Progress! Obsessed for Zane

This was the view from one of the windows of my hotel room. The conference was held in the Affinia Manhattan on 7th Avenue. The marquee for Madison Square Gardens is on the left. The colorful lights of Times Square are at the end of the street. I loved the hotel. The rooms were spacious and included kitchenettes–great for storing cheesecake and leftovers.

Other than Times Square, I didn’t get pictures of the sights most tourists HAVE to take when they go to New York. Although this was my fourth trip, I still haven’t been to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island or the Empire State Building–and ESB was only four blocks away, and I could see it in the distance pretty much everywhere I walked! Next time, I’ll do the toursist thing, if only to get the pictures everyone’s supposed to take.

My pictures were of friends, an accident that occurred on the street below my hotel room window (more about that later!), and the subway. I even forgot to take pictures of my editors!!

But this first photo of the traffic jam was pretty much a theme. See that sea of yellow cabs? I think I know every driver. Not a one of them is born in New York, but every one of them is certifiably insane. They drive like kamikazes with a death wish. Myla strapped her seat belt on and bleated strangled screams as they dashed in and out of lanes and stomped their brakes to avoid bumpers and bodies. I treated our taxi adventures like amusement park rides and was thrilled with every honk, swear word, and profane gesture. I laughed wildly. Syliva Day’s taxi crashed on her way to see an editor, and I can tell you honestly I was disappointed it wasn’t me. Wierd, I know, and yes, Sylvia is fine–thank God.

But that’s just me. I find adventure in the oddest things. Take the rickshaws. In New York, when you can’t find a “real” taxi, you can take these tiny bicycle-pulled rickshaws. They’re even more fun than the taxis because they weave in and out without all the metal between you and the rest of the motorized traffic.

I convinced Myla to take one. She squealed; we both laughed hilariously, mostly because we felt super-sorry for the skinny dude who had to stand on his pedals to get our fat asses uphill. Don’t worry, he received a very generous tip.

Lastly, there’s the subway. Whoever said that New Yorkers are rude, never travelled with us. After Kate Duffy (an editor at Kensington) kindly showed us where and how to catch one, we had no problems. And when we needed help figuring out where we were and how to get to the next place, there were plenty of natives ready to help. There’s nothing like having a woman shout at the top of her lungs from the end of the next car down, “It’s your stop!!” She was very worried we’d miss our street. We even opened our purses to a man who looked homeless, but who showed us how to buy a subway card and swipe it at the turnstiles. I wish I had a picture of me looking fabulous, but after a day of schlepping it around a windy New York, I look pretty ragged–but doesn’t the subway look cool?

Current WIP: Obsessed for Zane

Because I’ve been to so many writer’s conferences, I’ve become a little jaded about conference offerings. I tend to be very selective of the workshops I attend and end up blowing off most of them.

One thing I truly love and never tire of doing is meeting my friends. It’s a little wierd how well you get to know some folks just on the basis of email and live internet chats, but there’s nothing quite like meeting them in person for a hug and a laugh over a meal or drinks.

Here are the highlights of my recent trip to New York, and I promise they appear in no particular order of preference!

I love this picture! Don’t they all look like they’re having the best time? And aren’t they all lovely?

On the left is my BFF by birth: Myla Jackson/Elle James, my sister! Shouldn’t everyone have someone to share an extraordinary journey with? Myla/Elle and I started writing together and have shared all the frustrations and triumphs together. It’s brought us closer than we could ever have dreamed.

In the middle, is a newer BFF, the very talented Sylvia Day! I loved spending time with her in New York. We attended a play together (more about that another day!) and several meals. She’s super smart and surprisingly goofy–I love that about her!

On the right is Jordan Summers. I had met her a couple of years ago, but didn’t have time to really get to know her then. Since then, I’ve had fun visiting her daily blog to see what she’s up to and thinking about. In person, she’s very, very smart. When she talks, everyone listens. And you should hear the stories she tells about the many jobs she’s held!

Standing with me in Time Square is my friend, Sasha White. I love, love, love her. She’s funny and sweet, with a great big booming voice to match her big heart. We spent a day running through a list of things we needed to do and eat–hot dogs at Nathan’s, cheesecake from Junior’s, and then the purses we let Myla bargain for with the street vendors…LOL!

I was away attending the NINC conference in New York last Wednesday through Monday. I have so many things to talk about that I thought I might spend the next few days doing just that. Be sure to check back in for all the news and plenty of pictures of the sights and many friends I saw! I also downloaded the pics from my Memphis trip with Shayla Kersten and will share some of those, too!

But first, I thought you might like to see the cover for the cowboy book I just wrapped up. Kate Duffy handed it to me when I visited the Kensington offices, and I hope she didn’t notice the drool! I did a quick scan to share it with you, but hope to get the jpeg soon so you can see it better.

I also got a release date for the book–November 2008! So, mark your calendars!

Obsessed for Zane

I’ve made progress on the new WIP (Work in Progress, for those of you who don’t know writer-speak!). The first chapter is complete to my satisfaction and includes the necessary elements–the introduction to the heroine’s ordinary world and the inciting incident that launches her on her journey of self-discovery.

Did I mention the heroine is OCD? I invited the ladies on my chat loop to tell me about the people they know who cope with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and man! I didn’t know how many deal with it from minor little quirks to severely debilitating problems. I sure hope I capture Briana’s personality and tics correctly so I can do her justice.

I’m counting down to my road trip to Memphis. Shayla and I have reservations for a hotel about half a mile from Beale street and will have to take the trolley to get there, but that’s going to part of the adventure. I’ll be taking a notebook and a digital camera to make sure I don’t forget a thing I should include in the story I’ll start right after OBSESSED. If anyone has tips for places that would be a good setting for something spooky, let me know!

I saw something like this over at the Avon Romance Blog, and thought it would be fun to tag some of my “sister” writers. Be sure to check out the blogs of Sasha White and Cathryn Fox to see how they respond and who’s next!

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:
1. Car Hop at a Dairy Queen
2. U.S. Army Officer
3. Social Studies Teacher
4. Writer

Four movies I’ve watched more than once:
1. Die Hard
2. The 13th Warrior
3. 28 Days More
4. Timeline

Four favorite places I’ve lived:
1. Zweibrueken, Germany
2. Heilbronn, Germany
3. Portrane, Ireland
4. Hill Country, Texas

Four favorite places I’ve travelled:
1. Greek Islands
2. Paris, France
3. Rothenburg, Germany
4. The Florida Keys

Four places I most want to see before I die:
1. Nepal
2. China
3. Venice, Italy
4. Scandanavia

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Menudo (Mexican soup with tripe–yum!)
2. Lamb with Greek tsasiki
3. Korean Kimchi
4. Fajita tacos

If you’d like to join the fun, leave your answers here or a blog URL where we can read your posting!

First, thanks to everyone who joined me at Access Romance’s All-A-Blog where I talked about my upcoming road trip, and the Avon Romance Blog where so many of us talked about dreaming and where our inspiration comes from. As a way of thanking you for being there for me, I drew a name. Rasha Hamdi will receive a signed copy of SEDUCED BY DARKNESS if she’ll Email Me!

I made a little poll, including my favorite hotties. Let’s see if we agree.

Who would you prefer to spend a night with? Poll Results
Scott Elrod, Men in Trees – 6 votes
Josh Holloway, Lost – 7 votes
Naveen Andrews, Lost – 3 votes
Dule Hill, Psych – 3 votes

I admit, I’m a TV junkie. Only I really don’t have time to watch a lot of shows. I TIVO everything I love, then watch them like a woman who eats chocolate–all in one luscious gobble.

I have my favorites: Psych, Monk, Men in Trees, Lost. If Eureka and Blood Ties ever come back, they’ll go to the top of my list again. So, I was wondering why I love these particular shows and figured out I really, really love the men.

In PSYCH you have two wonderful comedians, but I lean toward wanting Dule Hill more because he’s so put upon, and so very, very fine. If you ever saw the movie HOLES, you’d fall in love with him.

Tony Shaloub’s MONK would make me want to commit murder, so I’m not the least attracted to him, but I have to watch him out of morbid fascination. I love his quirks, cringe right through them, and I love the “And this is what happened” summation moment in every show. But he doesn’t make my hottie list.

MEN IN TREES is my new favorite. Anne Heche is great. The ensemble cast loveable. I want to move to Elmo, Alaska! Even if the concept of a New York writer settling in a small Alaskan town doesn’t appeal to you, glimpses of Scott Elrod will make it totally worthwhile.

Then, of course, there is LOST. The show totally exhausts me. I’m ready for it to end. I’m dying to find out what the ultimate mystery is, because I’ve guessed my way through so many scenarios, I want to know if ANY of them was right. One thing the show has in spades is hot men. Daniel Dae Kim, Josh Holloway, Naveen Andrews. All drool-worthy.

Short Story for British Anthology

As you can tell from my little wordmeter, I’ve made dismal progress on the story I HAVE to turn in by Sunday.

I spent Wednesday with the daughter shopping. *shudder* But have to admit, I’m glad I went. I let her choose everything, and she picked some cute clothes. Not what I would have bought (sweat pants and tee shirts), but she has me just about ready for conference. Now if I can find that pirate shirt and corset, ooh, and a pair of little black fairy wings, I’ll be set.

Yesterday, we went to Little Rock for eye exams. I found out I have a blind spot in my vision. Might explain why I never see cars in the right lane until I hear them honk. Guess that means I need to schedule time with an opthamologist (did I even spell that right?).

Anyway, today, my butt is planted in the chair. I will write, and blog, and write some more. Be sure to join me at the Avon Romance Blog today. I’m going to be talking about dreaming and how it helps me write. You’ll get just one more clue about the fact I may not be wrapped too tight.