Sunday, October 7, 2007

Monday Check In and New Contest

Monday. Yep, it’s here. Time to go back to the day job and start another week. It’s not so bad since I really like where I work but I’d so much rather be home typing in my pj’s. :)

I took last Friday off and it was great. I wrote in the morning, ran some errands, and read in the afternoon. I loved it. But alas, since I’m not a full time writer as of yet and the bills want to be paid…to the day job I go.

It’s also time to check in. I had several days last week that I didn’t write. At all. Zero, nada, zip. The scene that I’m doing right now just wouldn’t come. I knew exactly where it was going to end up but getting it there. Finally Sunday night I just sat down and decided I was writing it. It might all be cut but I was going to write the scene.

You know what? I’m thinking it turned out pretty good. Would it have turned out as good if I’d done it earlier in the week? I don’t know, it might not have been the same scene at all.

All that to say, this past week I wrote 2733 words and trust me most of those were written on Sunday. Next weeks goals are to write every night except Tuesday (I have a meeting to attend).

Okay, for the fun part. You may have noticed I’m trying to hit most genres in these contest. Something for everyone and if you haven’t read a great historical in awhile then this is the one you want to read.



This weeks contest is by New York Times best selling author Samantha James. Her book The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell is a fabulous historical romance.

Isn’t the cover georgous? I love the colors and her dress is sexy. Flip open the cover and oh yeah, he’s hot.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

A cruel twist of fate changed Simon Blackwell’s life forever. A man of intense passions, he resolved to deny his emotions and desires forever—taking refuge in the wilds of the moorlands and shutting himself off from the world. But on one extraordinary night, on a rare trip to London, the unthinkable occurs. An intoxicatingly beautiful stranger stirs the sensuous hunger he has sworn to resist. Simon Blackwell believed that no woman could tempt him.

No woman…save Annabel McBride.

Annabel knows nothing of Simon’s secret pain. But one irresistible kiss plunges her into marriage with a man she scarcely knows, a man who hides a shattered past. She can feel the blistering heat of the fire that burns within this exquisitely handsome man, making her yearn for much more than the union in name only he has promised her.

But Simon dares not love again--for fragile love can be lost in an instant. And now Annabel must find a way to open his heart to the most glorious risk of all…

You can go here to read an excerpt. The excerpt is chapter two, how fun is that.

It’s your turn now. How was your week? Did you meet your goals? Did you read any great books or discover a new author? What are your goals for next week?

Oh, and just in case you didn’t see it I announced last weeks winner on Sunday’s blog.

As always, Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

10 comments:

Alyssa Goodnight said...

How nice to have a Friday off to read and write! Glad you finally got your scene done--sometimes they just don't come easy, do they?

Anonymous said...

Aren't Monday's the worst, sometimes I think it should be written munday - because they can be a litte mundane can't they. I'm looking forward to my vacation where I will get to write almost the whole week long and look at the Blue Ridge Mountains, but one day would be awesome right now. Have a great week.
Laurie K

tetewa said...

I hate Mondays too. The start of another long work week but looking forward to this weekend going to a wedding on Saturday night with people from work. One of the girls I work with is getting married and I just love going to receptions.

Jill James said...

No writing this week, but I did read Tess Gerritsen's The Bone Garden. No matter how scary her books get her romance background and respect for the genre shine through.

I've already read Simon Blackwell. What an awesome book! All the way through you are rooting for these two deserving people to wake up, find each other, and live HEA.

Danika Dinsmore said...

Hey Vicki - you know, whenever you're stuck, I've got that "super scene writing formula" on my blog. I swear it works every time!

I'm also going to post a simpler version of it soon.

I missed two days last week, mostly due to the Vancouver Film Festival activities, which I think I'll also post more about on my blog soon.

Last week's total: 2,867

How many days left do we have to finish now?

PatriciaW said...

Revisions continue but I was like you. Day after day of zip, nada, zilch. Just couldn't get into a rhythm.

But I did work on chapter 2 at the beginning of the week, and I read The Dowry Bride, an Indian romance which made me feel less guilty about slacking off.

robynl said...

The week was good; today we had turkey will all the trimmings for our Thanksgiving. I'm tuckered out. Denise Patrick is new to me and I'm reading "Adopting Alyssa"; great book.

Vicki said...

Alyssa - It's true, some scenes are more like pulling teeth. Those are usually the ones that I like best once they're done though.

Laurie - You know I'm hoping you have a great time and get lots of writing done. Enjoy the mountains!!!

tetewa - Have a great time at the wedding. I love going to them too.

Jill - I keep looking at The bone Garden and then think this book is going to scare me to death. Still haven't bought it. Maybe I'll have to get it this weekend. :)

Danika - I'm going to check out your scene formula. It sounds just like what I needed. :D

We're on day 22 of 75. You'll probably be finished before the end of this but you can always report in with edits you're doing.

Patricia - Edits can be the best of times and the worst of times. Congrats on working on them.

robinL - Ummm...the Thanksgiving dinner sounds great but isn't it a little early? Just wondered.

Bill Clark said...

Would it have turned out as good if I’d done it earlier in the week? I don’t know, it might not have been the same scene at all.

This is probably very true. Your subconscious was quite likely working on the scene - not loafing around, like you ;-) - and thus it was indeed a different and better scene when you finally put it on paper.

(More wisdom from Bill the procrastinator who has basically convinced himself that everything he does, even loafing, makes him a better writer in the long run...*

Anonymous said...

I hope you reach your writing goal(s) this week ladies!

What another cool book contest!

Terri W.