Happy New Years a Little Early and a Saturday Check Out

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years. I'll be back later on to talk about...whatelse...goals for the new year. More than likely you'll be seeing this same topic on bunches of blogs. It's the new year though and that's what we do. Of course if you look in the tiny print you'll see the normal, must lose weight goal. :)

Anyway, check out this link. Phyllis Middleton is a pre-published author (her words,and I love them), who has great insight on how to write the crime scenes in your books. She is also has some great workshops coming up for any of us who are writing books with said crime scenes.

I'd tell you more about her and her life, but go check it out. I know, I'll be keeping her contact info. There are times when you just need to know about fingerprints, crime scene tape, and oh so much more. :D

Happy New Years to all of you,

Vicki

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope that each of you have a wonderful day. That you enjoy your gifts, and remember that the best gift of all is time spent with family and friends.

If I could send you a gift through the internet, it would be blessings for your home and lot's of words flowing from your fingers. :)

There are so many of you who I only know through our blog world and yet you've each become a special friend who means the world to me.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Vicki

The Gratitude Campaign

A friend sent this video to me and I thought it was worth sharing. Regardless of our views on war, it breaks my heart to think of the families who will be without their loved ones during the holidays (or any other time).

Our men and women who are there may or may not agree with our own individual view points of this war but one thing I pretty sure is it touches their hearts to have someone say, thank you. This is such a simple way to do it.

Again, not going political here at all, but this touched me and I thought it might touch you as well.



I'm busy working on edits and will up date the meter soon. I hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful holiday season. Of course the gifts are fun and we love to rip the paper but my biggest wish is for you to enjoy your family and friends during this time. :)

WW's and PD's to all my friends in our amazing blog world. Each of you mean so much!

Vicki

Not So Much Cold Here Now...

Our weather in Sunny Florida changes by the hour. Not the day or week but the hour. You could leave your home in the morning and it's cold (our cold)but by the time you get settled into your office and go outside for break you find you no longer need that long sleeve sweater. In fact, now you're wishing for the short sleeve blouse you eyed in the closet this morning. I really don't like this kind of weather. I. Want. Seasons. Not that I'm going to get them but still a girls gotta dream.

I found a great blog for writers. Edittorrent had wonderful advice on writing. Check it out and let me know what you think. As I have said before, you must continue to improve your craft. Just when you think you got it, that's when you'll read something and a little (or huge) nugget will be sitting there shinning bright, just for you.

The presents are wrapped. The ones that are being mailed today anyway. I've got fingers crossed they will make it by Christmas. The Post Office says yes so I'm praying they are correct. Next year? Present for out of town bought and mailed earlier or it's gift cards. :)

Gotta go do the work holiday lunch thing today so I'll be back later.

Let me know if you checked out the site.

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

Baby It's Cold Outside...

It’s finally cold here. I know, for all of you who are up north this isn’t considered cold, but us in the South 45 degrees is cold. We pull out the boots, long coats, gloves, and whatever we can to wear since we might be back in the 80’s in a couple of days.

However long it last I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest! Hot weather does not make me feel like Christmas even though I’ve lived here all my life.

Laurie K. and I had another mega shopping day on Saturday but I can honestly say, I’m done. Wrapping is a whole other story. Tonight I must wrap everything that has to go in the mail tomorrow. Remember wrapping is not my favorite thing to do. I mean I love them once there done. I don’t use store bought bows but make my own, so they pretty good once the product is finished. Hmmmm…maybe I should be using the store bought ones. Takes less time. Nah, I like them this way better. :)

I did manage to work on AT&B this weekend but not near enough. After reading Erica’s blog, I was reminded of setting my goal or deadline if you will.

This means I have tonight to wrap and then maybe finished the book I’m reading. Tomorrow everything will once again revolve around the book until I’ve shinned that baby as much as I possible can.

So how was your weekend? Are you finally finished like I am or still waiting to shop?

WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki

The Holidays are Here!!!

I saw this over on Alison Kent’s blog and since it is the season thought I’d put it here. No one has been tagged, but if you decide to put it up on yours let us know in the comments. We love to check stuff like this out. :)

I edited the questions to hopefully include everyone. :D

1. What is your favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa romance to re-read each year?
This is a hard one since I can’t find the one I used to love. I don’t remember the name but there was a present that appeared under the tree and no one knew who placed it there. During the book they were trying to find what was needed in order to not lose their home (historical) and at the end it was in the present from…they never knew.

2. What is your favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa movie/show?
I have two. It’s A Wonderful Life and The Christmas Story

3. What is your favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa cookie?
Fruitcake cookies. I typically hate the actual fruitcake but the cookie recipe is yummy.

4. When do you start Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa shopping?
Normally I start very early, like September or October. This year, not so much. I did a mega shopping day last Sunday though and I’m almost done. Which is a good thing since Christmas is 13 days away (counting today).

5. Do you re-gift?
Nope. I do reuse gift bags though. That’s okay, right?

6. What is your favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa song?
Okay, so I love them all. But I do love Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, and the video below is fun as well. :)

7. When do you get your Christmas tree? Or begin to decorate for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa?
Since mine is artificial, it’s usually the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I miss having a real tree. Maybe when the doggies are older.

8. Wrapping presents: Love it or hate it?
If I wrap them as I buy them then I love it. If I wait and have to do them all at once, I hate it.

9. Who is the hardest person to buy for?
Hmmm…I had to think about this. I would say my son. He’s nineteen and that pretty much says it all.

10. Christmas tree: Real or artificial?
See number 7

And now for some holiday cheer in song. I thought this was fun since it captured so many of the songs.



So how about you? Are you finished shopping? Do you like it? What's your favorite things about it?

Oh and I revised the first 6 pages. Only 300 more to go. :D

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

How Do You Get Back To Work?

We all know that I finished my first draft of AT&B on Sunday, December 2nd at 4:01pm. That one I shouted from the roof top. In fact, I think Bill may have heard me over in Greenwich.

I wrote so many words that weekend (19k+) I couldn’t begin too start edits as my mind would not wrap around anything for several days.

It’s now been a week and I still have not begun them. My office is a wreck, the tree needs ornaments and…give me a second, I’m sure there is something else. I even have a great three chapter crit from Maven Lacey from the Manuscript Mavens. How much more can a girl ask for?

See what I mean. I’m finding excuses to not start on it. I didn’t actually realize that until this morning. I’ve made goals for this next part of the journey and still here I sit. Every time I pick it up ready to go, I sit there and decide not just yet. Or I think to myself, you really should clean out the fridge. Clean out the fridge??? Now who thinks that?

So, how about you? What do you do when you need to start your edits? How do you get yourself to go back to page one and begin?

Side note here: If you’re not reading the Mavens blog, you really should add it to your list of daily reads.

WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki

Monday - Weekends and Holidays, You Gotta Love Them

Wow, what a busy weekend I had. Friday, I did community service (the day job pays us to do two CS a year) with Hospice, wrapping presents at the mall. I didn’t think we would be very busy. Boy was I wrong. It’s still so much fun. People are pretty happy and love having their gifts wrapped and ready to go under their tree.

Saturday was our TARA Christmas/Holiday party. Talk about tons of fun. It’s the one time of the year you really get to mingle with everyone.

Then there is the gift exchange. Quick version here, the game has been around for ever and has many different names. You pick a number. Then the person with the first number starts. They pick a gift. The person brought the gift stands up, tells who they are, and what they write. The ornament usually has something to do with their wip or book. More often than not there are other goodies in the bag as well. Chocolate? Of course, all writers love chocolate. :) The person with number two has the option of opening a new gift or stealing the one that has been open. If they steal then that person gets a new gift. And so the game continues. The biggest rule we have is a person can only be stolen from three times. At that point their gift is off limits.

It usually takes about ten people before the stealing commences, or until the TARA Bear shows up. After the party a bunch of us went to, where else, Starbucks. Coffee or tea is the other things writer’s love/crave. Again, it was a great time to sit, chat, and catch up with each other.

Oh totally forgot…my Crit/Partner in crime, Laurie K. won the BC challenge. Everyone who finishes their manuscript, yes it can be in POS form, has to bring a copy of it with them to the party in order to receive a ticket. Once of those tickets are chosen and that person wins. I am so proud of her!! She did not think she would be finished in time and look at her now. She wrote the end before Thanksgiving and won. How cool is that? Very cool since her book is amazing.

This brings us to Sunday. Since I had not bought many presents I decided I should do some shopping. Apparently so did the rest of the town I live in. I found great deals and did manage to do most of the shopping. This started about 10:30 AM and lasted until 6:45 PM. Tired, you ask? Oh yeah, but very happy with my gifts.

I’m really picky about gifts. I can’t just buy something to buy it. I have to look and find the perfect gift for each person.

My yard is decorated and my house is done with the exception of the tree. It has lights (which I turn on at night) and an angel on top. The rest of the decorations are sitting in a box beside the tree. Hopefully tonight I’ll get them on. I mean it is only 16 days until Christmas, counting today. Oh lord, that means I need to get those presents wrapped and in the mail. Yikes!

Oh and start the revisions on the AT&B. I need to have it ready to send out by the middle of January. Major yikes!!! It was requested at conference so now I need to get it out to the agents. Side note here: I did not have an appointment, but was asked by them to pitch. I did tell them it was not finished at the time. Both of them (separate pitches) still said they were interested and would like to see it when it was finished. This is both exciting and scary. I know it could be rejected by both and while that’s not the happy place to be, the scariest part of all is…The Dreaded Synopsis. Yes, it’s time to write the real thing. If you noticed the sidebar then you’ll see I now have a revision meter. I figured I should put one up since it keeps me going.

So, how was your weekend? Did you shop? Write? Did you do anything fun? Have you finished your goals and started on new ones?

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

Wednesday Funny

I changed the actual name of the bank in this story to Bank. While I thought it was funny, I didn't want to leave the name of the place of business in case this is not a true story. Unfortunately, I can so see/hear this happening.

Enjoy, and I promise I will be back in writing form next week. I'm trying to get my head around beginning edits and it's just not quite there yet.

Cancel your credit card before you die..........(hilarious!)

Now some people are really several fries short of their happy meal!!!! Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die.

This is so priceless, and so, so easy to see happening, customer service being what it is today.
A lady died this past January, and Bank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00 when she died, but now somewhere around $60.00. A family member placed a call to Bank.

Here is the exchange:

Family Member: 'I am calling to tell you she died back in January.'

Bank: 'The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.'

Family Member: 'Maybe, you should turn it over to collections.'

Bank: 'Since it is two months past due, it already has been.'

Family Member: So, what will they do when they find out she is
dead?'

Bank: 'Either report her account to frauds division or report her
to the credit bureau, maybe both!'

Family Member: 'Do you think God will be mad at her?'

Bank: 'Excuse me?'

Family Member: 'Did you just get what I was telling you - the part
about her being dead?'

Bank: 'Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor.'

Supervisor gets on the phone:

Family Member: 'I'm calling to tell you, she died back in January
with a $0 balance.'

Bank: 'The account was never closed and late fees and charges
still apply.'

Family Member: 'You mean you want to collect from her estate?'

Bank: (Stammer) 'Are you her lawyer?'

Family Member: 'No, I'm her great nephew.' (Lawyer info was given)

Bank: 'Could you fax us a certificate of death?'

Family Member: 'Sure.' (Fax number was given )

After they get the fax:

Bank: 'Our system just isn't setup for death. I don't know what
more I can do to help.'

Family Member: 'Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. She won't care.'

Bank: 'Well, the late fees and charges do still apply.' (What is
wrong with these people?!?)

Family Member: 'Would you like her new billing address?'

Bank: 'That might help.'

Family Member: ' Odessa Memorial Cemetery , Highway 129, Plot Number 69.'

Bank: 'Sir, that's a cemetery!'

Family Member: 'And what do you do with dead people on your planet???

(Priceless!!)

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Monday Check In

I did it! I typed those two little words that cause you to sit back and laugh and cry at the same time. The End.

I had a crazy marathon writing weekend starting Saturday early and finishing Sunday at 4:00PM. I'm still amazed that I finished.

I could not have done it without some wonderful people who continue to encourage and also kick me in the rear when necessary.

Anyway, that's all I've got for now. The brain is sort of mush. Tomorrow I'll be back with the contest winner from last week and a real post. :)

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Saturday Check Outs

Just a quick hello and happy Saturday to everyone. I've added a couple of links on the side but thought I'd give them to you here as well.

The first one I found on Diana Peterfreund’s blog. It a great blog for all aspiring writers and any writers who haven't been recently published to read. Dear Agent Manners is a must read.

The second one I found through one of my chapters From The Heart Romance Writers and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her post. I'm sure you will too. Stephie Smith gives a great outlook on writing and glimpses into her own life.

So check them out and come back and leave your comments.

Hope your having a fab weekend.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki