I did something stupid this week that I haven’t done in years and I hope it’s not a precursor of how 2010 is heading.  I locked myself out of the house. 

The last time I pulled this trick was about five summers ago.  I ended up destroying a window screen and crawling through a window that time.   This event was a whole other thing.  See, it’s winter and we’re having our coldest and snowiest one on record.  The weathermen have urged caution on the roads, and suggested that if you park your car outside, that you start it once a day in this weather and let it warm up. 

Ok, this makes sense, and since I have to head out early to work tomorrow for the day job, it made double sense to clear the snow off the car today.  Since I would have to interrupt my writing time for this, I’d make a side trip to the  post office to mail something that should go out tomorrow morning. 

I decide I don’t need to take my purse.  Just my wallet and cell phone will do.  So I go out, start the suv and begin sweeping off the snow.  It’s cold, and though I’ve been out less than five minutes my toes are numb.  And yes, I am wearing heavy socks and insulated snow boots.  I’m a winter wuss.

I hurry back to the house, grab my wallet and phone, lock the door and hurry to my now warm car.  Except it’s locked.  I didn’t intentionally lock it, but that is moot.  I can’t get in the locked suv and I can’t get into the house because the house keys are on the same keyring with the car ones and they are danging from the ignition.   I can see them, but I can’t get to them.

I allowed myself a minute of panic.  At least I had my phone and I could call somebody to unlock my car, but that would take time.  I was already freezing.   Did I mention I live in a rural area? 

Years ago I’d vowed this wouldn’t happen again because I would hide a key outside so I could get in without breaking a window.  But had I done it?  I honestly couldn’t remember if I had, or exactly where I’d decided would be the best place to hide a key.  But I knew if I had, it would be in the back yard. 

Fenced back yard with locks on the gates that also are strung with rabbit wire.  Yeah, I had to climb a fence that didn’t offer any toeholds, wearing boots and a coat.  My fingers are officially frozen and I’m hoping I don’t lose my wallet or phone. 

I’m past freezing.  I’m miserable and I have to dig in nearly two feet of snow to find the key.  After several unsuccessful tries I find it.  Of course it wasn’t the key for the utility door, so I had to climb the fence again.

I got into the house to get the spare keys, and I did make it to the post office and back home and inside.  I may hide a key again, just in case.  But I’m not going to lock the house again without spare keys in my pocket.

So what about you?  Have you ever locked yourself out of the house or car?  Do you have contingency plans, just in case?

A silly post today — because I need to be a little silly right now. I thought I would share with you one of my favorite Christmas gifts of this past holiday season.

Yes, it’s a backpack. A YODA backpack! This was from my wonderful hubby who knows that Yoda is second only to Chewie in my heart (I’ve since learned that there is also a Chewie backpack out there!). This sweet little thing actually has a lot of room for stuff — so many novelty bags don’t. You can put his hood up in bad weather, and he looks adorable. When you put him on it’s just like the scene out of the Empire Strikes Back when Luke is running through the swamp with Yoda hanging from his shoulders. In fact, his little legs have straps too so you can hook them around your waist. He really looks like he’s hanging on.

If only they’d put in one of those sound chips with recorded sayings from the movies. Then, this gift would be cooler than Shatner.

So, now at 38 I get to have my own Yoda, something I’ve wanted since I first saw the little green guy and fell in love. Lucas really knew what he was doing when he created Yoda — and the genius of Frank Oz made the diminutive Jedi a character rather than just a muppet. Perhaps Lucas should have gotten Oz to work on Jarjar? (Meow!)

Anyway, Yoda was probably my favorite gift this year (along with everything else Steve got me, fabulous, generous man that he is). And I am not ashamed to tell you that I will wear this backpack. In fact, those of you who attend RWA in Nashville this July just might see my Jedi master in person! I think Yoda’s a lovely addition to my growing purse/bag collection, which also hosts likenesses of Cookie Monster, Ernie (as in Bert &), Scooby Do, and Eeyore (and many more!).

Did you get something this Christmas that really rocked your socks? Maybe not this Christmas, but another year? Or maybe you have a fabulous collection you keep adding to? Share! Share!

Oh, and happy 2010! I hope you all have an amazing year!

The wassail is nearly done, the decorations need to be taken down, the partying is over and worse, the Yule Log has burned down to ashes. . . for Twelfth Night has arrived.  Yes, we have reached the end   of the twelve days of the Christmas season and it’s time to go back to the regular schedule.

Traditionally, January 6th marked the day when the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem to visit the newborn Jesus, hence bringing the news of the Messiah to the Gentile world.  The other name for this religious feast day is the Epiphany…meaning to be revealed or to be shown.

In medieval and Tudor/Elizabethan times,  this day was the focus of much merriment and feasting AKA PARTY!!!  Heck, even that obscure playwright fellow Shakespeare wrote a play for it and titled Twelfth Night. It was a special time and a special day. But now, most of us have already taken down our Christmas trees, lights, decorations and spirit. Most of us head back to the real world on January 2nd and left behind the good feelings of the season.

So, how am I celebrating Twelfth Night? Well, the decorations are still up, the lights are still on and I don’t have a Yule log…because I’m heading into a deadline-binge of writing. My book is due next week (just as I step out the door and head for a business meeting in Disney World….um, yes, I said business meeting at Disney World….) and so everything else, including packing, is on hold until I type “THE END”.

But….I did experience an epiphany yesterday..a moment of revelation for my story.

You see, I am a seat-of-the-pants writer and usually only know the beginning and end of my story when I begin writing. Until I get the first 100-120 pages written, I really don’t know my characters well enough to know what they’re going to do. So, the first 100-120 pages are pretty much writing blind for me – nothing makes sense because I can’t see where any of it is going.  Then, after much gnashing of teeth and wailing and page 120, I finally know the characters and understand their journey!! It is a veritable Ah-hah! moment and the writing after that comes at a faster and somewhat easier rate.

I had that moment as I was driving into the parking lot at work yesterday morning and then so many things in my story became clear to me — why the hero and heroine can’t be together, the love triangle that I never knew about and several other core elements that I really need to tell my story. (yes, the one that needs to be written in a week!)  Since yesterday, the story has clarified itself to me and I can see the possibilities ahead.

So, let us say HUZZAH for Twelfth Night and epiphanies, too!

Are you done with Christmas? Are your decorations down? Has the Christmas Spirit been packed away until next year? Post a comment about one of the best things that happened to you during the Holiday Season and I’ll pick two and send out a couple of prizes and books to those people.  (BTW — the prizes won’t be mailed out until THE END is typed either! )

Terri is also still celebrating the release of her first BRAVA romance — A Storm of Passion! Please visit her website and enter her “O Lord! Save Us from the Northmen!” contest by January 15th. And to check out the gorgeous cover for her April Harlequin Historical anthology PLEASURABLY UNDONE….and lots of other good things too! www.terribrisbin.com

I thought it would be fun to talk about the Bad Boy hero. We love ‘em, right? But how bad is too bad?

The hero of my January Superromance,The Father For Her Son, just spent seven years in prison. And yes, he was guilty. He didn’t kill anyone, but he did rob a liquor store. I hope I show that he really has learned from his mistakes, but still, writing a hero like this was a risk.

What do you, as readers, think? Is there anything in a hero’s past that would be a deal breaker for you? Does it take you longer to trust a hero with a dark past?

Do you think this kind of thing makes for a stronger conflict? After all, the heroine has to overcome her misgivings and mistrust of the hero in order for a romance to happen. Certainly our heroine, Marlee, has to struggle with this. Does she want her young son exposed to this fact about the hero, Troy,’s life?

What are some of your favorite Bad Boy heroes? And what do you think of a hero who’s served time in prison?

******************************************************************
THE FATHER FOR HER SON, Harlequin Superromance, January 2010
Life hasn’t been easy for single mom Marlee Britton, but she’s proud of her ability to look after herself and her son. Then old flame Troy Denton shows up after seven years, wanting to be a father to his son. and to rekindle his relationship with Marlee. While Troy struggles to prove himself trustworthy, Marlee wonders how she can ever give her heart to the man who broke it so long ago.
“MELTING POINT” in BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, with Jennifer Greene and Merline Lovelace, Harlequin Anthology, January 2010
Kristjan Gunnarson is Iceland’s first ever Olympic medalist. Coloradoan Stacy Bristol thinks he’ll be the perfect model for her new advertising campaign, but she isn’t prepared for the impact handsome Kristjan has on her. As she supervises filming around Iceland, Stacy fights her attraction to Kristjan. Can a down-to-business American and a footloose Icelander find love in the land of ice and fire?

******************************************
Cindi Myers became one of the most popular people in eighth grade when she and her best friend wrote and illustrated their own historical romance novel. The manuscript was eventually confiscated by her English teacher, who told her she should spend her time learning to properly conjugate a sentence. Since then, Cindi has gone on to write more than three dozen novels, both historical and contemporary. She also teaches writing and is a popular speaker and workshop presenter. She produces a weekly market newsletter or you can visit her website.

I thought it would be fun to talk about the Bad Boy hero. We love ‘em, right? But how bad is too bad?

The hero of my January Superromance,The Father For Her Son, just spent seven years in prison. And yes, he was guilty. He didn’t kill anyone, but he did rob a liquor store. I hope I show that he really has learned from his mistakes, but still, writing a hero like this was a risk.

What do you, as readers, think? Is there anything in a hero’s past that would be a deal breaker for you? Does it take you longer to trust a hero with a dark past?

Do you think this kind of thing makes for a stronger conflict? After all, the heroine has to overcome her misgivings and mistrust of the hero in order for a romance to happen. Certainly our heroine, Marlee, has to struggle with this. Does she want her young son exposed to this fact about the hero, Troy,’s life?

What are some of your favorite Bad Boy heroes? And what do you think of a hero who’s served time in prison?

******************************************************************
THE FATHER FOR HER SON, Harlequin Superromance, January 2010
Life hasn’t been easy for single mom Marlee Britton, but she’s proud of her ability to look after herself and her son. Then old flame Troy Denton shows up after seven years, wanting to be a father to his son. and to rekindle his relationship with Marlee. While Troy struggles to prove himself trustworthy, Marlee wonders how she can ever give her heart to the man who broke it so long ago.
MELTING POINT” in BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, with Jennifer Greene and Merline Lovelace, Harlequin Anthology, January 2010
Kristjan Gunnarson is Iceland’s first ever Olympic medalist. Coloradoan Stacy Bristol thinks he’ll be the perfect model for her new advertising campaign, but she isn’t prepared for the impact handsome Kristjan has on her. As she supervises filming around Iceland, Stacy fights her attraction to Kristjan. Can a down-to-business American and a footloose Icelander find love in the land of ice and fire?

******************************************
Cindi Myers became one of the most popular people in eighth grade when she and her best friend wrote and illustrated their own historical romance novel. The manuscript was eventually confiscated by her English teacher, who told her she should spend her time learning to properly conjugate a sentence. Since then, Cindi has gone on to write more than three dozen novels, both historical and contemporary. She also teaches writing and is a popular speaker and workshop presenter. She produces a weekly market newsletter or you can visit her website.

Thea! Email me at k.higgins@snet.net and I’ll send out your copy of THE NEXT BEST THING.

Thanks to everyone for the laughs!

Everyone has a sense of humor. Right? We all laugh at something. And we all think that our sense of humor is really the sense of humor. I often point this out to McIrish. He’s the type who laughs at the Three Stooges, I’m sorry to tell you. “That’s really kind of…dumb, honey,” I might say. He doesn’t care. He feels sorry for me because I’m missing Great American Humor.

I myself love snarkiness, of course…but I also love that sort of goofball, zany humor The Hangover, for example, made me laugh so hard I was in pain. I never miss an episode of 30 Rock or Modern Family. I own the complete set of Arrested Development. But the times I always laugh the hardest are when my mother falls down.

I know. This makes me sound like a bad person, and while that could definitely be true, let me just say first and foremost that I love my mother. I even live next door to her (by choice and everything). And she taught me to laugh at myself — or better yet, at her. Plus, she doesn’t get that hurt…so far, anyway. She’s still pretty young for a mother and grandmother. So we laugh. We laugh and laugh and laugh

Take, for example, the time she was getting into the passenger side of my car. It was snowy and slick out, and all of a sudden, she was gone. “Mom?” I said. “Mom, where’d you go?”

“I’m here,” she said. “Help!”

I walked around to her side of the car, and there was her little head was sticking out from underneath the car — she’d slipped on the ice and— whoosh!  — just slid right under the car. “Give me a hand, idiot,” she said crossly. “Don’t just stand there laughing.” And I wasn’t just standing there, I assure you. I was clutching the roof of the car, wheezing, waving off Good Samaritans who would’ve spoiled the moment by fishing my mother out. She still gives me a dark look when I bring up this happy event.

Another time, Mom broke her foot. The woman has an incredibly high pain tolerance, so it was about a week before I finally dragged her off to the hospital for an x-ray. Sure enough, it was broken, so she had a cast put on, and the lovely young nurse brought out the crutches. “Oh, this is gonna be good,” I said, immediately excited. Sure enough, Mom couldn’t quite figure out how to use the crutches. We are not hand-eye coordinated in my family.

“It’s simple, Mrs. Higgins,” the sweet, naive nurse said. “Just lean here, move the crutches this way…” 

“She’s going down!” I shouted. Sure enough, Mom was tipping, tipping, gone! She scrabbled to get up from the floor (me laughing so hard I thought I was going to pop a blood vessel) fell again, then loudly declared that she was putting me up for adoption.

Last winter, I drove Mom home after we went to the movies. The snow was icy, so Mom tried to stomp through. This resulted in her falling yet again. “Here we go!” I announced. She was laughing too hard to stand, so she…yes…crawled to the back steps of her house, as I staggered along next to her like a drunken shepherd, wheezing helpfully as tears of laughter coursed down my merry cheeks. “I hate you,” dear old Mom said, but she was wheezing too. 

Ah, dear Mother! She’s such a good sport.

I guess pain and laughter go to together pretty well (at least, I think they do). There’s a scene in my upcoming book THE NEXT BEST THING that combines these two…a makeover scene, there’s your hint. In my own humble opinion, it’s a good example of very inappropriate laughter.

Tell me your own story about getting silly when maybe serious was a better choice! I’ll pick a responder and send out an advance copy of THE NEXT BEST THING as a reward for ’fessing up. And listen. If you ever see my mom lying on the ground, give her some help! God knows I’ll be laughing too hard to be of any use whatsoever. And here’s to you, Mom!

I accept that a lot of people don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions but I’ve always been a fan of them. In fact, I think we should make resolutions throughout the year. Especially if they are the kind where we’re trying to better ourself.

You know what I mean….lose weight, eat nutritiously, do a random act of kindness every day, exercise every day, make more time for family.

This year I made the same resolution that I make every year…I want to eat more nutritiously. Even though I don’t always keep that resolution, I think by making it I do better than if I don’t even try.

What about you? Do you make resolutions? Only at the first of the new year? Or at other times as well?