Daily Drama and some new Links...

There I am, falling off the balcony of my real life...a dear friend wrote to me "This too shall pass", and I know she's right. Will it pass soon enough? is the question!

While tripping around the blogosphere, I came across two new crime writer links I just had to add to my list of Favs.

There's EVIL-E, a refreshing look at an anonymous writers take on what's going on in the Thriller World. It looks like it's going to be worth taking a daily, or at least a twice-weekly look.

Also, I found a terrific new crime writer (and cop) at JAMES O. BORN He's got three books out and the next one in the series is coming in February 2008. Check out this blog for worthwhile information on his pet peeves about mistakes TV and book writers make in their research.

In the meantime, I'm tying a knot in my rope and hanging on! I've always been a tough cookie, and I'm not going to change my MO now.

Have a great writing day!

My New Home

It's taken a couple of weeks, and long days packing and unpacking, but we're finally in our new home. Our kids are in a fantastic school program, the city is gorgeous, and I can't believe that it only takes five minutes for me to drive to ten stores all in one place.

I loved Saskatchewan, and I'm sure glad we lived there, but this new adventure promises to be an exciting and invigorating environment. I do hate unpacking, reorganizing, putting up pictures, hanging blinds, and figuring out how to find new doctors, dentists, and dance classes. However, the kids are so happy, my dh *will* be happy once he gets his teeth into work again, and I'm happy to be somewhere where I've got friends and relatives once again.

And my computer's finally hooked up and ready for me to hit the keyboard again. I've got some thoughts for a new story, and am searching for an agent - someone who'll see my potential and if my first or second submission isn't quite right for her/him, will still let me learn on the fly. I know this is possible, because it's happened to other author friends of mine. I'm looking for an agent with sales, great contacts, and who'll have faith in me.

It's going to be a fast and furious September! How was your summer?

WHAT YOU DISCOVER WHEN PACKING

1) You decide you'll never be a size 10 or 12 again (never mind a "medium"), so you clean out your closet ruthlessly. You end up with two garbage bags for Sally Ann.

2) You have renewed angst over the fact that out of you and your two sisters, you received the ugliest silver ware and silver tea set to be had in the family.

3) You discover bags and bags of school memorabilia for both kids - dating back to 1998. Oh yeah, you planned on sorting all that out when you moved here a year and a half ago - stuff everything back in the bags!

4) Your dh refuses to give up his MBA textbooks, which are taking up a whole shelf of your "writing" bookcase. This means you'll finally have to pick up the piles of writing books on the floor of your office and stick them ????

5) You find a whole file of notes for your fourth novel, which you thought was "lost". Great rejoicing ensues!

6) Your movers inform you that contrary to your LAST move, you now have to take apart your entire patio set (make sure you keep your bolts yourself), and ALL your Canadian Tire metal shelving in the basement.

7) Your movers inform you that now they no longer transport photo albums, scrapbooks, or photos of any kind, in case they lose them. Piles of these will have to go in your own vehicles - since when are movers supposed to "lose" anything???

8) You have to count every DVD, video, CD, and Playstation game in the house and list them on a new form: the "highly valuable" form. When you're done that, you can list all your signed, limited edition prints, and collector books too.

9) Your mother chooses this time to have a major "crisis" - and you're 3000 miles away so it stands to reason you're the one who has to talk her through it.

10) You discover your file of contest certificates. You realize that in spite of it all, you'll still be a writer no matter where you live - it's all just a matter of getting from Point A to Point B. :)

A Week of Holidays....

Saskatchewan truly is the "land of living skies". I love the huge vistas of grain edging upon the horizon. The skies are either pure azure blue, blue with fluffy clouds, or splashed grey with thunder coming. The sun never seems to stop shining, and the breeze Saskatchewan is known for, never stops blowing, whether softly or in wild passion among what few trees there are here. I'm going to miss the wide, open spaces so much when we move.

I wanted to share the beauty we've found on our holiday.

AGGRAVATING WEDNESDAY....

I've just had two major things happen - well, they're major to me, lol! and I figured, why not share them with you? :)

1) My 14 yr old washing machine died in the middle of a load. A load which included most of our towels, and is now sitting there half full of water. Anything like this ever happen to you? The repairman can't come till 10 a.m. tomorrow, and as it sounds like the motor's seized, we'll likely have to buy a new one. Just when we're moving and have all THOSE expenses to consider. (Like paying $300.00 for our pets to be vaccinated and documented just so we can cross the Saskatchewan border into Manitoba - give me a break!) So, ARGH!! It's ruined my stream-lined writing day, not to mention if we have to buy a NEW washer, it won't get here till next Tuesday. (see Laurie in the town's seedy laundrymat - we only have one, and I'm afraid we'd pick up iggly-wiggleys, and goodness knows what else!)

2) I just called our Worship Pastor (who's the only guy around - our new Senior Pastor doesn't start till Sept.1) to rant about our church having to cancel the final week of Vacation Bible School - we only run three weeks, and they had to plead from the pulpit this past Sunday for more volunteers just to get through next week. (I'm one of the volunteers) We only need 14 people to run a week, we've got kids on a waiting list, and only four people volunteered for the third week. It seems most women like dealing with the preschoolers, and not the grades 4-6 kids.

I'm absolutely appalled that a church with over 500 people can't come up with 14 for a week of volunteering. And I know the problem isn't just with my church - it's a universal problem to get volunteers out of the pews and off their butts in just about ANY church. I "volunteered" to speak on the platform about how the congregation needs to be held accountable for this unbelievable lack of desire to minister to children - and they're not just "church" kids, which is the whole point of having a Vacation Bible School. (He just laughed, and I know he won't let me anywhere near the platform! But he did promise to address it)

How does a church solve this problem? How can a church get people motivated to actually *serve* in their churches??? Back in Ontario, we belonged (over the years) to two churches who had to BUS kids in from the country, and run shuttles from meeting points like shopping malls to the church. People signed up in March to be volunteers, and we had an average of 180 kids per WEEK!!

I don't think this is just because Saskatchewan is an under-populated province. This is a 35,000 person city, and also draws from the rural areas. I think it's the old "someone else will do it", syndrome.

If you're reading this, and you haven't volunteered to do something at your church for their Vacation Bible School, please reconsider your time commitments and get out there to help your leaders. VBS reaches children in a different way than just going to Sunday School, and it's easier to get their friends to sign up with them. VBS can have a direct impact on a child's spiritual journey. It's a crucial program in any church.

Okay, enough ranting. If you're not serving in some capacity in your church already, please check your Biblical concordances and look up "servanthood" and "ministry". Maybe it's time to get out of the pew and into the trenches. Just think about it, and after that, like Nike says, Just Do It!!!

Missing in Action...

I spent last week trying to finish up work, and do Kiss of Death's BIAW at the same time. I actually managed to write 23 pages in one day! A personal best. "Outside of the house work" is now officially done, and I can get back to communing with my Muse.

I've got all my new characters sketched out, my synopsis done (Thanks to Lethaladies at KOD), and am finally writing the new subplots and putting all the pieces together. Although I'm an outliner, I find I still discover great ideas as I go along.

This time, I don't have time to make a collage, or do the usual binder-thingy I usually do. I'm hard at it and just want to get the thing ready for submission.

How about you? Are you close to submitting something, have submitted something, or are you planning to take the summer off?

(Btw, the picture above was taken by my dh and shows the rippling highway going off to the horizon of Saskatchewan. We *do* have a few hills and valleys!)

So, What Movie Genre Are You?

This is a hoot, because I don't write erotica at all. Guess the quizz had different ideas! I do write suspense/thrillers - how much of a thriller my books are will be up to an agent/editor in the long run. I truly believe agents/editors also buy potential, as well as what they see on the page. If they can see that spark of real talent, they'll find a way to nurture it and you.

Erotic Thriller

You've made your own rules in life - and sometimes that catches up with you. Winding a web of deceit comes naturally, and no one really knows the true you. Your best movie matches: Swimming Pool, Unfaithful, The Crush

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

The World of Romance...

In honour of my DH's being away for the week, I thought I'd post something he brought home from work. Personally, I thought it was hilarious, considering a guy wrote it. Hopefully, it won't offend anybody!



In the world of romance, one single rule applies: Make the woman happy. Do something she likes, and you get points. Do something she dislikes and points are subtracted. You don't get any points for doing something she expects. Sorry, that's the way the game is played. Here is a guide to the points system:

SIMPLE DUTIES
• You make the bed ....................+1
* You make the bed, but forget to add the decorative pillows.... 0
* You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets...................-1
* You leave the toilet seat up.............-5
* You replace the toilet paper roll when it is empty............ 0
* When the toilet paper roll is barren, you resort to Kleenex...-1
* When the Kleenex runs out you use the next bathroom...........-2
* You go out to buy her extra-light panty liners with wings.....+5
* in the snow...............+8
* but return with beer..........-5
* and no liners....................-25
* You check out a suspicious noise at night....... 0
* You check out a suspicious noise and it is nothing............ 0
* You check out a suspicious noise and it is something..........+5
* You pummel it with a six iron...........+10
* It's her cat.........................-40

HER BIRTHDAY
* You take her out to dinner................ 0
* You take her out to dinner and it's not a sports bar....+1
* Okay, it is a sports bar..........-2
* And it's all-you-can-eat night....-3
* It's a sports bar, it's all-you-can-eat night, and your face is painted the colors of your favorite team......-10

A NIGHT OUT WITH THE BOYS
* Go with a pal.........................+5
* The pal is happily married............+4
* Or frighteningly single...............-7
* And he drives a Ferrari...............-10
* With a personalized license plate (GR8 NBED)........-15

A NIGHT OUT WITH HER
* You take her to a movie...............+2
* You take her to a movie she likes.....+4
* You take her to a movie you hate......+6
* You take her to a movie you like......-2
* It's called Death Cop 3...............-3
* Which features Cyborgs that eat humans....-9
* You lied and said it was a foreign film about orphans.....-15

YOUR PHYSIQUE
* You develop a noticeable pot belly.............-15
* You develop a noticeable pot belly & exercise to get rid of it ...............................+10
* You develop a noticeable pot belly and resort to loose jeans and baggy Hawaiian shirts.......-30 *
*You say, "It doesn't matter, you have one too."......-800

THE BIG QUESTION (a no win question)
* She asks, "Do I look fat?" * You hesitate in responding.....-10
* You reply, "Where?"............-35
* Any other response.............-20

COMMUNICATION
When she wants to talk about a problem:
* You listen, displaying a concerned expression...... 0
* You listen, for over 30 minutes....................+5
* You listen for more than 30 minutes without looking at the TV..................................+100
* She realizes this is because you have fallen asleep....-200

A Very Talented Dog

You may have seen this on YouTube already, but I laughed and laughed as my golden retriever is quite smart, but not THIS smart!

Enjoy! DANCING DOG

Short On Time...

No time to blog today, but I had to share this gorgeous picture my DH took last weekend at the park in the center of our town. It's now my wallpaper and ensure serenity to start me day!

Hope you like it. :)

Snowbird Pilot Died Doing What He Loved Best...

I'm late posting this message of love and condolence to Capt. Shawn McKaughey's family. Everyone here at 15 Wing Moose Jaw are shocked and mourn the loss of this wonderful officer and pilot. Those of us who are friends with his fiance, Claudia, share in her sorrow as she faces this terrible tragedy.

Capt. McKaughey loved to fly and had been a well-liked instructor here at 2CFFTS Flight School. He'd been with the Snowbirds for two years and proudly flew Snowbird 2.

To Claudia, his family, and many, many, friends, we extend our deepest condolences on your loss. May Shawn rest in peace.

Falling Behind...

I hurt my back at work today. My helper disappeared on me once again, leaving me to lean over our ergonomically incorrect ledge in the Garden Kiosk, and pulling my lower back muscles. Even after two heavy-duty muscle relaxants and a nap, I feel like I've been sliced in two.

Needless to say, I was mildly ticked. I went to the break room to recuperate and read an interesting article in Cosmo on "work blogging" - venting, educating, providing resources, and NOT mentioning where you work. So, I won't mention that. The fact that I find employees who're lazy and will do anything to get out of what they're supposed to be doing, is irrelevant.

I'm steamed because having done this to my back, I'm further behind on my WIP revisions, not being able to think about anything except the pain I'm in, and how in the world am I going to get through tomorrow's shift? SHE's not worried about it!

Well, I've added a few new links tonight - so there are your "resources" :), and I'm sorry I'm not up to a post that educates or enlightens. I just have a crazy sore back, and nothing done on a night when my DH was out biking, and I put the kids to bed early. Arghhh....

Whoever thinks that mixing "work" with "writing" is easy, hasn't done it. Just like you can't imagine what a migraine feels like if you haven't had one.

So, how do you mix writing time with "work" time? Aside from writing on scraps of paper and hiding them in your smock - I have to warn you, I HATE people who can write chapters in 20 minute chunks. Guess I'm one of those plodders who need about a two hour window to get anything accomplished.

And if you have a remedy for recuperating from a strained back in less than 12 hours, please share!

The Best Things in Life....

I've been absent because I've recently gone back to "work", after twelve years of being a SAHM. We're all getting our routines rescheduled and on track. I'm working at getting enough writing time in, too.

WINTER from Rodeo With A Twist of Suspense tagged me a few days ago, to put up eight random facts or habits about myself. I'm supposed to tag eight other friends, but MeMe's have been going around so much lately, I thought I'd just catch up with you all and post my own. So, here goes:

1. My DH is five years younger than I am, and we married a week after my 30th birthday. Lol! I got a lot of flack from friends at the time, for "robbing the cradle", but I sure don't regret marrying a young man who's keeping me young as I approach my "middle age". :)

2. I love "young" pop stars that apparently don't "go" with my age. :) For example; Gwen Stafani, Shakira, The Pussycat Dolls, Carrie Underwood, and Nelly Furtado. Who said you had to dry up and float away as dust when you're in your 40's??

3. I'm heavily addicted to Diet Coke with Lime, and had to cut back on my 3-4 can a day habit when my heart started palpating from all the caffeine I was consuming along with my 4 cups of coffee in the a.m. I'm now down to one cup of coffee and one Diet Coke a day. It hurt!

4. I'm a proud Canadian - newly moved out West to our great Prairies and sitting on top of North Dakota. I love the wide open space and being able to see straight to the horizon of a cerulean blue sky. They make jokes about being able to see your dog run away for three days, but it makes me feel BIG and at one with nature.

5. I used to raise prize-winning Angora rabbits. At one time, I had twenty of them in my garage and out in the back yard. I spun their wool, and won at rabbit shows all around our county back east. I *loved* those rabbits and as they all had pedigrees and were approved by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, I regularly got $75.00 each - $125 for a breeding pair. I miss not having them, now that we're in the military.

6. I scrapbook and go on binges doing it when I get writers block. It seems to unlock something in my creative processes - not to mention give my family a beautiful photo heritage of all our memories.

7. I used to be a police officer, a correctional work with young offenders, and ran a n overnight crisis-shelter for street youth. Back before I was a SAHM. :) I received a Governor-General's Medal for my work with street youth. If *I* was in the military instead of my husband, I'd be able to wear it on my uniform on November 11th. My dh had it shadow-boxed for me instead. (our Governor-General is the Queen's representative in our Canadian government)

8. I wish I'd been able to finish my degree years ago. Now, I wish I had an MFA, but life just isn't going to let me get there. I'll have to learn as I go, writing my romantic suspense/thrillers and hoping to someday be published.


And the Best Thing in Life right now - my mother's townhouse burnt down on Monday but she and her pets are safe. It's shocking when you lose everything, but having my mom still around is the Best. As she said, "It just wasn't my time."

And what is the Best Thing in Your Life?

This week TONI ANDERSON tagged me and awarded me the "Thinking Bloggers Award". Thanks, Toni, for being a loyal reader!

Here are several Blogs I read almost daily:

SANDRA RUTTAN - Sandra's always up to date with crime writing, current events, and blogs about her writing journey. I love her Blog!

ROMANCE WORTH KILLING FOR - this is a group blog of five romantic suspense writers. They run weekly topics on writing for the RS market, and always have great information to share.

CJ Lyons - Award winning author of medical thrillers, CJ always has the latest info on her blog - plus you can email her for answers about medical information for your WIP.

ANGELA HUNT - Angela's a prolific writer who always has interesting background info on her WIPs. She writes as if she's having a conversation with you - and I can't wait to see her next book out!

KERRY BLAISDELL - last but certainly not least, Kerry blogs daily about her writing journey. Her WIPs are romantic suspense/comedies, and she's always good for a "pick-me-up" read.

If you would like to be tagged you need to follow these three simple steps:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged write a post with five Blogs that make you "think".

2. Link to THIS post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: proudly display the "Thinking Blogger Award" with a link back to the post you wrote.

And thank you to all of the above ladies who making checking cyber-space with your first coffee of the a.m., a joy and inspiration!

CJ Lyons - Author of Thriller Medical RS

You may have noticed that I've added CJ LYONS to my Links section today. CJ helped out with quotes for my recent article "The Arms That Hold You UP", in RWR. She's also an exciting, knowledgeable, and vibrant new author on the Thriller scene. Check out her website at that link, and her Blog. She's open to receiving medical question, as well, if you need some "reality" for your WIP.

You may also notice that I feature both secular and Christian authors in my Links. This is because I view excellent secular authors with the universal themes of justice, redemption, forgiveness, and love as worthwhile and appealing as excellent Christian authors. We all explore many of the same themes, put our characters through the wringer, and have them come out the other side all the better for having experienced their story.

I hope this answers any questions about my "straddling the fence"!

Happy Easter!

Orthodox Christians say "Happy Resurrection Day!" to each other on Easter Sunday morning. This is a more appropriate salutation than saying "Happy Easter!, because Easter was the name of the goddess of springtime.

These two names have become interchangeable because we celebrate this Holiest of Christian events the weekend after the Spring Equinox, when the goddess Easter was celebrated with a Festival.

These are my favourite verses surrounding the story of the Passion of Christ:

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Luke 23:39-43 NKJ

blessings,

Laurie

A BELATED HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY :)

St. Patrick's Day is my birthday (no, I'm not saying how old I am, only that I think like I'm 27 and can't believe time has blown by so fast!) I'm late blogging and wishing all fellow Irisher's a Happy St. Patrick's Day because I was too busy celebrating with my family this weekend.

When I was born in a Catholic hospital, of course, the nurses (who worked with my Mom) wanted me to be called Patricia. As my last name was PITT, I'm thankful that my parents came to their senses and named me Laurie-Jean instead. :) Not that I don't like the name, but Patty Pitt would've made me grow up as a school yard brawler, I'm sure.

Hope you all had green beer, green jelly beans, and some shamrocks show up at your door in Saturday! And may the luck of the Irish keep us all writing well this year - on to sales, agents, and brighter things. :)

FIND YOUR "TRUE COLOR"

On Friday, March 9th, I took a short seminar on finding your "True Color" for your personality. It also covered the kind of work you should be doing (turns out being a writer is "true" to my basic color of BLUE), and how to determine the Color Combinations of your spouse and children to better your relationships.

I discovered that I'm primarily BLUE - people-oriented, empathic, creative, sensitive, a communicator/speaker/writer (I've done all three), with a second band of GREEN - intellectual, loves problem-solving, researching, abstract thinking, with a third band of ORANGE - competitive, impetuous, action-oriented, risk-taker, ending with a "thin band" of GOLD - values orderliness and organization, perfectionist, loves to have BETTER HOME & GARDENS type of house (anybody who knows me knows we live clean and comfortable, but *not* in a model home!)

It was very interesting because the facilitator said that your BASIC color never changes, and yet when I took the test in my 20's I was ORANGE. That was during my life as a cop, and I can tell you that cops break into ORANGE or GOLD.

For a better explanation of what this all means; take a free True Colors test for yourself at TRUE COLORS CAREERS.

My dh is ORANGE, GREEN/GOLD (you can have ties), and BLUE at the bottom. I think they should have True Colors as part of pre-marital counselling, but we've managed to stay together for 19 yrs this month - opposites though we are! :) My dh is ORANGE in that he's always attracted to fast-paced, outdoor, "on the pointy edge" as he calls it - jobs. He loves his motorcycle, his cars, his sailboat when he had it, and flying. And when I met him I was a cop so I guess our ORANGES meshed.

That website is very interesting in how to know if you're in the right career for yourself. Maybe writing is a secondary interest, maybe you'll want to show your dh if he's job-hunting.

I certainly enjoyed seeing the validation of myself as a writer, but also in other areas I had been struggling in. I hope you enjoy taking the free personality quizz and it helps someone.

ANONYMOUS PHILOSOPHY

"I've learned that one reason why people cling to anger so stubbornly is because they sense that once hate is gone, they will have to deal with the pain."

"I am responsible for my day; for how I feel and for how I do. Nobody can make me feel anything. If I have a rotten day, I am the one who allowed it to be that way. If I have a great day, I am the one who deserves the credit for being positive. It is not the responsibility of other people to change so that I may feel better. I am the only one who is in charge of my life."

"You can change the way you feel, by how you think."

WOULD YOU LIKE A LITTLE RAT WITH YOUR LATTE, SIR?

This CBC Marketplace story is self-explanatory. Check out COFFEE PLACE "We found rats leaping out of things on the floor"

It would be a funny story if it weren't also disgusting. I've often wondered what goes on behind those swinging doors at Tim Horton's, Robin's Donuts, Starbucks, Timothy's Coffees. How fresh is that creamer? How clean are those hands making your donut holes? What DO the midnight shift do for fun, anyway?

What does this have to do with writing? Well, nothing, except most of us drink alot of coffee (apologies to my friends Toni and Robin who drink gallons of tea!), and some of us drink it in coffee shops while we write on laptops. Sounds like it would pay to get to know your favourite coffee shop manager *very well*, so that you know you're getting healthy caffeine into your system while you're finishing Chapter Ten. JMHO of course! ;)