New blog address

I have a new blog! I'll keep this one around for a little while in case anyone is interested in looking at the archives, but I'll be making all posts on the new one from now on.

This is just wrong

Bus Driver Accused of Stranding 6-Year-Old

I can't believe someone would even consider doing that, but sadly enough this isn't the first time it's happened. This part really steamed me: "Gilbraith said the boy was upset, but it didn't affect her decision because "6-year-olds get upset if a leaf falls."" Her statements in her defense mean nothing, IMO. There's no defense for leaving a small child to fend for himself.

Something funny

This made me laugh like crazy--as much from the comentary as the menu items... NOT for kids, though.

Personal Victory

I haven't mentioned this here before, so as not to bore anyone to tears, but for the first time in 12 years I'm back in school. Yep, I'm now officially a college student...again, but that's a whole different story. I took my first exam today and I got 100%. Phew. Now I'm off to do some more studying before I sit down to do some more work on OZ.

New contest

Morning, everyone. Just a few quick things for now. This month's contest is posted on my website, so be sure and take a look. Also, the latest issue of my newsletter is available at my newsletter Yahoo group.

Goals and a little news

If anyone's been watching the meter in the sidebar, you've noticed the red line is getting a little longer--but only half as fast as I've been shooting for. Have I reached my goals any day this week? No. But that's okay. It's been a busy week for me, and I managed to add almost 100 pages to OZ. The big goal is looking less and less possible, though, after missing the little goals all week. 90k by next Friday. Think I can do it? I suppose it depends on how much sleep I want to get. *g* And for the news: I just signed contracts on 4 new books for Samhain Publishing. They're all connected to Reality Check, so I'm pretty excited to get started with writing them. :) I'm going to be doing website updates this week, so I'll try to get some blurbs up on the coming soon page.

The writer's journey

On Monday I took a short trip to my hometown, about an hour's drive from where I live now, and it got me thinking. There were so many things that had changed in the past seven years since I've lived there. More buildings had been added downtown, and some others had been updated with more modern exteriors. Roads had been expanded. New parking lots had been put in. But for everything that had changed, there were things that stayed the same. The historic landmarks remain unchanged. The bakery where we used to get our bread on Sunday mornings still sits at the end of Main Street, unchanged in the midst of all the new growth. The harbor looks exactly as it did seven years ago, when I used to sit out on my porch with the kids so they could watch the boats coming and going across the street. So though the town has been modernizing, the foundation of it remains the same. As writers, we go through a similar process. At the start of our writing, we discover the core foundation of our unique talents--our voice. As the years pass, we learn and grow. We read articles, we find critique partners, we take advise from rejection letters, and go to meetings and conferences. We take a little bit from each of these things and apply them to our writing, so our writing grows consistently smoother and tighter, and gets better and better. But even with the new growth, the foundation remains the same. The writer's voice is still there, even through all the tweaking and honing. The essence of your uniqueness doesn't change. This journey is an endless one. There will always be new ways to learn and grow, but don't grow so much that you lose your voice. Use them to make your voice stronger.

Contest Winners...

The Bath and Body Works prize goes to Lauren, the Yankee Candle prize goes to Charlene, and the download of Same Time Next Year goes to Maxine! Congrats, Ladies! Emails have been sent to the winners. This month's contest info will be posted in the next few days, so make sure to check back here and check my website.

Contest winner announcement coming soon

The winners of February's contest have been drawn, and they'll be announced soon. I'm headed out the door to pick up the kids from the bus stop and then it's off to the dance studio for a few hours, but once I get home I'll be making the announcement. I'll have a real blog post *g* a little later tonight, too, and my newsletter (which has had a few technical difficulties) will be going out in text form this week.

A quickie

Snagged this from Sharon's blog. I have a slightly more meaningful, writing-related post I'm planning to do a little later, but this morning I have to re-register my car and get an inspection sticker, and anyone who lives in the states knows how long that fun process takes.

You Are Thai Food

Trendy yet complex. People seek you out - though they're not sure why.

What Kind of Food Are You?

No writing today...

I generally take Sundays off since the kids and I go to my parents' house for Sunday dinner. Tomorrow, I'll be very busy, though. I have edits to do on Betrayal, among a few other things. No phone calls today. Hopefully the silence will continue.

Annoying phone calls

I should be writing today (I did get a lot done earlier this morning) but I've spent the past few hours online trying to figure out how to get these people to stop calling my cell phone. For the past week, I've been getting calls from an 800 number, and when I answer they say nothing. I called the number back and got a recorded message saying I'd reached the company (can't understand the company's name due to the woman's accent). She goes on to say that if I'm calling to have my name removed from their list (well, duh) I should stay on the line and speak to a representative, or leave my name and number and they'll remove me from the list. So I hang on the line, listen to the same recorded message a few times, and finally get another one telling me to leave my name and number after the beep. Only, there's no beep. I've waited as long as 5 minutes one time to see if a so-called representative would come on the line, but all I get is silence. Sigh. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? I filed a complaint with the FCC and emailed my cell phone company about this, but beyond that I don't know what more I can do. The calls come about 10 times a day, every day. I don't know how they got a hold of my number--only the SO, the kids and their schools, and my parents have it. I've only had the phone for a few months, so maybe they're calling for the person who had the number before me. Don't know...I just know it's driving me crazy. Any advice?

Quiet day

I've been sick on the couch for most of the day, so not much has been going on. This has been coming for a few days, and I hope it passes quickly since I really have no room in my schedule for sick days. lol I've been working on setting up a site at MySpace. Check it out if you get a chance. There's not much there now, but within a few weeks I'm hoping to have it all organized.

Five Guilty Pleasures

I've been tagged by Karen. Guilty Pleasures (not necessarily in order of guilt/pleasure ratio): 1. Food. Not just any food, but really, really good food. I love to cook, spend most of my precious little TV time watching Food Network, and reading cookbooks. My oldest son jokes that his comfort foods are chicken marsala and macadamia-encrusted pork. 2. Senseo flavored coffees--especially the Vienna blend. There's something about hazelnut and mocha together that I just love. 3. Malcolm in the Middle. I love this show. Nothing else on TV makes me laugh so hard. I know, definitely not a show based in reality, but I live reality 24/7. I don't want to watch it on TV, too. 4. Video games. I love epic fantasy and roll playing games. My current obsession right now is the Geneforge series. I don't have a lot of time for this sort of thing, but every once in a while I take a day off to veg out in front of the computer screen. 5. Alternative rock ringtones for my cell phone. I've had a few strange looks at the kids' dance studio when Fallout Boy starts playing from the side pocket of my purse. Tagging: Sharon and Maria.

On Rejection...

Diana Peterfreund has an awesome post on the subject. Definitely worth a read. I've been thinking a lot about rejections lately. I'm in the process of submitting to agents right now, and I've had six rejections in the past two weeks alone. With the exception of one, I didn't let them bother me. This is a tough business and the only way to get by is to keep moving forward. To keep submitting, keep writing, and keep believing that it will eventually happen. When agents and editors reject, they aren't rejecting the writer, just the manuscript.

Some great links for writers

Allison Brennan's post on professionalism is really worth a read. Here's an interview with agents Elaine English, Donald Maass, Evan Marshall, and Anne Rittenberg. Morgan Hawke's blog has excellent advice for writers of erotica--and for everyone else, too. Michelle Pillow has a great page of research links on her website. Robert Gregory Browne's post on whether or not we should like our own writing is a cool one to read. Here's a list of unusual professions used in romance books. Paperback Writer's blog is a good one to read for industry information. Two agent blogs: Miss Snark and Kristin Nelson This last one has nothing to do with writing, but if you're looking for a good laugh--or a few--every day, this is the place to find it.

Quick post

I hadn't realized there was a problem viewing the new layout correctly with Internet Explorer until this morning. I need to remember to start checking on both Firefox and IE. It should be fixed now. If anyone has trouble viewing it, let me know and I'll make a few more adjustments. Thanks!

Fear

Jordan Summers has an interesting post about the subject. I usually avoid writing about my personal fears and phobias in my books, but I've been editing Lost in Suburbia and came across a scene I'd forgotten was in there. A spider falls from the ceiling into the heroine's hair. One of my biggest fears is of spiders, second only to heights, (yeah, ridiculous, I know *g*) and the spider incident is something that actually happened to me. It's been years since it happened, and though I can laugh at the comical scene in the book, it still gives me the creeps just a little. Fear of heights is probably something I won't ever touch on in a book, since I can't really deal with it all that well myself. Just ask my family what I'm like on a plane. *bg* They get a kick out of it since my dad's an FAA inspector. Okay, more than enough about me. When you're reading, does it bother you if characters have fears similar to yours? Does it help you relate to them more? If you write, do you give your characters fears similar to your own or do you avoid doing so?

The best of intentions

It's 11:15 here and I have yet to write a single word. I'd planned on coming home from the bus stop and sitting right down to write, but things didn't work out that way. My oldest son lost his contact down the school bathroom drain and I had to run to the school to bring him another one. When I got there, he told me he was having a bad day and just wanted to come home. lol That might have worked...when he was in kindergarten, but since he's in middle school now I had to tell him to tough it out. They're on vacation next week. I think he can handle a few hours. The middle child, lately known as You're Grounded, is home sick today. He's not exactly sick, but he's tired. He snuck the video game upstairs last night and spent the_entire night_playing Animal Crossing. I'd wanted to send him to school tired to show him that he can't do things like that and still function at full capacity (anyone who's pulled an all-nighter writing or working knows what I mean), but when he started to doze off in his oatmeal I sent him back to bed.

Another reason not to...

Eat at fast food restaurants.

Kicking and Screaming

That was how I thought the switch to a dairy-free lifestyle would go for my uber-creative yet majorly change-resistant middle child (for a glimpse at his...creativity...see the post about sink surgery). I'm glad to say I was wrong. He wasn't happy about the doctor's request for a trial period of going without dairy, but it's been a week now and he's decided he likes soy milk better than regular milk anyway. And speaking of kicking and screaming, I've been doing a lot of that lately about my aging computer. It's well past time for a new one, but being as majorly change-resistant as the child, I'm dreading having to switch over to a new machine.

CAPA awards

Grave Silence has been nominated for a CAPA in the romantic suspense category! I'm in absolute shock right now. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Quiz

elisa -- [adjective]: Sexually stunning 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Currently

I got this from Karen's blog: current clothing: black sweats and a gray t-shirt (pajamas...I've only been up an hour) current hair: sticking with the natural look right now--long, curly (IOW messy *g*) and strawberry blonde current mood: laid back current refreshment: hazelnut mocha coffee current annoyance: the show my son is watching on TV (it's much to early to stomach Dirty Jobs) current avoidance: shovelling snow current smell: Tahiti, Sweetie body lotion current thing you ought to be doing: laundry current thing or things on your wall: pictures of my kids, a clock, mirrors, sconces current IM/person you're talking to: my son current jewelry: none--I don't put the watch on unless I'm going out current book: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown current worry: nothing :) current favorite celebrity: None current obsession: organizing my working schedule current love: hazelnut mocha coffee current longing: Spring current disappointment: see current book current lyric in your head: the Vonage commercial that was just on TV current music: Red Hot Chili Peppers current favorite book: The Lion's Game by Nelson DeMille and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson current favorite movie: The Others, The Scream trilogy current wish: I try not to make wishes since getting what you wish for would change something else in your life current happy thing: my MP3 player and my coffee maker current undergarments: not even going to answer that one. lol current desktop picture: Jessica Galbreth's Dark Angel current plans for tonight/weekend: shovelling snow. *g* What are you currently doing?

How's your reputation?

I usually avoid controversy on the web, but once in a while a discussion catches my interest and I follow along with the conversation. The latest controversy in the romance writing community is one of those discussions that I've watched, and it's made me laugh. This book might be worth a read for a few of the posters. *g* The whole thing reminds me of being back in school, where one group of people thinks so highly of themselves that they have to put another entire group of people down just for being who they are. Some people read erotic romances. Some read inspirationals. But a big portion of them read both, and everything in between. The discussion started because a reader felt slighted that she wasn't included. The author who chose not to include certain readers, IMO, should have been prepared for questions as to why she made that decision. Professionalism probably should have dictated that the author keep the dialog with the reader private rather than posting sections of the reader's email to a public forum and asking her peers to agree with her decision. The entire situation could have been avoided if said author had done the professional thing rather than the emotional thing. Her behavior could very well have alienated many current and potential readers, and the fact that her words made it sound like she didn't care about gaining new readership or keeping her fans happy may have alienated even more. She may not have meant the comments the way they sounded, but that's the way they'll come across to a large group of readers. Readers don't like to have their intelligence called into question because they choose to read books in a certain genre, just as authors who write in that genre are going to take offense to comments made about their intelligence--especially when the discussion wasn't about genres to begin with. We're all humans, so why can't we all just be authors as well? Diversity is a good thing. There are books out their for all sorts of reading tastes. Why try to make someone feel bad because their reading tastes differs from yours? Just as it was back in high school, a person's reputation is everything. Once you destroy it, it's almost impossible to get it back again. Why go looking for arguments? And if you don't want a group of people (say, erotic romance authors and readers) to defend themselves, don't start picking on them in the first place. That genre may not be for you, but that's okay. They like it. They may not like the genre you write in, but they don't drag it into every little bit of controversy in the romance community just because their personal beliefs differ from yours. The romance community--and the world--would be a much better place if everyone could just play nice for a little while.

Comfort Zones

I'm currently working on them for LOST IN SUBURBIA, which is women's fiction rather than romance, and even though the book is finished and under contract, I still feel like I'm out of my element. It's written in the first person point of view, which I don't normally do, and though there's a romance it's definitely not a traditional one. I really stepped out of my comfort zone with this one. Doing the edits has me thinking today. For the writers, what do you do when a story outside your comfort zone nags at you? Do you write it the way it comes to you? Do you try to shape it to fit what you normally write? Ignore it altogether?

Going to the eye doctor...again

Last week my kids and I all had eye doctor appointments--me because I desperately need a new pair of contacts, the boys because they both failed the eye test at the pediatrician's office, and the mini diva for a check up. She'd been pretending for weeks (ever since I made the appointments) that she couldn't see two inches in front of her. Turns out she didn't need glasses at all. *g* But both the boys did. Jay's right eye is weaker than the left and apparently if he doesn't wear corrective lenses all the time the weaker eye could turn in. Definitely not what I want for the poor kid, and being that he's in middle school, the doctor fit him for contacts. Frank (no, that's not his real name, but the name he's decided he would like to be called instead of the godawful one bestowed upon him at birth--see post below about the sink surgery) is a little luckier. He needs glasses for seeing the board at school, and that's it. The mini diva is a little upset and wondering why she's the only one in the family who doesn't need glasses. So yesterday we were back in the office for Jay's contact training session. Today I have to go back and pick up another pair of contacts since they can't find the ones that were set aside for him. On Friday or Saturday I'll be there picking up our glasses, and then on Monday Jay has a follow-up visit and I finally get to go in and pick up my new contacts. At this rate, I might as well just move in to the parking lot. *g* A little bit of cool news--NIGHT CREATURES placed 7th in the Preditors and Editors reader's poll, short story horror category!

Reality Check

Is now available from Samhain Publishing. I know I'm posting this a little late. I thought I'd made the announcement about it, but I guess I hadn't. *g* It's gotten some great reviews, and yesterday I found out that it received a Perfect Ten from Romance Reviews Today. Here's some of what Vicki Turner had to say: "Elisa Adams brings all of the characters to life, giving this book that indefinable something that sets it apart and earns it a Perfect 10. In REALITY CHECK, Ms Adams takes her characters from laughter to tears to embarrassment and, finally, to love. The best part is that the reader gets to go along for the ride." Thanks, Vicky! In other news, the latest issue of my newsletter has been mailed, and it includes the prologue of a free story (romance, slightly modern gothic, very creepy) exclusive for newsletter subscribers. I'll be including a new chapter in every newsletter so be sure to subscribe if want to check it out. The newsletter has info on this month's contest, and you can view that info from my website as well.

Sad news

I found out over the weekend that my grandparents' neighbor, Walter, passed away of lung cancer. A few years ago, when I was visiting my grandparents' summer place, he dropped off a bag full of romance novels for me since he knew I loved to read. I hadn't read romance before, so I was a little skeptical about the books, but eventually I read them all and they renewed my love for writing. It was that bag of books that led me to start writing romance novels, and I'll always be grateful to him for that.

Sink surgery and the disappearing video game

I swear, one of these days I'm going to write a handbook for children warning them of the things not to try, because someone already has and it didn't work. A been there, done that sort of thing. Or maybe I should have my fifth grader write the book. He's been doing his best to research what will and won't get him caught. *g* He's compiled a decent list already: 1. Do not shove wads of toilet paper down the bathroom sink. And if you do, do not, under any circumstances, try to get the soggy toilet paper out with a wooden skewer. That'll get stuck down there too. 2. If you get caught playing your handheld video game after you've had your game priviledges taken away, don't shove the video game under your bed and pretend you didn't have it. And after your mother has seen it under your bed, don't cover it with a pile of dirty laundry and pretend you can't find it. In most cases, your mother is not senile. She's already seen the game. She's not going to forget she saw it in the span of five seconds. 3. The dog's collar will stay on just fine all by itself. That's what the buckle is for. School glue just makes the dog's neck itch. 4. If you make the mistake of not turning in your parent-checked, completed homework, don't bring it home and hide inside the rarely-used lobster boiling pot. Your mother will eventually find it, even if it is a year later, and make you bring it in to your former teacher. 5. Book reports are part of life, and will be for many years to come. Skipping them helps no one, and, in fact, brings your grade point average way down. If you've forgotten to read your book and the report is due, don't lie to your mother when she asks you if you read the book. This question is often followed up with "What book did you read?" or "What was your book about?". Lying through this one requires some really quick thinking, but your mother will probably know you're lying anyway. 6. Brush your teeth when you're told to. There's nothing to be gained from skipping it, unless you want dentures by high school. 7. (This one is especially for children of writers, editors, agents, and publishers) Don't try to pass off a three sentence paper as a one page essay. Your parent will notice the fact that you've skipped lines, written in huge letters, and moved your margins in. Your parent will also noticed that you didn't proofread, drew lines between your words instead of spacing them correctly, and wrote in one big paragraph. They will make you redo said essay, wasting time for both of you.

Snow Day

The kids are home from school today since we're due to get 4-8 inches of the white stuff. Amazing, considering it was 60 degrees on Saturday. *g* Gotta love those New England winters. Later today I'll be doing some much-needed website updates and getting my newsletter ready to send out. Have a great day, everyone!

Temperature is now apparently relative

We've had a lot of warm weather lately. So warm that I've been able to turn off the pellet stove during the day to give the house a chance to cool down. The SO was around on Saturday night, when the house was 75 degrees and the kids and I were walking around in shorts. He turned the pellet stove on and wrapped up in a blanket. I pointed out that, according to the thermostat, the current temperature in the house was warmer than we keep it with the air conditioning in the summer, and he said "Maybe to you." Yeah, and everyone else who can read what the little numbers on the digital display say. *g*

Writing, newsletters, and updates

It's been a long few weeks. Due to a few family crises, I've had to extend my time off from writing. Things are settling down now, but I know I have a lot of catching up to do. This month I'm planning on revising a book to send to my Ellora's Cave editor, as well as writing a sequel to Reality Check for my editor at Samhain. In other Reality Check news, it looks like it may release at the end of this month instead of in February, which is really exciting news. I'll keep you all posted on the updated release date. The website will be updated around the end of the week, and the newsletter will be sent out around that time, too. The newsletters will be sent out twice a month now, one around the 15th and one around the 30th, and I'll be posting a free story, chapter by chapter, in the end of the month editions. I hope everyone's having a great New Year so far!