Margaret Moore

Giving Up The Guilts

2012-02-01T11:17:00.004-05:00

There was one thing I really, really, REALLY did not miss when I took my long break from writing and that was "the guilts" - that haunting feeling that no matter what else was going on or I wanted to do or even needed to do, I ought to be working on a book.

I consider this is one of the biggest downsides of being self-employed and working from home - the work is always there, calling to me from the basement office, threatening all manner of gloom and doom if I don't spend every waking moment at the computer or thinking about what I should be doing at the compute to write and promote my work.

I've been living with this sort of haunting dread and guilt for about twenty years. Believe you me, it takes a toll. Living without that was one of the best things about my long break.

I'm back to work now, and in the past couple of weeks, I've started to feel that nagging guilt again. Unfortunately it seems I've been too conditioned by twenty years of deadlines to work without that nagging feeling eventually returning.

However, I've learned the hard way that all work and no play is NOT the way to lead a balanced life, so I'm doing my best to ignore the guilts. Maybe it means I don't write every day, something writers are told over and over is the key to success, but I've been there, done that (including working on Christmas Day, holidays and birthdays) and I am determined not to fall into the guilt trap again

Writing Drafts: The Illustrated Version

2012-01-27T19:55:00.009-05:00

Ever wonder how a manuscript progresses from first draft to last? Because I often think of the individual scenes, and even pieces of scenes, as building blocks, I decided to do a visual representation of my process. Using blocks.

This is my synopsis, which is basically my outline. It's the basics of the story - the who, when, major plot points, the beginning, the end. It's short. A reader would understand what and who the story's about and generally what's going to happen, but there's no dialogue and it's lacking details.

Then it's on to the first draft, which turns out something like this:

Obviously there's a lot more going on. Now we have dialogue, setting details, more characters and more character development. It resembles the synopsis, and yet...it's different. Looks a little weird, too, doesn't it? That's because I throw in all kinds of material in the first draft, some that stays, some that's clearly not going to work.

So I start renovating, and wind up with something like this:

Some material is still there, especially the basics, or foundation. But lots has been taken away, too.

That means rewriting, or adding new material, until I have this:

Almost, but not quite. Now, sometimes I'm lucky and I only have to do one more draft. Other times, I will tear down and rebuild two or three more times, until I get to the finished edifice:

Now, being me, I could tinker with this for, well, probably years. But there comes a time when I'm tired of playing with those particular blocks and I want to try something else, with different colors or shapes. That's when I know the story is as good as I can make, and if I keep working on this project, all I'm going to do is start making a mess.

Swans Swimming

2012-01-08T15:21:00.005-05:00

There is both a pond and a large bay near our cottage. The swans are on the pond all summer. In winter, they go to the bay where there's a patch of unfrozen water.

I was taken aback to see the swans in the pond this week. Well, not in the pond. On the pond. See what I mean?

I've never been so close to them and let me tell ya, those birds are huge

Today on my walk, I saw them swimming in the bay, where there is very little ice yet. This is good for the swans and ducks. Not so good for the folks who want to set up ice fishing huts.

Wonder what else I'll see this week?

What a sunset!

2012-01-05T18:12:00.004-05:00

I rushed outside while making dinner to take a picture of the gorgeous sunset. The picture doesn't really do it justice. The colors were really breath-taking.

And the last goal for 2012 is....

2012-01-03T10:04:00.005-05:00

I want to party more.

Well, party might not be quite the right word. I'm not a fan of large, noisy gatherings with people I may or may not know. I mean I want to socialize more with the people I do know. Talk and visit with friends, not just exchange emails or tweets.

After years of deadlines, some thrown at me at the very last minute, I got to the point where I was reluctant to commit myself to much of anything. I was afraid I'd have to cancel abruptly, or feel guilty that I wasn't working when I did socialize. Over time, this meant I was spending much less time with friends.

This is not good.

Yes, I got my work done. Yes, I saw my family and I was online, so I wasn't completely isolated. Yet I was also beginning to feel like a troll living in a cave. When I did venture out to meet with friends, I was feeling more and more as if I was saying the wrong things, or being too crabby. Non-writers will never understand what writers do, how they do it, or why it can be so mentally and emotionally taxing. I knew that, yet I was turning into a grumpy, bitter writer nevertheless. And worrying that I might say the wrong thing was turning into a reason not to socialize. Like I said, not good.

So this year, I'm taking steps to get out of my cave more, such as arranging to lunch with friends or having company at the cottage.

So, there you have it. My goals for 2012: write and submit a manuscript, lose 15 pounds, try to avoid using "but" and socialize more. Nothing earth-shattering, yet I hope striving toward these goals will help me lead a more fulfilling, healthy and balanced life in 2012.

What about you? Any similar goals in 2012?

The Insidious Negativity of One Little Word

2012-01-03T09:21:00.006-05:00

I have one rather unusual goal for 2012. I want to decrease my use of the word "but."

Recently I was having lunch with a friend who has taken a volunteer job as an usher at a community theater. She was telling me about some of her training, including not using negative words such as "but."

I confess that struck me as odd, because I'd never really considered "but" a negative word. Then I recalled something else I'd heard. If you're asking for something, and you get a response along the lines of "I'd love to, but...", ignore everything that comes before the "but." What comes after the "but" is the answer.

Often, it's the request denied. The submission rejected. The job lost.

"But" is the sound of the door being closed.

I saw the insidious negativity of "but" in action while I was working on my recent blog posts. No, it does not herald a positive remark, so I'm going to try not to use it, unless, of course, I really want to be negative. The difference will be that I will be thinking about it, not just letting it creep in, bringing its negative inference with it.

This kind of goal is a subtle one. It isn't going to be very noticeable to anybody else. Yet I can see this small change having a real, positive impact on my daily life, so for me, it's as worthy a goal as losing weight.

My Second Big Goal for 2012

2012-01-02T10:57:00.003-05:00

This goal is, alas, a repeat of a former one. I stopped exercising diligently, ate too many sweet and/or less healthy foods, and now have the extra weight to show for it. Therefore, my second main goal this year is to lose 15 pounds (although 20 would be better) and 4 inches around the waist (although 5 would be better and 6 would be wonderful). Why not inches elsewhere? I have the sort of body where all the extra weight goes to the waist. Yep, the dreaded, unhealthy "belly fat."

How do I intend to meet this goal?

I hope to exercise every day. As I discovered the last time I set a weight-loss target, consistency is key. My main way to exercise is by walking at least 10,000 steps a day or using a treadmill we got for $40 at a rummage sale, powered by the walker. I have a Pilates ball and found that two different lifts using it are great for tightening and strengthening the abdominal muscles.

I won't have the treadmill at the cottage, though, (and have no plans to lug it down there), so I want to investigate a gym in the nearest town, and perhaps the local indoor pool. I also have a hankering to try horseback riding lessons. I fear, though, that the price may be too much for the budget, at least for this year. Still, worth a call or two, because it's something I've always wanted to do.

I let myself indulge in chocolate and cola over the holidays, and am now in a period of abstinence, save for the occasional treat and writing reward (sometimes you need a little something special after wrestling with a particularly difficult scene). Cola's a lot easier to give up in the winter, so now's a good time to start that. White foods (like potatoes, white rice and bread) also go on the special occasion list.

So far, I've lost a pound from my highest holiday weight, so I'm already on the right track. (Yeah!)

Getting a manuscript finished and submitted and losing weight are my two major goals for 2012. I have some minor ones, too. More on those tomorrow.

My Goals for 2012

2012-01-01T12:13:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year, everybody!

I've decided not to make resolutions this year. Instead, I'm having goals, things to aim for that I believe are in the doable realm. I've also thought about how I'm going to accomplish those goals.

Today, the work goal: I want to revise and submit a complete novel by the end of March.

First step is to reread the first draft that I finished in mid-November. In the past, I've always printed a hard copy and read it through, editing and making revision notes as I go.

This year, I'm going to try something different. I'm going to try reading through the manuscript on my computer, not editing and only making revision notes at the end of a scene. This is not going to be easy for me. After all, I've been working one way for over twenty years. So why do it this way? I want to get an overview of the novel, to see what major changes have to be made, before I tackle minor details. And after my long break, maybe it's time for a fresh approach. This may not work for me, but I figure it's worth a try.

I'm also hoping to schedule time at the cottage in January. It's very quiet in the village in winter, and we only have over-the-air TV, which means I get the news and some of the major TV shows, but not cable shows, like HGTV, A & E and TLC. It'll be my own writing retreat.

One thing I'd like to note - when I posted in my latest newsletter about this goal, I received several responses from readers saying how happy they were that I was writing again. Talk about inspirational! It was wonderful to hear that people were anxious to read more of my stories.

So that's my first main goal for 2012. I'll blog about the second one tomorrow.

Back in print!

2011-12-28T08:50:00.005-05:00

Whoo hoo! They're back! Two of the medieval romances I wrote for Avon Books are now available again - in print and on sale!

From the back cover:

Everyone knows that red-haired women are nothing but trouble, so when enchanting, flame-haired Fiona MacDougal rides into his castle courtyard announcing that she is willing to become his bride, Caradoc of Wales knows to be wary -- even of such a beautiful Scottish lass bearing gifts. He has no desire to take himself a wife, but her kisses are so tempting that the idea of an intimate -- and permanent -- union becomes most appealing indeed.

The thought of marrying this bold, handsome warrior sends shivers of delight down Fiona's spine. She wants nothing more than to tell him the entire truth -- that in his strong embrace she is certain to be safe from the despicable blackguard who would marry her for his own selfish gain. Fiona loves Caradoc dearly, but can she ever win her passionate husband's trust -- or gain his love -- if he discovers the real reason she sought him out?

"Tempt Me With Kisses was an absolute pleasure to read. I enjoyed meeting the characters, and felt a kinship with them even after the last page was turned."
-- The Romance Reader

"Ms. Moore has written a fantastic story of love, betrayal and forgiveness....a definite must read for those who enjoy stories of secrets, inner turmoil and creative resolutions to difficult situations. Kudos for a perfect story."
--Romance Reviews Today

Read An Excerpt

From the back cover:

His Every Desire

Seeking vengeance on the lord who robbed him of his birthright, Sir Alexander DeFrouchette set out to steal his enemy's bride...and, in his haste,carried of the wrong lady! Now it would be far too dangerous to release the exquisite Lady Isabelle -- whose sister was the true captive he sought. The bold, spirited hellion has enchanted him, and Alexander longs to tame her and taste the sweetness of her kiss. But she is related to his hated foe, and the noble knight will never know Isabelle's love until she offers it willingly -- and this she dares never do.

All Her Dreams

Gallant knights are supposed to protect fair maidens -- not kidnap them! Yet here is Lady Isabelle, a prisoner of Sir Alexander, who is strong, virile, handsome, everything she ever dreamed of in a man. But proud, fiery Isabelle will never succumb to force -- no matter how powerfully he inflames her passion...or how quickly her heart beats when he's near...

"Readers will enjoy the antics and especially the debates between the brooding sexy hero and the intelligent captive who knows where her safety lies. As usual the audience gets more from a novelist who always provides an inviting tale."
-- The Best Reviews

Read An Excerpt

HarperCollins has several links to purchase. I note that while both are available from Amazon.com, it appears the reprint of TEMPT ME WITH KISSES is not yet available from Amazon.ca. Hopefully this is just a temporary delay. Both are available for ordering in Canada from Indigo online.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-21T11:23:00.001-05:00

May we all have a happy, safe and wonderful holiday!

Scenic Seattle

2011-12-06T10:23:00.010-05:00

We're back from visiting Seattle. We managed to see lots of sights, and had one day of quite good weather. Here are some of our pictures from scenic Seattle taken from the Space Needle:

We also got to the aquarium. I don't know who this little girl is, but I see a future in marine biology.

Here I am at the Pike Place Market. We had a great lunch at the Steelhead Diner. I heartily recommend the baked macaroni and cheese and coleslaw, which was out of this world.

And finally, because it's nearly Christmas - I spotted these shaped holly bushes outside a building. I have a holly bush, and I've cut it back at times, but I confess it never occurred to me that you could prune them into such a nice shape.

Next on my agenda - Christmas preparations, although I hope to be able to do a little manuscript revising, too.

Safe Travels, Everyone

2011-11-21T14:26:00.003-05:00

I think we may have a stowaway....

So now what?

2011-11-17T15:46:00.002-05:00

Now that I've finished the first draft of my current project for My Own NaNo, what have I been doing?

Not doing more work on the book...yet.

I've been doing a lot of other things that got a bit sidetracked, including updating/revising some of my webpages, like the one for my Warrior Series. When you've got a series that has fourteen books and a novella, it takes a while to make changes.

We also did a maintenance run to the cottage. And we've been getting ready for our trip to visit our son next week.

If I feel I have time, I may print up a chapter or two of the My Own NaNo manuscript. The first chapter is surely a mess in need of drastic revisions. However, unless I have at least two hours to spare, I'll leave it until we're home, when I can go through the entire manuscript, hopefully at least once, before Christmas.

Since I'll be away next week, let me take the time now to wish everyone who's on the road next week a safe and happy holiday!

My Own NaNo - Done!

2011-11-09T11:31:00.004-05:00

Whoo hooo! I have made My Own NaNo goal and finished my first draft - a day early, too.

Here are the details:

Total Word Count - 58,405
Total Days - 28
Average Word Count Per Day - 2085
Total Number of Chapters - 20

So now what do I do?

I'll print up a hard copy that I'll read and make copious notes upon. (I am old school that way.) I'll be revising and editing, and noting where I need "more", including whole new scenes. I'll be moving scenes and deleting others entirely. I'll be adding back story and a lot of description (because right now, there is pretty much none). I need to research some historical details, and I really need to make a map of the village and surrounding area, so those details are consistent. In other words, I have a lot more work ahead of me.

But here's the thing - I now have the journey all mapped out. To be sure, there may yet be some twists in the road and I will do at least two more complete drafts (if not 4 or 5), but I know who these people are, where they're going and how they're going to get there. I know who's important and who's not. And I have a couple of sequel possibilities to either work on more, or let die on the vine.

Somebody asked me how long the finished book will be. At this point, I'm thinking about 80,000 words, but I don't know for certain. I'll see when I get there.

Most important of all, though, I've proven to myself that even after a very long break with no writing at all, my imagination is still capable of creating a story and characters. I've experienced that rush of excitement when something unexpected happens as I'm writing, something that takes a character or a story to a whole new level.

If My Own NaNo had done nothing more than that, it would have been totally worth it.

My Own NaNo - the end is nigh!

2011-11-05T11:18:00.004-04:00

On October 13 I started My Own NaNo. My goal was to jump start a writing project after a long break and finish a first draft. I hadn't really considered a date for the deadline; however, National Novel Writing Month uses a deadline of - obviously - a month, so my deadline for a finished first draft should be November 10.

I think I'm gonna make it!

I'm in the final chapters of my first draft. I've written a total of 51,464 words and figure I'll have another few thousand before I'm done.

This novel actually started out as a 20,000 word novella. Of that novella, I have used the same names for the hero and heroine, the same setting, some of the original set-up and approximate two paragraphs of text.

Yep, tossed out most of the novella and started fresh. There were major changes to the plot and the heroine's situation and background so rather than struggle to use what I'd already written, it was easier to just forget it and write fresh material.

What happens after the first draft is done?

I tear it apart, cut it down, revise and rewrite, adding new material as necessary. I expect to lose at least 10,000 words from the first draft and probably a lot more.

On the plus side, I've figured out the basic emotional arc of the main characters, as well as their backstories. I've decided on the basic plot - what happens to who, if not precisely the best order. I know which secondary characters are more important than others, and created some that come in at the end that are going to have to be added earlier. I've discovered what I need to spend time researching, and what I don't.

All of this means I still have a whole lot of work to do. But I'm not feeling my way in the dark anymore. I have lighting and a path to follow, even if the journey is far from over.

New Excerpts!

2011-11-03T15:57:00.007-04:00

I've uploaded new excerpts from the two books Avon is reprinting onto my website.

Here are the links:

Read An Excerpt from TEMPT ME WITH KISSES

This is the second book in the medieval series, and features the brother of the hero of the first, THE MAIDEN AND HER KNIGHT.

The other book Avon is reprinting is

Read An Excerpt from ALL MY DESIRE.

ALL MY DESIRE is the third book in the trilogy and features the sister of the heroine of THE MAIDEN AND HER KNIGHT and the son of the villain from that book.

I didn't have an excerpt for the first book in this medieval series, which is already available in digital format, so I've added one for it, too.

Read An Excerpt from THE MAIDEN AND HER KNIGHT.

I never assume people have read previous books in a series, so if you don't have an ereader and can't read the first book, you shouldn't feel lost if you start with the second.

Whoo Hoo! BIG News!

2011-10-27T16:36:00.010-04:00

Avon is reprinting two of my medievals!

Yes, that's right - reprinting, as in, available in print again. They are TEMPT ME WITH KISSES and ALL MY DESIRE. I don't have a firm release date, but hopefully in December. It's my understanding that the covers will be the same.

These are the second and third books in a trilogy. The first book, THE MAIDEN AND HER KNIGHT, is currently available in ebook form or used. As far as I'm aware, there are no plans to print it again. However, as with any of my series, I assumed that the readers of the later books wouldn't necessarily have read the ones preceding it, so you shouldn't feel lost if you haven't.

TEMPT ME WITH KISSES and ALL MY DESIRE are not currently available in digital form. There are plans to do that, but there are some details yet to be worked out.

I've noted how the stories are connected on my website.

As soon as I know more, you can bet I'll let you know!

(Just FYI, my newsletter subscribers heard about this first.)

Goal revising - again

2011-10-25T11:11:00.002-04:00

I've decided it would make more sense for me to use my computer word count for my daily goal for My Own NaNo.

For one thing, that's how publishers determine length these days.

For another, it was starting to feel like I was cheating if I was counting one paragraph at the top of a page as a full page. And I've changed fonts, so I was actually getting more done than I thought, which is a good thing. However, I think it would be better to have a more accurate sense of what I'm accomplishing on a daily basis. So word count it is!

That's the thing about doing My Own NaNo. I can change things as I go, if need be.

Something to note: This is a very lean draft, as my first drafts tend to be. I'm not worrying about description. I'm not concerned with much historical detail. I'm thinking primarily of the emotional arc of my characters. How their relationship is changing. How they're changing. How other people are impacting that relationship, and how they're changing, too. At this point, other plot elements are less important, so I'll leave them for later drafts.

And hooray! My story and characters are beginning to take on a life of their own. That means I no longer feel like I'm inching my way through a dark tunnel. There are shafts of light and parts where I can scamper. Yippee!

A word about words....

2011-10-23T10:46:00.002-04:00

Today, a quick blog post about writing historicals and language. One of the things I try really hard to do is avoid obvious anachronisms, especially in dialogue. I vividly remember being ripped right out of a historical novel by an author's choice of the word "ego" in a story set in the Regency. That word was tecnically correct, as in, it was in use at that time, yet it struck me as too modern. I also thought that "pride" would have meant much the same in the context and would have been a lot less distracting.

Avoiding anachronisms isn't always possible when writing historicals, but I do try to avoid words that might yank the reader out of the world of the story. To give you an example from the book I'm writing now: I needed a word that meant "spoil" as in "You spoil that boy." I chose "indulge." Both are too modern for a medieval (well, so is most language my readers and I would understand!), but "indulge" sounds less anachronistic to me than "spoil," so indulge it is.

And now, back to it!

Doing Better Than I Thought....

2011-10-20T15:13:00.004-04:00

When I started My Own NaNo, I set myself the goal of 12 pages a day. Realizing that was too ambitious after such a long break from writing, I switched to 8 pages.

The fact that I'm using page count instead of word count indicates I'm old school. When I started, novel length was determined by page count and average number of words per page. The standard formula was number of pages times 250 words, no matter if the page had extra space at the bottom or top or not (beginnings and ends of chapters, for instance). These days it's done by computer word count.

Now, I've been getting pages done, although I haven't always made my goal, and I certainly haven't filled every single page. I've also changed the font I used and the size.

Today I decided to do a comparison between the amount I've written based on the old formula vs. computer word count.

By traditional count: 77 pages x 250 words = 19,250 words
Computer word count: 25,966

Either way you look at it, I've written what could constitute a novella in one week - if I weren't aware that probably a third of it is going to wind up on the cutting room floor.

Nevertheless, I confess I'm pretty thrilled. If I'm aiming for an 85,000 word first draft, I'm nearly a third of the way there, and in one week. That means I could have this draft nearly competed in another two weeks.

Even I am having a hard time believing that.

On the other hand, and as tough as first draft is, there will be plenty more hard work revising and rewriting before I'd have something ready to submit.

But to quote Mr. Kennedy from Gone With The Wind, "I'm mighty encouraged."

My Own NaNo - re-evaluating the goal

2011-10-15T15:36:00.002-04:00

So I'm three days into My Own NaNo and have come to some conclusions:

1. My daily goal was too ambitious. I haven't been writing for several weeks, and that means the ol' writing muscles are out of shape. Twelve pages a day is just too many when I'm trying to get going again, so I'm changing my goal to a more manageable 8 pages.

This is why people say you should write every day - so the writing muscles don't get stiff. That said, I don't regret taking that time off. I needed it, so if I have to pay a price now, so be it.

2. Just when I thought I'd be free of major distractions, my son ran into some issues. Some writers are able to close out such distractions and concentrate on the writing. They even find it helps to focus on the work in tough times.

I am not of that ilk. I find it very difficult to concentrate on a job that requires so much creativity when I'm worried. And no, I cannot stop worrying if something is out of my control. I can certainly do things like revising, update my website or other administrative tasks, but writing a first draft? That's another story. So the first two days of My Own NaNo were kinda sunk before I started. Still, I did get more done than if I hadn't set myself a goal.

So what have I accomplished? I got 8 pages done on Day 1 and 7 pages on Day 2. So far today, the count is 7 pages. I may do more, I may not. Tomorrow I'm getting together with friends, so I may not get anything written.

Am I going to beat myself over missing a daily goal, or a few of them? Oh, heck no. By my own choice, I don't have an official deadline, so this goal is just for me, and it was never to get a first draft finished in a month. My main goal is simply to get back to the computer on a consistent basis.

Still, I'm hopeful I'll be more successful meeting my 8-page-a-day goal, especially since my son's issue was successfully straightened out yesterday.

Onward!

My Own NaNo

2011-10-13T09:04:00.003-04:00

I've come to a conclusion. I need some kind of external motivator to get a first draft of my current project finished before the Christmas festivities. Many people now know about National Novel Writing Month. It's even mentioned in the November issue of "O" magazine.

However, I've decided I can't wait for November to get going. So I'm going to start today, with what I'm dubbing "My Own NaNo" aka MONaNo. My goal will be 12 pages a day. However, I already have some obligations so I know I won't make that every day. Some days will be Five Page days. One or two will be Zero Page days. If we go to visit my son, there may very well be a Zero Page Week. But I'm okay with that. The point is to get up to speed and get the first draft written.

I'll be tweeting my daily page count (I'm WriterMargMoore on Twitter), and posting the results weekly on this blog.

In other news, my daughter has gotten engaged to a great guy and my front garden at the cottage has gone bananas in the unexpectedly warm weather.

The What and The How

2011-09-21T08:51:00.003-04:00

I've decided to go back to school.

Well, it's a sort of do-it-yourself course. I'm working my way through WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL by Donald Maass. Not that I think it'll mean sudden bestseller-dom, but because I've been a long time away from the computer, and I think I could use a "refresher course".

Maass is very good at telling you what makes a bestseller, although it eventually seems that it's more quotes from novels than actual concrete information. The reviewer on Amazon who mentions "valuable nuggets of advice" is right. However, the exercises are interesting and will, I'm fairly sure, prove to be valuable.

I did find one instance where it was easy to suggest a way to improve a story (more tension!) but no really clear direction on how to do it. For that, I went to my bookcase and pulled out BEYOND STYLE by Gary Provost. There I found not just the "what to do" but "how to do it."

So often an agent, or reviewer, or reader can say what needs to be done to improve a story, but it can take a writer to really tell you how to do it.

I've finished the Maass book, although not all the exercises because I need to write more of the actual novel first. Today, I start going through what I've already written. I suspect much of it is going to wind up "on the cutting room floor." That won't be the first time I've had to toss a lot to wind up with some valuable nuggets of my own.

Research: the hunt for more than facts

2011-09-19T09:14:00.007-04:00

Many times I've heard people they wouldn't want to write a historical romance because of all the research. I gather they envision historical authors in the dim recesses of a library, or hunched over the computer, looking up obscure information like how to make medieval beer or the names of the parts of the inner workings of a mill just to be able to shoehorn that information into a story. And possibly because they don't have a life.

Well, yes, we generally do have a life. And I don't research just for the bare facts. I'm hunting potential plot complications, things that are going to cause trouble, tension and drama for my characters. And ways to make to my setting more vivid. And ways to make my character seem more real, more human, and "of their time".

For instance, I learned about medieval beer because I wanted a medieval heroine who was unusual for both the time and readers. So I made Mair, the heroine of A WARRIOR'S KISS an alewife, a self-employed brewer of beer. Not exactly a modern occupation, so right away she's of a different time. Instant complication ensued because the hero is a knight, so definitely of a different rank. The brewery made for an unusual and hopefully interesting setting. I found appropriate terms so readers would believe she knew what she was doing.

Here's how I used some of that research (slightly abridged):

"Mair...added more wood to the fire in the hearth of the small house...within the encircling walls of the brewery bequeathed to her by her father.
Other buildings thus enclosed included the malt house, the brewery proper, the storehouse and the stable where she kept her horse and wagon. Her business was a prosperous one, because she was very good at her work. And because it was so prosperous, Mair was beholden to no one, and dependent on no man, and she liked it that way."

Notice I don't stop to explain what a "malt house" is (boring and not necessary here). Notice I don't go into any details here about her father's death. It's implied that her father taught her how to make beer; I don't need to say so. The mention of the horse and wagon, as well as the implied size of her brewery, backs up the assertion that her business is prosperous, and so it becomes believable that she can be an independent woman in a medieval town.

Now, some people will say much of this is "telling, not showing." Yep. That's the way I roll sometimes. I didn't want to have a whole scene of, say, people talking about Mair and how good her beer is and what an independent woman she is, although one could certainly do that. And it might be better. But by doing it this way, I can keep the focus strictly on Mair, and not the people talking about her.

To use another example, the mill:
Once you learn the importance of the mill to a medieval town, you know a destroyed mill can be a major complication, and it's destruction can make for a dramatic scene. Such an incident became a key plot point in THE UNWILLING BRIDE.

"When the timbers were well ablaze, the wind picked up more sparks and sent them spinning in the air toward the mill and the sluice channeling the water from the leat to the wheel. The great wooden wheel itself and the main shaft of white oak were too wet to catch fire, but cinders blew into the wheel pit. There fire found more to feed on - tallow around the lantern gear, and the dry wood of the inner shaft and spindle.
Like capering children the flames raced up the spindle to the rap, the shoe and the hopper, onward to the floor above. The millstone casing caught fire. And the garners storing the grain to be ground. Eventually the entire inner workings of the mill, the beams and the floors were all aflame."

Again, I don't stop to explain what some of these things are, although it took me the better part of an afternoon to finally find the names for the interior working parts of a mill, like "spindle". So why do that research? Why bother? All the reader really needs to know is that the inside of the mill is burning. I bother because by using the proper terms, by showing how the fire spread, I hope to make the scene more dramatic and vivid and real. This fire isn't consuming some sort of movie set, but a building made of individual parts.

A scene like that then allows me to have a bit like this, describing the hero who's been helping fight the fire:

"He stood near the huge millstones that had fallen to the ground and cracked in two. His hands on his hips, he was black with soot from head to toe, his chest and arms and face streaked where the sweat had run down in rivulets.
He looked the way Vulcan might have, before he'd been thrown from Olympus - a powerful, dark god, and one burning with a righteous wrath she shared."

What have I got here? Well, we know the mill's in really bad shape from those cracked stones. We know the hero was very much involved in the physical activity of fighting the fire. We know he looks like a Greek god (hubba), and that he's furious - this is a man of powerful emotions. And we know that at this moment, the hero and heroine are in the same emotional place - a link in their relationship has been forged by this fire. (And lest you think I'm that much of an intellectual writer or one who plans these things out, I just got that notion of the link in their relationship forged by fire RIGHT NOW. The things one's subconscious does....)

So you see, I'm not doing all the research just for the bare facts. I'm hunting for ways to make my characters and my settings more vivid, more interesting, more dramatic. And when I find 'em? Oh baby, that's exciting!

Back To Basics

2011-09-13T18:35:00.002-04:00

During this past spring and summer of much work and excitement (including the recent discovery that the pipe to our house from the water main had become disconnected - hey, at least we didn't have to pay for that repair!), I have actually found myself saying, "I don't know how I ever found the time to write."

Well, summer is over and the cooler air has arrived - and hopefully less maintenance and no minor, time-sucking catastrophes.

More importantly, I finally feel ready to get back to writing after my long spring/summer break. Believe me, it's been a little weird not writing for several weeks after twenty years as a professional writer, but I needed the break for many reasons, so I have no regrets.

I do need to prime the pump, though, so I've decided to do some writing exercises with an eye to revising a project I was working on before my hiatus. Some exercises I'm doing are listed on my website here and some are from Donald Maass's Writing The Breakout Novel Workbook.

So far, I'm enjoying them and discovering lots of things to add and change and fix in my work-in-progress. Yeah!

Now if only I can lose the five pounds I put on eating too much junk, as well....

He's baaaack....

2011-09-08T13:32:00.002-04:00

Turns out I spoke prematurely. Shawshank is back, with a new bigger, better tunnel. Time to try the bright lights, to see if that makes him relocate.

And in other news, we apparently have a break in the join from the water main to our water line. Many guys, trucks, etc. out front as it gets fixed. Then we have to drain our water heater in case there's sand in it.

Not a good day to concentrate on anything except what's going on with the water pipes.

At least we have electricity. For now. Apparently thunderstorms are forecast for later today. This could be one doozy of a day.

Where have I been?

2011-09-07T10:08:00.009-04:00

Egad, has it really been over a month since I last wrote a blog post? What the devil have I been up?

Well, not writing, I must confess. I've been busy with home and cottage maintenance and renovations.

After the Night of the Bat - when I discovered a bat flying around inside the cottage, much to my dismay - the fixing of the chimney moved up the List of Renovation Priority. There's a picture of the scaffold. You can also see the overgrown wisteria on the trellis on the deck, above the Giant Hosta. I spent hours cutting that wisteria back this summer, and some ivy, too.

We had already arranged to have work done on the foundation. One of the supports was rotting, and it was a little shaky in another. There's a few dollars, let me tell ya, but after watching all those home renovation shows, I've learned structure is too important to ignore.

Those workmen discovered a leaking pipe, so that meant a call to the plumber, as well. Who knows how long it might have been had they not? We have now instigated a "Check the Crawl Space At Least Twice a Year" policy.

New heating and cooling vents were added upstairs. Unfortunately, one of the workmen put his foot where he shouldn't, so I had some ceiling paint touch-ups added to the list.

I had some other paint touch-ups outside as well, on the railing of the sliding Door to Nowhere (that's it beside the chimney on the second floor). That was a treat (not). As those of you with bi-focals can attest, when working at something above eye level, you have to lean your head back to see up close. This is not fun to do when one is on the highest step of a step-ladder.

I've also had to clean up the back garden at the cottage, which got left until this week because of the many mosquitoes in residence.

Back in the city for a week, I had to deal with the back garden there, which meant a lot of pruning. Oh, and they tore up our street for repaving, which meant removing and replacing our driveway paving stones. That wasn't done quite properly, necessitating a call to the city and an inspector's visit.

I've also been keeping track of Shawshank, the skunk living under our shed. Or at least something was, and we're assuming, based on the evidence of our nostrils, that it was a skunk. Last time I put a wee barrier of twigs and leaves (easily moved) over the hole, it was undisturbed. On the other hand, the folks next door - my folks, in fact - have been having incursions under their shed, so I fear Shawshank (and/or children of Shawshank) may simply have moved next door.

As you can see, despite my efforts, the skunk burrowed beneath the shed. Hence the name "Shawshank."

Has it been all work and no play here in the Land That Time Forgot? No. I've been doing lots of reading and I now have an awesome sea glass collection, thanks to many walks along the beach.

What does one do with all that? At a local arts fair, an artist had made mosaics from sea glass. I have the materials here, including frame, but haven't found the time to get to that. Just like my manuscript.

However, now that the cooler weather is here and once my garden is finally cleaned up, I'll be getting back to writing.

Or at least, that's the plan.

Or maybe I'll wind up taking a little bit of a break from gardening, etc. and have a nap.

Now at eHarlequin!

2011-07-29T16:08:00.003-04:00

After a bit of a wait, all of my older titles that Harlequin has recently reissued (see blog post below) are now available at eHarlequin. Here's a link to the list of my books available in digital format at eHarlequin.

You can save an extra 10% with code SAVE10EHQN at checkout.

They're Baaaack!

2011-07-19T07:41:00.013-04:00

I'm delighted to announce that Harlequin has made several of my older books available again in digital format, including many of my Warrior Series. Also now available are all three books of my Victorian "Most Unsuitable Men" Series.

I've been busy adding excerpts for those books to my site, as well.

The books from my Warrior Series now available are:

THE NORMAN'S HEART

Read An Excerpt

I've had two heroes who leapt into my mind virtually fully formed, which made their books a joy to write. Roger de Montmorency was one of them. The other was the hero of THE OVERLORD'S BRIDE", also a Warrior book available now in digital.

THE BARON'S QUEST

Read An Excerpt

I don't know how many people are familiar with the TV series The Highlander, but they did an episode about a romance writer. Imagine my surprise when I realized they had used this cover for her novel, although they gave the hero longer hair on the TV show.

A WARRIOR'S BRIDE

Read An Excerpt

I confess I usually remember my heroes better than my heroines. However, I'll also confess that the bold, tom-boyish Aileas is one of my personal favorites.

A WARRIOR'S HONOR

Read An Excerpt

The hero of this book is the brother of the heroine of THE BARON'S QUEST.

A WARRIOR'S PASSION

Read An Excerpt

This is the first book featuring the second generation of DeLanyeas, the children of the hero and heroine of my very first book and the start of the Warrior Series, A WARRIOR'S HEART.

THE WELSHMAN'S BRIDE

Read An Excerpt

Another book featuring the second generation of DeLanyeas.

Here are the books now available in my "Most Unsuitable Men" series, set in Victorian England:

THE WASTREL

Read An Excerpt

THE DARK DUKE

Read An Excerpt

THE ROGUE'S RETURN

Read An Excerpt

Mine aren't the only books Harlequin has reissued in digital lately. On July 15, they released many other titles from the nineties - 2500 titles altogether, or so I understand. While I appreciate not everyone has an ereader, I'm very grateful Harlequin has gone to the time and trouble of reissuing these older titles in the new format. Otherwise, my older books would only be available as used books.

Books and Bats

2011-06-26T09:39:00.004-04:00

But first, when I spoke about having visitors to the cottage, I did not include bats! So when one showed up, flying around upstairs, I, to be honest, completely and utterly lost it. It didn't help that it was just me and the cats, my husband being in Prague on business. Or that it was after 10 p.m. I finally found somebody to come out and catch and release the creature. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it, because the wonderful Marcel also checked the attic to make sure there wasn't a colony (!!) inside the house. Unfortunately, though, that means the how and why of the Lone Bat's arrival remains a mystery. Here's hoping it was just a fluke, because that's one experience I really don't care to repeat.

In other, more happily exiting news, Harlequin has reissued the fifth and final book in my medieval Brothers-in-Arms series, HERS TO DESIRE. I'm thrilled not just because it means the entire series is now available, but also because I really like the couple in this book. Of all my heroines, "little Lady Bea" is probably the one most like me. She talks a lot. :-)

And there's more to come! Harlequin is making even more of my (and other author's) backlists available in digital format. I'm working away on excerpts for those titles - and I do mean work. My new computer can't read my old diskettes (remember them?), so it means I have to type in the whole excerpt. Nevertheless, it's a labor of love, because I'm delighted that those books will be available again. I'll be posting an announcement in my newsletter, tweeting and of course blogging when the books and excerpts are ready, about the middle of next month.

In the meantime, let's hope I'm not distracted by more unwelcome intruders!

Back to the Beach

2011-06-14T19:11:00.003-04:00

I'm heading back to the Land That Time Forgot, where the beach is warm and the internet is dial-up. This time, I have no large projects, like painting walls. Just a few small ones that I hope to blog about. And this time, I'll have the cats to keep me company, at least at first, with family and friends to join me as time goes on.

Here's hoping for a warm, wonderful, happy summer for us all!

Going for the gold for 36 years and counting....

2011-06-06T12:05:00.004-04:00

When I was going to high school, my friends and I would play euchre at lunch. The year after we graduated, our friend David hosted what was modestly called the Euchre Championship of the Entire World. The tournament began Friday night, continued most of Saturday (with dancing) and concluded on Sunday.

Every year since then, for an amazing thirty-six years, our group of friends has had an annual euchre party. David hosted for the first ten years. Since then, the hosting duties have rotated. Spouses and significant others have joined the ranks. Children have been born and nursed while mom played cards; the kids have grown up and moved out. The length of the event has shrunk from an all-weekend affair to Saturday noon to approximately 11 p.m. The medals have gotten fancier, and our skills a little rustier.

It has been and continues to be, one of the highlights of my year.

This year, after a looooong drought, through a combination of my partner's skill and good luck, I was able to take home a gold medal. It was an exciting conclusion to a wonderful day of fun and friendship.

Here's my medal. Ain't it purty??

Anybody else have an annual get-together with high school friends?

Flora and Fauna and Paint, oh my!

2011-06-04T09:45:00.005-04:00

I'm back from the Land that Time Forgot. Like other parts of southern Ontario, it's had a cold, wet spring but summer has finally arrived! And my wisteria is blooming! Isn't it lovely?

We've also had visits from the local bunny couple. Here they are, and they let me get pretty close (although I was up on the deck).

One unfortunate thing about the cottage is lack of internet access. I only have dial-up at present, so it means not a lot of time to blog and as for Twitter, forget it. Just won't work.

I do have plenty of other things to do. I went down with great plans to paint some walls and also do some writing. Oh, the gods laughed! And laughed and laughed and laughed. Have you ever painted paneling? It is one tough job and not just because it's not a smooth surface. For one thing, I needed two coats of primer. I did two top coats on the smaller room, but only did one top coat in the largest room. I did use better paint for the single top coat, though, and frankly, if I'd had to do two, I think I would have given up at the primer stage. I don't remember when I've ever been more physically tired! Now that it's all done, it looks good, but oh, baby, what a job!

In other news, my son's coming home for a short visit next week!!!! We've been watching that new show, The Killing, on A & E and every time it shows a long shot of downtown Seattle, we shout out a hello to him.

Why, yes, I'm sure he can hear us. Why do you ask? ;-)

Couldn't wait...

2011-05-19T08:45:00.004-04:00

Harlequin has reissued some of my older books in ebook format (yeah!) and I realized I didn't have excerpts from them on my website. I decided to correct that. However, since I'd saved the manuscripts on those quaint devices known as "diskettes" that my new computer couldn't read, I had to type them all in. I've also been updating other web pages.

I was going to wait and announce when all was done, but I just can't wait to let folks know about the new excerpt to one of my personal favorites, THE OVERLORD'S BRIDE. The hero of this book was incredibly vivid to me, and so was the heroine. Trust me, that's not the case with every book. Some characters have to be grown, bit by bit. Sometimes, albeit rarely, they leap into my imagination fully formed.

Such was the case with Raymond D'Estienne, although to me is forever and always "the Voice." The excerpt will give you a clue why.

So, with no further ado, here ya go!

A Necessary Break

2011-05-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

I have to take a break from blogging for a while. I've given myself a "classic" rotator cuff injury and my wrist is also starting to protest if I'm at the computer too long.

Until later, then, and in the meantime, I hope everyone has a great summer, full of lazy days and lots of reading!

Mother's Day - always learning

2011-05-06T09:46:00.006-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! Best wishes and good luck to all mothers out there as we continue learning how to parent, even when our children have grown up and left home.

Or at least I am. I recently discovered I've been making a huge mistake. While I felt terrible when the problem was brought to my attention, I'm very glad it was. I've seen what resentment can do to a parent/child relationship, and it is one bitter poison. I would rather feel lousy today than realize months or years later that this issue had been festering, and I was too blind or caught up on my own drama to see it.

So, lesson learned, and I'm sure there'll be more, even though I've been a mother for nearly thirty years.

Back to the Shore

2011-05-04T09:35:00.004-04:00

I'm just back from two weeks at the cottage. And let me tell ya, it was a pretty cold, damp time. Nevertheless, I managed to get some painting done (of walls) and various other small projects.

I did go for walks, although most of the time, it was windy, cold and wet. How windy? Here's a video I took at the beach.

This is what the shore looks like most of the time. It's hard to tell from the video, but the waves were coming right up to the grass at the left.

Yep, it was windy, all right!

More About Moore

2011-04-25T08:38:00.002-04:00

I'm interviewed at Get Lost In A Story today. They asked some really interesting questions, so come on by. Feel free to ask more questions, too.

What's with all the lawyers?

2011-04-13T09:19:00.006-04:00

Readers familiar with my non-medieval books may have noticed that I've written a few books with lawyers for heroes, including Gordon McHeath in my latest release, HIGHLAND HEIRESS. I've had two solicitor heroes (Gordon and Robert Harding, of HIS FORBIDDEN KISS) and one barrister, Sir Douglas Drury of A LOVER'S KISS. (Unlike American attorneys, British lawyers fall into two categories: barristers and solicitors.)

As far as I'm aware, not too many other historical romance authors have legal eagles for heroes. Why do I?

Blame Perry Mason. I used to watch those shows when I was a very young, obviously impressionable child.

In fact, at one time, I thought about pursuing a career in the law, to the point of taking the LSAT. I'll never forget how some of the candidates paced the hall before going in, as if their entire lives depended on that test.

Me, not so much, so obviously not being a lawyer wasn't going to be a heart-breaker. Later I realized I could be so calm about it because being a stay-at-home mom was much more important to me, and I would have found it difficult to leave or take a hiatus from a legal career after all the work and effort necessary to succeed in that field.

Writing about lawyers, though, lets me play lawyer a little, and - even better - without the work and stress.

Why I've Been AWOL

2011-04-11T10:55:00.005-04:00

As I've mentioned, my son has moved to Seattle. However, he has a house to sell here, so while he's been working in Seattle, his wife and I have spent hours cleaning, painting and staging it to sell. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it, in part because unlike, say, writing, when you're done a project like that, you know you're done. I'm rarely sure I'm "done" with a writing project.

A couple of observations from my recent home decorating/prepping experience:

On the advice of the realtor, Bride wanted to paint the kitchen cupboards. I confess I was sceptical. I thought it would be a huge task and might turn out looking, well, like a couple of amateurs had done it. But they turned out great, in no small part, I'm sure, because of the paint Bride chose - Behr's Paint and Primer in One. It went on really well and there was absolutely no odor! When you're doing twenty-three (!!) cupboard doors, plus trim, those two qualities make a huge difference.

I discovered a great product for cleaning hardwood floors - Eco Mist Hardwood and Laminate Floor Cleaner. It's unscented, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and made with plant-based ingredients. And it, too, worked like a dream.

My cleaning lady (believe me, I know how fortunate I am to have this luxury) gave me a secret weapon - a product to clean chrome and porcelain she uses that she gets at a janitorial supply store. It made the bathrooms sparkle.

Best of all, our hard work paid off. The realtor, bless his heart, came by on one of the first cleaning days. You know how your bedroom looks when you decide to clean out your closet and you start by taking everything out? That's what the house looked like, because Bride was also de-cluttering. He didn't say anything, but I gather the look on his face said, "Bride thinks this is going to be ready in four days????"

However, when he arrived after we had finished, he was apparently rendered speechless. We got everything done and then some (Bride had even restained the grout in the kitchen). Never estimate the power of two determined women!

I only wish we had before-and-after pictures, but alas, we didn't think to take any. We were too busy working!

Twenty Years since "The Call"

2011-04-02T10:03:00.002-04:00

Twenty years ago today, I received the phone call that would change my life. I'd been helping in my daughter's kindergarten class that afternoon. At four o'clock, the phone rang. I picked it up and heard "This is Tracy Farrell from Harlequin Historicals. We love your book and we want to buy it."

I did not scream. I tried to sound professional, although fire works were exploding in my brain and I'm sure my voice was both higher pitched and louder than normal. I don't remember what I said.

I do remember phoning my husband at work and giving him the news. His answer was "Holy expletive!" Given that he doesn't usually use words of the expletive nature, this suggested a level of excitement on par with my own.

So it was that my life changed - but not only my life. My daughter who was in kindergarten that day? She now works in publishing, helping to decide who's going to get a call that will change his or her life.

And yes, that boggles my mind. :-)

Why Jane endures

2011-03-30T09:34:00.003-04:00

I saw the latest movie version of Jane Eyre on the weekend. It was okay but I prefer the version with George C. Scott, because I think he's a good Rochester. The new Rochester is a little too pretty. On the other hand, nobody would ever call Susannah York unattractive, and she was a bit long in the tooth to play Jane opposite Scott.

It's been noted that Jane Eyre's been filmed and remade many times, because it's a true classic. Why? Here's my take on what elevates Jane Eyre above a simple gothic romance - and also where too many versions miss the boat.

In the scene where Jane tells Rochester she needs to find a new job because he's getting married, Rochester realizes she's upset because she's fallen in love with him. Nevertheless, he lets her twist in the wind for what seems a cruelly long time before, basically, telling her he's going to marry her. At this point, as happy as Jane may be, Rochester is very much in the power position.

But the story doesn't end there. Jane flees, inherits money and returns to find that Rochester's home is in ruins and he's disabled. She doesn't care about his state; she's still passionately in love with him, and it's immediately clear he's still distraught over losing her. Yet notice that not only does Jane not pity him, she lets him twist in the wind for a while, just as he did her. In one way, this is showing him that she doesn't pity him; to her, he's the same as he ever was. But in another way, this shows that Jane's much more his equal now. This is, to me, the reason Jane Eyre is a classic. It's about a heroine who finds love and becomes an equal to the hero.

There's one other character who's key to Jane Eyre, though, and it's one that most film versions get wrong. St. John Rivers is supposed to be very handsome - movie idol handsome, in a way Rochester is not. And he's a minister - quite the catch for a Victorian woman without home or family. However, he's also got a huge martyr complex and sense of self-righteousness that stands in contrast to Jane's steadfast, but quiet, determination to do what is right. Think about what St. John Rivers would have said to Rochester if he'd been at the ruined wedding, and you see the difference between Jane and the future missionary. She's quietly firm, but forgiving. St. John? Oh, baby! I can just imagine him denouncing Rochester as Satan's minion and calling for the wrath of God to descend upon him.

Note, also, the difference in the men's reactions to Jane's strength of purpose when she rejects them. Rochester is distraught and does his best to change her mind through persuasion. St. John reacts as if she's stupid for not agreeing to marry him - poving exactly why she shouldn't. One man is a hero, the other is not.

Charlotte Bronte apparently didn't think much of Jane Austen's work - she wondered where the passion was. Fair enough - Austen tends to pull back from the major emotional moments between the hero and heroine. On the other hand, Austen would probably say Jane Eyre was "over the top" and too melodramatic. But I think Austen did create a character that was, in some ways, very much like Jane Eyre - the much-maligned Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. Fanny stands quietly firm in her decision not to marry a man everyone agrees would be a brilliant match for her, much like St. John could be seen to be a brilliant match for Jane Eyre. Fanny may be physically weak, as Jane is "little", but she, too, has an inner strength that doesn't yield. That's why Fanny, like Jane, is a heroine.

Keeping The Dog Dry

2011-03-26T13:51:00.004-04:00

Son o' Mine has moved to Seattle where, as you may know, they get a lot of rain. Unfortunately, Son's pooch is not enamored of the rain, so I've made Bud a raincoat. Well, two, actually, because the fabric was wide and on sale. Hope blue's his color!

Frugal Bathroom Redo - Before, Part Two

2011-03-24T09:59:00.001-04:00

In my previous blog post, I talked about what wasn't going to change as I redecorate the bathroom. Today I'm going to talk about what is changing.

We aren't changing the sink, but I do want to get a more vintage look for the handles. Here's what we have:

I want "cross handles" like this and I discovered that I can order a set of just the handles at Lowe's. Everywhere else I went, I was going to have to order the faucet, too, which makes switching a much more costly proposition.

To the left of the sink is the toilet, and above the toilet are a towel rack and shelf. The sides of the towel rack have yellowed, so I've purchased a new chrome towel rack. I bought the least expensive, reasoning that it will be covered by towels most of the time and I liked the sides of it as much as the more expensive ones.

This shelf was originally in my daughter's room, and this is the way it came from Ikea. When she moved out, I moved it to the bathroom. I found some leftover white furniture paint, so was planning to paint it and put it back. However, when I removed it, I was struck by how much roomier that part of the bathroom seemed, so now I'm thinking it may be destined for the cottage instead.

Currently, the linen closet door is a plain bi-fold. We bought a French door at the local Habitat for Humanity Restore, picked up the hardware at the local hardware store and the painters are going to hang it for us (and paint it). I have some leftover vinyl covering you put on like wallpaper that will make the glass look frosted. The porcelain door knob was $3 at the Restore.

Which brings me to the new shower curtain. I planned to make a fabric one, as I had a pretty specific idea of what I wanted - white background, with a not-too-bold black and red pattern. After a trip to the fabric store didn't yield anything suitable, I remembered some fabric I've had in the cupboard for years. Yes, it would work, but there was one problem. I wanted the curtain to reach to the floor because I think it looks better and also because the front panel of the Jacuzzi tub has yellowed a bit on the end that gets the most sun. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough fabric. But lo! I had purchased a remnant of plain white fabric of the same type and weight that would add the necessary length. I also needed something for the top edge that would give the fabric the necessary stiffness. I had some leftover heading tape for making pleated curtains that worked perfectly. So total cost of new materials for the shower curtain? Zero.

(But thus I may have given hoarders evidence that "I can use that someday" may indeed be a valid excuse to keep unused/extra materials for years.)

The painters are coming at the start of April. I'll update the progress of the Frugal Bathroom Redo sometime after that.

In the meantime, I've discovered my April book, HIGHLAND HEIRESS is going to be out in India!

Frugal Bathroom Redo - Before, Part One

2011-03-23T09:29:00.009-04:00

Yesterday I talked about the decision to redecorate the main bathroom, specifically why and a few of the generalities, such as not moving the fixed elements (tub, sink, toilet, window, linen closet), or tackling major changes like the flooring.

Having decided to "embrace the vintage," here are pictures of some of the vintage elements of the bathroom that are staying, with some minor changes or fixes. I apologize for some of the angles - it was difficult to get enough distance to take the pictures.

First up, the medicine cabinet, with mirrored door (and yes, that's my arm and hand holding the camera). You can also see the black and white tile, and the chrome cup holders built into the wall. Unfortunately, the bottoms of the cup holders aren't in the best of shape; however, they're a great place for small scented candles, so I'm fine with leaving them "as is."

Although it's not obvious from the picture, the mirror's looking its age, especially around the edges. I called Suburban Glass and Mirror and was told it would be cheaper for them to make me a new one, and they could copy the shape of the existing mirror. Ballpark cost without seeing it? About $30 - 35. If it comes it at that price or a little more, I call that a bargain.

Below is another fixed element that would be a headache to change. Originally the knobs on these drawers were plain white porcelain. I changed them to black and will keep these. Above is a counter space.

I might put a cupboard over this, but only if I can find the right piece at the right price. Otherwise, it will be art work, or perhaps another mirror.

Continuing around the room to the left, here's the window. We got it replaced when shortly after we bought the house about twenty-five years ago and I see no reason to change it, or the frame. It's frosted on the bottom because the back porch is on the other side.

Tomorrow, I'll be talking about the changes I plan to make and show some of the things I've already made or purchased.

Frugal Redecorating

2011-03-22T08:58:00.003-04:00

We've been toying with the idea of moving. Well, I've been toying with the idea of moving. We've been in this house for 26 years. That's a lot of time to make memories and a lot of time for things to accumulate. However, we bought a cottage last year that's three and a half hours away. The kids are grown up and out of the nest, so I'm thinking it would be nice to move to a smaller community that's still fairly close to the city, but also closer to the cottage.

I'm aware that fancy, modern bathrooms sell houses. We have done some updating over the years: we put in a Jacuzzi tub, a commercial toilet (the kind restaurants use - uses less water yet never clogs), a new pedestal sink and a laundry chute in the floor of the linen closet. We added more white tile to match the original over the tub (the original tile went only part way up the wall, so paint peeled because of steam). The tile is white, with black trim.

The floor is black and white tile, in a basket weave pattern, set in concrete.

So the first decision was, do we tear out the bathroom and start over completely? I even have an old buffet I bought for a bargain price thinking it would make a nice vanity.

BUT tearing out tile, especially the floor, would probably play havoc with the walls and ceiling of the bathroom we added beneath the main bath, as well as be quite expensive. Given the location of our house - we back onto a school and have a lane to the school beside us - I don't want to price our house out of our most likely market: families with young children.

So I decided that instead of tearing out what we have, I'm going to embrace the vintage look of the black and white tile and floor.

I'm also trying to use what we already have, or what I can buy on sale or used/recycled.

I'll start getting into the specifics of what I've already done tomorrow. With pictures!

Any sightings yet?

2011-03-18T10:28:00.002-04:00

My latest book, HIGHLAND HEIRESS should be on bookshelves any time now. For the past few days, any time I'm in the vicinity of books for sale, I'm wandering by, seeing if it's there yet. So far, no dice. Has anybody else seen it?

Because although it will be twenty years since I made my first sale as author on April 2, some things never change. I still get a thrill seeing one of my books on a store shelf.

Prepping for Painters

2011-03-15T10:56:00.003-04:00

I decided it was time to get some painting done. My daughter's room hasn't been redecorated since she was about eight. She's now in her twenties, so...yes, about time.

I took down the wallpaper (not difficult, just needed a lot of water), and discovered minute cracks where every seam of the wallpaper had been. The walls are plaster, not drywall, and the drying paper had pulled the previous layers of paint apart. That means the cracks aren't in the plaster itself, but still - that's too much repair work for me, so it wwas time to call a pro.

I've gotten my estimates and am going for the most expensive guy. Why? I've discovered over the years that more often than not, you do get what you pay for, and he seemed the one prepared to do the most thorough prep. As far as I'm concerned, a good paint job is about 85% in the preparation.

That also means, though, that I've been scrubbing walls (to remove the last of the paste) and since we decided to get the bathroom done, too, taking down more paper and scrubbing more walls. And here I bet you thought romance writing meant a life of excitement and glamor!

Not that there isn't excitement. I'm looking forward to seeing HIGHLAND HEIRESS in stores soon.

The clocks go ahead, the clocks go ahead...

2011-03-11T12:59:00.004-05:00

ahead, ahead, ahead, a heaaaaaad!

What you're missing here is the tune, because yes, I sing this as a merry little ditty of joy. Moving the clocks ahead is one of my favorite times of the year. More daylight in the evenings, no major meal or cleaning or shopping to do to celebrate - yep, my kind of event!

And no, I don't mind losing an hour's sleep. It's worth it!

(About the picture: This clock was a wedding gift to my parents.)

First Review!

2011-03-08T11:03:00.002-05:00

I'm back and happy with the first four-star review of my next book, HIGHLAND HEIRESS, from Romantic Times.

"Moore taps into the culture and mores of Scotland to create a colorful Highland love story. ...* (with) a cast of charming characters, Moore delights her fans."

Even better, they included a picture of the (beautiful) cover.

I'm getting back to the blog later than I anticipated because I got sick when I got home from the cottage. Nothing major, just enough to mean I had to play catch-up when I was feeling better.

Winter Retreat

2011-02-18T15:59:00.003-05:00

I'm taking off for a week to the Land That Time Forgot. I'm really looking forward to this winter retreat. Life's been a wild ride since the start of 2011 and I hope to finally put the finishing touches on a project that shouldn't have taken nearly as long as it has.

Until March, then, adieu!

Oh, to be a cat....

2011-02-16T09:36:00.001-05:00

Need I say more?

What I'm not doing for Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T11:02:00.003-05:00

Ah, Valentine's Day - the one time of year the rest of the world pays attention to romance novels and their writers....

Contrary to popular opinion, however, I do not live for, long for, or particularly enjoy the orgy of "romance" articles at this time of year and here's why:

Mostly, they talk about/flog what I call the "props" of romance, in the form of gifts. Chocolate, jewelery, lingerie. Or the setting - "romantic" dinners by candlelight, in supposedly romantic places.

Essentially, we are told that love means spending money. Lots of money, or you don't care.

I ain't buyin' what they're sellin', either specifically or implied.

Give me genuine affection, respect and passion between two people. That's what I call romantic - and it doesn't cost a dime.

My Latest Crochet Project

2011-02-08T15:16:00.004-05:00

This is a project I started recently, and finished last night. I bought the wool for another project (a crochet animal), but after a disastrous attempt at that, abandoned the bear and searched for another pattern.

I like shawls, and I adapted a pattern so this one was easy to make. At the moment, given that we're still enduring upheavals on the family front, I didn't want anything too complicated or that might lead to frustration. I've got enough of that going on in other areas, including the story I'm working on. I'm at a crucial point in the plot and the romantic relationship and I can't decide if I've handled it the best way or not. I'll have to let it "simmer" a bit before I make a final decision.

In the meantime, I'll continue working on it, and start another shawl. Or maybe a stole.....

Snow Shoveling vs. Writing

2011-02-02T13:48:00.012-05:00

As I was shoveling snow this morning, I got to wondering which task, shoveling or writing, was easier/better/more satisfying. Let's look at it from the compare/contrast model so beloved by schoolteachers everywhere.

Shoveling snow is physically tiring. Writing is mentally tiring.

Snow shoveling burns calories. Sitting at a desk? Not so much.

Snow shoveling gets you outdoors. Writing - well, you can certainly do it outside in the summer, or if you live in tropical climes. In my neck of the woods? Only for part of the year.

Snow shoveling requires warm clothes. Writing? Clothing optional, I suppose, as long as one stays inside.

No strangers review my snow shoveling. I've never had my snow shoveling critiqued. OTOH, I rarely get complimented on it, either.

Nobody pays me to shovel snow. I do get paid to write.

Both can cause back troubles, if I don't use proper technique or posture.

But the biggest difference I thought of this morning?

When the driveway and front walks are cleared of snow, I am finished. There is no more to be done, until the next snowfall or spring. With writing, it isn't so easy to declare that the job is done. I simply have to decide that I'm at the point where changes will only be changes, not necessarily improvements, and it's time to submit. Nevertheless, I'm always wondering if I should have changed this bit here, or used a different point of view there, or made some other change(s). I can never say with 100% certainty that there's nothing I would change in a story, even after it's printed. So while snow shoveling may be physically taxing, at least it's over when it's over.

New Cover! New Excerpt!

2011-01-27T16:30:00.004-05:00

Here's the cover for my next book, HIGHLAND HEIRESS, which is an April release from Harlequin Historicals (which means it'll be on the shelves at the end of March).

This is the back cover blurb (which I really like - it gives enough information to make it interesting without revealing too much!):

Breaking The Law!

No sooner does wealthy heiress Lady Moira MacMurdaugh breathe a sigh of relief for avoiding a disastrous marriage to a gambling womanizer than she is served with a lawsuit!

Torn between duty and this impulsive beauty who stirs him to distraction, solicitor Gordon McHeath has no choice but to go up against the woman whose kiss he’s never forgotten. Until sinister forces threaten to upend Lady Moira’s world and Gordon
must cast the law book aside!

I've also added an excerpt on my website.

If you've read HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS, Gordon's name might be familiar. If you haven't, don't worry - I always write books assuming nobody has read any of the prequels.

I can also now reveal where my son is going and why. He's moving to Seattle to work for...Amazon! On the Kindle! Appropriate or what? I just wish it wasn't so far away.

The Family Drama continues

2011-01-10T10:13:00.002-05:00

so unfortunately, despite my best intentions, I've been too distracted to think about blogging, or do much writing (except for necessary emails). I did manage to get lots of walking in, because that doesn't require any concentration.

This week, though, I simply must get back on track work-wise, although there are still medical issues to be resolved.

I will be tweeting from time to time, because they're short and quick, but I can't say when I'll be blogging again. I simply don't have a lot of time, and working on the gig that helps to pay the bills must take precedence.

New Year off to quite the start....

2011-01-05T12:40:00.003-05:00

I hope you all had a lovely holiday. For me, the excitement began when we got home from the cottage to learn that one of my children is moving across the continent. Great opportunity for him, probably should have taken down the tree before we left rather than the day after getting that news.

The next night we had a family crisis with an elderly parent. All is well for now, thankfully, but nobody wants to get that kind of 3 a.m. wake-up call.

So, that was the first three days of 2011 for me. I'm almost afraid to wonder what the rest of the year might bring!

The North Shore of Lake Erie in Winter

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

2010-12-21T09:44:00.006-05:00

Like most folks at this time of year, I've been busy with preparations for the holidays. And like every year, I seem to think I'm going to find time to write, only to discover that between the shopping, wrapping, baking and many phone calls, my writing time dribbles into nothing. I'm also trying to walk to keep off the holiday pounds. I haven't been completely successful at that, either, but I did get out yesterday and took these pictures.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everybody!

Victorian Farmhouse Christmas!

2010-12-06T09:46:00.003-05:00

I'm very excited today because TVO (TV Ontario) is showing a wonderful BBC program, Victorian Farmhouse Christmas, tonight at 7 p.m, and at the same time for the next two Mondays. It's not just that the show is interesting and informative. The three people who lived for a year as Victorian farmers and farmer's wife are fantastic. Ruth Goodman is so enthusiastic, it's catching. The two men, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn, are equally good. And it doesn't hurt that Peter has more than a bit of Oliver-Reed-in-his-prime thing going on. (I write romance - I notice these things.)

If you ever get a chance to see the whole series, by all means, do. It's fun, informative and makes you appreciate how good we have it in modern times. I enjoy history, but I wouldn't want to live it - although this series makes me think it would be fun to try, if only for a week or two!

Planning Ahead

2010-12-01T13:40:00.003-05:00

Although I'm not currently blogging, I am collecting articles and thinking about topics to blog about in the new year. If there's a topic/question you think would make an interesting blog post from me, let me know!

In the meantime, here's another sunset picture from our most recent visit to The Land That Time Forgot.

The Next Few Weeks

2010-11-17T08:12:00.001-05:00

I'm going to be devoting myself to my writing and Christmas preparations for the next few weeks. Blog posts will be sporadic. I'll probably be tweeting more frequently, so feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I'm WriterMargMoore.

In the meantime, here's a picture of our cat, The Count, I call Waiting for Santa:

My Writing Challenge - the conclusion

2010-11-16T19:49:00.005-05:00

So this turned out to be the last day of what was originally a twenty-day writing challenge, to end on Thursday, the 18th. My goal was to write ten pages a day for twenty days, for a total of 200 pages. Alas, events conspired against me, so I missed some goals. However, a couple of other things have cropped up that make this a good time to stop. What did I end up with?

I wrote five pages this afternoon, and 929 words, so my final totals for the challenge are:

173 pages, 36,601 words.

If I'd done ten pages today, and ten the next two days, I would have made my goal. But I'm not disappointed. I'm delighted with 173 pages. That's more than enough to give me a good start. And it turns out I should stop here for two other reasons:

1. I need to do more research before I can continue. I need some practical terms and especially more information for the setting.

2. I got grabbed by another idea last night, and when I say grabbed, that's pretty much exactly what I mean. This idea came to me so strongly, I had to write notes. Of course, that happened just when I should have been going to bed. I made notes, then went to bed. Then turned on the light to make more notes. Shut off the light. Turned on the light to make more notes. Turned off the light. And again. And again. Heaven only knows what the neighbors might be thinking. But I honestly could not sleep for the scenes popping into my mind. I tell you, there is nothing more exciting about being a writer for me than this.

I think this experience is directly tied to the challenge. It got my imagination pumping and the ideas flowing. And that's a wonderful thing.

Here I am in Sirmione. I gather this is quite the tourist mecca in summer, but it wasn't very crowded when we were there, on a beautiful, sunny day in October.

Writing challenge - Days Fifteen and Sixteen

2010-11-15T19:09:00.005-05:00

When I originally began this writing challenge, I wasn't going to write on the weekends. Those would be chore-and-rest days. However, given that my 20 Day Challenge is going to end early (either tomorrow or Wednesday), I wrote 7 pages, 1555 words, on Saturday.

I had a great writing day today, but alas, my aching shoulder is reminding me that I shouldn't push it.

Today's totals:

A.M. - wrote 9 pages, 1,804 words
P.M. - 4 pages, 961 words, for a daily total of 13 pages, 2765 words.

Total so far:
168 pages, 35,672 words

I don't think I need to say where I am in this picture. :-)

20 Day Writing Challenge - Days Thirteen and Fourteen

2010-11-12T18:31:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was one of those "what happens when you're self-employed" kinda days. I had a commitment in the afternoon. After I'd started writing in the morning, I got a call to say, nope, don't need your help after all. So I slowed the pace a bit and took a break, only to get another saying, "Oops! Need you after all." So I did a bit more writing in the evening, but didn't quite make my goal. I had better luck today, in part because I always write faster when it's not a love scene.

Thursday's totals:
9 pages, 1966 words

Today's tally:
A.M. - 7 pages, 1685 words
P.M. - 6 pages, 1028 words for a daily total of 2,713 words

Totals so far:
155 pages, 32,907 words

Here I am in Siena. Must remember this fella if I ever write a boar hunting scene again....

Why I won't forget

2010-11-11T08:51:00.004-05:00

This is my dad, who served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. He did his basic training at CFB Cornwallis.

This is a photo of me at CFB Cornwallis about thirty years later.

Formerly 20 Day challenge - Day Twelve

2010-11-10T12:02:00.006-05:00

Having another commitment this afternoon clearly spurred me to have a productive morning - 10 pages, 2101 words, which means I made my daily goal between 9:34 and ll:45. I took a couple of short breaks in there, too.

So yes, I can write more than 10 pages a day if I have to. If I'm under the gun (and I have been), I can do 20. However, I pay a price for that kind of writing, in stress and in physical pain (shoulders and back). I've resolved to never again get to the point where I have to write that much in a day to meet deadlines.

I know there are some writers who write at least eight hours a day and think anybody who works less isn't as dedicated to their craft. I'm dedicated to my craft, all right, but I'm more dedicated to achieving a life/work balance that works for me.

It absolutely poured when we got off the boat in Capri. It stopped raining as we made our way to the spectacular Natural Arch (that's where I'm headed here). Then the sun came out and it turned into a beautiful day - one of the best days on our trip, in fact. Here are pictures of the Arch, one approaching and the other looking through to the ocean below.

20 Day Writing Challenge - changing the ultimate goal

2010-11-09T20:09:00.003-05:00

Once again I am reminded that self-employed people have to learn to go with the flow. Due to circumstances beyond my control, involving a family obligation and a work obligation I wasn't expecting, I'm going to have to change my ultimate goal for the 20 Day Writing Challenge. Instead of writing two scenes a day for 20 days, I'm going to have to simply try to complete the next group of five chapters (2 scenes each) before November 19.

That said, because I'm already over my projected page and word counts so far, I may make the original goal of 200 pages and/or 40,000 words. Or I may not.

The thing is, even if I have to alter my plans and change my goal, I'll still have a really good foundation to build on, and that's the major reason I set myself this challenge. So despite the picture, I'm not really "malcontenti."

Here are the details from today:

A.M. - wrote from 9:33 - 10:24, 7 pages, 1338 words

P.M. - wrote from 7:35 - 8:04, 3 pages, 838 words (which I wouldn't have done if not for the challenge)

Totals so far:
122 pages, 26,127 words

20 Day Writng Challenge - Day 10, Writus Interruptus

2010-11-05T20:02:00.005-04:00

I had a great writing today - 15 pages, 3,318 words. However, this was another day when I was reminded that freelance writers are not in complete control of their schedules and the best-laid plans should have some built-in wiggle room.

I just got some proofreading to do. Right in the middle of my 20 Day Challenge. Now, some people might do both, writing new material and proofreading old, but that's not the way I roll. It gets too confusing and since this is my last chance to go through HIGHLAND HEIRESS, I don't want to miss anything.

However, I had planned to take weekends off and I'm ahead of my goal, so I may not have to veer too much from my Challenge plan. Hopefully I can get the proofreading done by Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest, and then carry on, although that means I won't be able to take next weekend off, either.

Nevertheless, it's not such a terrible problem that my whole Challenge is thrown out of whack. It's just...a bit of a bend in the road. Fortunately, I do have that wiggle room.

Today's details:

A.M. - wrote from 9:49 to (egad! forgot to make a note - I think about 10:50), 9 pages, 2015 words

P.M. - wrote 2 pages and 426 words from 4:44 to 5:06 and 4 pages, 877 words from 7:21 to 7:55.

Total so far:

112 pages, 23,951
Where I wanted to be at the end of Day 10: 100 pages, 20,000 words, so yep, I have some wiggle room. Thank goodness!

I'm standing in what was a wine shop in Pompeii.

Writing Challenge Day Nine - Revision Decision

2010-11-04T20:42:00.005-04:00

Although I lost lots of time attending a Twitter webinar and then organizing my followers into lists, I made my writing goal for the day and a little bit more.

See, this is why I set myself these challenges, or why I'd do NaNo if it was convenient. It makes me get my butt in the chair even on days I have a good excuse not to. It also makes me turn off my inner editor and keep forging ahead, if at all possible. Today, for instance, I made a major decision about the sequence of events in this project. However, instead of going back and reworking it now, I'm making a note of what needs to be done and carrying on as if I'd made the changes. I'm comfortable with that because experience has taught me that, as I found yesterday, what may seem like a good decision today may not tomorrow.

Details:

A.M. - wrote from 11:35 - 12:28 (late start due to webinar), 6 pages, 1486 words
Didn't exercise, but did do lots of housework and some yard work, too.
P.M. - wrote from 7:45 - 8:36, 5 pages, 889 words

Totals so far:

97 pages, 20,633 words (so I made my weekly word count goal already! Whoo hoo!)

Here I am in Monte Cassino. You know, I paid about $5 for that scarf (on sale) that also doubled as a shawl. One of my better buys, I must say!

Writing Challenge Day 8 - a squeaker

2010-11-03T17:09:00.005-04:00

I didn't quiiiite make my page count goal today - but I did make my word count goal.

Details:

A.M. - wrote from 9:32 - 10:39, 6 pages, 1190 words
P.M. - wrote from 4:20 - 4:54, 3 pages, 840 words, for a daily total of 2030 words

Totals to date:
86 pages, 18,285 words

As I was finishing this afternoon, I thought about changing the next scene, then realized, nope, the first idea was the better idea. Sometimes, it goes like that.

Also, company's coming for dinner, so if I weren't challenging myself this week, I probably would have written this morning and called it a day. That's one reason to engage in a challenge, even if I set the parameters and the only prize is a sense of accomplishment.

Here I am near Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence.

20 Day Writing Challenge - I can't count!

2010-11-02T19:02:00.004-04:00

Well, duh. Yesterday was Day Six of the 20 Day Challenge, not Day Five. So today would be Day Seven. Now that I've got that squared away....

My dishwashing experiment seems to be panning out (ha!). I had two good ideas while washing the dinner dishes last night.

Which meant another good writing day today. I also went for a walk to deposit a royalty check. Writers of single titles and "literary" fiction can turn up their noses all they want at category romance, but I'm still getting royalties for my first book. A WARRIOR'S HEART was first published eighteen years ago.

Details of today's work:

A.M. - wrote from 9:15 - 10:31, 7 pages, 1665 (including a few added to a scene from yesterday)
P.M. - wrote from 2:50 to 3:27, 4 pages (for a daily total of 11), 889 words, for a daily total of 2,554.

Totals to date: 77 pages, 16,255 words

Here I am at the Pantheon. And now you know why I called these my "goofy pictures" in Italy.

20 Day Writing Challenge - off to another good start!

2010-11-01T18:32:00.005-04:00

Week Two and Day Six of my 20 Day Writing Challenge started off well, even though I was puzzling and puzzling over how to start the first scene of the day. Once again, I simply had to plunge in and write something to get it going. That meant I went back a bit to tinker before I even finished the first page, but not enough that I would call it revising. Then it was full steam ahead. I finished with 12 pages, which is actually one scene, not two short ones. I took a long break for lunch, exercise and to watch a great old movie (some of it while on the treadmill) called They Live By Night. That is an absolutely terrible title for what turned out to be a poignant, suspenseful film about a guy trying to go straight and the girl who loves him. There was also a secondary character with a great internal conflict, and it was this character's predicament that was partly why it was so affecting.

Here are the details of today's writing:

A.M. - wrote from 9:08 to 10:17, 8 pages, 1628 words
P.M. - wrote from 2:30 - 3:21, for 4 pages (I went back to the end of what I'd written previously and did some necessary clarification before continuing)

Totals since the start of my Challenge: 66 pages, 13,701 words.

Obviously, I'm not waving here. I'm tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain.

Happy Hallowe'en!

2010-10-31T09:12:00.004-04:00

This is our goodie basket, all ready for the little ghosts and goblins and pirates and Mantrackers (saw a kid going to school dressed as him, I'm sure). This year, we're trying something different - lots of what used to be "penny candy" instead of the usual getting-smaller-every-year chocolate bars, although we have some of those, too. How long has it been since I've had SweetTarts? Too long!

I also did something a little different for decor, inspired by fabric I found at Fabricland for less than $5 a meter. I made a Hallowe'en door curtain.

We'll be carving a pumpkin, of course. That isn't nearly as fun when you don't have little kiddies to "help," though.

And may I just add that I find pumpkin-carving templates an abomination? I'd much rather see a poorly-carved but hand-done pumpkin any day. Or the obviously-done-by-young-children headstones made out of plain cardboard that are decorating a neighbor's yard, bearing names like "R.U. Scared." That gave me one of the biggest smiles of the week.

Boo!

20 Day Writing challenge - end of Week One

2010-10-29T18:24:00.003-04:00

I made my goal - and a little bit more! Yeah!

Today's details:

A.M. - wrote form 9:42 - 10:37, 9 pages, 1331 words. I also went back a page and did some minor revisions, because I realized there should be more conflict at the end of the previous scene. I deleted 113 words and added 107.

Broke for lunch, treadmill, making chili for the weekend and some craft work

P.M. - wrote from 3:06 - 3:30, 2 pages, 530 words. Why so little? Maybe it was getting up so early yesterday, or two days on the treadmill, but this afternoon, I was bushed! Nevertheless, I did write and here are the week's totals:

54 pages (goal was 50), 11,259 words.

I didn't start with a word count goal this week. However, I believe I'll add that to the rest of the 20 Day Challenge, so it will be 10 pages a day, for a total of 50/week, and a weekly word goal of over 10,000 words.

If you've been noting how much time I've spent at the computer this week, I imagine a lot of you are thinking, "Huh? Is that all?"

Yep. Because here's the thing: I've learned the hard way that if I push it, especially with a first draft, my brain eventually freezes. Or my imagination just kinda goes on strike. However I describe it, it means writing becomes a real chore, and that's not good.

Also, a first draft can be more mentally draining than any subsequent draft. Even with an outline, I'm making constant decisions and I'm also feeling my way along in terms of the characters, who I don't know really, really well yet. Also, while I may not be sitting at the computer for a long time, I'm doing a lot of thinking about the story at other times.

Oh, and bonus - doing the dishes by hand isn't onerous at all. I point out again I'm just talking dishes for two here, but I'm actually enjoying not having to empty the dishwasher.

So, that's one week down, three to go!

Here I am outside our hotel in a suburb of Rome.

20 Day Writing Challenge: Day Four

2010-10-28T18:57:00.003-04:00

It's amazing what one can accomplish if one's day begins at 5 a.m. That was the case for me today. Not that I planned to wake up that early. One of the cats woke me up by leaping from the tall dresser onto the bed. Then deciding I would make a nice soft place to sleep.

However, it meant I did get a lot accomplished, although I also took time to watch most of Tremors - while on the treadmill, though!

The details:

A.M. - wrote from 9:05 - 10:01, 6 pages, 1394 words. I don't start work before 9 because of newspaper reading with hubby and Breakfast Television. What can I say? I like the early morning City TV crew.

P.M. (after lunch, Tremors and treadmill) - wrote from 2:20 - 3:05, 6 more pages, 1145 words, for a daily total of 2,539 words.

Total page count so far: 47
Total word count to date: 9,398

I also started my third craft project. The first is nearing completion, the second is going faster than I thought, so I took the time to start a third.

It's Margaret in Assissi!

20 Day Writing Challenge - good day to have some wiggle room

2010-10-27T18:49:00.005-04:00

As I expected, getting ahead of my goal paid off. I didn't get as much time on the computer today as I have the past two days. I did make my ten pages, but barely, and eight of those were in the morning.

Here are the details:

A.M. - wrote from 9:30 to 10:09, did four pages and took a break to make notes for next bit and get a coffee, wrote again from 10:30 to 10:54, for another four pages that included a surprise plot development. I mean it was a surprise to me, too, as I hadn't planned it. Love it when that happens!

In the afternoon, I walked up to the local thrift store and scored a vintage Pyrex bowl of a design I've never seen before (I'll post a picture another time), another interesting glass bowl and a big basket for the Hallowe'en candy. Then I raked leaves and did some work on a craft project. I certainly made my 10,000 step goal and then some.

Then it was early dinner, as my husband is off to a basketball game with our son, so I didn't get to the computer until 6:14. However, as I'd been raking and making dinner and working on a craft project, I realized I'd made things much too easy for my characters, so my work was in the form of minor revising to add more conflict, which came out to two more pages or 403 words. I stopped at 6:36 because I still have dishes to do (still doing them by hand) and company's coming, but then I made more notes, because I've realized I have to make some significant changes to the plot for the next three chapters. Specifically, I'm ditching something that was kind of cliched anyway, and going for more emotional conflict instead.

Total page count for the first three days of my 20-Day Writing Challenge: 35
Word Count: 6,859

Here I am waving in Urbino.

20 Day Writing Challenge - still going strong!

2010-10-26T16:50:00.004-04:00

Another good day for my Writing Challenge! Best of all, I made it through the wedding night scene. I freely admit those sorts of scenes are the most difficult for me to write, because they require a delicate balance between the characters' physical and emotional activity.

I also made my walking goal today of over 10,000 steps. I did that yesterday, too, so whoo hoo. Although I did cave and buy some mini-Tootsies, which are now way back in an upper cupboard.

Here are the details:

A.M. - wrote from 9:42 to 10:43, 8 pages, 1647 words (also took a short coffee break in there, to get a coffee and think about the story for a bit)

P.M. - wrote from 2:51 to 3:34, 4 pages, for a total of 12 for the day and 2535 words. That makes my total page count 25 to date, and word count 5,236. So I'm five pages ahead of my goal. Yeah!

Toughest part of the challenge so far? Not checking the Television Without Pity Hoarders forums before starting to write. A main reason I watch the show is for the TWoP forums afterward.

ETA: I forgot to mention that instead of writing two scenes today, all twelve pages were one scene. I may have to forget the idea of doing two five-page scenes a day and just see what happens.

Here I am on the battlements of San Marino.

20 Day Writing Challenge - off to a good start!

2010-10-25T15:13:00.004-04:00

I made my goal and then some today, which feels great. It's always nice to have a little "wiggle room" in case there are days something comes up and I don't meet my goal.

Here are the details.

A.M. - started at 9:30, wrote until 10:10, 8 pages, 1646 words

P.M. - started at 1:53, wrote until 2:33, 5 pages (for a daily total of 13)

Total word count for the day: 2701

I also made notes, did the dishes twice, voted in the municipal election and went for a walk.

So, I'm off to a great start! And I'm pleased with what I've written so far.

Here I am in Venice.

Prepping for OctNoWriMo, aka the 20-Day Writing Challenge

2010-10-24T10:04:00.005-04:00

Another look at my calendar has made me alter my plans for OctNoWriMo a little (already!). I now realize I won't be home on Nov. 19, which was to be the final day of my OctNoWriMo challenge. So, because being a writer often means you have to roll with the punches or otherwise adapt, I'm changing the nature of my writing challenge a bit. Instead of thinking in terms of weeks (writing two scenes a day, or ten pages, for five days a week for four weeks), I'm calling it a 20-Day Writing Challenge - same number of days, but with the acknowledgment that I won't be able to take three entire weekends off. No matter. I'm good with twenty days.

That's the thing about a self-imposed writing challenge - you can alter it. And you can make it comfortably doable, as I have, or you can make it a little more challenging by upping the ante. If you're comfortable writing ten pages a day, aim for twelve or fifteen. However, this depends on your reaction to failure. If it's really going to bother you if you don't make a goal on a particular day, even if it's a self-imposed goal, maybe you should go with the comfortable challenge. I do because I get my butt in the chair and the thrill of accomplishment without making myself feel bad if I fail (even if failure in this case is only in my own mind).

Regardless of how one divides the time, to accept a writing challenge, even or perhaps particularly, one that is self-imposed, requires some preparation. How much depends on your own life and comfort level. Here is mine:

I'm getting my house in order this weekend - cleaning, tidying, doing the laundry, so I can get by with minimal chores during the week. I'm clearing off my desk, so that all that will be on it is the basics: file with notes, laptop, pens, paper, lamp.

I've written scene outlines for the first five days, and have more basic outlines for where I'll be going for the next three. I've decided that when I take a major break (either on weekends or other days off) I'll print and reread what I've written up to that point from either the start of the challenge or the last break. I will make notes, but I will NOT go back and revise, because this is the heart of NaNoWriMo and my own challenge for me - not to see how much I can produce, but to turn off my inner editor. Nevertheless, I may realize I've headed down the wrong path, or have otherwise made an error, and I should make notes on how to fix that before proceeding. If I can't figure out immediately how to fix it, I'll just note that I've got a problem and carry on with the next part of the challenge as if the problem has indeed been fixed.

OR I may decide I do need to do some rewriting before I carry on. No matter. If I must rewrite a scene, I'll consider it part of my page count for that day. After all, I'm making up my own rules here, and sometimes you really can't proceed until you've taken care of an issue in the story, or you wind up even farther off course later.

I've selected character names. This may sound simple, but it may not necessarily be so. I have to feel good about a name, that it's adequate and sounds right. It's especially important for the main characters, but I feel the same way about secondary characters, too.

Today I'll be opening up files and setting up chapters. No big deal, but should save a bit of time every day.

One thing I should add: As always, I will be making short notes after I finish each scene before proceeding to the next one. They may be about minor changes/revisions to make later, or about the next scene.

I see the weather may curtail my walking goal. If the weather's inclement, I'll use the treadmill instead.

And I'm going to try a couple of new things. I'm going to try reading through my notes for the next day's scenes before falling asleep. I know some authors do this when they have a problem to work out with their story or characters. I want to see if it helps me with the next day's work.

And I'm going to go back to washing dishes by hand for the duration of the challenge. Why? Because I used to get some good ideas doing that sort of menial task. (I point out that's dishes for two - not nearly the same work as dishes for a family of three, four or more.)

So, there it is. My goal is to write two five-page scenes for twenty days without major revising, ending on Nov. 18. By the end of the challenge, I should have 200 pages, more than enough to have a good start on my writing project.

Of course, as is usually the way, having set out a plan and as noted above, life has already conspired against me. I feel a cold coming on. But hey, if I have to spend a day doing nothing more than sitting on a couch wrapped in an afghan, sipping tea and wiping my nose, well, I've planned for that, too, with the breaks.

Oh, and as a bit of fun, I'll also be posting pictures from our trip to Italy last year. Every place we went, I had my husband take a picture of me waving, so when I blog about the daily goal (met or missed), I'll include one of my waving pictures. The first is from the Coliseum in Rome.

See you tomorrow for the first report of my 20-Day Writing Challenge.

OctNoWriMo, or Adapting When Necessary

2010-10-23T12:14:00.004-04:00

I've blogged about participating in National Novel Writing Month this year. National Novel Writing Month is, basically, a way to make a writer get his or her butt in the chair and write a novel in a month. I consider it a great way to jump-start a project, and since I'm at a good place to do that, I decided to participate in an unofficial way.

However...life being what it is, November is starting to get booked up already. (And I must say, I suspect November was chosen as National Novel Writing Month by a man. Or somebody who isn't American. Because while I'm not an American, I'm sure for many American women, November is the Month of Preparation for Thanksgiving, so not a lot of spare time. But I digress.)

Since November is getting busy, I've decided to start NaNoWriMo early, making my own OctNoWriMo. My goal is to write 2 five-page scenes a day for four weeks. Unlike official NaNoWriMo calculations, I am not going by word count. I'd rather think in terms of scenes. If a scene is over five pages, then I'll go with ten pages for the day.

A couple of things to note:

I'm not including weekends. I may choose to write on a weekend, or I may do laundry, etc. Or I may find I need to rethink my outline, or do some research. And a break day may turn out to be Wed. instead of Sat. Basically, I'm allowing myself a two-day break. Again, this isn't the way official NaNo works, but if there's one thing I've learned in my career, it's that I don't have to do things the way everybody else does.

I have a cleaning lady who comes every two weeks. That means I have tidying up to do before she comes, but not the heavy lifting. Believe me, I appreciate this.

I don't have school-age kids at home. (Sigh.)

I'm including time to exercise and cook dinner in my schedule, which will hopefully look something like this:

Breakfast
read the papers (I read two a day)
check (brief) outline, write one scene
check email, tweet progress
lunch
go for walk (or go for walk, then lunch, depending on when I finish the scene)
write second scene
check email, tweet, blog progress
make dinner
the rest of the evening is mine to enjoy

We'll see how this goes, but if all goes well, I should be well on my way with a project by the middle of November. Of course there will have to be revisions, but I think most writers will agree the real grunt work is the first draft.

Stay tuned for daily progress reports, starting Monday.

ETA: I'll be blogging about my preparations for OctNoWriMo tomorrow.

Reticence in the digital age

2010-10-21T12:31:00.004-04:00

I hear a lot in the media about the lack and/or loss of privacy in this age of social networking. To be sure, more and more people seem unable to do anything without telling everybody they know and complete strangers about it. I was occasionally distracted at the So You Think You Can Dance show by the woman texting beside me.

However, I suspect there may be more than a few people who have had a reaction I've had to all this information overload, at least in terms of what I share about my career and what I'm working on. I'm much more reticent now about that sort of thing now than in the past because you just never know where that information might wind up.

Of course, there's always been a certain amount of risk if you shared information with others, but whereas before it might get passed from one person to another over a long period of time, now it can be emailed, posted and tweeted.

Frankly, that kinda gives me the heebie-jeebies. Not that I think folks are that terribly interested in what I'm up to, but still, better safe than sorry.

So while social networking has made me more accessible and approachable on a personal level, on a professional one, it's made me play my cards much closer to my vest.

What I learned from Alex Wong

2010-10-21T11:55:00.004-04:00

I was at the live So You Think You Can Dance touring show the other night. Aside from enjoying the dancing, which was great, one thing really struck me.

If you're not a fan of the show, you may not know who Alex Wong is. He's a ballet dancer who was doing really well, clearly a favorite, who unfortunately suffered a major injury and was forced to leave the show. He was such a fan fav, however, that they (rightly) included a tape of one of his most popular dances from the show, a hip-hop number featuring Alex and another primarily hip-hop dancer who goes by the name of Twitch.

So here was this classically trained dancer doing something really foreign, and yet...he was absolutely fantastic.

And as I sat in the audience and watched the tape on the big screen, I realized why.

The man absolutely throws himself, body and soul, into what he's doing.

Alex Wong gets out of his own way.

There is no sense that he is thinking about anything other than the dance - not himself, not the audience, just the character and the dance.

As a writer, this is something I need to do, too. Silence the inner editor and especially the inner critic. Just throw myself into the writing and let myself go.

Or, to put it another way...get outta my mind!

What's wrong with being alone?

2010-10-18T13:55:00.002-04:00

Yet again, I read another article about boomers and retirement that said, basically, you ought to have lots of friends as you age. I get the basis for this, but what if you're used to spending chunks of time alone? What if you like it that way?

I am not exactly an introvert, or the shy, retiring type. However, I also like spending time alone. I've been this way since childhood, when I could happily spend hours reading.

And I don't think I'm the only person who finds the company of some people much more stressful than being by myself. There have been times when I thought living in a cave somewhere would be bliss.

Some people thought I was going to totally freak out when my kids moved out. I can't say I like the empty nest; I do miss them, particularly in the evening. But it's not as if I wasn't used to the silence and solitude of an empty house. I've been working in an otherwise empty house, in silence, for many years now.

In a nutshell, I like silence and solitude.

I like seeing my friends and family, too, and as I said, I do get what all this talk of a social network when you're aging is about and why it's good. But I'm happy spending time with just me, myself and I, and I don't think that's going to change.

Nor, do I think, should it.

Speaking of being alone, here's a video of the waves on the beach I took the last time I was there. All by myself.

Back from the beach

2010-10-14T11:02:00.003-04:00

We were very fortunate to have wonderfully warm weather for our long weekend. I was back at the cottage, enjoying the weather, working on the garden (the crab grass has taken serious hold, so I'll be doing more crab grass eradication in the spring) and cooking a turkey. Mmmm...turkey....

Now it's time to get back to work. I have some tentative projects I need to think about, and I'm planning on participating in National Novel-Writing Month. Not officially, though. That's a little too much pressure. I do need some (a deadline), but I'd rather just be my own task-master. Before I get started, I want an outline, or two, if I decide to go with a couple of shorter projects instead of the first, very rough draft of a novel.

But before I get into the work, here's a picture I took early last Sunday morning. I saw the beautiful clouds and hurried to the beach to get a better look.

Where have I been?

2010-09-30T11:19:00.003-04:00

Actually, I've been at home. So why haven't I been blogging?

Well, for one thing, it's harvest time, so I've been making scads of tomato sauce and applesause and am still freezing vegetables.

I've been doing some research reading and trying to get back to walking, which is pretty time-consuming, actually.

I've also been watching the new TV shows and deciding which, if any, I'll continue to watch. So far:

Lone Star: The producers are apparently trying to blame the fact that this show is up against Dancing With The Stars to explain its dismal showing. I have another reason, after watching the premiere episode. You can try all you want to make me sympathize with a character, but as long as he's deceiving two women, I'm not gonna. Simple as that, end of the show for me.

Blue Bloods: Dear Tom Selleck: You are not 25 anymore. Please stop dying your hair. You'll look fine gray. Despite that distraction, I was enjoying this until the end with the whole Blue Templar thing. If my brother was killed by some secret conspiracy, I don't think I'd be too anxious to get myself killed, too, by going undercover. And how's he supposed to keep that under his hat when his whole family is in law enforcement? I can't suspend my disbelief quite that much. And if it's this or the new Sherlock Holmes? No contest.

Law and Order LA. Okay, here's the thing. I get that the whole notion of the show is "ripped from the headlines," but when the story is THAT similar to what's on the entertainment news I flip past? I'm not impressed. If you want to go with "true stories", why not dig into old Hollywood for inspiration, something that we don't hear/see every week whether we want to or not? How about something similar to the Fatty Arbuckle story? Or Lana Turner's daughter's trial? Still, I'll watch this again, just to see if they stop trying appeal to the youngsters with the stories. If not, though, I will mourn the loss of Lenny even more.

Hawaii 5-0. Just not my cuppa. Despite the attempt at a serious undertone, it's still too light for me to take it seriously, or make me want to watch it.

The Whole Truth: Way too "jumpy choppy" for me.

The Event: I'll say this for them, they didn't keep us dangling with who/what the 97are. Unlike Lost, which I gave up on, I feel there's a hand at the helm that actually has a plan. I'll watch again.

While I'm on the subject:

Survivor - Whoo, way to talk yourself off the island (or land mass, as the case may be), Shannon! I think Jimmy J. was actually relieved to be gone and didn't try too hard to stay.

The Amazing Race - Somebody who has never even heard of Stonehenge? I just...I can't...I have no words. On a sympathy note, those roundabouts are tough to figure out. When we went to England, our daughter was dubed Roundabout Girl, because it was her task to figure out which exit we should take as we were going around (first, second, third, etc). Without her able assistance, we might still be there, going 'round and 'round.

Now it's back to blanching/freezing/reading/walking with me! Just FYI, it's Canadian Thanksgiving on October 11, so I probably won't be blogging until after that.

Love sunsets? Me, too!

2010-09-24T09:31:00.003-04:00

I went for a walk last night and remembered to bring my camera. Here's the sunset from the beach.

Earlier in the day, I read a synopsis that I wrote about 18 years ago. And you know what? It's still got potential. Well, I guess I've always thought so, or I wouldn't have kept it. But I think the time has finally come to see if it's got "legs."

Which just goes to show, if you come up with a story you like but don't have immediate plans for it, keep it! I have another idea that's been kicking around for about 10 years and...it's staying on the computer, too.

When you least expect it....

2010-09-21T20:39:00.004-04:00

So I go to the cottage, hoping to have some quiet time to start some new projects, only to discover that the water heater is leaking. On a Friday night. Fortunately, the folks had a couple of plumbing contacts in the area, so I was able to get someone out that evening. Turns out the water heater needed to be replaced. That meant disconnecting and removing the old water heater, so I had no hot water all weekend, leading to an unforeseen journey to the Olden Days, heating water on the stove to wash dishes. And the neighbors were treated to the unexpected object d'art on the deck.

The sunny side? Couldn't do any laundry.

Fortunately, the plumber was here at 9 a.m. Monday morning with the new water heater.

I haven't enjoyed a shower so much in a long, long time.

Is it too late to become a dentist?

2010-09-16T12:11:00.002-04:00

I was at the dentist's yesterday for my regular check-up. My dentist and some of his dentist pals travel once a year to a place lacking dental care and tend to patients for free. Last winter, they went to Mongolia, where I gather the poor guy just about froze to death. This year? It's Fiji - or, more precisely, the second-largest island in the chain including Fiji.

Because, out of 130,000 people who live there, not one of them is a dentist. Yep, not a single dentist on the island.

So, if you know anybody who wants to (a) be a dentist and (b) live in the South Seas, you might want to give them the heads-up.

It's almost enough to make me want to be a dentist....

Reimagining a Classic

2010-09-10T09:36:00.003-04:00

I often bemoan the fact that Hollywood seems to be relying on sequels or remakes or re-working of classic stories. Can we have something original, please?

But then, along comes something that blows my theory out of the water, and it sounds like there's going to be a theory-destroyer on TV this week - a reimagining of Sherlock Holmes, set in the 21st century. I learned about it through the local TV critic's column. (Read it here.) You can bet I'm going to be watching tonight.

And while I'm mentioning the critic, whose name is John Doyle, let me just add that his columns are wonderful - entertaining, informative, often tons of fun, but also serious when the occasion requires. I've often thought that if I had a child who was just starting to have to write essays, I'd suggest they read his columns, because often, that's what they are.

What do you give a 90 year old?

2010-09-08T12:00:00.004-04:00

We have a birthday in the family this week. My mother-in-law is turning ninety. To say the world has changed during her lifetime is no small understatement.

What does one give a person who's reached that milestone and who, truth be told, doesn't need much? This was a puzzlement, until I hit upon an afghan pattern that requires 90 squares, one for every year of her life.

Although she'll be getting it later today, since she doesn't have a computer, I think I'm safe to display it now. It's made of wool intended for baby clothes, so it's very light and soft. It's also machine washable.

How long did it take me? I can't really say, because it was the sort of project I could work on while watching TV. I can say I started it last fall, worked on it off and on during the winter, and finished it on Sunday to give to her tonight.

Here's hoping she likes it!

ETA: She did! :-)

Ready to get m' clean on....

2010-09-05T17:43:00.003-04:00

New season of Hoarders starts tomorrow on A&E, and as a warm-up, there's a marathon. Tonight, it's TLC's Hoarders: Buried Alive. I'll be watching (as I work on finishing an afghan).

What's with my fascination with the hoarding shows?

Like watching Intervention, it's the how and why that makes these shows so interesting for me. How and why does somebody get into that situation?

There's another reason I watch - inspiration. Nothing like seeing horrendous squalor to make me want to clean my house. And judging by the posts on the boards at Television Without Pity, I'm certainly not alone.

This 'n' that

2010-09-03T16:16:00.002-04:00

Thank heavens the hot, muggy weather is leaving...although not so enamored of the downpour.

The free replacement glasses are much better. Not as attractive, perhaps, but comfort wins out.

Trying to use up the meat in the freezer means stew for dinner tonight.

Tomorrow, gardening, so I'd better finish my revision notes on the ms. tonight. I think there may actually be a few pages without changes. Whoo hoo!

How's a gal supposed to work?

2010-09-01T09:16:00.005-04:00

So I clear off my desk ready to work on revisions to HIGHLAND HEIRESS, go to make a tea, come back and this is what I find. Clearly, our cat, The Count (as in, of Monte Cristo) doesn't want me to work. Since I'm bigger than The Count, I moved him off the desk.

Only to come back later and find....

The look says it all, doesn't it?

Alas, he must move again, because the work must be done. Of course, it would easier for us all if I simply went to the pages listed by my editor and addressed her note about something on that page.

But no. I start from the beginning, because some changes that sound simple aren't, and there are always typos to be found and prose to be rendered more smooth or precise.

Which is why it took me over two hours to go through 14 pages yesterday, cats on manuscript notwithstanding.

Still something about a library book...

2010-08-27T11:52:00.002-04:00

I went to the library yesterday. I picked up one non-fiction book I had on hold and another two "random" works of fiction I just plucked from the shelves. As I was walking home, I realized my heart was beating a little faster - and not from the exercise.

From the excitement of having library books.

Yep, despite it being a few decades since I got my first library card, I am still delighted and excited bringing home new books from the library. I suspect I always will be - and that's a wonderful thing.

Speaking of books, I got my revision notes from my editor. Nothing to make me moan with despair, I'm happy to say. Although they look like relatively quick fixes, I've learned that may or may not be the case, so if you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I'm working on HIGHLAND HEIRESS. (And celebrating a couple of birthdays, too!)

When your glasses ain't right...

2010-08-26T11:45:00.002-04:00

There's another reason I haven't been spending as much time at the computer these days. I got a new prescription for glasses back in June, and so new glasses. They haven't fit right since Day One.

First they were too loose - something I didn't realize until after I left town shortly after picking them up. When I was back in town, I got them adjusted and then discovered they were too tight, when I was out of town again and had two charming red pressure marks on my nose. Back in town, I got them adjusted again - and they were too loose again.

Today, I went back to the glasses place and explained my troubles. I took my old frames, thinking maybe the lenses could be switched. No, but they are replacing the glasses. New frames, new lenses - and no hassle! The manager didn't give me a hard time, or try to make it my fault. He did explain that the titanium frames I had were too light for the lenses, which are progressive, so the weight of the lenses kept pulling the glasses down on my nose. I did note that perhaps somebody should have suggested that those frames might not be the best for that type of lens when I was selecting them, but that was after he'd already offered to give me new glasses.

So color me both impressed and happy - for now. The new frames aren't as "snazzy" but they felt really comfortable and look as if they'll keep the lenses where they ought to be. Here's hoping they fit better and make it easier for me to read and see the computer screen without tilting my head, which is a pain in the neck, literally.

Hodge-podge and potpourri

2010-08-18T07:31:00.002-04:00

Wondering where I've been? I've been back in the Land o' Pie and Sloth, also Dial-up. That means I do have an internet connection, but it's sloooooow.

What have I been up to down here?

Making curtains. Many, many curtains. It would have helped if the fabric I liked for a set had been available in ample quantities. As it was, I bought what they had, then had to figure out how to make them work with trim to add length. Also, lining. I never want to make lined curtains again. EVER. I've also made a new seat cushion for a wicker love seat and have three more cushions to cover. I bought some fabric to makes some clothes, too.

Ever seen a wisteria growing out of control? If I had my camera, I'd take a picture - except that I've already taken my pruning shears to it. Still needs more cutting, though.

I've been swimming every day with my 85-year-old dad. My mom won't let him go swimming alone, so he's been waiting anxiously for a "swim buddy." I sure hope I'm up for swimming in a choppy lake when I'm 85! Mind you, I do not remember Lake Erie ever being this warm.

Our neighbor's dachsund had puppies - Elvis and Presley. They are the cutest things.

Since the Land o' Pie and Sloth is in the Heart of the Golden Acres, I've been freezing blueberries, raspberries and strawberries for future yummy goodness.

Have I been writing? Nope. I'm expecting a revision letter soon for HIGHLAND HEIRESS, the sequel to HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS, so I don't want to start another project only to be yanked back to HIGHLAND HEIRESS. Besides, I've got sewing to do, berries to freeze, a lake to swim.....

Cat-astrophes

2010-08-10T14:43:00.005-04:00

It's been an interesting summer holiday season for us and our cats. On our last visit to the cottage, Luis got himself trapped between the water heater and the corner of the linen closet wall, where the water heater resides. Fearing he was going to suffocate, we frantically tore through the adjoining bedroom wall.

What we did not know was that said wall is comprised of five layers of various materials, as this picture shows.

First was the thin, not-very-attractive dark panelling. Behind that was drywall. Behind that was - and oh, how we hated ripping this out! - the horizontal wooden siding of the original cabin. This part of the cottage is, we've been told, about a hundred years old. Beneath that is what we believe was an original interior wall made of knotty pine panelling that's about half an inch thick, running vertically. Behind that was the plywood we could see in the closet with the water heater. We thought there was only one thin layer of panelling and one of plywood until we started the destruction.

Fortunately, Luis was unscathed, if traumatized - as were we. However, there was one major bonus: that knotty pine panelling. We're hoping we can refinish it, as it's much nicer that what was over it. Now we're also very curious about what might be behind the other walls, but will proceed with caution.

The other catastrophe involves Luis's brother, The Count, pictured here in his I'm-just-hanging-around-the-cottage mode (although the first time I saw him up on that railing? I just about swooned, as it's open to the floor below).

We took him for his annual check-up and shots, and this time, he had an allergic reaction. So it was three more trips back and forth to the vets until he was feeling better. Poor boy!

Seriously, I don't know who these things are harder on - us or the animals! And as for costs...we shall not discuss, although I suspect that's the kind of added expense that makes non-pet-owners wonder why anyone would bother.

(Pet owners know why: we love them, destruction, expense, traumas and all.)

On the shelves

2010-07-23T08:24:00.002-04:00

I'm going on holiday for several days, but before I go, just a reminder that my latest release, HIGHLAND ROGUE, LONDON MISS, is on bookshelves or in ebook form now (see sidebar for links to order).

From the back cover:
Lord of Vice

Quintus MacLachlann is arrogant - unapologetically so. When he's asked to impersonate one half of a married couple to infiltrate Edinburgh society, he relishes the challenge of being "married" to the frustratingly willful yet beautiful Esme.

Lady of Virtue

Esme makes no bones about her fervent dislike of the dishonored rake. He's the last person on earth she can conceive of marrying, sham or otherwise. But being forced to play wife to the handsome-as-sin wastrel brings up very real feelings of desire....

"The talented Moore has penned another exciting Regency. The narrative is rich, the dialogue authentic and the characters entertaining. This is a tale of how opposites attract and passions are stirred." - Romantic Times

Margaret Moore

Giving Up The Guilts

Writing Drafts: The Illustrated Version

Swans Swimming

What a sunset!

And the last goal for 2012 is....

The Insidious Negativity of One Little Word

My Second Big Goal for 2012

My Goals for 2012

Back in print!

Happy Holidays!

Scenic Seattle

Safe Travels, Everyone

So now what?

My Own NaNo - Done!

My Own NaNo - the end is nigh!

New Excerpts!

Whoo Hoo! BIG News!

Goal revising - again

A word about words....

Doing Better Than I Thought....

My Own NaNo - re-evaluating the goal

My Own NaNo

The What and The How

Research: the hunt for more than facts

Back To Basics

He's baaaack....

Where have I been?

Now at eHarlequin!

They're Baaaack!

More Excerpts Posted!

Books and Bats

Back to the Beach

Going for the gold for 36 years and counting....

Flora and Fauna and Paint, oh my!

Couldn't wait...

A Necessary Break

Mother's Day - always learning

Back to the Shore

More About Moore

What's with all the lawyers?

Why I've Been AWOL

Twenty Years since "The Call"

Why Jane endures

Keeping The Dog Dry

Frugal Bathroom Redo - Before, Part Two

Frugal Bathroom Redo - Before, Part One

Frugal Redecorating

Any sightings yet?

Prepping for Painters

The clocks go ahead, the clocks go ahead...

First Review!

Winter Retreat

Oh, to be a cat....

What I'm not doing for Valentine's Day

My Latest Crochet Project

Snow Shoveling vs. Writing

New Cover! New Excerpt!

The Family Drama continues

New Year off to quite the start....

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

Victorian Farmhouse Christmas!

Planning Ahead

The Next Few Weeks

My Writing Challenge - the conclusion

Writing challenge - Days Fifteen and Sixteen

20 Day Writing Challenge - Days Thirteen and Fourteen

Why I won't forget

Formerly 20 Day challenge - Day Twelve

20 Day Writing Challenge - changing the ultimate goal

20 Day Writng Challenge - Day 10, Writus Interruptus

Writing Challenge Day Nine - Revision Decision

Writing Challenge Day 8 - a squeaker

20 Day Writing Challenge - I can't count!

20 Day Writing Challenge - off to another good start!

Happy Hallowe'en!

20 Day Writing challenge - end of Week One

20 Day Writing Challenge: Day Four

20 Day Writing Challenge - good day to have some wiggle room

20 Day Writing Challenge - still going strong!