Instead of this Monday, October 1st, the contest will commence Monday, October 15th.

I’m very sorry, but due to my incredible work load, and the fact I am taking four much needed days off the week of October 8th, I cannot give the entries the attention they need.
So, I will post the guidelines later this week, and again on Sunday October 14th.
Again, my apologies for the delay, but once we get underway we’ll have a blast!

Thanks for your understanding,

Karin*

Hey,

I’m over at WriterUnboxed today, a great site full of industry information, so come on over and say howdy, and Cele is blogging over at Jenny T Partridge’s place with the scooby on Dancing with the Stars! Go check it out.
http://jennytpartridge.wordpress.com/

Have a great hump day!

K*

Sometime this week, I will be posting the guidelines for the contest, set to commence next Monday October 1st.
Stand by, and hone those first lines!

Ciao,

K*

So here are my titles and release schedule for next year (and don’t laugh at the IS title, I fought the law and the law won)

WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE Anthology, Pocket Jan ‘08
JADED, Pocket June ‘08
KISS OF THE KNIGHT Book one The Blood Sword Legacy, Pocket July ‘08
ITALIAN STALLIONS, Anthology, Kensington, July ‘08
UNDERCOVER SANTA (working title), Pocket, November ‘08

And did y’all notice after KISS OF THE KNIGHT there is the tag line The Blood Sword Legacy? That’s the title of the series!! i Iove love love it!! Back in the day a blood sword was a moniker plastered on mercenary knights who acquired land by killing. And each and every one of my Blood Sword knights is a bastard mercenary. And each of them will have their own book to tell their own story.

I’m so excited about this book, and so is my agent. I can not wait to get it into my editor’s hands.
So that’s kind of why I haven’t been around much, I must complete this book! So, I will be around, as in commenting on the blog, but not blog posting the rest of the week. I will however post this Friday over at Murder She Writes. So stop on by.

So, since I posted my titles, tell me what you think. I know ITALIAN STALLIONS is corny as hell, but do you think with a hunky torso cover and that title, ladies will pick it up wantin’ some salami to go with it? Hey, laugh with me here not at me.

Seriously though, what do you think of my titles? Oh, and Jake and hubby? Go for it.

Ciao

K*

The behinder I get! I so need to get organized. You should see my office. It looks like a damn bomb went off in it. If my fung shui gf Bella saw this mess she’d tell me I was doomed!

Yeah, so I have piles of papers that are going to get mass shredded next week. I have piles of receipts that need to get categorized for my taxes (still haven’t given my tax person my numbers for the extension I filed), I have stacks of books everywhere and boxes of note cards and envelopes, and kitty toys, and file folders, and spiral notebooks.

Argh! It’s encroaching on me. I can barely type, my elbows are pressed to my side because the files are infiltrating my personal space. But if I take the time to clear it all then I won’t be writing, and I need to write write write. The story is flowing flowing flowing.

My inbox is overflowing with emails I need to return, but dayum, I don’t wanna. So if you emailed me and I haven’t responded, don’t be mad at me. I will. I promise.

My house is trashed. Doesn’t matter I have a housekeeper come in once a week. She is now dusting and mopping around piles. This morning is the perfect morning to take my dog for a walk. I’m writing. I’ll do my intermittent dreadmill thing. It’s actually pretty cool. I have a book (currently SEX ON THE BEACH by Jen Apodaca) I can read only when on the dreadmill. Jen’s book is making me want to exercise. Okay, I’ll take my dog for a walk, but I’ll still do the dreadmill coz I wanna read some of Jen’s book.

So that’s my current life, folks. I think by the end of this book, I will be so hunched over from research and writing I will not be able to stand up straight again for some time. I feel like a pretzel. Hmm, maybe I’ll go get a massage. Yeah, I have a gift certificate to one of the day spas here in town. That will be bliss.

Ten bucks says I don’t make the appointment. If I do then I have to leave the house and that means leave the laptop which means leave my characters, and I don’t wanna.

Oh, crap! I think I’m going to change my heroes name!! I have never done this so far into a story. But I think I like the new name better. I’ll try it out as I write today. I think I’m gonna like it.

So how do you handle that? Changing a character’s name half way through a story. Stick with it, or change?

K*

Where does the time go? I spent a blissfull weekend watching football. I also attended my San Francisco RWA chapter meeting this past Saturday. We had a smaller than usual crowd but it was one of the best meetings to date. So much energy and good vibes. Cathy Yardley was our guest speaker, on the state of women’s fiction. As usual she did a fabulous job, touching on trends, and the realities of being a working writer. It was all good.

I’ve had a fabulous time as President this year and after much consideration have decided to run again. My current board makes me look so good, and the job has been a breeze, so how could I say nay? We’ve made a lot of headway this year and as I look back I am not in the least bit surprised. I am surrounded by smart women who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

National is going to rock for all of us. I really can not wait!!

I did want to let everyone know that while my historical is progressing, I am behind on it. So I have decided to move the First Line Contest to October. Monday October 1st to be exact. I will give periodic updates between now and then with a full rules disclosure the week before, as well as on the commencement date. It will once again be limited to the first 75 lines entered. St. Martin’s editor Hilary Teeman is my final judge.

So, ladies and gents, start honing those first lines!!

Okay, so my question for today is, for those of you who attend local RWA meetings, tell me what types of panels/workshops/speakers you like best, or if none of those apply what would be the ultimate chapter meeting for you? And for those of you who do not attend and have a chapter close enough, tell me why you don’t go.

K*

I love Peyton Manning! I think he is so sexy in a goofy geeky sort of way. But when he puts that helmet on he is all business. I love the Raiders too, but Payton is my man. I’m not sure if the Colts play the Raiders this year (I’m pretty sure they do), regardless, I’ll be cheering for the blue and white. I’m a Colts fan back to when they played in Baltimore and Ersay snuck them out one dark and foggy night. The nerve of the guy!

It took Payton a bit to get into his groove last night but boy when he did the Saints didn’t stand a chance. And that defense? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Colt’s D so lit up.

And how about that Cal game last Saturday? Loved it! Sorry all of you Vol fans out there, but the Golden Bears really needed that win. Hubby is an LSU fan, I like my Pac 10 teams. Cal on top.

So now I have to split my time between my son’s team, Cal, the Colts and Raiders. Sounds like pure bliss to me.

How about you? Football fan or baseball fan and who are pulling for this season?

While I do enjoy a nice three day weekend they through me off track. I’m discovering the older I get the more I like routine and sticking to it. A new routine I have established is going to the gym. Regularly. It’s easy since my mil has also joined the same gym. We push each other to go. Yesterday not only did my mil and I go, but my fil and son tagged along (hubby was coaching). Of course, my son had to walk in ahead of us, since he could not be seen with, god forbid, his grandparents AND his mother.

It was funny though. When the kid was on the rowing machine I got on the one next to him and raced his ass (I let him win). We were laughing and having fun. When all was said and done he walked out with us, but told us in no uncertain terms that that would the last time he’d go to the gym with his grandparents.

I came home, showered and got to my writing. I have written through my stumpy scene and while it is not quite the way I want it, the outcome is what I want so that now I can continue my story. A story that has vastly changed from the synopsis I wrote.

I’m beginning to feel a little a panicky here. I’m not quite as far along as I had hoped to be at this date. One of the reason is, because of hubby’s coaching schedule my routine has been thrown off. It really bugs me. While certain things around me may be in chaos I am a creature of routine. Especially when it comes to my writing.

Grrr, me no likey change. Well, not this kind of change anyway.

How about you? Do you work best with an established routine or are you a panster?

K*

I’m Stuck!!!

It’d been four days now. I’m at a place in my wip where there is a turning point scene. I’m afraid it has come too soon in the story, but when I go back to write something else to precede it, it falls flat. It’s like my heart knows the scene should be there but my reasoning is trying to second guess it all. It’s too soon, you need more build up, the character arc hasn’t come far enough for this scene. Grrr.

But, hey? You know what? Epiphany moment here!!!! Screw those questions. My gut is telling me right now at this exact moment as I am writing this to tell my reasoning to fuck off and leave it the hell alone. My gut knows this scene is exactly where it needs to be when it needs to be. I can build so much more off of this! The characterization will more than be built, because for this scene it will be defined!!! Yippy skippy!!!!!

God, I love to blog!

Thanks everyone.

Okay, now for future reference, what is your process for overcoming the scene stumper?

K*