December 6th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Good Morning! At about eight last night I realized I never posted a blog entry yesterday. This was the first time I missed in I can’t even remember how long, but I do have a really good excuse.

While NaNoWriMo was in full swing, I received the information from the FBI I had been waiting for in order to finish Corporate Blues, but I couldn’t take a break from Faerie Tale Queen to be able to work the information into the story. Well, from six yesterday morning until around seven last night – with only one break to take my daughter to the chiropractor – I wrote and revised Corporate Blues. And…wait for it… sent it to the publisher in NYC who has been asking for it. Now, I have no idea if he will pick up the novel, but at least it is out of my hands and into his.

I have been down this road before, the traditional publishing road, with less than a positive experience. I have learned from my mistakes, so unless they come back with “an offer I can’t refuse”, I will be releasing Corporate Blues myself. I will keep you updated, and I will probably be asking your opinion when the time comes as to what you think I should do.

Today, after a little bit of maintenance housework, I will be headed back to Ireland. It has been a few days since I’ve written anything on Faerie Tale Queen, and quite frankly, I’m starting to miss Kieren and Logan. I guess that’s a good sign, no?

I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

 

You are posing for one of those “Old Time Photos”. The camera flash goes off, and when you blink the spots from your eyes, you find you are no longer at the photo studio, you are actually in the place where the photo is set.

 

It was silly really. Just a whim. The four of us were walking along the Wildwood boardwalk and we saw the “Olde Tyme Photo” sign, and we walked in. There were dozens of scenes we could have chosen. We could have been princesses and the guys could have been knights, but they weren’t keen on putting on the armor. We could have picked a scene from a royal ball, but the guys refused to wear tights. Then like kids in a candy store, the boys saw the Al Capone era photo, and they wouldn’t settle for anything else. Pretty sure the machine guns are what hooked them. Okay, so we’d be in corsets and fishnet stockings. I could live with that.

My boyfriend’s sister and I went into our dressing room to change and the guys went into theirs. When we all emerged, there was a lot of giggling, especially when the photographer posed us and told the guys they needed to look pissed off.

Finally, he snapped the photo. It was the biggest and brightest flash I had ever seen. Before my vision returned, the room slowly began to get noisy. I blinked and I blinked, and kept trying to focus, but the spots were still swimming before my eyes. The sound of piano music started to permeate the din. My peripheral vision started coming into focus. Where the heck did all these people come from?

 

Out of time.

 

From left to right: My husband Paul, me, my sister-in-law Cindy, and my brother-in-law Frank. I think we were 23, 21 & 18 when this photo was taken. Dang, I would kill to look like that again! LOL.

Your Next Challenge is:

 

With Nelson Mandela’s passing yesterday, it made me think, what is it that makes someone great, makes someone stand out over the rest? Write about who you think should be remembered as “great” and why.

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

December 4th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Happy Hump Day! I didn’t realize yesterday was Tuesday until around 8:30 last night. I completely lost a day with traveling on Monday. This also means I unintentionally blew off my critique group last night. UGH! I hate when I do that!

The photo project took me ten hours, but I finished and got everything up to Lys, so she could do her assignment. While on the phone, I had Lys ask her roommate if I had left anything for her, and her roommate gave her the box of exam goodies I had smuggled up a few weeks ago. I explained to her that the college was doing these exam care packages, but I didn’t want to spend $65 when she didn’t like half the stuff in the package. So instead, she got to open a box of all her favorite things – double stuffed Oreos, Kit Kat bars, oatmeal, flavored teas, V8 Splash, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I even included two raspberry 5-Hour Energy and a bottle of gummy vitamins. You should have heard her squeal when she opened the box.

That child has so much food in her room, they could get snowed in for a week and she (and probably her roommate too) wouldn’t go hungry. By making sure she’s well stocked, it makes me feel a little better, I guess. I’m one of those moms who isn’t content unless I’m making sure you’re well fed. You can ask any of my kids’ friends, if they come here, I’m going to feed them, and they won’t leave hungry.

I am going to be playing domestic goddess for the remainder of the day. During NaNoWriMo, things got seriously pushed to the back burner and now it is time to pay the price. I want to take twenty minutes to straighten up – the house is clean and I’d really like to keep it that way through the holidays – and then I need to focus on laundry. We are all down to the dredges of our wardrobes and I need to remedy the situation. My hubby informed me he was down to his Sunday sox and underwear – you know, the holey ones.

While I’m in the basement with the laundry, I am going to sort out the Christmas gifts. See what I have, see what still needs to be filled in, make sure I have everything collected from all the hidey-holes, have an “ah-ha” moment when I accidentally find something I purchased years ago but couldn’t find to be able to give the gift. You know, the usual.

I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

 

The snow crunched beneath Michael’s boots. A plum of white mist escaped his mouth with every breath he took. He burrowed his hands deeper into his jacket pockets in an attempt to ward off the cold.

Less than a mile to go, and then I’ll be home, sitting in front of a roaring fire. I know I haven’t had it in a while, but I think a mug of hot cocoa might very well be in my future. Then, after I have thawed, I’ll worry about that stupid car.

A deer had run across his path, and when he hit the brakes to avoid it, his car swerved and he ended up in a ditch. After an hour’s worth of failed attempts to free his car, and a lot of creative cursing, Michael gave up and decided to hike the three remaining miles to his home.

You just had to have the house out in the middle of nowhere, didn’t you? Your dream log cabin in the woods. Miles away from any neighbor. Miles away from any cell service. Doesn’t seem like such a good idea now, does it? Michael trudged on as he berated himself, but then he rounded the bend and his home came into view. There, up on the bluff, overlooking the lake, it stood; proud, elegant, welcoming, and he knew, in spite of the lousy snow covered roads, in spite of the isolation, he could never regret his choice. This was home.

Your Next Challenge is:

 

You are posing for one of those “Old Time Photos”. The camera flash goes off, and when you blink the spots from your eyes, you find you are no longer at the photo studio, you are actually in the place where the photo is set.

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.