Wild Rose Press and finding my groove

Sometimes in this writer's life there comes a certain kind of depression. I recognise it, know it will pass and just enjoy it while it's here. It gives me time to contemplate things I otherwise would be too busy to think about. This time it brought the urge to give up. Thoughts like; Why am I trying so hard? It's never going to happen! I should just give up. Stop the polishing and the rewrites and just forget this idea of getting published.
Whew! I've even stopped visiting my fav agent blogs (a morning ritual). I don't post as much and although I read all my other fav writer's blogs I'm not posting comments there either. I feel like I should crawl into my shell and just let it all pass me by.
:(
Then I got the email newsletter from Wild Rose Press and saw a contest. They are starting a new line and looking for writers to write a story that has "a blue diamond" it in.
Slowly the wheels in my head started squeaking. Turning slowly around the word "blue diamond". So many possibilities leaked through my brain. A person? place? actual diamond? The Blue Diamond could be anything.
And best of all this contest has a deadline.
I love deadlines. They push me, block out all other interuptions and make me move.
So I've been moving, writing once again and it feels good. Then today I realized the depression had lifted. Thoughts cleared and the buzzing in my brain turned into action.
I think sometimes the cure for this writer's depression is a goal. When we have no goals we flounder, wander and sink deeper into the numbness of our own brains.
I have a goal now and hit just hit 30 pages.
Ahhhh....life is good once again.
What do you do when you want to give up? Where is your magic cure for inertia?

It's the Pressure of the Season

As I was driving to work the other day the DJ was talking about not having the Christmas spirit this year and it got me thinking.
I too, lag in spirit this year and I tried to figure out why. I miss the excitement of childhood where I practically danced through December awaiting that big day. When did it disappear? Why did I lose it?

I think it's the pressure.
How many people do I have to buy for? Did I forget anyone? Will they like this? Will they like that?
Oh! Another party tonight! And tomorrow night! When am I going to find time to get anything done?
Company's coming! Clean the house!
Shopping for dinner parties, pick up some wine so you have something to bring to dinner parties, remembering which house you can't bring wine to, and wondering if it's okay to bring store bought cookies because you don't have time to bake.

I admire the people who get all their shopping done early. But how do they know what to buy? I agonize over such things! This causes procrastination and delays the inevitable shopping trips which turn one of my favorite hobbies (shopping) into a torture sessions.

Believe me, the day after Christmas is like letting out a long breath you've been holding for a month...is it over?
Oh no! Another Christmas party on the 27th!
Here we go again....
It's the pressure of the season, hope you survive!
Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

I love this guy!

Open letter to the New Jersey Senate

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
I believe that line was from the Declaration of Independence. And now in New Jersey the bill for Gay Marriage is up for a vote. It looks like it's going to be close. The only good thing is our lame duck Governor says he'll sign if it makes it to his desk. God bless him.
Now the only argument I've heard against giving gays the right to marry is that marriage is between a man and a woman. I didn't see that in our Declaration. As a matter of fact not much was mentioned about women at all...we need to edit this doc asap!
Is this whole issue a matter of semantics? They can have a civil union but not a marriage then why shouldn't we just have civil unions and do away with marriage entirely? It certainly doesn't make us all equal if only certain types of people can use it, right?
Remember that separation of church and state? In NJ we see lots of religious leaders sitting in the front row ready to speak out against gay marriage. I guess they didn't hear about that separation issue.
Women had to fight for their rights
Blacks had to fight for their rights
And now it's Gays. Who are entitled to the same rights as women, African Americans and every one else. To deny them is unconstitutional and denies them the right to pursue happiness. If we truly are the land of the free we can't exclude any one group and still be true to the freedoms granted to us by the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
We hold these truths to be self evident. Come on New Jersey Senate! Vote with your heads and with the truths that founded our nation. Vote YES!
Want to do more? Go to Middletown Mike's site for contact information to email the powers that be: http://middletownmike.blogspot.com/

Surprize!

Books, books, and more books...

I have books. Lots of books. Books in bookcases, books under beds, books in boxes, books under tables, books in nooks, nooks full of books, books in boxes in the attic... I was in my office today, which doubles as a gym, and feeling crowded. It's time to get rid of "stuff" and as I look around, aside from the box of manuscripts on the floor and piles of them on my bench, the books are taking over. One bookcase is full of crime stuff; forensic books, books of poisons, studies of criminals and cases, police procedures, etc. Another has art books; painting rocks, acrylics, oils, pastels, drawing, Dewberry, landscapes, etc. The one standing on my work bench has my writing books; everything from the sweet and inspiring Artist's Way to Stephen King's On Writing (he has the heart of a small boy---in a jar on his desk). Moving out to the little alcove we call a library we have books on Celiac Disease, cook books, some collector items, a few fav's we might read again some day, dictionaries(my favorite book!), thesaurus, books on CD's, some Vonnegut's, Koontz, King, Konrath and Corben among others. Moving into the family room there's another bookcase with nutrition books, cooking (Kill it & Grill it), some medical manuals, oops, there's another forensic book there sandwiched between two more Konraths and an Evanovich. Let's not even go into my bedroom where I routinely knock over the pile of books on my nightstand while I'm looking for things. (this is why I can't own a kindle-I'd probably kill it.)
I've really got to thin out the herd. Any suggestions? How do you decide what to toss and what to keep? I mean, really! How can I get rid of something I might someday want to read? And how do I know the next person will love them as much as I do?
Help!