Saturday, June 28, 2008

Who should I kick first?

I'm sitting here watching The Salton Sea (which I love, by the way), and our friend Alex is over here to watch it with us. Myles fell asleep on the couch beside me, and Alex is stretched out on the floor on the other side of me, asleep as well. And they're both snoring! It's driving me nuts. So, which one should I kick first? Alex is a cage fighter, and I have to live with Myles...so I'm weighing my options here. LOL

On another note, I was standing up in our bedroom last night cleaning up all my jewelry on the bureau (I have a bad habit of taking it off and just tossing it on there and it all gets into a jumbled mess and I hate the look of the clutter), and the tornado sirens started going off. Sweet. But then again, what's an Indiana spring, summer, or early fall if there's no imminent threat of a tornado. =P It missed us, though. So that's a positive thing. I've already been through enough of them. Hahaha. =)

Yes, I'm making changes

I get bored with the same thing day after day, so I decided to mix it up. I'm sure it won't be the last time I do this. I was messing around with it when I was bored and tried to find some templates online, but alas, none of them worked and they deleted all my links. So I was back to square one, plus having to find all of my links and re-add them (plus a few).

I wish I new how to give myself a cool blog, but I don't I suck at techie stuff like that and I think I always will. I know enough to get the job done, but when it comes to putting my pictures where I want them in my blog (instead of ALWAYS at the top the way Blogger automatically does it), instead of having a much better background/layout, and instead of being able to link to stuff within my post's text...I have to do it this way. Yes, I know this way sucks, but I don't exactly have anyone chomping at the bit to teach me to do some of it or do it for free. =P

I mean, come on. I know one of you wants to drop everything to do this for me, right? Right?

Things I've noticed lately

Just random, in general stuffs.

1. If you cannot walk properly--heel, toe--in heels, you should not wear them. You look really stupid when you clomp around in them, putting your whole foot down at once. Practic or something, would ya? Or just don't wear them. Then it again, it just makes us women who wear heels all the time, and who can run in them, look that much better. LOL

2. Going to McDonalds and ordering a large fry and a Big Mac, but getting a DIET Coke, doesn't qualify as being on a diet. That diet pop ain't gonna do nothing to make up for the thousands of calories you're ingesting in the Big Man and fries. Sorry, man.

3. If you're morbidly obese (This is a huge problem in Indiana, no pun intended), why do you get a handicap sticker? Shouldn't you be parking at teh very BACK of the parking lot and walking to the store? Just a thought.

4. If a guy (*cough* Myles *cough*) is in the middle of a meeting and answers your phone call and actually engages in the conversation later, he does not have the right to bitch about you calling him during a meeting later on in the day. It's his fault for not using his brain...duh, don't answer the phone, or pick it up and tell me you're in a meeting. It doesn't exactly take rocket science, dude (This goes back to me whole, guys-lack-common-sense thing).

Thursday, June 26, 2008

When submitting your manuscript

It's usually not a good idea to have typos in your query letter. Sure, it'll make you stand out to the editor, but not in the way you want to stand out. Trust me on that one. I've received a couple lately that just have me boggled. Did they even bother to use Spell Check? Do they even know what Spell Check is? One that particularly had me was having the word "beleive" in their letter. That's not even a word, because, well, it's spelled wrong.

This isn't a long post, since there's not much to say on that. It's pretty much common sense.

It's one of those days

I'm reading through subs while at work. I've gotten caught up with all of my "work" work, so I've decided that I'll just get through all my subs today and tomorrow. I'm saving a couple of them because with what I usually see with those authors, I'll be wanting to offer a contract on them. =)

But the other ones I'm reading... They're not bad, they're just not good enough. There's something that's missing, something that's not drawing me in enough. The written is good, but the stories are just falling a little flat for me. I hate it when that happens. It's really hard to tell an author, "Hey, it's good, it's just not good enough, dude. Maybe someone else will like it." And don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like them, it's just that they don't grab me. If I'm going to have to read through a book ten times, literally sometimes, I have to be able to enjoy reading it every single time, even though I'll always know what is coming in every scene. With a good book, it doesn't matter how many times you read it, because it's good every time. =)

When you're done writing your manuscript and you hand it over to your crit partner (if you have one), be sure you're handing it over to someone who will be brutally honest with you. I know it sucks to have your baby critiqued and have negative things said about it, but if you want to get published (by a good publisher) you need that feedback. Even if you don't have a crit partner, you need someone else to read it for you. Again, someone brutally honest. They don't have to be another writer or know the ins and outs of grammar, dialogue tags, showing versus telling, etc.

You just need someone who is going to tell you if it's a good read. If it's something they would by. You need to know if they were compelled to turn the page, to keep reading way beyond the length of time they intended to read for. I cannot stress how important that is. If I can get distracted easily while reading your book, and I'm not drawn into it, and I need to take a bunch of breaks before continuing on, chances are, I'm not going to be offering you a contract. But if I'm so into it that I HAVE to read on so I know what happens next and how it ends, then you stand a pretty good chance. Sometimes the grammar and various stuff isn't the most important thing. I can offer a revise and resubmit to fix that...but I can't tell you how to fix it if it's not an engaging story.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Things I should be doing

I should be getting Myles to clean out the gutters and help him with that. I should be grabbing some laundry from upstairs and getting it done (even though I only have one more load to do, so it's not much). I should be cleaning up our bedroom: dusting, cleaning up my jewelry scattered on the bureau, the change Myles has piled on the bureau, my nightstand with various crap on it. I should be doing my spring cleaning (we're not even going to begin to list all of that). I should be picking up the living room (I have a tendency to pile everything I need around me so I don't have to get off the couch to get it. =P) I should be exercising to make sure my wedding dress still fits me on my wedding day--I have so slacked on this. It's going to be a nail-biter all the way up until October 11. LOL But, what can I say, I've managed to fit into the size ten and I only have about seven more pounds to lose and some toning up to do so that the dress fits poifectly.

But, instead of doing all the things I should be doing, I'm sitting on the couch in my pajamas, watching TV and editing. =) Because that's what I want to do.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

I love...

Editing. Yes, I adore it. I enjoy writing, too, but lately I've stopped writing and have just been concentrating on editing. Heck, I edit in my free time because I enjoy it so much. I even do it on my lunch hours at work. =P

I'm still working on turning editing into my one and only job. Considering the fact that I love it so much, that's probably a really good idea. =) Once Myles and I have kids, I pretty much refuse to work outside of the home. Hell, for the money I make at my day job right now, I'd be working to pay for a babysitter. And that's all my job would pay for. No exagerration.

I can't say it enough. I love editing and I love my authors. =) And Samhain is great to work for, too.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Honeymoon

Well, Myles and I finally decided to go on a honeymoon. Thanks to my best friend Misty, we've got someplace fantastic and affordable to go to. =) It's an adult resort on a lake. You stay in your own cabin. There's a butler service, but you never see them. It's all via a butler door. So, yes, we'll never even have to see anyone. Three days and three nights of peace and isolation. God, it sounds fantastic. Oooh, and did I mention the in-room couples massages?

And we're doing it odd, too. We're leaving on Monday instead of the day after the wedding. We figured it'd give us a little more time with our out-of-town family and friends and some time to rest up after our big day on Saturday. =)

I'm just really happy that we decided to go on a honeymoon. Even though it's a short one and it's not something elaborate, I don't have any doubts that it'll be absolutely perfect. =)

Gotta love...

Those crazy Indiana storms. We had one this past Sunday evening. It got CRAZY outside. I know people who've lived all over the country, the world even, and the one thing they all say is that there is nothing like an Indiana storm. Myles and I were having a relaxing evening watching The Bucket List (GREAT movie by the way), and when we got halfway through, the electricity went out. When we looked outside, the trees were literally bending in half, the wind was so strong. Yeah, it was pretty scary. Needless to say, we hurried up and got "real" clothes on and called my mom and dad to get online for us and see if we had any tornado warnings. Just thunderstorm warnings, so we stood on the front porch and waited for it to pass.

Afterward, we walked around our yard. Not so good. A BIG tree down in the backyard that we still have to cut up and move to the firewood pile (We've been super busy this week and haven't had a chance to do it yet) and TONS of branches and sticks all over the place. Not to mention, 70 mile an hour straight line winds tend to blow all of the leaves off the trees. I got out in the yard the other day and managed to get most of the branches, but there are still a lot more. I swear, every time I turned around from throwing a bunch of them down the ravine, there were twice as many back in the yard.

One of our rental properties, which is actually our first house that we lived in together, is right down the road from us, so it got some damage, too. Rental properties have to take precedence over our house, so we've already gotten that one done. Fascia was torn off, some soffet had come loose, so I had to help Myles fix it. NOT FUN FOR TERA. Have I mentioned that I am extrememly afraid of heights? Myles made me get up the twenty foot ladder (only halfway), to hold the fascia at the peak of the roof in front of the garage. Not fun. I had to really work to keep myself from having a panic attack. *shudders*

But, all is well now, just a tree to cut up. And I'm sure it won't be the last of the storms. =P After all, this is Indiana.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Spring Cleaning

Anyone else getting ready/already do their spring cleaning? I've been so busy, mine is gonna be late spring/early summer cleaning. We've had something going on every weekend since, well, it's been a long time!

I made up my list the other day and damn! I've got a lot to do. It's so easy to let some stuff slide in the summer. It's not like you can clean window sills between the glass and the screen when it's ten below outside. =P Plus, with my bridal shower being at my house on August 23 ( I know, it's odd, but it's easiest for my maid of honor), I want to make sure everything's perfect. Spotless. Then, in October, we'll have a lot of out-of-town family stopping by the house, my family and Myles's. So, yeah, it REALLY needs to be clean. I plan on taking the next couple of weekends and going through everything top to bottom with a fine tooth comb. Organizing, cleaning, getting rid of stuff, all of it.

Plus, don't you just feel better when you get it done? I know I do. I feel so accomplished.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The wedding madness has begun

I just looked at my countdown, and it says 115 days. Wow. When it started it was in the 900s. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by and how much there is to do.



I've been asked numerous times if I'm stressed and just want it to be over. My answer is no to both. I only get to do this once, so I figure I may as well enjoy every bit of it. I'm enjoying addressing all the invitations, enjoying tying ribbons on bubble wands with my mom, enjoying searching for bridesmaid gift, flower girl baskets, and other gifts online and finding the best deal. =)

I know that so many people say "I wish we'd eloped" and "I can't wait until it's over". Not me. This is one of the greatest times in my life and I'm going to savor every moment of it. It'll be over too soon, and then it will all be just a distant memory as Myles and I have kids and keep growing together and being busy with life in general.

I'm loving every moment of this!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Release Day! Living Lies by Dawn Brown


Doing whatever it takes could get them both killed.
Twelve years after her sister’s disappearance, Haley Carling spends her days trying to hold what’s left of her family together, running her late father’s shop and caring for her alcoholic mother. Then her sister’s remains are uncovered in the basement of their old home, and fingers start pointing. At the Carlings.

Dean Lawson, long the prime suspect in the Carling girl’s disappearance, is sure he’s got evidence proving who the killer is. He’s determined to clear his name, and he won’t let anything stand in his way. Not even his lingering attraction to Haley.

Haley is just as determined to protect her family from the former town bad boy’s accusations. But now someone is stalking her, and Haley realizes Dean’s the only one she can trust.

With a killer closing in, Dean wonders if he’s made the biggest mistake of his life…a mistake that could cost Haley her life.

Warning: This title contains a mystery to keep you turning the pages late into the night.
***
I absolutely adore this book, nevermind the fact that I contracted and edited it. =) As editors, we read a book about eight times, and never once did I skim through. Everytime I read it, even when I knew just what was going to happen, I LOVED IT! Everything about this book is wonderful.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Out of my slump

I think I'm finally getting out of my blah slump. I've been there for a while, too. No real reason for it, just there. =) My mood has been fantastic for the past two days and I've actually stayed up later than 9:00. LOL Whatever it is, I'm happy with it.

I'm working on getting way ahead in editing everything, because I don't want to have to worry about it come time for the wedding. I'm doing good with all of it, though. No stresses, no worries. It's all gravy, baby. =)

I just contracted a new book for Samhain that I love (of course I love it, I contracted it), but I know everyone else will, too. Bound by Love by TA Chase. Cowboys and sex and cowboys. Yummy! I can't wait to get started editing on it, so I can read it again!

Sunday, June 8, 2008

The Notorious Bettie Page

There for a while, our receiver was broken, so I wasn't watching any movies...too much of a pain to pull the TV out everytime I wanted to watch a movie. Well, we got the receiver fixed and everything, so I've started trying to catch up on everything I have in my Netflix queue. One of them was The Notorious Bettie Page. It left me with a really bad taste in my mouth. I know that she ended up being a born-again Christian, but I was really disappointed with the movie and the way they did it. I know things were different back then, that what Bettie was doing was considered extremely distasteful and wrong and all that. It just didn't do justice to what Bettie did for being a "pioneer", so to speak. I was left with the feeling that it was wrong and that you need to find God. Now, I believe in God, but I'm a much more liberal believer. =) I just, words can't describe how disappointed I was by the movie. I was expected so much more.

My best friend's wedding











Unlike Julia Robert's, my best friend's wedding was awesome for me. =)

I left work a couple a of hours early on Friday so that Misty, her daughter Grace, and I could go out and get our nails and toes done, eat some dinner, do some shopping, and get David's wedding present.

We got back to my house around 9:30 and went to bed shortly afterward. Got up in the morning, left to grab some Starbucks, and sat in Jesse's hair salon for about three hours. We had a good laugh at Grace telling Jesse to stop poking her skull with needles (bobby pins), that she wasn't a pin cushion, and that she could feel them in her brains. We were a tad late getting out of there since the bridal part before us were inconsiderate butt heads, so we raced down to Indy in the pouring rain, Misty driving 70 the whole way. Doing my makeup in the car wasn't so much fun, either, but hey, it got done and that's all that mattered. On the way, I had to hold Misty's veil to the side, which earned me a blister on my elbow from leaning on the center console, and I had to talk her down from bursting into tears when she got a call that her family from Kentucky was stuck outside of Indy because of flooding. Bad stuffs. I guess southern Indiana is in a state of emergency because of all the flooding. It's bad. We've gotten so much rain this year.

So, we got there, I had to go in first to make sure David was away from the door, in my jeans and T-shirt with my hair and makeup done, and Myles didn't even recognize me! Huh?
After we got changed into out dresses and were about the get the show on the road, Kevin (Misty and David's son, the ring bearer) had a fit and wouldn't take the pillow. Misty didn't even care, she just wanted to get married. =) So Kevin ended up hiding under the cake table for half of the ceremony. When he finally came out, Uncle Myles picked him up. Kev then saw the blue-iced cake on the table and started talking about how he didn't want to eat it 'cause he didn't want to turn into a blueberry like "Chocolate Factory". Someone's been watching too much Willy Wonka. Hahaha.

After dinner, we all headed back to Lafayette and went to our favorite bar (well, except for Myles), Cox's. We had a blast. Shots for all and lots of beer and dancing and karoake. It was sooo much fun. And, our hairstlyist/friend, Jesse, was even able to meet us there. Man, we had so much fun. =) Here's a couple of pics. And for the record, the blond guy in the pic with me is Brian, my other best friend Ann's husband and one of Myles's best friends. He also happens to be a really good friend of mine, too. =)

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Seven

Seven places I'd rather be right now (that I've actually been to):
Maui
my bed
Disney World
Chicago
Honolulu and the Royal Hawaiian's bar on the beach
Washington state to visit Kevin and Dawn
Cox's Pub

Seven things I'm craving right now:
to get started on my spring cleaning (we've been too busy)
a caramel Moolatte from DQ
a cigarette
a Leinenkugel Berry Weis beer
a vacation
a manicure
to go shopping for some new duds

Seven of my favorite movies:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Little Mermaid
Rosemary's Baby
Smokey and the Bandit
Backdraft
Days of Thunder
Roadhouse

Seven of my all-time favorite songs:
Asshole by Denis Leary
You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive
Foolish Games by Jewel
I Melt by Rascal Flatts
Pussy Control by Prince
Pussy by Lords of Acid
I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Homophobia

Why is it that most straight men are "afraid" of all things even remotely "gay"? Or, they're afraid to do anything that might be construed as gay. It's absolutely ridiculous. Here's a couple of examples for you:

Myles has had a bad patch with his hair lately. And by saying that, I mean that the woman who used to cut his hair exactly the way he wanted it done and did a really good job, quit working at the salon. Since then, he's just been going in and having whoever do it, hoping to find someone who does as good of a job as what's-her-name used to. (She really did do a good job.) I found someone that would do a realyl good job with his hair. There's only one catch...well, three as a matter of fact. 1) It's a guy, 2) Not only is it a guy, but a gay guy, and 3) Not only is he a gay guy, but he's a drag queen. Yeah, it's the triple threat right there. LOL Said guy happens to be doing all the hair and makeup for my wedding and doing my hair, my best friend's and her daughter's hair for her wedding this Saturday.

A few weeks ago, Grey's Anatomy had a scene with a soldier who was dying. His lover came to see him, who just so happened to be another male soldier. =) It was actually a really touching thing. (By the way, I have absolutely no issue with the "gay issue"). Well, they had a hot kiss and Myles hid behind his magazine. But a couple of weeks later, Grey's Anatomy had two females kiss, and he had NO problem with that. lol *sigh*

Anyone else have any insight? 'Cause I just don't get it.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Oooh, wedding!

And it's not mine!! =) My best friend is getting married on Saturday (She used to be in my profile pic with me until I changed it). And I'm her maid of honor. Go figure.

So Friday I get to go get a mani and pedi with her and then we're heading to El Rodeo for some fajitas and kick ass margaritas. Woo hoo! Then we're up bright and early on Saturday to head to get our hair and makeup done, head down to Indianapolis for her wedding and dinner, then head back up here for a night out at our favorite bar. In our pretty dresses (I'm not much of a dress person. It's rare when I wear one) It's gonna be a blast.

And to top it off, Myles (who is the best man) and I get to make a pit stop for drinks after the wedding and see some of our friends who live in Indy. Eric and Nicole and their one year old. Eric's in the wedding and Nicole is currently pregnant with twin boys...she's due two days after our wedding. Could be a conflict of interest there. =P

But anyways, I'm blabbering. I'm excited for Friday and Saturday to be here. =)

Descriptions

Yes, descriptions are good. But don't go overboard with them. The reader doesn't need to have everything little thing described to them. The reader might not want to "see" something exactly the same way you, the author, see it. Yes, tell us there is a field of colorful calla lilies, and, only if important to the story, tell us some colors. Don't tell us that there are twenty-four yellow ones and thirty-seven pink ones and that eight of those pink ones have two leaves instead of one. Or whatever. Ya following me? =)

I just want to be...

Curled up at home in bed. Or on the couch. It's dark and dreary and storming today, which is actually one of my favorite types of days. Yes, I know--I'm weird. I've been told this on numerous occasions. =)

Instead, I'm here at work, at a desk piled with work (in neat piles, of course), counting the minutes until I can go home. So far, it's 10:10 and I don't get to leave here until 4:45 this evening. Yeah, not so good. I've got a pretty long way to go.

And that day is going to get even longer, because for some reason, my computer won't let me on the Mensa website to play all their nifty little words games and puzzles. *sigh*

Monday, June 2, 2008

No more Ferguson!!

And for those of you who are unaware, Ferguson is my car...a 2001 Chevy Cavalier. So not my style, but it was what I got in a hurry about 5 years ago. Had I been with Myles at the time, he would have put the kabosh on it. =P

Myles and his buddy flew out to New Hampshire and picked up my new car for me this past weekend. A blue 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. Myles has an '01 and when his mom decided to get rid of hers, we gladly accepted the discounted price she offered us. LOL Yeah, free is acceptable. A car for a wedding present is okay with me. =) I'm soooo glad to be rid (well, we're putting it on eBay this week after it's detailed) of my two-door car. It's a pain. Never again.

I'm sure I'll post a picture of Ferguson the Second soon. =)

I've been a bad blogger...again

But, a lot of it was because I was sick for much of last week and then I was out of town all weekend. And I left all work at home. =) Now I'm back in the saddle and back in the swing of things, so I'll be much better.

I'm in a super good mood (right now) because I just offered a contract on a book. Cowboys and sex...yummy. I'm really excited to get started on it. I'll let y'all know more about it once I have the contract signed and in my hot little hands--figuratively speaking, of course. =)

All of my editing work is ahead of schedule and you know what that means? I might get some evenings to rest! Woo hoo! I'm going to start working on not working at all on the weekends, other than house stuff. I need to differentiate between work weeks and weekends more. I fall into the trap of sitting on the couch and editing all weekend, and that's no good. I need to be outside doing yardwork, going camping, getting stuff done...and not "working".

This weekend I'll be the maid of honor in my best friend's wedding on Saturday, hence the reason I will not be attending Lori Foster's event. *pout* And I so wanted to, since it's within driving distance from me. But, alas, the maid of honor duties have to take precedence. =P There's always another time to go to a gathering, but there's only one time I get to be in my best friend's wedding. Yes, this is me, trying not to be disappointed. LOL It's all good though.

Now, with four months to go, I'm going to have to get my butt in gear and get my own wedding stuff done. I've been a very, very bad bride.