Such a great song … Enjoy!

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Ever notice how you see different details when you watch a favorite movie again or re-read the same book? Same holds true for workshops. You can hear the same lesson over and over and each time you’ll get something new out of it depending on where you are and what you need.

Last weekend I attended a plotting retreat with five other writers, at a cabin several hours away. Since this was the first time leaving my baby overnight and with other things going on with my family, not to mention a transmission leak in my ’65 Tempest, I wasn’t certain I’d be able to go until I actually pulled out of the driveway. Usually the drive to a retreat is a chance to get our chatting out of the way before writing, but this time I was alone, though I had company for the return trip.

So I’m cruising down the road, enjoying my car which I haven’t been able to drive in far too long because of the aforementioned leak that made it more of a cat perch in the garage than mode of transportation. I’ve got my favorite classic rock station blasting from the boom box on the seat beside me, when I realize the road I’m on and the highway I’m supposed to turn onto don’t actually intersect.

I missed a turn, about 20 miles ago. Should I turn back? I pull over and consult the map. The road I’m on is heading in the general direction I want to go and will … eventually … get me to my destination. I press on. There’s no radio reception here so I pop in a workshop tape. The road narrows then narrows again as we wind through the forest at the foot of Mt. Hood, surrounded by soaring evergreens dripping rainwater, a subdued background for brilliant pops of yellow, orange and flaming red fall foliage.

And I’m mesmerized by the workshop tape. Susan Mallery, on How to Write More. When the session was recorded live, I was sitting on the floor in front because it was SRO even before she started. But that was six years ago, and I’d forgotten much of the content. What I did remember was her method of increasing your page production. That’s what had captivated me because at that point I’d been working on the same manuscript for almost three years — a blazing fast pace compared to the four years to complete my first manuscript.

Because I’ve been struggling to produce pages since becoming a mom, I needed a refresher. This time I was captivated by an entirely different part of her presentation – her strong recommendation, and explanation of how — to have a schedule. A written plan of what you’re going to write (or revise or copyedit or propose, etc.) each work session, with time scheduled in for vacation, family emergencies, and play days for when you just don’t wanna. You have a plan with measurable, finite goals.

Before, just the idea of a written schedule gave me the heebie-jeebies. But Johnson & Johnson aren’t kidding when their ads say having a baby changes everything, because now I rely on schedules to keep my sanity, to track all the appointments for a toddler, husband and aging parents, as well as my own obligations. A major part of the lesson that I completely disregarded the first few times around is now the most helpful part for me. Amazing.

This idea might actually work. The baby’s sleep schedule recently changed slightly, giving me a tiny new window of free time most days, and now I have a plan to make the most of it. I was so excited I immediately listened to the tape again because hey, I had the time. I’ve never been so happy to have missed a turn.

I haven’t written the schedule yet (it’s just in my head so far) but as of today I’m 187 words ahead of my goal. Oh, and the retreat was productive, too. Plotted a really fun five-book series.

Have you ever had an experience like this? The new lesson learned, not the missed turn. Or either, I suppose.

I have a secret. Sometimes, when no one is watching I sneak sweets. Yes, it’s a bad habit,  but it’s how I was raised. My mother taught me how from an early age. For example, when you arrive home from the grocery store, the ice cream is probably a little melted. So you can skim a little off the top–just the slushy part–and it’s almost unnoticeable. And if you have a sheet cake, you slice about a quarter inch off the cut edge and no one can tell. 

I know. It’s crazy and strange, but this is just the way I was raised.

So it’s probably no surprise that I like to keep a little chocolate stashed away in the pantry to pop in my mouth from time to time. Hey, life is stressful. Sometimes you just need a handful of Ghirardelli chocolate chips while on hold with the credit card company. Or a Dove chocolate mid-way through the ten-thousandth viewing of Blues Clues, The Pool Party.

For a long stretch of my daughter’s life, I could get away with this behavior, but no more. She has some preternatural sixth sense when it comes to candy. Or I don’t know, maybe I’m just less good at silently unwrapping foil-covered chocolates than I think I am. Whatever it is, nine times out of ten, as soon as I pop something tasty in my mouth she trots over to me, places her hands on either side of my face and sniffs my breath. 

“What you have?” she’ll ask, we sweet little face mere centimeters from mine. 

And so I’ve passed the torch to the next generation. Without meaning to, I’ve taught my daughter to sneak food. 

Do have any bad habits you’ve unintentionally passed on to your children?

As promised, I’m having another contest. If you reply today, you’ll be automatically entered to win a copy of my previous book, Baby on the Billionaire’s Doorstep, which is the prequel to my current book, Baby Benefits.

If you entered last time, be sure to enter again, because I’ve got a special treat for everyone who enters each time I run this contest.

For your viewing pleasure…

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

A very wise writing friend of mine just sent a note to a group I’m on about loves.  First let me say that this woman is the woman I want to be when I grown up.  And so I always listen to everything she has to say and find ways to help use her words to enrich my life.

But today’s words really struck me.  She had read an article in Oprah magazine talking about the loves in life.  The different ones that come from all different times of our entire life.

We spend so much time thinking about the things that aren’t right in our world that taking a few minutes to think about the things that are can be very gratifying.

So here mine are not all of them because this is a public forum, but some of them.

I love that I have two beautiful children who even though they aren’t perfect are mine.  I love the sounds of their voices very different but still so harmonious for me.

I love that I have a man in my life who likes me for who I am.  All the crazy silliness I get up to with my writing, actions and ideas.

I love that I have the kind of parents who never say no.  That they are always there for me and even though there were times in my life when I wasn’t ready to reach for them they were still standing right there.

I love that I have good friends that even distance doesn’t matter to us.  I can get an e-mail or a phone call and laugh or cry or just let out whatever emotions are bothering me and those friends always respond right away.

I love that the words that I am given to write from God touch readers and that these readers share the experience that they have reading my books with me.  It is the final connection to God that completes the circle of my writing endeavors.
I love the way my Grandma’s hugs used to feel.  When I’m really tired and feeling low I sometimes feel her arms wrap around me.

What about you guys?  What do you love?

Kathy

The Jaunty Quills welcome Harlequin SuperRomance author, Kay Stockham. Kay is approaching a milestone birthday next year. A BIG birthday and Jaunty (you know how nosy he is) wants to know how she’s planning to deal with this fast approaching crisis.   

I’m not totally freaking out about it but I can’t say that I’m looking forward to it, either. Still, I will admit to telling my husband I wanted to be forty and fabulous, not forty and fat. Ahh, vanity. Gotta love it, eh?

I joined Weight Watchers last December after finishing HIS SON’S TEACHER (Harlequin Superromance ISBN 037371502) in which my overweight heroine sets out to find her inner, post-divorce diva–with the help of gorgeous single father, Nick Tulane. HIS SON’S TEACHER is the second book in my Tulanes of Tennessee series, and the response to Jen and Nick has been overwhelming. Not only does Jen realize she can have a diva-tude and stay true to herself, she learns that some guys, like Nick, like a woman who is confident in who they are–regardless of their size, weight or anything else we women tend to nit-pick over. For Nick, nothing turns him on more than a woman’s curves and her attitude toward others and herself.

Readers seem to identify with Jen’s plight because many of us are so there. Maybe not horribly overweight but heavier than we should be and feeling down because of it. For me, those thirty pounds had to come off. I’d sit down at my computer to write and felt like I was struggling to breathe. Climbing stairs? Oh, my. Fast forward to now and I’m nearly at my goal and feeling better than I have in years. For others, reviving their self-image could mean a total makeover. How many midlife crises have you heard about that involved an affair, purchasing a motorcycle, cosmetic surgery, or all of the above?

My husband and I are both from families who have a lot of health issues and one of the things we’ve always dreamed of was owning a sports car. The problem was neither one of us wanted to be seventy or eighty (and no offense to those who are) years old driving around the car of our dreams. If we owned one, we wanted to be young enough to enjoy it.

Recently, my husband changed jobs and the distance he drives required us to have to purchase a vehicle because his truck wouldn’t make the trips. Well, in the process of looking for something safe, more gas friendly etc., my husband and I decided to have our midlife crises together. Novel idea, huh?

But instead of having surgery, affairs, checking out those Harley’s etc, we actually bought that much-dreamed about sports car. A fast, fun, OMG convertible that we climb into, go for a drive and come home holding hands.

We blast the music like only children of the 80s can and fly down the road, embarrassing our children because of the goofy grins we’ve been wearing lately. As silly as it sounds, the car has brought us closer together as a couple because after seventeen years of marriage where our focus has been on graduating college, building a house, having children, raising children, saving money for college tuition, bills, bills, bills, we’re having fun and enjoying every moment. Life is too short not to.

So what is my blog about today? I realize I’ve rambled a bit, but my blog is about life and all the ways we drive ourselves nuts trying to live it. How we as a nation have stopped smelling the roses. We’re stressed out, worn down and tired. Why? Not to get whiny, but why do we do this to ourselves?

Which brings me to my questions for the day: Have you had a midlife crisis? Do you know someone who radically changed their life with surgery? Had an affair? (No names, please.) Have you ever wanted to buy that sports car and drive into the sunset?

Tell me about how you’ve handled those milestone birthdays, how you plan to handle them, what you’ve learned from them, and what you’d like to do for your “midlife crisis”. I’ll chose a winner from those who post and you’ll win a pair of my handmade beaded earrings, as well as a copy of ANOTHER MAN’S BABY, the first book in my Tulanes of Tennessee series.

God bless,

Kay

For more information on Kay and her books, her weekly and month contests, blog and more, please surf to www.kaystockham.com.

This month marks the release of my first Silhouette Special Edition, Accidental Princess!  To celebrate, I’m going to give away a prize… read on to find out how to win…

But first, here’s the back-cover copy for Accidental Princess:

Once Upon a Time… a struggling single mother found out she was really a princess in disguise. Except Sophie Baldwin outgrew that fantasy a long time ago. She wasn’t sure she even believed in “happily ever after” anymore. Until a handsome stranger showed up on her doorstep and whisked her away to an exotic kingdom…

Luc Lejardin had been dispatched to bring Sophie to St. Michel to take her proper place among the French royalty. As next in line to the throne, she needed his protection 24/7. But watching over the reluctant royal was proving Luc’s most challenging mission. How could he keep his mind on business when all he wanted was pleasure…in the princess’s arms?

At one time or another, most little girls dream of being a princess.  Sometime before they hit the teenage years that innocent fantasy gives way to reality.  That’s how it happened for my heroine Sophie Baldwin, who decided early in life she didn’t need a crown to make a difference.  Still, somewhere along the way, her drive to change the world became an uphill battle.  Thank goodness a twist of fate and a gorgeous man named Luc Lejardin helped her realize life still held all sorts of possibilities.

I’m a firm believer that each woman should hold onto the princess dream. Even if we’re not of royal blood, each of us is unique and special in our own way. In celebration of that, tell me how you honor your inner princess – whether it’s a long, hot bubble bath or treating yourself to your favorite cup of tea… it’s the little things that we do for ourselves that are the “princess moments.”  At the end of the day, I’ll draw a name from all  that have posted and the winner will get a book from my backlist. 

Please write to me at nrobardsthompson@yahoo.com and tell me what you think of Accidental Princess.  I can’t wait to hear from you!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

I hate waiting on hold. Hate it! Lately I have been on hold a lot. Since our cable and internet are out, I’ve been paying bills I would normally pay online via the telephone. The average wait time to get through was an hour. And don’t even get me started about how long I waited to talk to a real person at the cable company.

I wonder if companies have reduced their workforce since so may people can get information and pay bills using the internet? All I know is I feel like I spend half of my life on hold. I could have probably written a short story, learned to cook, or mastered the Chinese alphabet instead of sitting and waiting on the phone.

I know I can write a blog during the hold-time. I’ve been on hold the entire time I’m writing this. I’ll probably still be on hold when you read it!

So here’s my question: how long do you wait on hold? Is 20 minutes your limit? 30? 60? I really have to pay this bill, so I’ve been on hold 87 minutes. That’s way over my limit!

Greetings to all! First, let me thank Margo Maguire, she of the fabulously hot new cover that I just LOVE, for asking me to be a guest today. Thank you, Margo!

In June of this year, Avon released my debut historical romance. It wasn’t until the book had been out for a couple of months that I realized how the relationship of the hero and heroine closely mirrored me and my husband’s – not the love scenes, mind you, the courtship. I admit nothing!

Anyway, if I may, I’d like to share a (rather embarrassing) story with you.

About fourteen years ago, I had a date with this quiet, sexy guy, who I had liked for a long time, only he never wanted to date nice girls like me, only tramps … er, sorry. I digress.

One day, he actually wanted to try a good girl for a change. And so, dressed in a little black sweater, jeans, and boots, I hoped he wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off of me. Unbeknownst to me, my bootlaces became untied as we walked up to the movie theater. Smiling up at him, I stepped on my laces and pitched forward, and strangely, right into his arms. I was never so embarrassed. Even the people walking behind us burst out laughing. Of course, he made me feel better by cheekily suggesting that I did it on purpose in order to end up in his arms.

Oddly enough, I married that man. And he has since experienced many more of my embarrassing moments.

My heroine, Madelyn Haywood,k from my debut historical romance, At The Bride Hunt Ball, is like me in that aspect. Clumsy, and readily embarrassed, but she somehow manages to charm the only man that matters. Even if he is so arrogant to believe she does these things on purpose to attract his attention.

So, what about you? Do you have any embarrassing moments you’d like to share?