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What I'm writing in YEAR OF THE DOG

I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
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One Thousand Gifts-11

Captain’s Log, Stardate 11.28.2006

I’m participating in the “One Thousand Gifts” list from Christian Women Online. Click on the picture to find out more about it.

276. The time spent yesterday with Dineen and Heather just chillin’ and watching the 2nd Bridget Jones movie
277. The fact I ate two salads yesterday
278. Carla Kelly’s Regency romances—such terrific writing, great characters. I wish she’d written more.
279. Joan Smith’s clever, funny Regency romances (I really wish she’d write more, although I haven’t seen anything new from her recently. But her backlist is slowly being released as ebooks by Belgrave Books so maybe they’ll publish a new one from her soon.)
280. Julie Ann Long’s entertaining and unique Regency historical romances (I loved her last two)
281. writing workshops on MP3 which I can listen to practically anywhere
282. the really informative RWA workshops I’ve been listening to recently
283. the apple cider vinegar, honey and hot water I’ve been drinking every morning and night to settle my acidic stomach. It’s genetic—my dad has this too and is on medication—but I’ve discovered that if I take the vinegar regularly, the occasional flare-ups only last a few hours rather than a few days, and I have less flare-ups.
284. my warm flannel vest, which I wear over my sweatshirt, which keeps me warm so that we don’t have to raise the thermostat temp.
285. French lavender hand soap—such a soothing scent
286. Relevant magazine—great to keep up with the post-modern culture and mindset
287. Radiant magazine—also to keep up with post-modern culture, but also with a lot of good dating resources so I can keep up with the concerns of Christian single women
288. An organization dedicated to stop child trafficking, Justice for Children International
289. Another organization against sex slavery, International Justice Mission
290. Recording artist Natalie Grant’s foundation to raise awareness and funds for organizations working against child trafficking, The HOME Foundation
291. My Romance Writers Report (RWR) from RWA each month—a very useful magazine to keep up with market and also with informative articles on craft, business, and career
292. Microsoft Word—because no matter how many bugs it has, it’s still a good word processing program for my personal needs
293. Microsoft Excel—I don’t know what I’d do without it to help me organize my work, my books, my life. And yes, I’m anal enough to use a spreadsheet, but it kept the Genesis contest running smoothly last year, and it’ll do the same this year.
294. Tea candles, because they’re cheap and they’re perfect for my diffuser because they give off a little bit of heat with my eucalyptus scent
295. the weave basket my ex-roommate Yvonne got for me from a garage sale for my recycling, which sits right next to my desk and is big enough for my needs
296. all the scratch paper I got from the Genesis proposals that I don’t need to return to the entrants
297. my Shure earbuds, which completely shut out all other ambient sound so I can hear only my music
298. Harlequin Presents books, another vice, because there’s something so appealing about a rich, powerful alpha-male.
299. Silhouette Romance books, because I love the romance with that little bit of sexual sizzle, even though CBA doesn’t allow that in their books
300. my alarm clock in my office reminding me to take my medication

TMI:

Writing: Please pray! I need to get writing done!
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Comments

Dineen A. Miller said…
Sure had fun with you and Heather. :-) Thankful for you, girl, and your friendship. HUGS!!!
Tue Nov 28, 12:48:00 PM 2006
Heather Diane Tipton said…
had a total blast with you and Dineen. loved every minute of it! Can't wait til I can do it again!
Tue Nov 28, 10:43:00 PM 2006
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