Her Sanctuary: A review

I was wandering around over at Wild Rose Press a couple of weeks ago and came across this book by Toni Anderson.
One of the things I like about Wild Rose Press is the way they set up their lines. Each genre is a different kind of Rose. Her Sanctuary is from the Crimson Rose Line which means its Romantic Suspense...my favorite read!
Her Sanctuary looks like its the first book from this author and I'm very impressed. A lot of times I read books and my hands itch to edit but with this book I wanted a highlighter so I could go back and read the wonderful way this author put her words together. The word "poetic" came to mind in her beautiful descriptions and turn of phrase.
The book blurb from Wild Rose Press: Running for her life, ex-FBI agent Elizabeth Ward escapes to Montana with a new identity. She craves peace and solitude, but instead finds handsome rancher, Nat Sullivan. Nat is trying to hold his ailing family together, while struggling to keep the ranch from bankruptcy. The last thing he needs is a beautiful stranger reminding him there is more to life than work. But Elizabeth isn't what she seems. And when a murderer and rapist track her down to the remote ranch, they all find out about the power of revenge. Revenge or Redemption. Which would you choose?
This book was so good I carried it around with me so I could read every spare minute! Elizabeth's back story was carefully woven in and my heart went out to her. The handsome rancher was just as real and I think I'm in love with him. :)
Definately a great read!

Guitar Mama?

Our house has lots of instruments. Piano, French Horn, Trumpet, Sax, Violin, Banjo, two electric Guitars, one Classical and three other Guitars (but I'm not sure what they're called.)
I can't play any of them. However, I suddenly have the urge to learn.
My daughter is teaching me the basics but the one thing I'm not liking is the fact that I have to generate callouses on my finger tips. Can anyone tell me why they haven't invented something to put on your finger tips so you can play without pain???
That's the hardest part. And you have to cut your nails.
I don't want to do that but ... I will. I keep looking at them, thinking how nice they look, even, long enough, and I have to chop them off. :(
I also keep looking at the Guitars scattered around the family room. The one I play is on the coffee table. It's black and shiny. I love picking it up and running through the few cords I've been shown. (My nails still get in the way but ... soon...)
Anyone out there starting an instrument? How's it going?
Do you think there's hope at my age?
Also any help with the callous issue would be appreciated.

60,000...YAY!

Whew! Sixty thousand words-done!
This was for the Mayke It Happen challenge by Liberty State Fiction Writers. The challenge was to write 60K by May 31st.
For awhile I wasn't sure I was going to finish. The usual issues were there, family time, work responsibilities, that little devil who sits on my shoulder telling me to goof off....
A friend at Liberty State Writers told me that she sets aside 20 minutes to write. I asked what she could accomplish in just 20 minutes? She said it gets her going. So I thought about this for awhile and decided to give it a try. There were plenty of times I'd think that I didn't have enough time to write anything but 20 minutes? I have that. Before work 20 minutes is 20 minutes, no more, no less. But after work those 20 minutes could morph into hours. It was like a kick start with no commitment.
Anyway, it's done. Yippieee!
Now I have to reread, rewrite and get it out somewhere.
Ahhhhhh,,,,it feels so good to finish.

Going Crazy Trying to Mayke it Happen!

I'm up to 54500 words. I have to make 60,000 by the end of the month. I had a bit of a sludge time, semi-stalled, but pushed through it. Now I have to finish so there's not much in my life but writing. And it's all in my head now just itching to get it down on paper.
One thing I need right now is a desk. There are notes all over the place, index cards, printed pages and scribbles that I keep refering back to. I do have that desk, its a big desk/workbench. I love it but it's also the catch-all for paperwork in this house. Do I take the time to clean it off, which will lead to filing, organizing and finding a home for all the left over crap....or just push on. After all cleaning off that pile of stuff will use up precious writing time. And my writing time is precious, I value every moment I get to sit at the keyboard.
Today I hid in my bedroom with Edgar, my laptop, and it was a constant stream of interuptions. Now I have a dinner date with old friends so I'm about to pull my self together and head out...more writing time lost.
Do you ever go crazy trying to find precious time to write?
Ever accept a challenge to make a word count?

Finding Your Rhythm

I joined the Mayke It Happen challenge through Liberty Writers and pushed off about 20,000 works quick and easy then...stalled.
I saw Anna DeStefano speak and one of the things she said was that she pushes right through a new story to the end. I tried, really tried, but it's just not doing it for me.
So Caridad Pinero said she nails the first two or three chapters first and then moves on. I went back and did that and it helped alot.
One of the other things I took from Anna was that she prints it all out and puts it in a binder. Then uses postit notes to mark POV and things she wants to work on. This idea I love! Aside from the editing feature it also give me the ability to go back and look things up. Thanks Anna!
I have another writer friend, and soon to be published author, who is also in law school. How she finds the time to write I'll never know! However if she can do it do I have any chance at a valid excuse? She says she writes in twenty minute clips. So I've been doing that. Of course, those 20 mins often stretch into more but it gets me going.
Even after years of writing I'm still finding my rhythm. In all this searching I think what's helped me most is other writers. I've never met a group of people like this before. They go out of their way to help other writers. I find this amazing.
What about you? How did you find your writing rhythm?

Have a good think

Sometimes when I'm in the middle of one story something else pops into my head and I desperately want to start it. Ideas can be illusive creatures that slip away when you're not looking. Poof! That great thing bouncing around in your head suddenly blends back into the muddy recesses of your brain and it's gone...at least for now....at least you hope it's just for now.
So when one of these great ideas pops into my brain I blurb it. Pop open the Word doc and start scribbling ideas at the speed of light. Punctuation and spelling be damned. The idea doesn't care,it's not your 10th grade English teacher who's going to harp on every little comma, it has a life of its own. The idea splashes itself across the page seeking it's bliss.
Then I have to sigh, take a deep breath and close it up to hide away for a rainy day while I go back to the real world of my WIP.
So where do you keep your great ideas? How do you not forget?

Happy Easter!

This is from a train station in Belgium. Wouldn't real life be nicer if we burst into song at random times? Think how much better your day would be if people would sing at you instead of yelling?
:)
Hope your day is full of grins and giggles.