Anna Adams

Posted By admin on July 27, 2010

Happy Tuesday!

I’ve been meaning to post a link to Mills & Boon’s latest contest. They’re looking for new voices in all the lines. The only stricture seems to be that you can’t enter if you’ve published for Harlequin, Silhouette, or Mills & Boon before–or if you have an agent, or you’ve published book length fiction with other publishers. (And I’m totally not fluent in legalese, so peruse the rules carefully if you enter!)

But, here’s a link. You should take a look. Others, like Lynn Raye Harris, who’ve won their contests in the past, have published, and the end prize for the winner is a publishing contract.  Best of luck!

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Posted By admin on July 26, 2010

Ohmygosh, the heat. When will it end? I had to put water in the pool yesterday, and I was tempted to drag the hose with me. Only one member of our family is loving the constant influx of sun. (And, really, how many photos of Kitty are too many for a blog?)

I hate to add this random bit of miracle for fear of jinxing it. But–in 2010, when all the world takes internet access for granted, a local company is finally about to bring it to our neighborhood. It’s supposed to be up and running by the end of August. At last–reliable email, the ability to download a document, to watch a video any old time–to watch Netflix Instant movies. (We are a moneymaking prospect for Netflix. We keep the movies for-stinking-ever because we’re all so busy, but I’d love to put on an old favorite for background noise.) Anyway, I can’t believe it will happen so I try not to think of it too often.  :-) But one day, like the rest of the world, we’ll be out of this Internet dark hole!

Massive storms over night are just now fading. The thunder woke me when it was more like some vague puffy thing prodding the house. I love our storms. So much lightning–I like to sleep with the blinds open so I can see the sky, but tonight, there was quite a show. I wish my camera could have caught that.

Finally, the story. As usual, when I’m working this hard on a book, I’m a little bit boring in person. I’m distracted and devoting my best lines to the pages! Can’t tell you what great news that is–unless you have to live with me.

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Posted By admin on July 24, 2010

I was seduced by a yen for order and spent yesterday cleaning (and still the abode needs work–bewared the cabinets, my son).

Today is all work. I’m not happy with my opening, but I’m not going to drill the life out of it. I’m moving on, and I’ll assume the perfect words will bust into my head later.

Meanwhile, this is what I’m dreaming of. Yesterday, when I was swimming, I noticed yellow leaves on a tree in our yard. I hope it’s not that the tree is dying in this unbearable heat. Over the years of swimming laps, I’ve noticed the leaves begin to change much earlier than I expect. I think it must have more to do with the tilt of the earth post-solstice, rather than temperature. (So mulls the English major in me.) This photo is from last year, I think.

Now–the sun’s coming up. Soon, others will begin to stir in the house. I have words to write!

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Posted By admin on July 23, 2010

Thursday was a huge day of balancing this and that. My daughter had specific requests for dinner (and if you also have issues with biscuits the consistency of hockey pucks, look up Giada’s recipe for parmesan biscuits–a miracle hath occurred in my kitchen!), and a friend needed a favor, and the husband was in and out all day.

Today, I get to stay home all day and work. I love days like this. Just hours and hours of working in my story world. I expect the progress meter to bloom like a lovely flower. Not like my weedy flower bed–but, you know–some weeds are so much like flowers, I can’t tell the difference. So I’m prepared to love a weed if it’s one of those mysterious, delicate blossoms that climbs out of the ground in a fragile structure, waving vibrant blooms. I think some of those weeds are actually flowers.

That makes sense as a writing analogy–just in case I haven’t banged you hard enough over the head!  :-)

Have a great weekend! I’ll be doing fun stuff–writing! Hope you’ll also do what you love best!

Edited to Add: Meter still addled. Total words (curses, editing!): 502

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Posted By admin on July 22, 2010

From the hindsight of Thursday, I’m glad Wednesday is over.

Wednesday was a harsh day. My tyrant didn’t make the grade. The funny thing is, I feel bad, as if I let down the editor and the characters. First, the editor, who’s been so generous with her time and her comments. I never enjoy seeming as if I just can’t “get” something. You know? And, of course, I’m thinking of all the practically perfect mss. they’re receiving every day that make mine even more of a train wreck–and make my next effort something even less to anticipate.

And that’s all the self-doubt and overthinking I’m allowing myself for this revision.

But my characters–I love them. I want my writing for them to shine. And it didn’t. I’m sad, but not so sad that I’m not starting over. Editor again offered direction, and I’d love to do exactly as she asks.

Revision is often a delicate dance. This one is more like plying a chisel with a sledgehammer! But I plan to do it with joy and abandon.

Edited to add: I wrote 96 words yesterday. I’m proud of those 96 words on a new start, but 96 words freak out the progress meter, so until I have a count the meter can abide, I’ll post it within the blog.

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Posted By admin on July 19, 2010

Was seduced by Hank Cinque yesterday. Henry V is second only to A Midsummer Night’s Dream for me–and I’m not always sure it’s second. The passion, the language, the tragedy of loss and victory intermingling. I meant to turn it on for a second, just for a refreshing gulp of those lines. But I was raised on Shakespeare, as I was raised on grits and hoe cakes and Aunt Dorothy’s cole slaw. I might tell myself I only want a bite of any of them, but once I sample–all is lost for moderation’s cause!

Before my visit with Hank, I visited with Jennie Lucas’s Virgin Mistress, Scandalous Love Child. Jennie writes crazy good emotion! Again–I just wanted a little taste!  Apparently, I’m just a girl who cain’t say no!

I might have been a little less seduced by entertainment, but I went out to do the pool maintenance and it was so hot I decided to leap in, duds and all. Just as thunder arrived. I scurried inside, but kept my swimsuit on to try again. The sun barely peeked out when the thunder yanked up some clouds and chased it away again. Must swim today!

Is anyone else distraught that the British Open is over? I was appalled at the commentary early in the day–the assumption that Louis Oosthuizen would collapse under the pressure. One commentator assumed he’d play “all right,” but he couldn’t stand up to the pressure. Mind you, I have a theory that you only get to do an amazing thing without pressure one time–because you don’t know there is pressure. You’re just having a great time. What an amazing day’s work he did!

Photos are from each side of my house on a stormy Sunday. Strange weather, huh?

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Posted By admin on July 18, 2010

Today is my brother-in-law’s birthday–and fittingly, also National Ice Cream Day. Fittingly because the beloved and his brother share some strange genetic marker that makes ice cream practically their religion. Those boys can put it away. And whenever the bil visits, strange things happen in our kitchen as they labor over the beloved’s ice cream maker. I’m not a big fan, but maybe, just for today, in order to be a strict observer, I could put away a banana split. It’s just that my idea of the perfect banana split is all vanilla ice cream, a plethora of cherries, a touch of whipped cream–no chocolate, no strawberries, no nuts. Not sure that really is a banana split.

But happy Ice Cream day to all and to all a satiated good night!

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Posted By admin on July 17, 2010

I have sleeping issues. Since I was a little girl I can remember reading through the night, waiting for a hint of dark blue in the sky. I know I’ve done it since before I started school because I can remember reading books from my brother’s summer reading list before I started first grade. (Had to learn to read early to while away those insomniac hours.) Anyway, last night was another one of those nights.

I watched golf, because I missed most of yesterday’s coverage, running errands. Then I turned off the lights and tried to hear nothing and think nothing. Then I worked Sudoku puzzles. Then I worked through the rest of the night because sleep seriously wasn’t coming. And all those hours, I just kept looking for a hint of sleepiness to go along with exhaustion. Add panic as the minutes tick by, and you know–there are only so many. Which leads me to now, having finally fallen asleep at just after 6:30, and then slept through my alarm so I’ve missed my monthly writer’s meeting.

I haven’t gone to the meetings this year as much as I’d like, and that means I’m not hanging out with other people who are doing this job, thinking, living, breathing it. While that probably means I’ll have more work hours today, it also means I’m going to miss that contagious burst of energy that writers (mostly introverts trying to pretend we’re not) lend each other.

So, I miss my friends, I miss that extra energy and hearing everyone’s news. I may take a nap, and I’m sad another month will go by before the next meeting.

Hope you’re having a more reasonable weekend!

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Posted By admin on July 16, 2010

Yesterday. I had some IT issues to deal with in my one-woman IT dept. at the Adams abode. We are now the proud owners of two mifis. Here’s hoping they work. We’re furnishing our cell phone company’s new office. I just know it!

After I got that set up, our neighbor asked for a little IT help, and I’m annoyed to admit her problem defeated me. Seriously. I don’t care for that.

Then, the family wanted some of my time. I haven’t actually been a responsible family member for some time because writing is not my hobby. But I gave in for a change, and I’m glad. Woman cannot live entirely by words alone. (Or so they say. Between writing and reading, that doesn’t seem logical to me, but there you go.)

So, my word count is in the tens. I’m not thrilled, and I may try to get a few words in before I nod off (writing this post in the already wee hours of the night/Friday morning), but I’m already making sleep-stupid-induced mistakes. So I may have to go to bed and work when I wake at an unconscionable hour!

Here’s to catching up with emails I should have answered if not for my IT issues–and–a busy, word-filled Friday!

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Posted By admin on July 15, 2010

I always love it. It’s peaceful and played in beautiful surroundings (says the woman with the jungle back yard), and having played, I still can’t imagine why someone (Mary Stuart?) once said–”Let’s hit this wee ball into that wee hole–way over there. You can’t see it, but it’s there. Let’s give it a try.” I remember watching golf when I was a little girl, and neither my father nor my four brothers would watch with me. This year, I’m so annoyed with Tiger Woods, whose “story” I bought all those years that I haven’t watched much, but today, they’re playing in my favorite place in the world. St. Andrews, Scotland.

As they opened the coverage this morning, I was agog–there’s the spot my girl finally gave up walking ruins and leaned into her brother, leaking tears while they waited for their father and me to come down from the tower. There’s the beach where we walked, watching the water and the birds and the kids hitting balls in the sand, while their father toured the golf museum. There’s the bridge where we took each other’s photos, waving. There’s the pot bunker where the girl stepped in and disappeared from view. There’s the little restaurant where we almost lost the car due to a parking faux pas.

I love St. Andrews. Perfect weather, perfect wild water, perfect pace of life. Wonder why I can’t persuade the beloved to move there?

I need to get back to work instead of watching golf in the best place on earth. Yesterday was an extremely productive day–2,763 words. Amazing what a writer can accomplish when she’s tired of writing scared!

Whatever your work is, I hope you’re doing it with abandon today!

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