Yay, it's Friday!!! I don't know about you, but the week started out slow and then became crazy. But the weekend is almost here and that means I have two whole days to write, critique, and plot. Gotta love those weekends.
This was just sent to me and I had to add it. I did have research to find where it came from, and this is, where I hope it came from. I do like to give props to the right people/place. THE LAWS OF ULTIMATE REALITY
THE LAWS OF ULTIMATE REALITY
Law of Mechanical Repair
After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.
Law of Gravity
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
Law of Probability
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
Law of Random Numbers
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.
Law of the Alibi
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
Variation Law
If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time)
Law of the Bath
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
Law of Close Encounters
The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
Law of the Result
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
Law of Biomechanics
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
Law of the Theater
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
The Starbucks Law
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Murphy's Law of Lockers
If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
Law of Physical Surfaces
The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Brown's Law of Physical Appearance
If the shoe fits, it's ugly.
Oliver's Law of Public Speaking
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
Doctors' Law
If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. Don't make an appointment and you'll stay sick.
See, told you those were great!
~Vicki
Friday, June 27, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Rite of Spring(Break) Release Day - Yay Diana!!
Diana Peterfreund is guest blogging over at the Manuscript Maven’s today and she’s giving away a copy of her new book Rites of Spring (Break) to one lucky commenter.
Although this is the third in the SSG series, you could very easily read this one without reading the others. Just in case you haven’t read the first two, I thought you might want to know that.
However, if you haven’t read the first two, trust me, you’ll want too as soon as you read this one.
Diana is an amazing writer, whose world sucks you in and doesn’t let you go. You’ll become a part of Amy and her friend’s lives and want to know more and more.
Okay, go check it out and leave a comment and then come back and let us know what you think. Also, no spoilers please. We’ll leave those for another day.
WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki
Monday, June 23, 2008
Another Legend Has Left Us
Farewell to George Carlin. The man who years ago not only said the seven words you couldn’t say on TV, but ended up making an even bigger name for himself by doing so.
For some, he was to brash, too bold, or maybe thought to be too crude. But maybe he saw life in a different window then those people.
Remember the song “Signs”? It always made me think of George Carlin because he saw the signs and didn’t let it stop him from being who he was. He never pushed his thoughts or words on others. They were free to agree or disagree.
Death comes to everyone, but life isn’t always ours. Sure we breathe, eat, and sleep, but do we really live the way we want to or do we live the way we feel others want us to?
I don’t know the answer to that one. For me, I think it depend on the day or the situation.
So today we say farewell to another legend, one who everyone knew whether they listened to him or not. Who will take his place? You might say there are plenty out there now. But are there? I mean, he shocked the world with his words said on live TV. He didn’t physically hurt anyone, but he did shock them.
To his family and friends, I wish you peace and love, and to George I wish you rest.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Friday, Friday, Friday
It’s Friday and if you’re like me you’re doing the happy dance. Love it when the weekend finally gets here. WhooHoo!!!
So, in honor of Friday and the freedom it brings, I’d like to share a couple of quotes with you.
All I could find for the first two is anonymous, so if you know who wrote them please share with us. The last one is a personal favorite of mine, and of course it has the author of the quote. ;)
Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly…. ~annonymous
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning how to Dance in the Rain. ~annonymous
“Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” ~George Carlin
What about you? Do you have a quote you love? Share it with us, you never know who might need to read it today.
Happy Friday,
Vicki
So, in honor of Friday and the freedom it brings, I’d like to share a couple of quotes with you.
All I could find for the first two is anonymous, so if you know who wrote them please share with us. The last one is a personal favorite of mine, and of course it has the author of the quote. ;)
Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly…. ~annonymous
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning how to Dance in the Rain. ~annonymous
“Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” ~George Carlin
What about you? Do you have a quote you love? Share it with us, you never know who might need to read it today.
Happy Friday,
Vicki
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Trash Talking Romance Novelists: Bring on the RITAs, baby!
Many may have seen this, but for those who haven't...well, it's the RITA's and their bringing it.
Enjoy!
~Vicki
Enjoy!
~Vicki
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Your Breathe Catches…and You’re Memorized
Once in awhile you are given the privilege of seeing, hearing, or reading about someone extraordinary. And when that happens, your thoughts on life, goals, and believing in the magic comes full circle.
Last night was one of those moments for me. Science Guy and I Tivo’d America’s Got Talent since we like to fast forward through the commercials. They keep showing this one guy and saying he was coming up after the break, but it was at the end when they finally showed him.
I have to say in my opinion, the judges who screen the contestants to decide who is allowed to come on an audition, must have spoken with the three judges on stage. Peirce asked the performer quite a few questions.
And then Neil Boyd sang:
Yes, he sang the same song as Paul Potts did his first go round on Britain’s Got Talent. And yes Neil was amazing. He may not have held the final note out as long as it would normally be, but as you’ll see on the clip, he was somewhat emotional.
His story of his life growing up is one many can relate to. Raised by his mother, he and his brother missed out much of their time with her since she worked continually to make ends meet.
One of the funny yet sweet things he said backstage was he didn’t know he was poor growing up. It was only after his mother told they were poor that he knew. To me this speaks volumes of his mother. To be a single parent, raising to boys, working every waking hour you can, and for your children not know the family struggled is amazing and nothing but a home full of love.
I also realized watching him, we all have the same chance to be one who others are seeing our passions be it art, music, writing, and any number of things. No, it may not be on a stage auditioning for America’s Got Talent, but it is where your passion leads you and what you do to make your dream come true.
WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki
Last night was one of those moments for me. Science Guy and I Tivo’d America’s Got Talent since we like to fast forward through the commercials. They keep showing this one guy and saying he was coming up after the break, but it was at the end when they finally showed him.
I have to say in my opinion, the judges who screen the contestants to decide who is allowed to come on an audition, must have spoken with the three judges on stage. Peirce asked the performer quite a few questions.
And then Neil Boyd sang:
Yes, he sang the same song as Paul Potts did his first go round on Britain’s Got Talent. And yes Neil was amazing. He may not have held the final note out as long as it would normally be, but as you’ll see on the clip, he was somewhat emotional.
His story of his life growing up is one many can relate to. Raised by his mother, he and his brother missed out much of their time with her since she worked continually to make ends meet.
One of the funny yet sweet things he said backstage was he didn’t know he was poor growing up. It was only after his mother told they were poor that he knew. To me this speaks volumes of his mother. To be a single parent, raising to boys, working every waking hour you can, and for your children not know the family struggled is amazing and nothing but a home full of love.
I also realized watching him, we all have the same chance to be one who others are seeing our passions be it art, music, writing, and any number of things. No, it may not be on a stage auditioning for America’s Got Talent, but it is where your passion leads you and what you do to make your dream come true.
WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Waiting...and Working...and Waiting
My skills in this process are not very good. And here’s the kicker, this waiting thing is not a rest period. Nope, its writing like you did when you finished the baby you’re waiting on. Only now you’re working on a new baby. Maybe struggling with the first line, or maybe just plowing through, knowing you can come back and fix that first line later. In fact the waiting muscles are straining and sometimes they feel the burn and love it and then others their tired and wanting to rest.
You know that climbing a mountain and you are excited to get to the top. You’ve worked hard to do this. Planned each step, brought the necessary items to make it all the way.
And then you’re at the first rest area. There’s this really great boulder to sit on and stare out over the valley below. If you look close enough you’ll see a few tattered pieces of yourself from the pitfalls you encountered along the way.
Suddenly you’re not quite as excited. I mean, heck the view from where you sit isn’t all that bad. People think you’ve done an incredible thing by getting to this point on your mountain, right? Right? Okay, so they do, or they did, and maybe a few still do, but now their looking at you, waiting to see what you’re going to do next.
Will you wait and do nothing but look at the scenery around you? Smell the chocolate roses as it were. Or will you pick up speed, not look back and keep going to the top, even though it means you’re waiting.
Yeah, I’m going to keep going to the top because it has the best view, but I hate waiting.
How about you? Are you good with the waiting thing? Constantly checking emails or snail mail? Or do you forget about it and continue on?
~Vicki
You know that climbing a mountain and you are excited to get to the top. You’ve worked hard to do this. Planned each step, brought the necessary items to make it all the way.
And then you’re at the first rest area. There’s this really great boulder to sit on and stare out over the valley below. If you look close enough you’ll see a few tattered pieces of yourself from the pitfalls you encountered along the way.
Suddenly you’re not quite as excited. I mean, heck the view from where you sit isn’t all that bad. People think you’ve done an incredible thing by getting to this point on your mountain, right? Right? Okay, so they do, or they did, and maybe a few still do, but now their looking at you, waiting to see what you’re going to do next.
Will you wait and do nothing but look at the scenery around you? Smell the chocolate roses as it were. Or will you pick up speed, not look back and keep going to the top, even though it means you’re waiting.
Yeah, I’m going to keep going to the top because it has the best view, but I hate waiting.
How about you? Are you good with the waiting thing? Constantly checking emails or snail mail? Or do you forget about it and continue on?
~Vicki
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day
It’s late in the day and Science Guy and I have spent a very quite one together. Neither of our parents live here, nor do they close enough to drive to. Not even for a long drive. So we just enjoyed being together and relaxing.
Ahhhh….nice word, relaxing. Doing exactly what you want to do or doing nothing at all. Your choice. We don’t get many of those days, which makes them all the more sweeter.
My dad (actually he was my step dad, but the only dad I knew), passed away when I was in high school. He was one of the hardest working men I know. He worked six days a week, but on Sunday’s that was family time. There were many times we’d be woken up at 6:00 AM to grab the swimsuits and head out to Ft DeSoto, where my dad would cook breakfast on the grill and we’d play in the water. My home was the place where everyone came and at anytime. Dinner was at the same time each day, but mom really never knew how many might be gracing our dinner table. And the thing was she never complained.
I have a wonderful stepfather who has been in my life for about…well, a long time. He’s great and I love him dearly. I don’t have the fond memories of a child with him, but I do have the memories of watching my children grow up with him.
My sister and I were very lucky to also have Mommy and Daddy Beard. Beard, that was their last name. I guess you call them grandparents, but they were a second set of parents to us. They gave us unconditional love and we were above all blessed to love them and have them in our lives. They gave us stability and we knew what a loving home was. Daddy Beard was a retired Southern Baptist preacher and he loved to have a little argument once in a while. By little I really do mean little. In today’s world no one would even call it an argument. The thing is Mommy Beard would argue with him. She would calmly walk away. A few minutes would go by and he’d be fine.
Every night of my young life that was spent at their home, along with my sister, we read the bible. I know for some people reading this, you wouldn’t want to read the bible. But you see Mommy Beard had a third grade education and it was reading the bible that taught her to read. Daddy Beard would loving help her through words she didn’t quite understand.
And OMG, their fridge wasn’t frost free. So my sister and I would scrap the top ice and make slushies. Today, they’d tell us we were going to die due to the chemicals that had to be in that ice. But we didn’t die and those slushies were so good.
He also taught us to love nature and animals. We had so many pets with him, even a monkey. It was rather mean though and we finally had to give it to the zoo. And maybe the best part was we could make a mess as long as we cleaned it up. They loved us through being kids and doing what kids do.
For the dad’s out there, I hope this is has been the day you wanted. Watching the TV, playing games with the family, going to the movies, or just plain ole relaxing. You deserve this day. Your role in your children’s lives is a huge one and so today it’s your turn for us to say thank you for loving us, for scolding us when we needed it, and for giving us wings to soar and lettings us fall. You teach us what it means to hold a family together, to be safe in our homes, and work an honest day for an honest dollar.
To my Dad in heaven and to my Daddy Beard, thank you for everything, all the love, discipline, and just plain wanting more for us, demanding more of us then we thought we had in us. You taught us well and I for one will always your daughter and your granddaughter. You are the reason I can write the HEA. You both should us how it's done in your everyday life.
I love you both and Happy Father’s Day.
Vicki
Ahhhh….nice word, relaxing. Doing exactly what you want to do or doing nothing at all. Your choice. We don’t get many of those days, which makes them all the more sweeter.
My dad (actually he was my step dad, but the only dad I knew), passed away when I was in high school. He was one of the hardest working men I know. He worked six days a week, but on Sunday’s that was family time. There were many times we’d be woken up at 6:00 AM to grab the swimsuits and head out to Ft DeSoto, where my dad would cook breakfast on the grill and we’d play in the water. My home was the place where everyone came and at anytime. Dinner was at the same time each day, but mom really never knew how many might be gracing our dinner table. And the thing was she never complained.
I have a wonderful stepfather who has been in my life for about…well, a long time. He’s great and I love him dearly. I don’t have the fond memories of a child with him, but I do have the memories of watching my children grow up with him.
My sister and I were very lucky to also have Mommy and Daddy Beard. Beard, that was their last name. I guess you call them grandparents, but they were a second set of parents to us. They gave us unconditional love and we were above all blessed to love them and have them in our lives. They gave us stability and we knew what a loving home was. Daddy Beard was a retired Southern Baptist preacher and he loved to have a little argument once in a while. By little I really do mean little. In today’s world no one would even call it an argument. The thing is Mommy Beard would argue with him. She would calmly walk away. A few minutes would go by and he’d be fine.
Every night of my young life that was spent at their home, along with my sister, we read the bible. I know for some people reading this, you wouldn’t want to read the bible. But you see Mommy Beard had a third grade education and it was reading the bible that taught her to read. Daddy Beard would loving help her through words she didn’t quite understand.
And OMG, their fridge wasn’t frost free. So my sister and I would scrap the top ice and make slushies. Today, they’d tell us we were going to die due to the chemicals that had to be in that ice. But we didn’t die and those slushies were so good.
He also taught us to love nature and animals. We had so many pets with him, even a monkey. It was rather mean though and we finally had to give it to the zoo. And maybe the best part was we could make a mess as long as we cleaned it up. They loved us through being kids and doing what kids do.
For the dad’s out there, I hope this is has been the day you wanted. Watching the TV, playing games with the family, going to the movies, or just plain ole relaxing. You deserve this day. Your role in your children’s lives is a huge one and so today it’s your turn for us to say thank you for loving us, for scolding us when we needed it, and for giving us wings to soar and lettings us fall. You teach us what it means to hold a family together, to be safe in our homes, and work an honest day for an honest dollar.
To my Dad in heaven and to my Daddy Beard, thank you for everything, all the love, discipline, and just plain wanting more for us, demanding more of us then we thought we had in us. You taught us well and I for one will always your daughter and your granddaughter. You are the reason I can write the HEA. You both should us how it's done in your everyday life.
I love you both and Happy Father’s Day.
Vicki
Sunday, June 8, 2008
I'm a PRO and It's Hot!!!
It’s June (okay, so you know that much already), but for those of you who live in the Sunshine state, you know exactly what that means. Hot humid weather with a chance (a big one) of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Which do nothing to cool us down once they’ve pasted. On the contrary, they only make the humidity worse.
This morning (early morning, as in the sun was just coming up) the temperature outside, according to my thermometer read 82 degrees. No breeze, just hot weather. The flowers will wilt before you can water them and Science Guy is suggesting I plant cactus instead. Don’t laugh, those of you who know me well. He might have meant because I couldn’t kill them as easily as the other flowers I plant.
I love a garden full of beautiful flowers in bloom. Really, I do. The thing is, I’m really great at taking care of them for awhile. And then I forget to water them. How can someone forget to water the plants they dug in the dirt and lovingly placed in said dirt? I don’t know, but I do.
So, onto bigger and better news then the weather. I am officially PRO!!! Just in case you’re not a reader of romance or a writer of romance, this doesn’t mean what you might be thinking. It means I’ve done what I’m supposed to do in this next step of writing. I’ve sent out my baby into the world. The world of agents.
And yes, I received a rejection letter. A pretty great one too. How can a rejection letter be great? Because although it was a no, it was a little more than that. She was interested, she liked it, but it wasn’t right for her at this time. It went on to say, she hoped I was submitting it elsewhere, because it would find a home.
I am submitting it elsewhere and believe it will find the home it needs to be in. I do have an editor that’s interested in seeing it and so I’ll be sending it out this week to that publishing house as well.
This is why I am now considered a pro in the world of writing. I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing to achieve the dream of writing as my career. I’m writing the book, completing the book, polishing the book, before I do anything, and then I’m sending it out.
My fingers are crossed for the agent it’s with right now. I’m hoping they will want to see more of the work. And yes, I’m hoping they will want to work with me.
However, I’m also writing the next book and continuing on. Because first and foremost, I am a writer and it’s what I have to do. It’s like an addiction. You can never stop, because the world as you know it would never be the same. And I’m loving the world I’m in.
Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki
This morning (early morning, as in the sun was just coming up) the temperature outside, according to my thermometer read 82 degrees. No breeze, just hot weather. The flowers will wilt before you can water them and Science Guy is suggesting I plant cactus instead. Don’t laugh, those of you who know me well. He might have meant because I couldn’t kill them as easily as the other flowers I plant.
I love a garden full of beautiful flowers in bloom. Really, I do. The thing is, I’m really great at taking care of them for awhile. And then I forget to water them. How can someone forget to water the plants they dug in the dirt and lovingly placed in said dirt? I don’t know, but I do.
So, onto bigger and better news then the weather. I am officially PRO!!! Just in case you’re not a reader of romance or a writer of romance, this doesn’t mean what you might be thinking. It means I’ve done what I’m supposed to do in this next step of writing. I’ve sent out my baby into the world. The world of agents.
And yes, I received a rejection letter. A pretty great one too. How can a rejection letter be great? Because although it was a no, it was a little more than that. She was interested, she liked it, but it wasn’t right for her at this time. It went on to say, she hoped I was submitting it elsewhere, because it would find a home.
I am submitting it elsewhere and believe it will find the home it needs to be in. I do have an editor that’s interested in seeing it and so I’ll be sending it out this week to that publishing house as well.
This is why I am now considered a pro in the world of writing. I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing to achieve the dream of writing as my career. I’m writing the book, completing the book, polishing the book, before I do anything, and then I’m sending it out.
My fingers are crossed for the agent it’s with right now. I’m hoping they will want to see more of the work. And yes, I’m hoping they will want to work with me.
However, I’m also writing the next book and continuing on. Because first and foremost, I am a writer and it’s what I have to do. It’s like an addiction. You can never stop, because the world as you know it would never be the same. And I’m loving the world I’m in.
Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki
Thursday, June 5, 2008
NASCAR, MI's Blog, and Autism...So Many Good People, Who Never Stop :)
If you’re a NASCAR fan, you know this past week’s race was for autism. But what you might not know is how much stuff goes on before the race and what they do to raise money for this cause.
Check out my friend MI’s blog. She was in charge of the golf outing as well as being at the race on Sunday.
I was stunned when Sadler’s car, (The Autism car) was taken out in LAP 16!!! I’ve been a Sadler fan for a long time and loved the M&M car (won’t talk about who’s driving it now). Thing is, Sadler is a great driver, he places high in the polls most weeks, but he just can’t seem to get a break. It’s almost like his car has this magnet that pulls the other cars into him.
The other cool thing is Harlequin hopped on board the NASCAR fast lane over a year ago and the books have been great. It was a very smart thing, IMVHO, for both NASCAR and HQ. People (woman mostly) who are NASCAR fans, but don’t read romance are now buying and reading these and the readers of HQ NASCAR series who weren’t race fans are now becoming more interested in the drivers and the race.
For me, I love it. I know some people don’t get it. How can you watch cars go around a track on TV no less for several hours? Really don’t have the answer, except once you’re hooked, you’re hooked. You know the driver’s, sort of. You know who races clean and who doesn’t. (Not talking about that here on the blog, since it’s very opinionated.)
Of course they’re real people, but it’s the glimpse into their normal lives that makes it so cool. That and all they do to give back.
So go check out MI’s blog, it’s pretty cool. How about you? Do you watch NASCAR? Do you read the NASCAR HQ books? Are there other sports you like and never thought you would? And does it cause your muse to talk to you when you watch them? Maybe think about writing one?
~V
Check out my friend MI’s blog. She was in charge of the golf outing as well as being at the race on Sunday.
I was stunned when Sadler’s car, (The Autism car) was taken out in LAP 16!!! I’ve been a Sadler fan for a long time and loved the M&M car (won’t talk about who’s driving it now). Thing is, Sadler is a great driver, he places high in the polls most weeks, but he just can’t seem to get a break. It’s almost like his car has this magnet that pulls the other cars into him.
The other cool thing is Harlequin hopped on board the NASCAR fast lane over a year ago and the books have been great. It was a very smart thing, IMVHO, for both NASCAR and HQ. People (woman mostly) who are NASCAR fans, but don’t read romance are now buying and reading these and the readers of HQ NASCAR series who weren’t race fans are now becoming more interested in the drivers and the race.
For me, I love it. I know some people don’t get it. How can you watch cars go around a track on TV no less for several hours? Really don’t have the answer, except once you’re hooked, you’re hooked. You know the driver’s, sort of. You know who races clean and who doesn’t. (Not talking about that here on the blog, since it’s very opinionated.)
Of course they’re real people, but it’s the glimpse into their normal lives that makes it so cool. That and all they do to give back.
So go check out MI’s blog, it’s pretty cool. How about you? Do you watch NASCAR? Do you read the NASCAR HQ books? Are there other sports you like and never thought you would? And does it cause your muse to talk to you when you watch them? Maybe think about writing one?
~V
Monday, June 2, 2008
Time Flies When You’re Having Slammed…err, I Mean Having Fun
I can’t believe it’s been almost a week since I posted anything. Lately the days seem to fly by. Summer wishes? Maybe, but in all reality it’s the busy schedule that just won’t go away.
Yes, there is the day the job, the one that pays bills, but it’s more the night job that’s keeping me busy. There are contest to enter, revisions to still consider, and yep queries to submit. And I love it. All of it.
And I’ve been reading. WhooHoo!!! Sometimes I’m so involved with my own writing that I don’t take the time to read. Needless to say, my TBR pile has become a tower to its own right. In fact, I could probably build my own Stonehenge of sorts. One made completely out of books yet to be read.
How about you. Do you make time to read in between your writing or at the same time?
WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki
Yes, there is the day the job, the one that pays bills, but it’s more the night job that’s keeping me busy. There are contest to enter, revisions to still consider, and yep queries to submit. And I love it. All of it.
And I’ve been reading. WhooHoo!!! Sometimes I’m so involved with my own writing that I don’t take the time to read. Needless to say, my TBR pile has become a tower to its own right. In fact, I could probably build my own Stonehenge of sorts. One made completely out of books yet to be read.
How about you. Do you make time to read in between your writing or at the same time?
WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki
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