shopping & a horoscope

September 17, 2008

Had to go shopping last night. Ugh, just ugh. Thankfully, it wasn’t crowded and I found something. Nothing like waiting until the last minute and then remembering, oh, I have a wedding to go to on Friday, you know? And then I had to fight off the Keihl’s woman who kept insisting, you say you’re allergic to most products, but this is made for people who are allergic! This has almond oil!

me: Um, yes, I’m allergic to that.

Her: You need an herbalist.

me: Actually, I need a black clutch and some shoes.

Now, it’s time for the week’s forcast and then it’s time for work for me. Lots and lots of work.

Free Will Horoscope for ARIES for the week of September 18th:

Believe it or not, whatever has been limiting your movement has also been expanding your capacities. It’s true. The pinching sensation you’ve had to endure has been covertly generating psychic fuel that you will soon be able to access. Therefore, Aries, I say unto you: Praise your squelchers and constrictors! Be grateful for your stiflers and tweakers! They have primed you for the arrival of a luminous boon.

Dear Free Will Astrology:

You need to be right on this or else I’ll hunt you down like a rabid dog in the street. Just sayin’.

Steph T.

home

September 14, 2008

Vacation was great, but it’s so nice to be home. The bed in the house we rented was like sleeping on a board covered with foam. I missed my bed and my house. I’m such a homebody it’s not even funny – always have been – I love to nest.

Anyway, on the ride home yesterday I think I came up with an idea for a new single title trilogy that’s loosely connected to the SEAL trilogy, and I’ve got a semi-plot for the first book.

Of course, I still need to finish revisions for Chris’s book and work on Sydney book 5 proposal with Larissa. We brainstormed a bit yesterday (we brainstormed a lot when she visited OBX, and that was good – got me centered on the main plot and the subplot.)

The problem I’m having is the main hero…I don’t know him yet. Don’t have a name or anything. Must work on that. Like, right now.

Steph T.

NY to NC

September 6, 2008

Hanna is hitting New York right about now…she passed by the Outer Banks earlier (aka my vacation spot)…we called about our rental house and power is all restored there. So it looks like we’ll be heading back down there to finish out our vacation. Which is good news.

Except the migraine is stopping me from jumping for joy now. Bleech. I think it’s because of the atmospheric pressure from the storms – Larissa’s had one since last night too.

So anyway, I’ve spent the day working on content for my new website…I’m excited for the change. Actually, I’ve been making a lot of changes lately – scary but necessary ones. And I think September is the best time to do it. For me, September always equaled a fresh start – both when I was in school and when I taught, and really, even though I’m not doing either, I still have that wonderful sense of promise once September rolls around.

Anyway, if there’s anything you’d like to see on my website that’s not currently here, please let me know, either here in comments or you can email me privately via my contact page.

On the to-do list:
1. Sydney Croft book 5 proposal
2. Finish revisions on Hold On Tight (Chris’s book – book 3 of the SEAL Trilogy)
3. Work on new Romantic Suspense proposal

I’ll work a bit on this while I’m on vacation and continue with my reading binge – lots of Roxanne St. Claire, Linda Howard, Tara Janzen and Acheron!!!

Steph T.

things you’re not sure you want to know…

June 8, 2008

Yesterday’s conversation with Zoo:

Zoo: By the way, I think Gus ate a bumblebee today.

Me: *completely horrified* You think?

Zoo: It was pollenating on one of the bushes and Gus just went over and attacked it. And then it was gone, so yeah, he ate it. It was good to see his hunting instincts kick in.

Me:

I guess this must be what it’s like to have a son. The other day, Gus brought me in a worm for a present and proceeded to decapitate it at my feet. So yes, good times ahead…

Steph T.

writing, writing and more writing…

March 9, 2008

So I’m writing and writing and writing on the NEVER ENDING book that is Nick’s (TOO HOT TO HOLD) and I’m writing and writing these subplot heroines who are sisters and I just keep saying to myself, I know there’s something you’re not telling me…

And so I wrote and wrote and suddenly one of the sisters must’ve been so tired of me asking that she was like, here’s our deal and I was like, finally. I mean, don’t get me wrong – their deal is good – worth waiting for. But maybe they could’ve saved me a little bit of angst.

Anyway, I thought about this because I got asked if I’d like to do a writing workshop class at a local arts center and got a mental picture of me sitting on a desk in my pajamas telling the class what I just told you all about those sisters and thinking, will that pass for curriculum?

Last week, Larissa mentioned how she hasn’t been doing any craft posts lately. I don’t know if I ever really did craft posts because I’m not really a craft kind of person. I’ve tried it – different methods, like the plotting boards – and plotting itself, and none of it ever seemed to work for me. Instead, I just use my own method (the write-out-of-order one) and I pray for the best. Eventually, the book gets in shape.

Are their easier ways? I’m sure, but my mind seems to go on strike when I try them.

Hi, I’m your teacher who doesn’t plot! Yes, that will go over well…

Anyway, today, more writing. Must get this book done. Will only stop to watch Rock Of Love, because, well, you know…who wouldn’t?!

FYI, Gus was 31.3 Lbs two weeks and three days ago. Today, he’s 47 lbs. at 4 and 1/2 months.

(this is from 2 weeks ago…I swear he grows overnight)

On a side note – I so didn’t need daylight savings time this week – I needed that damned hour…

Steph T.

Weimaraner Property Laws

February 25, 2008

Gus just wanted me to clear that up for everyone.

Book due soon. Why isn’t February longer?!? Why are Daisy’s lips on Rock of Love so big they seem to impair her ability to speak? Am I giving Daisy too much credit by implying that her lips are the problem with her speaking abilities?

Steph T.

there’s a weimaraner in my waffles…

February 5, 2008

No, seriously. See, Gus has this habit of running and flinging his front paws onto whoever is sitting on the couch. Which is where I happened to be with my plate of nutri-grain waffles on my lap. Waffles with syrup.

Suddenly, there were waffles, syrup and puppy paws on the plate. Yeah, I’ll be eating at the table from now on.

(picture is after the de-syruping)

Anyway, Lily’s finally feeling better (cold plus possible stomach virus did not a happy child – or mom – make)….Gus is settling in. Ish. Well, as much as a puppy can. And I need to do some serious freakin’ writing. Like, fast. I need my routine back. Or any routine. Or a routine.

Speaking of books, Beyond His Control is on pre-sale this month at eHarlequin! It goes on sale everywhere else March 1st, although Blazes are often spotted mid-month, so keep an eye out as it gets close to February 15th or so!

Steph T.

Gus is in the house…

February 4, 2008

World, Gus…Gus, world:

So Zoo and I went to pick puppy Gus, the weimeraner, up on Saturday – got to meet 5 other full grown weims as well. Zoo had this idea that we’d keep Gus off the couch, but as it turns out, he and all the other weims were quite comfortable on the couches already. So good luck with that. Mainly because, as I type this, Gus is lying next to me on the couch.

Continue reading →

the winner(s) of the Beyond His Control contest

January 19, 2008

Well, if you guessed that the pup with the orange ribbon was ours, you were right! So Alyssa, Blanche and Angie-la each get a book! If you can get me your addresses ASAP, I’ll mail the books out this afternoon – (send through my contact page)

We didn’t actually pick the puppy – the breeder picked for us, because, besides being a part of the family, this pup is also going to be trained as a therapy/assistance dog, if we can do it – the assistance dog thing is a ton of training but either way the dog will be trained to look out for my daughter. So the breeder picked by temperment, but she also knew that we would prefer a big male dog (we’ve always had females)…

(Angie-la, I think he’s actually lying down in the picture where he’s feeding, but it’s hard to tell. But two of my four dogs have been runts and they always end up HUGE!)

World, meet Gus:

Carol, the breeder, said: He’s very sweet, a little independant and very smart.

He also looks WAY too innocent in that picture, doesn’t he? He’s a weimaraner, btw – it’s the breed my family’s always had, and Zoo and I had adopted a rescue weim when we first bought our house, but she was sick and we had to put her down about 4 years ago. In fact, Babs is immortalized in Sydney’s upcoming, Unleashing The Storm, so that was nice to be able to do that tribute for her.

Gus is currently residing in Vermont, just waiting for us to come and grab him up on February 2nd. He’ll be 12 weeks old (the breeder was wonderful, kept him an extra month to do a little training, which will be a huge help to me in the long run.)

Anyway, I missed you guys too – feels good to be back.

Steph T.

To Whom It May Concern: (aka Larissa)

December 4, 2007

And Tori. And Ann.

Say hello to my little friend…