that I am challenging myself and may not be happy with my work today but I am moving in the right direction.

I call that permission to not write today! But I know better and won't actually take that easy out.

I got 12 pages last night and haven't written today yet, so I need to get going. Have a great night!

Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

Actually, it's not :( But my husband had his graduation ceremony from college last night and that's worth missing Supernatural reruns. Not sure if it would be worth it if it was a new episode. KIDDING!!! I think :)

So progress: 26 pages yesterday. Almost at my goal for the month which was halfway on Sprinkles. I'm at 146 pages right now with my morning prgress so I only have 54 pages to go before April 7. YES!!! I love being on track. And it is flowing this morning which is a blessing.

Talk to you on the flipside!

Misty

Challenged to write

So I've been challenged to blog about three words that I had to look up. I'm going to use them in sentences :) See if you can figure them out from the context.

I have a hard time walking around with this SESSILE barnacle attached to my hip, aka my kid. :)

The EPIGAMIC behavior of men can sometimes get to be cloying and annoying, especially if they're trying to rhyme and whining. LOL.

The FIZGIG was out to get me, but I hid behind the trash can and waited for them to whiz by!

Learn something new every day!

And progress: I have 10 pages so far today of new stuff and I am well on my way to have half done by the first weekend in April. YAY!

Misty

CHAT TONIGHT!!!!!

Woo-Hoo! It's chat night. I'm working hard (or hardly working) on getting together some interesting stuff to talk about in my chat tonight on writing Reignited, what the stories mean to me, and preparing myself for any questions posed :) Ought to be fun.

So come on over to the forum http://www.draumrpublishing.com/forums/chat/flashchat.php and join me for a rollicking time. Hope to see you there.

This message brought to you courtesy of Natalie Damschroder because apparently I was a slacker in not posting the link to the chat. Thanks, Natalie :) LOL.

Misty

Housekeeping

Well first off, may I just say huge congrats to all those who are finalists for the RITA and the GOLDEN HEART through RWA. This is a huge honor for them and a fantastic opportunity. I will be screaming for everyone at Nationals. My friend Maureen McGowan got the call and I couldn't be more thrilled for her. I also heard that another friend Caridad Ferrer is a Double finalist for her book Adios to My Old Life. Which was a fabulous read so I can totally understand. I know there are a bunch more people and I am very excited for them all. I wish every one of you could win.

As far as housekeeping: Very excited I now have over 100 friends on myspace. Thanks to everyone who friended me :) And I am chugging right along in the writing as well as the blogging. Yay me!

One more thing and this I hope you will pay attention to! I have that chat coming up on the 28th of this month. I hope you'll pop over to the forums at Draumr Publishing to hang out with me and keep me from being in the room all by my lonesome :)

Misty

Already Working

So I'm through all the old pages and working on the new ones. I have over 1000 words so far today and am on page 84. Things are chugging right along :) I just finished a great book called the Comic Toolbox which I highly recommend. It has a little bit of everything. Go, run and buy it if you want to write funny fiction.

As for a topic: Craft. This is a big one so I'll only cover a small portion, but the thing is no one can write inside a vacuum as far as I'm concerned. You have to keep learning, or relearning as you go along. I want to write bigger and better books every time I shoot out of the starting gate and to do that I have to continue to learn. So I read craft books (not the kind that tell you how to make doilies) and maybe pick up something new I didn't know before or solidify something I've known all along but haven't been putting into practice. I read books about writing funnier or about constructing better sentences. I refresh on Editing or turning off your internal editor when it's time to just write and not worry about it being the best thing since sliced bread when I write it the first time. I allow myself to absorb all this and write at the same time. One thing I do not do is overanalyze every single thing I read. I may not even believe everything I read. But sometimes it will internalize and hopefully make a better book all the way around.

So what kind of stuff do you read to make your work better? I'd love some recommendations :)

Misty

Progress in a shorty

Hello party people! As the title says, this is a shorty to say that I did some good work last night - almost 3000 new words and 40 pages edited with my new insight. Today I am so far at about 1000 new words and 15 old pages edited. I'm at page 80 and would love to hit 100 either tomorrow or Tuesday. We shall see.

Hope everyone had a good weekend :)

Misty

Contest!!!

Okay, so here's my contest! I got my books, my lovely, lovely books and after doing my ritual (which involves sleeping with one of my books after smelling it and rubbing the cover), I am ready to have a contest!!! I love contests :) And no you will not get the actual book I slept on. LOL. Unless you want it, but then that would probably be pretty gross. Ha!

Here's the contest: I blog on three different places so I'll be checking all three to see who gets the answer. And because this is coming later and because I promised before, there will be three winners. Apparently I have a thing for the number three :) The question for the contest is this: What song was I named after?

Put it in the comments, search for the answer, give it to me and voila! there you are the brand new owner of a copy of Reignited!!! You probably thought it was going to have something to do with my books, but I couldn't think of a good question with a clear answer on my books :) Have at it. First three with the right answer will get a copy of the book, signed, sealed and delivered at my expense. And if no one answers then I guess I have three extra copies of my books to cherish :)

Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

And how! If you are missing Supernatural, you are seriously missing great writing, fantastic acting, wonderful, heartwrenching stories, and Dean and Sam! Dean was excellent last night, one tear falling from his eye, Through most of the episode he was his normal cocky self and I loved the clear bottomed stiletto heels and the way he holds a dollar :) And Sam was out of this world. His descent into hopelessness made me cry, really cry. The writers for this show are to be highly commended. I didn't think they would do what they did in this episode and it makes me respect them even more that they were willing to go to that place. Dean and Sam played it perfectly. And just watching Dean walk anywhere is pure pleasure :)

Writing wise: Got 7 pages done yesterday. Tromping through the part I had already written and culling what shouldn't be there, changing the parts that no longer fit with my new vision of the book. Good stuff.

I watched The Return of the King extended version yesterday and just love Viggo and Orlando! So my day was full of hunks. LOL.

More writing today. I hope to get to the new stuff before the day is through. That's where I write faster and more fluidly.

Wish me luck!

Misty

On the Covers

I'll start out by saying that I hand wrote 4 pages yesterday and got the rest of the plotting/planning done. Story pages is the focus today. And why does that always seem so scary to write that? It feels like I put it on the blog and then it is set in stone. LOL.

Anyway! Topic is covers on books. There was a recent discussion on a writer's loop I frequent about covers and what to do when you hate yours. Now normally I have heard that with bigger publishing houses, you get almost no input on what you want your cover to look like. They send it to you and that's it. Other publishers let you fill out a form with your ideas and they may or may not even pay attention to what you want. Some covers you don't see until you pop onto the website and there it is. I've heard of covers with red haired heroines when the woman inside the story has blond. Or covers that look anatomically incorrect and impossible. Ones that had nothing to do with the subject of the book.

At Draumr I get a lot of input and I love it. I just got the rough draft of my next Ivy book and I am tickled happy! It's exactly what I wanted with a little change. So I wanted to jump in on the discussion where everyone was saying they get no input, but I also didn't want to sound like I was bragging. I did have one cover at another publisher for a charity book that wasn't quite to my liking, but the thing was it was the standard cover for their short stories. No room to wiggle on that, and it still wasn't bad necessarily.

If you're a writer, how have you felt about your covers? And if you're a reader, how important is the cover? I might pick something up from a shelf because the cover looks funny or good or dark (depending on my mood) but I don't think I'd buy a book solely for the cover if I didn't like the story. Well, unless Jensen Ackles was on the cover, then all bets are off :)

Misty

Blech

I'm sick so this may not be the most coherent of posts. Got more plotting/planning done yesterday. Hoping to get more done today and start writing. Went to Open house last night and it was a blast. Will watch rest of LOTR 2 today and relax with my pad and pen. Still stoked about the story and liking it even more now that I have most of it worked out :) Apparently incapable of writing complete sentence with subject and all. :)

I have nothing really witty or interesting to say today with my head clogged and my eyes scratchy (no, it is not a pretty picture). I'll leave you now so I don't waste your time putting random musings down that will make absolutely no sense tomorrow.

Misty

Laughing and Snorting, Snorting and Laughing

...and crying. I went to the movies last night. Sat in the darkened theater by myself - which I love 'cause no one else is bothering me for some of my popcorn. Waded through 15 minutes of previews, then watched Music and Lyrics. And oh my word! I loved that movie. I will own the movie when it comes out. It had everything - 80s hair and music (can't go wrong with Pop goes my heart LOL) and a has been who needs to be again. I loved Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. I laughed, I giggled, I guffawed. I might have even snorted. Poor other two people in the theater sitting in front of me :) It's been out for a while and it was a Monday so I was hoping for a small audience and got it.

The point of this little gush fest is that I love movies like this! I love romantic movies that have comedy and some seriousness and aren't completely based on a comedy of errors like mistaken identity or just a series of misunderstandings and people stomping out (while tripping over chairs). And this is what I hope I write. This is what I want to write. This is the focus I am going to keep as I scrap all 12 pages I wrote yesterday, sit down with my small notepad, figure out where the story is going and soldier on. I tried pantsing (for a week) and it is not for me. I said I was going to wing it, but 12 pages of absolute scrap material is not a good use of my time. So off to the drawing pad I go and hopefully I'll come back tomorrow with renewed purpose and fantastic pages.

Misty

On the word train

Yesterday's rest is being put to good use. I have five pages under my belt as of right now and the child will be going to school soon, so I'll have some free hours. If I get all my pages down today, I'm treating myself to a night at the movies with Music and Lyrics.

I posted late today so I could get some work done and feel like I actually accomplished something to put on here :) And I have, so I did! More progress coming throughout the day. But I going to stop at or about 15 pages. If I'm in the swing I may go a little farther, but I don't want the burnout of a few days ago where I stalled at 42 pages and haven't written since.

Wish me luck :)

I'm also going to be putting a word counter on here as I tried to before. If it doesn't work, I'll just post progress. Either way, I'm moving!

Misty

Again

Phew! I made it here. I didn't want to break my lovely stride on continuous posts, but I almost did. Almost BAD MISTY! I almost didn't get a biscuit :) Horrors!

All right, so again I have to say no progress, at least not on the word count. I have been giving myself time to really try to understand the premise of Sprinkles and the theme along with what the characters want and how I'm not going to just give it to them. So that is a kind of progress, though not one that I'll be able to measure until I put it down on paper and run with it.

Part of my thing is that I haven't written a true romance, one without a mystery, or one that isn't erotic romance in forever. In fact I've never had one published at all except for my novella in Leading Ladies. I love that story (and so should you! Ashlyn was a hoot to write and humble), but it was about 100 pages or less on my computer. I'm going to need at least 400 pages on this manuscript which is quite a bit more. Quite! And I guess I just worry that I won't have enough to carry the whole story through to the end. I mean, when things are dragging in a mystery, you give a new clue or kill someone else. LOL. In novellas you only have a hundred pages to tell the whole story. Both can survive without copious amounts of the romance. But romance is what drew me writing in the first place and I want to get back to it. Actually, I want to do it along with the mysteries. Have no fear Ivy Fans!!

So the point of this whole post was to say that tomorrow begins new word counts. I want to have this written by the end of April. 13-15 pages a day. I can do this. Remind me to come back and read my own post when I'm having a crappy day :)

Misty

Happy St. Patrick's Day

So are you wearing green? Or do I have to pinch you? I am currently wearing green in my pjs. Please don't look at the clock to see what time it is :) LOL.

Progress: HA! What progress? I did exactly 450 words yesterday, about 2 pages. So much for 13-15 a day. But I plan on getting back on track today. I'm tenacious if nothing else and this book is so not going to kick my a$$ :)

Topic: Writing fluidly. I try hard to make my first draft as close to what I want the final to be as possible. I may forget commas or misspell words, but I do try to find the right words. Normally that works for me. But I think this time I might need to just get it out then fix it up. Someone (I think Cherry Adair) said throw it up then clean it up :) Nora Roberts's has said you can't fix a blank page. So I need to fill up those pages, turn off my internal critic who seems to be working overtime lately and get it done!

Oh and: I feel almost smarmy saying this to you, so bear with me. I had said several days ago that I was going to do a contest soon. Unfortunately, I didn't get my order in for my books until today and probably won't get them in house for another 2 weeks. So....if you've been checking back to win a Reignited, I apologize (though I hope you have been enjoying the blog for other reasons too!). I'm hoping to have the books available in 2 weeks so I'll do the contest then and will offer three prizes instead of just one. 'Cause that's the kind of girl I am :) I also have a chat coming up at Draumr Publishing. It's going to be on March 28th at 9pm EST so mark your calendars. I'm sure they will be give aways then too :)

Have a good day!
Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

Okay!!!!! We are back to my favorite day of the week and it's even better because last night was a brand spanking new episode. Man, do I hope they keep these coming for a while and next week looks like it's going to ROCK! Werewolves.... And Dean was fabuloso! I love the way he walks and the control he has over those fantabulous eyebrows. So much conveyed in one crinkling. Yum. The storyline last night was awesome and very surprising, also very well done. Sigh...I love Dean and Sam. They have such great characters :) and butts. LOL. Seriously though, when they do those ground shots were the camera is below and you are watching them walk away to the car and you get the ant's view from the ankles then the calves, then the thighs, then...well you get the drift. One of the best shots ever imagined. Woot! Their acting isn't shabby either. ROFL. Actually they are very very talented. If you aren't watching you should be. Take my word for it! I wouldn't lie to you.

And today is my daughter's birthday! So much stuff to do and so many things to celebrate.

Also I got 42 pages written yesterday. I'm on a roll, but I'm going back to 13 to 15 pages a day total. My hands hurt from yesterday and I'm trying for a more even output than tons one day and crap the next. Wish me luck!

Misty

Some MySpace Fun

I will totally cop to the fact that I am a complete and utter squee girl when it comes to music stuff. I love me some Tori Amos, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, Concrete Blonde...The list goes on and on as witnessed by my fairly large CD, tape and album collection. I would hope that if faced with any of these people I would not pull a Beatles fan and faint on sight, but I can make no promises. So long as I didn't just scream in their faces and run away, I would call anything else a bonus.

So onto the title :) Yesterday, I spent some (HA! a lot!) of time rumbling around inside MySpace and stalking...I mean, asking as many of my faves as I could find to be my friend. I was not aware Jack Johnson was in HI (bad fan) but it's funny because I lived there for a while. And The Cure has one of my favorite songs playing on their space. I'm sure most of the groups do not individually check their MySpace pages but it was kind of fun for my husband to come home last night and I said "Tori Amos is my friend." It stopped him in his tracks for a sec :) I also made Weird Al Yankovic my friend and him I at least had met at his parents one year for Christmas. The rest are dreams. Including Jay and Silent Bob. We've been to their store in Red Banks, NJ, but they weren't there.

Anyway, just a little post to say how cool I think MySpace is. And if you pop over to my profile you can see a slideshow of all my books as well as a picture of yours truly. If I look like I'm secretly laughing at something, it's because I am. I couldn't remember if I had zippered my pants and didn't want to check in front of the photographer. My shirt covered it, but still.

Misty

Ready to write

Here I am! Ready to write and have a good production day. I've scrapped the entire 100 pages I wrote and am starting over again. I might save 5 pages but that's iffy. The whole tone of the previous writing was wrong. I've just refreshed myself on the book HOW TO WRITE FUNNY with Jennifer Crusie and am raring to go. I have given myself the time to let the story rumble around in my head and I feel good about that. But why do I feel like I just jinxed myself? LOL.

I think writing funny or humor can be harder sometimes than other genres. Humor is subjective. Almost anyone would cry at a scene where a woman is losing her lover to a slow painful death and weep with her when she cries over his still, wasted form lying in the hospital bed set up in their living room because she wanted to have him die at home as was his last wish. Tears would pool over the woman who was so emotionally torn over the prospect of losing her child in a custody battle with a man determined to ruin her. But not everybody would laugh over a woman trying to get her pantyhose to please stay at her waist instead of hovering around her crotch and making the crotch fall to the knees. I need to create a community where you feel for her and laugh with her. I know I've done it before and hope I can do it again. I love that how-to book and want to keep the collective experience it talks about in mind while I write.

Here's to new beginnings (again!).

Misty

It's beautiful out today

I'm a little later than usual on this today. Normally I blog first thing in the morning, but it just didn't happen today. At least I'm here now! But I don't really have anything to say. Meh.

I haven't been working hard, but I have been working. Trying to start Sprinkles over from the top and give it my own twist. I think it is going to be a fabulous book. Check back in about a week and I'll probably be cursing it, but that's just the way it goes sometimes :)

Did errands this morning in preparation for my daughter's birthday. And she got this new Webkinz thing. OY! Can we say totally addicting? It's on the internet. You adopt the pet stuffed animal you buy at the store and then it gets to play on the computer. You get a room to furnish, games to play and you can have a job to earn money. So far our unicorn has a trampoline and is very happy and healthy. You'll notice I said our :) It's mine too!!!

On that note, I will go and do some more thinking about the story. Nat commented on yesterday's blog about each book being a different experience. Megan and Vicki said they still didn't know what they were doing. LOL. So I'm not alone and I need to go be Magellan!

Wish me luck!

Magellan Misty

Back to Writing

So I'm back down to earth after my weekend. Yesterday we did pony camp and as fun as that is for my daughter, eh not so much for me. I think I'm a little big for ponies :)

I think I have the hook I want for my new Sprinkles story and it is going to involve pretty much starting all over. Not a huge problem, but I was 100 pages in and that's a lot to cut. But I'd rather do it now than start all over again after it's done at 400+ pages. I actually did this very same thing with HAB. That story started out as a YA with a mood ring. Moved on, changed, morphed, got better, ended up being one of my favorite books I've written. So I'm well aware this can work out in the end, but GOD! the getting there sucks.

I feel like every book I write is done differently. Some I map, some I plot, some I sit down and just write it. And none of them are consistent. I've done notecards with each scene, posterboard and sticky notes, written 100 pages then sat down and thought out the rest. I've had books where I had to go long hand for 50 pages before I could get back to the computer. Sigh. But once I find the way to do it for this particular book, I usually fly. So here's to finding the right way to write :)

Misty

Paying Homage to Omar

I was going to wait for the pictures before posting this, but I just can't :) So...went to dinner last night at a wonderful place called Casablanca in Warrington, PA. You can go to casablancaone.com to see it. The one with the belly dancers. The one with the male belly dancer I wasn't expecting :) And OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had the most excellent time! The woman, Shelley, was wonderful. My daughter actually got up and danced and gave her a tip. Brave girl :) But the guy....the guy named Omar....was righteous. He was fluid and lovely and so much fun. He danced with my aunt and her friend Kelly, my friend Tiff and my cousin Sherri and it was so awesome. And then my daughter gave him a tip too. Think I might be warping her? LOL. It was fabulous and I will totally be going there again. Who knew I could sit through a nine course meal over three hours and still walk? I could have sworn I would need wheel barrow service to the car.

I have no topic today but my horoscope said I would feel like I was running and not going anywhere, but to keep running anyway because I will gain experience and insight from it. Okay. I can apply that to the crap going through my head right now considering I am about to change the direction of Sprinkles yet again. I am almost at 100 pages and to give lie to my statement yesterday that the flow was picking up, it crashed. The story doesn't feel right. It isn't flowing right. It isn't the story I see in my head. So it's back to the drawing board (big pad of paper) I go. I think I may bring one of the more minor characters to the front, still write in third, still have multiple POVs, but this time the emphasis will be different. I think I like it. But stay tuned to see if I wig out again :) It's always a possibility!

Misty

Going Belly Dancing

No, not me sillies! I wouldn't belly dance if you paid me though I do appreciate watching people like Shakira do it. Snapping hips, immobile torsos. So much control. But tonight is my aunt's birthday party and apparently dinner will be at a place outside Philly where the entertainment will be belly dancers. Alrighty then. I'm taking my daughter. We'll see how that goes since she thought SHE would be belly dancing and was very disappointed that that wasn't the way it worked. HA!

Progress: I got 27 pages done yesterday. The flow is picking up which is nice but I have to keep reminding myself that this story does not need to be done in 30 days or less. I wrote 8 books last year (as I think I've mentioned) and HAB came out in about 28 days. Which is great but tiring. I promised myself that this year would move a little slower, but I'm finding that I need to slow it more. LOL. I actually said I would write four this year and that means I shouldn't be anywhere near a new ms until April 1st. You'll witness how that's going for me :)

Topic: Scenes. So the point of a scene is to show (not tell) characters interacting in a way that moves your story forward. I write pretty linear stories in general and I find in first person that moves well because you have one time line and one person to interact with others to get the story moving. In third person and with other viewpoint characters, this can get murky. You don't want to repeat all the information you just had from another person's head. You don't want to recap what they were feeling at that point in time. It needs to move forward and keep going. The best advice I ever heard was making sure your POV character is the one with the most at stake in the scene. Run with that :)

Misty

YEAH! Good progress and a free day!

16 pages!!!! Over 3000 words yesterday and feeling good. And today my daughter is gone all day so I have plenty of time to write all by myself :) Come back tomorrow to see if I did anything big!

Normally this is Dean-Apalooza Day. But last night Supernatural was a rerun and my daughter and I had a pretend vacation with a blue blanket for the ocean and beach towels stretched out on our brown carpet of sand :) I love her imagination.

This is going to be a shorty because I don't want to procrastinate too long :)

Misty

Got My Author Copies!

I just love getting the mail and having boxes pop up. Yesterday's box had a special surprise! I got my author copies of Reignited and they are fabulous! The cover is great, the insides smell so wonderful :) and the back has a wonderful page listing my books! This is the first time I have ever had a coming soon listing and it is so exciting!!!!! Something Old, Something Dead is coming soon! I'm going to have a contest a week from now to win one of them. I hope you'll stop back in to try to win :)

Aside: I used way too many !!! in the above paragraph.

Topic: POV. Ah, there are so many camps on this. Some are POV purist, some headhop without a care in the world. Some only like first person, some won't read first and only read third. I myself read both and like both if done well. I'm not a big fan of head hopping. I personally like one person's POV per chunk or scene. I can go with a change in mid scene if it's not jarring and is obvious that the author has switched. And there needs to be a reason. But that's a topic for another day :) As for today, I'm trying to get back into the swing of third person still. I hope I won't struggle through it the whole way. I forced one of my friends to look at the first handful of pages and she said it wasn't stiff or formal. So I have hope I may not be doing it wrong :) LOL.

Have a great day!
Misty

CAKE!!!!

Found this at Natalie's blog amd it's fun :)

You Are a Marble Cake

Eclectic, inventive, and peaceful. You are never willing to accept what's "normal." You live to push the envelope. You find it hard to make up your mind. You prefer to have everything you want, right away!

What Kind of Cake Are You?

Feeling Fine

Snow Day! So we're home in our pajamas today and having a snow day! I plan on getting work done around having the munchkin home. I got my 13 pages done for yesterday and am feeling good about my progress. I'm trying for slower and steadier this time because it's a different kind of book.

No topic today because I want to get things moving :)

Misty

Here we go!

All right! Here I am, I'm ready to work, I have my stuff set up for ease of writing. I've got my plan, I have my document set up on my laptop the way I want it. Now all I have to do is write.

What's that? Why am I on the blog then? Well, for one, I want to kind of keep myself honest by reporting in here daily. For two, I'm procrastinating, just a little. Didn't think I'd admit that did you? But it can be a little unsettling starting a new project again. Especially since this one is completely like nothing I've done before. I normally write in first person, this will be in third. Because I normally write in first I only have one POV character. In this I'll have four or five. I normally write knee slapping funny stuff and this will be funny but not so slap sticky at times.

So I'm changing quite a bit and am hesitant to start. But I will today!! And I'm starting with a little over 7000 words to my credit. I'm gonna be jumping that number starting today. Honest :)

Misty

Memories

So here's the thing. Normally this is a happy, peppy blog and that's normally who I am. But today is the anniversary (it seems morbid to use that word but I can't think of another) of my grandfather's death 3 years ago. He was like a father to me and this is a hard day. So I wrote a little something. If you don't want to read it, I completely understand. If you do, I hope you take away the love and caring in it instead of the sadness.

Misty
**********************

Tish sits with her husband of 57 and a half years. Holding his hand loosely in hers, she absorbs the feel of his calloused flesh against her own smooth but aging skin. They’d held hands thousands, millions, of times in the past, his firm, broad hand nearly swallowing her tiny one, always protective, always comforting. And now it was hers to do the comforting. They’d made it through laughter and tears, joys and sorrows, forever holding hands and she wouldn’t have it be any different now.

“You are a wonderful husband,” she whispers, her throat choked with unshed tears. “You are a wonderful Daddy, a wonderful man. I will love you forever. We’ve shared so many wonderful years, but it’s time for you to rest now, my darling.”

She places a kiss on their joined hands. Memories flood her mind: resting her head on his lap while he rubbed her back and they watched the sunset from whatever part of the world they were living in at the time; two short kisses whenever they said good morning or goodbye; gazing into his beautiful brown eyes as they said “I do” at the justice of the peace so many years ago; “Isle of view” inscribed in any concrete that was ever set for them and written in every card exchanged – their own little inside memory for the words I love you. She places another kiss on his forehead and a lone tear drops onto his beloved face. He doesn’t move except to squeeze her hand. ‘I love you, too’ he seems to say, ‘Isle of view, forever.’

Two breaths later, Tish gently extracts her hand from the clasp of the man she loves more than life itself and places that strong, warm hand on the pale blue sheet that covers him. She bows her head and places two quick kisses on his still lips. Her two daughters enter the room and she quietly says, “He’s gone.”

Fun Times, fun times - with Lani Diane Rich, too!

I am always so jazzed when I get to go to my local RWA chapter meeting. We have the BEST chapter in the entire world!!! So supportive, fun and informative. And we have a blast which is great. I just love the energy in the room with all those writers in one place. And I'll be going to our annual retreat where we have four fun-filled days of writing, kibitzing and general mayhem. Woo-Hoo!

But yesterday I also got to see one of my favorite authors - Lani Diane Rich!!! If you don't have her books - RUN TO THE STORE NOW!!! Time Off for Good Behavior is one of my faves and The Fortune Quilt is the newest. All the books in between are great too. And even though I know her, I still feel squee when I see her. Her books are amazing, so funny and true. She has a great way with words, and she's just a hoot as a person. She was signing at Nora Robert's husband's book store, Turn The Page, in Maryland with Nora and I drove down to get a bite to eat with her and some of the women from Jennifer Crusie's Cherry Group. We were loud and boisterous, much laughter ensued :)

And then I came home and wrote out the rest of my outline for Sprinkles. I made myself cry a little even with the outline and I am so excited to get this book started. Later today I am going to find one of those word counter things and start racking up the little liquid line that moves with progress. YES!

Misty

Overloaded but fun

I am so proud of myself! I have now posted every day for thirty-one days!!!! Yay, me!

Today's post is going to be short 'cause I got a lot of stuff to do :) Meetings, lunch with friends an hour away and writing. I'm starting up on writing Sprinkles again today. Took some time off but am raring to go at this point. Kid is going to Grandma's and hubby is at work. Part of me wants to stay home for the day and enjoy the quiet, but I have commitments. Though they don't feel like commitments since they will all be fun as all get out.

Anyway, I just didn't want to break my cool streak here of posting daily, so here I was and here I'm gone :)

Misty

Super Duper Release Day!

If you've been following along at all, you know that today is traditionally Dean-Apalooza Day!!!!! And may I say he was muy macho in Supernatural last night. When he looks into the camera and says his name and mocks doing a date video....swoon :)

But today is also the day of my newest release. So Dean will have to take me into the backseat...um...Dean will have to take a backseat (LOL) while I gush a little over my newest book. :) Here's the blurb. I hope you'll like it, it was a blast to write and fun to think about what you'd do if the one who got away came back for your veiwing pleasure!
***********************

Have you ever wondered what you’d do if you were given a second chance with the one who got away? Join three women as they discover how to thrive and love when an old flame is REIGNITED.

Tunnel Of Love

Heather Winston knows she made the right decision two years ago when she left town for an important job promotion. But she’s never stopped thinking about Kevin, who’d let her walk out of his life without a single word. When she unexpectedly sees him at her family reunion, she’s thrown for a loop, and yet still very attracted. Why does he have to look so damn good? And how far can she take a little payback without losing her heart again?

First and Last Kiss

Rebecca Thompson’s whole life has taken a turn for the worse. She’s lost her job, put her dreams on hold indefinitely, and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel for the emotional train wreck barreling down on her. Enter a sexy stranger with the killer smile that entices her into a one-night stand that turns out to be a whole lot more than she ever bargained for.

Eyeing Candy

Candy, er, Candace Derringer is back in her small hometown for her high school reunion and she’s determined to snag the man she’s crushed on for years. Unfortunately, he is a total dud and completely self-absorbed. It seems her whole trip (not to mention all her fun) will be a complete loss. Until a nerd turned sexy bed and breakfast owner shows her a new meaning for the phrase “room service.”

Three courageous women, three gorgeous men, three fun stories about getting another chance at love and grabbing it with both hands. Come along with Heather, Rebecca and Candace as they experience the rides of their lives.

You can get it at www.draumrpublishing.com and I believe from B&N and Amazon.com. Enjoy!

Misty

Thinly Veiled

Hello, party people! I got up way too early this morning so I will type this and then I am so going to veg on the couch.

My topic: Stuff in books. LOL. Seriously. I was reading one of my friend Nat's (see her blog and website in side bar) books, Indulgence, which you should run out and get immediately if you do not have it :) Anyway, she has a character in one of the stories Meghan Harp who closely resembles a friend of ours who shall remain nameless but I bet you could find her on the side bar too. And it was just that much funnier to read about her licking Vin Deisel's head. Yum, Vin!

And I do some of my own stuff. In HAB I make a vague reference to Fatty Chicken and use it as an endearment - there is one person in the world who understands that. I also use girly whirlies - 5 people for that one. I think it's fun to read and be aware of it, but I know I have enjoyed many books that have stuff like that without ever knowing what it is.

What do you put in your writing or speech every day that no one gets but you and a few of your close personal cohorts?

Misty

Blurbarella

Well today is starting out nicely. I'm up a whole lot earlier than I need to be, but the quiet of the house is very soothing when normally I have dogs and a child running around. Everyone's asleep.

The title of this blog is kind of a joke with my publisher. I seem to have a knack for back copy blurbs on books and so I get asked to do quite a few. I do my own because that's the way things are set up Draumr, but I've also done some of the other Draumr authors' blurbs or have at least done my own version and then my publisher, the lovely Rida, tweaks them for what she wants. Gotta say, it's a lot of fun. I like condensing the book into something grabby, something that will hopefully make the dear reader want to snatch it off the shelf and guard it with her life until she gets to the cashier and buys it, then being assured no one is going to snatch it out of her hands. I like drawing all of the elements into a short few paragraghs that will be irresistable. Or at least what I hope is irresistable :)

Synopses on the other hand suck! LOL. Not really suck, but they are harder to get down exactly what you want to say within a certain page limit. Blurbs are tantalizing and you can leave things out. Synopses have to have all the elements and the ending set in an order that will show the editor or agent what they can expect before they actually read your story. It's pressure, plain and simple. But I did take a course once with the wonderful Mary Buckham who runs Writer University that really helped me get the concept lodged firmly in my brain. You should trundle on over there for a look at her courses if you are an aspiring author or just need a brush up. Tell her I sent you, she'll get a kick out of that.

Misty

Speed

So I was talking to one of my writer friends yesterday and others a week or so ago and we were discussing some authors that put out one book a year, As witnessed by the fast I wrote an 80,000 word book in 27 days, edited in three and am nearing the end of the second run through I write faster than that. And maybe the authors who only do one book a year do also, but only put out one a year. I don't know.

What I do know is that if I only wrote one book a year, I would be bored stiff. And I have to take into account that I do not work at a job outside my house, I only have one child who is pretty self sufficient and a husband who doesn't demand much. I have time that others might not.

I think any writing in a year is a huge accomplishment. If you wrote one page a day for a year, you'd have a whole book on Day 365. That's fantastico! They even have a whole line of How To books about being a weekend writer, breaking it down into chunks to get your manuscript plotted, written, and edited by year end. Some people take months and do character sketches, plot treatments, compile reams of notes. I think everyone's method varies. And as long as it works, go for it!

Me, I write fast, I plot fast, I edit fast. Does that mean my way's better? Absolutely not. But it does mean that I need to cut myself some slack sometimes when I'm not having a huge writing day, when I'm not pounding out 43 pages within that day. I also want to write good and there are days that just isn't going to happen.

And I feel like I'm rambling :) Well, at least I'm writing, right?

Misty

And So It Begins

Husband left very early this morning and now won't be back til very late. It's going to be very hard for every one to adjust to this new life for the next year or so. But we'll make it.

And also I started my new manuscript last night. Got 14 new pages and am setting the same goal for myself as before. 13 pages a day. Hopefully I can keep it up but I'm almost positive it won't go as quickly as HAB did. I don't know if I could sustain that kind of frenzied writing again anyway :) Not that I'd turn it down if it happened, you understand. I'm all mapped out and know where I'm going. Today at least. LOL.

So...to new beginnings. It feels right to have all this happening at the same time. I'm going to run with that feeling.

Misty

Little things that can trip you up

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it's the little things that trip you up? Ah, well. What are you going to do?

Yesterday was my husband's last day off for about the next year or so. Blech. I'm trying to organize how this will work with him doing two jobs and get around the fact that I am essentially about to become a single parent except for Sat and Sun nights. Ought to be interesting.

When I went to reach for the papertowels yesterday, we were OUT! and that meant a big old trip to the store for everything else we were out of. And let me tell you, the trip was crazy. We're supposed to get an icy rain storm and snow today and you'd think they were calling for a freaking blizzard! There was almost NO shampoo on the shelves, bread was nearly gone, milk nonexistant. It's not going to snow you in for a month, people! But I guess that's just me :)

Did finally get to sit down and work on story plan for Sprinkles after running around all day. I am loving this story and my dogs are loving sitting on the big paper, gnawing on it and trying to get my pencil while I write. Have you ever tried to write with a 10 lb dog sitting right on the spot where you need to work? And they'd go back again and again no matter how many times I moved their little tushies. No squeezing! LOL.

So more working today and plotting/planning (though I don't work out the whole thing. I do like to leave some for discovery while I'm immersed in the writing) and I need to start working on getting reviews for Reignited. I just found out it will be available FEBRUARY 28!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Misty

Rolling in Clover

I could not for the life of me get anything to work this morning. Don't ask, wasn't pleasant. So I went shopping :) Bought all the TBR stuff I've wanted for ages and slapped down the plastic to get it done. That'll teach my husband to sleep in. Bwahahaha!

Onward and Upward! I've been editing another friend's book and having a great time with it. Also getting more crits back from my partners and loving that. New book brewing in my head. Going to put aside the It Ain't Broke for now and go back to my very first book I had originally written for Harlequin category stuff. I can see now why they rejected it :) LOL. But I'm tearing it down, combining it with something else I was going to write as a sequel, giving it more going on and an overarcing story. Phew! But it's going to be FUN! and I think I'm going to call it What's Life Without the Sprinkles? Woo-Hoo!

So now I do get to go to my big old pad of paper and start messing around. Cannot wait. I'm going now :) See you on the flipside.

Misty

Dean-Apalooza DAY!!!!

Wow! Here we are again at Dean-Apalooza DAY! I'm pretty impressed with myself with how I've managed to keep this going for so long :) Now it's like a habit to get up in the morning and pop on here to blog. YAY!

Dean is still muy scrumptious. Last night was a re-run, but I would never pass up a chance to gawk at him and Sam. I want the hug Sam gave the Inn owner. Oy! Tush squeezing! I watched the gag reels on the First Season DVDs and was cracking up. I love to see them playful. This one thing where they're doing a Christmas greeting had me howling. They were impersonating the two guys from Strange Brew and oh, God...you have to go see it! I hope more and more people will appreciate how incredibly well the show is done and start watching more. Supernatural fans UNITE! LOL.

Progress: My wunnerful friend Vicki Smith has already sent me back all my chapters and was laughing very hard through the whole thing (hopefully in only the right places) and more critiqued chapters are filing in. I'm very happy that I'm tickling funny bones. And it is always nice to hear that your manuscript doesn't suck :)

Misty

50 things

Make that 48 :)

1. Height?
5′6″
2. Have you ever smoked heroin?
Have to say no to that one. Never touch the stuff.
3. Do you own a gun?
Nope
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Sometimes
6. What do you think of hot dogs?
Lurve!
7. What’s your favorite Christmas song?
Jingle Bell Rock
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Iced Tea
9. Can you do push ups?
Ha! I say HA!
10. Is your bathroom clean?
Um, is my husband reading this?
11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
Star Sapphire Ring
12. Do you like painkillers?
No
13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
I’m fantabulous, they flock without me having to do a single thing
14. Do you have A.D.D.?
What was the question? (I liked Megan Hart’s answer so I copied it, like I’m copying her list
15. What’s your name?
Misty – or Hey Hey Mama!
16. Middle Name?
Hey – see above
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?
I’m thrilled I’m done with this round of editing, I wish my husband would come home, my daughter is a lovely child.
18. Name the last 3 things you bought:
Iced Tea bags, candy hearts, Reese’s peanut butter eggs
Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
Iced Tea times three
22. Current worry?
that my story sucks
23. Current hate?
yapping dogs
24. Favorite place to be?
hanging out in my big chair
25. How did you bring in the New year?
setting off fireworks in the backyard. Love the laws around here.
26. Where would you like to go?
Scotland
27. Do you own slippers?
yes
28. What shirt are you wearing?
pink long john
29. Do you burn or tan?
lobster burn and peel, repeat
30. Favorite color(s)?
green and purple
31. Would you be a pirate?
Bloody well yes. Argh!
32. Are you gay?
that would be a no
33. What songs do you sing in the shower?
Depeche Mode
34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
classic movie monsters who would drag me into a pinball machine and chase me
35. What’s in your pockets right now?
nothing
36. Where are you?
At my desk
37. Best bed sheets as a child?
Holly Hobbie, baby
38. Worst injury you’ve ever had?
broken collar bone, twice
40. How many TVs do you have in your house?
three
41. Who is your loudest friend?
Lainey
42. Who is your quietest friend?
Lisa
43. Does someone have a crush on you?
Who doesn’t?
44. Do u wish on shooting stars?
Yes
45. What is your favorite book?
Lots – favorite is probably Where the Sidewalk Ends
46. What is your favorite candy?
Anything peanut butter and chocolate
47. What song do/did you want played at your wedding?
Somebody
48. What song do you want played at your funeral?
Punk Rock Girl
49. What were you doing at 12AM last night?
Dreaming
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
Today is going to rock.

Misty

Snorting, writing and other ing words

My publisher has declared that they are thinking about putting a disclaimer on my books for the snorting thing. LOL. I would love that, but that's just me :)

I'm up to 254 pages edited and cruising. I have about 150 left to go and then I'll be done! What a wonderful feeling (another ing for you, dear reader). But I'm having (ha) one of those moments where I really want to get on to the next book. I'm finding (hee) myself drawn to my big pad of paper, it's huge, and wanting to start exploring new characters and what they have to say. I had thought about going back to an old story and trying to revamp that and sending out again. But part of me really wants to move on to something completely new. I might call it It Ain't Broke. But we'll see. I do have two books that I wrote a long time ago that I still love and would like to update and polish now that I think I have a better handle on the writing part. I look at some of the really old stuff and think "Lordy, could I have made any more mistakes!?!?!" but that's all part of the process for me and one I enjoyed.

But I don't need to make any decisions just yet, since I have to finish Having A Ball! before I'm allowed to do anything at all :) Must keep eyes on the page and nose to the notepad of corrections. Bleeping freaking bleeping yay :) LOL.

Misting - who uses a lot of ing words