Happy New Year!

The first day of the rest of my life:

Went to church.
Ate a little too much[overall].
Made an apple pie.
Did NOT eat the ice cream.
Cooked my first venison roast of the year.
Played with the kids.
Changed my infusion site.
Tested my glucose about 5 times.
Entered a writing contest.
Worked on a manuscript.
Bed early!!!

Goal:
Lose 30 pounds this year.
And a few other things, but really this post is about One Day At A Time.
Enjoy your weekend.
With Love,
Bethanne

What's in their heads?

Kids, they are so hard to pin down. Four and five year olds are by far the hardest to read. Do you agree? I have a five, and half the time I'm confused or amused or just plain stumped by what comes out of his mouth. On the other hand, he's so sweet and loving. He hasn't decided yet that I'm the one 'out to get him', the one who is 'bound and determined to take away all his fun'. :( It's not true, but sometimes it seems like the older they get, the harder it is for them to see. *sigh* maudlin. Didn't mean for that to happen! :D

My point is, it's hard to write children, especially into adult fiction. I've read some GREAT books and some not so great books. Usually I try to avoid putting them in my manuscript. Yes, I have four kids. Yes, it should be easy for me! But, perhaps it's having them that makes me so wary. Do I really know what they are thinking? Maybe only MY kids would react a certain way? What if the reader doesn't relate to my children at all? Will they speak in a way that people can hear and jive with? Or will the secondary characters sound unnatural, stilted?

This is a big deal for me. If I pick up a book that sounds unnatural, fuhgetaboutit.
What about you? How do children rate with you? Will seeing one in a romance novel pull you in or throw you out of the story?

I like a touch of children. Like a recipe, it can't be overdone, nor can they be excluded completely. Children are integral, of course. To create a world without them...would be, well odd. Hmm. There's an idea...
Okay, gotta go!
With Love,
Bethanne

Monday Review

Oh, look at me. The Christmas season is in full swing and I'm reading, too!
This week I was excited to pick up one of Nora Roberts' two in one re-releases. With one of her older stories, Song of the West[1982], and a slightly newer one than that, Boundary Lines[1985]. Wow, what a great way to compare her writing styles!

I have to say, Boundary Lines was more appealing to me. There was a heightened sense of emotion and depth. She dug deeper, her characters were more rounded and believable. They had a sense of purpose that made me believe they might not actually have their happily ever after. And that's what made the ending so much more rewarding than Song of the West. Amazing how much an author can grow in such a short amount of time.

While visiting Nora's webpage, I was floored to hear she'll have her 190th full length novel out in February!!! 190! I better get busy!

Movie Madness

It's true. We love movies and TV at my house. I come from a looong line of entertainment junkies--unlike my hubby, who is lucky he even knows what Leave it to Beaver though he's probably never seen the show. How come Christmas brings out that tendency? What is it about the season that makes me want to watch old movies and pull out the old records?

It must be the season of traditions and rituals.

My kids have been making their way through the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road to..." movies. While I sat and watched Road to Morocco with my kids and mother-in-law, I wondered if I shouldn't have screened it first! About two thirds of the way in, Bob Hope is reading a book, How to Make Love in Six Lessons [or something like that]. And when interrupted he comments, as is typical of those movies, to the audience about how it was just getting good!

Well, it's been a while since I watched the movie, and I don't remember that bit making an impression on me as a kid--Thanks mom and dad for sheltering me--but I did laugh then think, Oh Gosh! What does my mother-in-law think?! That I'm letting my 9 and 10 year old watch this old movie that is rife with sexual innuendo?

I think it was subtle enough to go over the kids' heads. :D If not, I suppose they'll be asking about it soon enough, anyway. :P Ugh! Where do the years go?!

From Christmas to traditions to kids... this post was a little scattered.
It's that time of year again. :D
With Love,
Bethanne

Loners

So, here's the thing. I have this good friend who struggles with her identity as a writer. :( Not fun for her. I feel her uncertainty on a personal level. Maybe not every writer faces this, but some do, and I remember a time when I sat on the seesaw, too. It's hard! Finding a voice, creating a platform [i'm still not sure I have one of those, yet], defining a style that reflects the voice...

I have a theory, though. One that compares the writing journey of today to that of yesterday. See, I belong to a few writing groups. It's nice to have support and I think compared to yesterday? Writers are in a good place for networking... for sharing and helping each other.

There is another hand to this...

Too many cooks in the kitchen, maybe? Writing has always been a lone sport. With the exception of a collaboration, we write by ourselves. I speculate that the over abundance of input can hinder the creative processes. I think the awareness of market trends will inhibit our ability to take the less travelled roads. A scale would be good so that with each tidbit of information we glean we can also add a grain of salt...or even more if the scale indicates a necessity.

I'm serious. It's time to close the doors and write.
Love you writer friend.
Guard your writing.
Guard your heart.

With love,
Bethanne

22/15

Well, those are my stats. 22 queries sent out, 15 rejections...
It's been an interesting fall. Not discouraging, exactly. More learnaging... yeah, I know. That's not a word. Encouraging isn't exactly the right word either, though.

I have a list twice that long of agents to appeal to, then it will be time to move on to my next manuscript. I have two on the burner right now. A novella length and a full length. I'll keep you posted. For now, I'm enjoying the holidays, preparing for Christmas, and taking it one day at a time. I just know there are GREAT things planned for me and my family.

Thought I'd share a quick paragraph from my newest full length, Single Title manuscript. I missed excerpt Monday yesterday. So, here you go. Enjoy.

~*~*~

He'd set up a swing in her quarters—a bed just larger than a twin, but not as big as a double. Far enough from the engine room and with enough windows to make her feel as if she was sleeping on water, it hardly mattered that the vessel might sink on their first day out.

She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. Marie smirked, thinking of the true love of her life, Han Solo. Part of her charm, her mother called it, but mostly it just made her a bigger dork.

With a sigh, she sat slowly on the edge of the bed and laid on her back. Her feet swept the floor as she slowly rocked the bed, back and forth, back and forth. A breeze swept through the screens and washed across her face. At the marina, the scent of fuel mixed with the sea, and the humid air carried the aroma of a nearby bar--beer and food, fried crawfish, fried squash, fried... anything.

~*~*~

When do you know?

You know you're spreading yourself thin when it's a WEEK since you last posted!! No apologies, though. :) Just a note to self...

Keep your head, lady.

I just got done watching Benchwarmers with my husband.
What is it about the male of the species that finds farting, vomiting, diarrhea and boogers so entertaining? As soon as the opening credits faded out, I knew I was in trouble. Yes, yes, I laughed throughout the movie on more than one occasion. I also felt queasy a few times...

Let's just say it's not the best movie ever and leave it at that. Okay?

I picked up a Suzanne Brockmann book this past week[btw, she needs a professional webpage. She makes enough money now to get something...nicer, more user friendly, pretty, something...well, okay. It's just my opinion]. The story of Teri Howe--the Navy Reserve pilot--and Stan Wolchonok [I might have spelled that wrong]--the SEAL Senior Chief--is one of my favorites. Brockmann weaves a tale from the previous generation, set during world war 2, that I really admire. She's one of the few non inspy, non women's lit and nonmale authors that has successfully written about that era. Since I love that era, I can really appreciate the tale of triumph. The main characters are charming and real.

So, why do I bring this book up? One that I've read many times. Because for a while now, I've been contemplating Brockmann's heroes and their tendency to be criers--to cry for love, out of fear for a loved one, in sadness... After a while, I became a little jaded. Thinking, she has no idea what she's writing about! Men do not cry, not even when they really love you or they find out something trying and sad. That had been my experience... and so, her heroes sometimes seemed off to me.

Until this year.

We've had a few moments in our house over the past six months.
Maybe her books still overdo it, but I'm more willing to be a believer, too.

Blessed Gaudete Sunday, everyone!
With Love,
Bethanne

Monday Review

I got nothing this week. Been busy writing... I opened The Last Rogue by Connie Mason and I'm very much enjoying it! London, smugglers, histry, village virgins... what more could you ask for? Oh! I know, a lord who has taken a vow of celibacy for an entire year. :D Now that's entertainment.

I don't know that I mentioned Nano when it was over. I finished at a measly 12K. Eh. I didn't even really get into the meat of my plotted story, but started a novella length on the fly at about week 3. It's a fun story, apparently, I like fun stories. It's just good to be writing. :D

The cookie exchange was YUMMY! My family is happy and I didn't have to do all the work. A win-win situation for sure. What about you? Have you done your holiday baking? What's your FAVORITE item to make AND eat during the Christmas season?

Start Thinking NOW!

New Year Resolutions...

Last year at this time I was quickly writing through a manuscript. Though I'm doing the same now, it feels different. This ms is novella length and headed for an epublisher. Last year's manuscript is being put through the ringer... er, being subbed to agents. :D

So, I've started thinking. What's going to be on my plate in 2010?
I have three weeks to figure it all out. Writing, School, Reading, Exercising...

Enjoy December with love and spirit[s]!
Love,
Bethanne

Cappuccino Crinkles

1/3 cup butter or margarine
1C packed brown sugar
2/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1T instant coffee granules
1t baking baking soda
1t ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 C low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C granulated sugar

1. In large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electirc miser on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or till softened. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg whites and yogurt till combined. beat in as much of the flour as you can with the miser. Stir in remaining flour.

2. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by a teaspoon into sugar and roll into balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookoie sheet. Bake in a 350* oven for 8 to 10 minutes till edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 40 cookies.

Nutrition Facts per cookie: 60 cal., 2g total fat, 4 mg chol., 52 mg sodium, 10g carbo., 0 g fiber, 1g pro.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TIME!

I'm making these for a Cookie Swap on Sunday, and let me tell you, they are YUMMY!
I'm contemplating substituting peppermint for cinnamon, but I also hate to mess with a recipe...

We shall see. Maybe I'll do TWO batches! :D
December is a time of anticipation and waiting.
Let your Excitement GROW!

Monday Review

I didn't make it through Jennifer Weiner's Certain Girls. I can still say good things about it, though. I loved her characterization. The mom/MC was definitely insecure yet cocky enough to get away with her individuality. The daughter is also well-written, distinctive and vibrant. The secondaries added to my ability to know the Main Characters better without drawing all the attention to themselves...even though they are quirky and fun.

However, the mother is the reason I stopped reading. But it was the portrayal of the mother through the daughter's Point-of-View that bugged me. The daughter, a deaf young woman just trying to break free, has a hard time with her mother's attention. This theme does not bother me. It's not the daughter's angst...

No! It is their combined image issues. Ack! I'm fat, my mom has big boobs and she flaunts them--which is annoying because in the mom's POV we've got her dogging herself because of her LACK of physical attributes--I'm so ugly and that's why I screwed up, thank goodness I found a man who can love me anyway. So what is it? Is she flat chested? or big-boobed?

The overall worst, though [and this is just from reading the first two chapters] was the mother's notion that her daughter was going to do so much better than she ever did BECAUSE she was beautiful. [I get that this is probably one of the main story arcs and that if I could get through the beginning, there would probably be a satisfying resolution] The mother barely survived adolescence as the ugly duckling. She is sure that life would have been better for her if she'd been beautiful. Now, we know the mother is not ugly! [what is ugly anyway?] because no one else perceieves her that way... not even the daughter. Unfortunately, when we hit the daughter's POV again, we find out the daughter has her own self-esteem issues in the beauty department...

And that is when I started pulling my hair out.
Sorry, I just can't keep going. I don't have it in me to watch this mother learn a lesson she really needs. I felt sorry for the daughter, yet at the same time, I wanted to smack her and tell her to WAKE UP! So she has a mom who is a little overbearing... deal with it. She could have a mother who is a drug addict. At least her mom cares!

My all time favorite character in this book is the Husband. I can see this story as a romance... Would rather see this story as a romance.

Thank God for my husband who always tells me--actually, he gets adamant, "Stop reading if you don't like it!" Anyway, this is just one lady's opinion of a well-recieved, well-written novel. And it was well-written, just not my cup of tea in the topic department. :)

Break? I think not

Well, I thought this would be a break, but I was wrong. I've spent the last three days zipping words onto my computer. Apparently, the dam broke...the wall came down, whatever you want to call it.

I just love when this happens.

Let me tell you, I am looking forward to this coming month!! Holidays and family. Christmas celebrations... starting next week with The Second Annual Cookie Swap!

I'm making Cappuccino Crinkles! I'll post that recipe next week with a pic of the finished product. Mmmmm. I can't wait.
Wishing you all peace.
With Love,
Bethanne

Stagnance

We all feel it at times, right?
As if we aren't moving forward? or backward? or even sideways?

There are LOTS of areas of my life that feel kind of stagnant right now. Thankfully, my relationship with my hubby isn't one of them. Haha. Nope, this isn't a posting rant about a relationship. Yay, me. :D

Just over a year ago, I dropped out of one of my online writing forums for various reasons that all lead to me realizing I needed to write for myself. Still in need of a support group, I found my new critique group at Passionate Critters and spent the last year writing and gaining confidence. Writing takes more than discipline and knowledge, it takes that confidence. Being back on track now, confident in my own writing, with another manuscript under my belt, maybe it's time to shake things up again.

See, there's no brass ring. Success isn't reaching some point so that we can retire, happy with the thought that we know all there is to know. Oh, no.

There's always something more...
So, what do I do now?
Well, I've reacquainted myself with the online writing forum. It's fun to get back in there and share the life. Share experiences.
I'm going to take a few classes in the winter semester at my local community college. I'm thinking criminology... and maybe a creative writing class... there are so many I have highlighted. I also have a University in my town, so I've had crazy thoughts about getting that degree in English that I never completed on my last run through the higher education mill. Wish me luck.
Last but not least, I might join a mentoring program through the writing forum I belong to.

If you're reading this and you agree with me, wanna take a class with me? Wouldn't that be fun? We could carpool. [you know who I'm talking about ;-)]

Women's Literature

I'm going to read a book by Jennifer Weiner.



I know. Shocking, isn't it? I took the recommendation from Kerri Sparling. I'll have more on that later.


For now, Monday Reviews [will it stick? I don't know.] I just woke and wanted to talk about the book I read last week. My first EVER Allison Brennan book. A women I have all kinds of RESPECT for, just by knowing her from being a part of the same writing organization.

Whoa, cool but wrong Brennan. [something tells me that Brennan shaves an awful lot of herself ;)]

That's better.

Sudden Death was a great introduction to books-by-Allison. Intense, fast-paced, smart. That's how I would describe Sudden Death.

What I really loved about this book was the sympathy I felt for the villain. Well, one of the villains. :D I believe, and I'm learning, that it takes real skill to create emotion like this for a guy who is torturing the good guys.

The more I read the news and hear about the bad stuff, the easier it is to forget that sometimes, it's not all black and white...

Now, on to the basics. Great job on characterization. Loved the way, i could relate to the hero and his cronies. The priest, especially. Torn loyalties there. I get that alot... not because I'm a priest, but because I'm always struggling to stay on the straight and narrow. Though the story isn't about the priest, he played a big role. Wanting to protect his brothers, yet needing to cooperate with the law. The hero, of course, was big, strong, alpha male. I know the time space makes the story a tad unbelievable, but Allison sets him up for the change... you know? Like he's ready to make that leap to commitment, he just needs a catalyst.

Enter: Megan Elliot. The book cover says, By-the-book Elliot. I guess I like that about her. If anything, I considered her self-doubt a little over played, but I still can't say it wasn't true to her character. Love, loved, loved the ending....

Allison worked in the clues, never leaving me behind. You know, some books are about the race. The adventure. Staying one step ahead of the bad guy. Brennan solved me a mystery, and I appreciate that, too. Clues were laid, and I followed them to the end.

...there is one scene I got a little queazy over, so if you have a weaker stomach, try the Weiner book. :D

I should ASK

When I was growing up, my mom would move all the furniture in one room, all by herself. Sometimes twice in one task in order to get the desired effect. Maybe this is why I almost never ask for help. Carrying laundry baskets, moving furniture, changing diapers, emptying the seasonal bins... I do all! Not to be bragging, because it's not a brag, and it's not exclusive, either. Matt does his share of the same tasks.

This morning, I carried a bin sized load of laundry downstairs to the washer and dryer. A few seconds later Matt pops his head down and says, "If you want help carrying the laundry basket--"

"I'll ask," I said. Funny thing is, I thought to ask, but didn't. I mean, I'm going down anyway, right? On the other hand, how can my hubby serve me, honor me if I don't give him a chance? So, remember ladies, sometimes we can be strong and independent, and sometimes, strength means giving up our indepence, too.