Confessions of a Fan Girl….

Imagine, if you will, two women walking down the street.  For arguments sake let’s say one is Julia Roberts and the other is Nora Roberts.  Believe it or not there is a good chance that Ms. Pretty Woman could walk within two feet of me and I wouldn’t blink a Maybelline eyelash.  La Nora, on the other hand, is going to hear the click of my cell phone taking pictures for the next ten blocks.

Even if you change up the players, throw in Hugh Jackman instead of Julia and Kristan Higgins in place of Nora…results = unchanged.  This probably puts me squarely in the category of superior geekdom, but this weekend I spent about 24 hours gawking at best selling authors, notable editors, and highly sought after agents.  It was heavenly.

As a relatively new writer I was a basket of jangly nerves when I registered for the New England Chapter’s (RWA) annual conference.  Friday night as I nibbled on dinner (my focus squarely on submitting to memory the name and face of every author I met) I realized how darn lucky I was to be in attendance.  When my name was announced as the third place winner in the Short Contemporary category of their published author contest — my smile was as wide as our nation’s budget deficit.    I was actually being recognized for my first book at the same podium as Jennifer Greene, Susan Wiggs, Kristan Higgins, Deidre Knight (they won/placed in different categories; only Kristan and Jennifer were actually present).  Hmm, a very fun moment, indeed J

The workshops were wonderful — and tomorrow I’ll blog about what some of the speakers had to say about industry trends.  Be prepared….I’m going to be in gush mode all week!!! 

Please come to Boston for the springtime…

Friday morning I’m packing the car and heading up to the Boston area for the NEW ENGLAND CHAPTER of ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA 2009 LET YOUR IMAGINATION TAKE FLIGHT CONFERENCE.  Since I don’t often attend workshops or leave my husband and children behind, this will be a different experience…I’m excited and just a wee bit nervous (I’m ¾ introvert mixed with ¼ extrovert).  Ah heck, I’ll force myself to have fun J

My alma mater (Villanova) plays in Boston late Thursday night, so I know what I’ll be watching tomorrow.  GO WILDCATS!!!  And Saturday when the conference winds down I’ll get to spend time back in my hometown — which means the trip will end on a definite high note!!!

Since it’s the saggy middle of the week I thought I would share some reminders of why it is never wise to verbally tangle with children:

 

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, ‘When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah’.
The teacher asked, ‘What if Jonah went to hell?’
The little girl replied, ‘Then you ask him’.

***

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
‘Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ‘There’s Jennifer, she’s a lawyer,’ or ‘That’s Michael, He’s a doctor.’
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, ‘And there’s the teacher, she’s dead.’

***

 

 

 

 

Excuse my Shameless Borrowing….

I found this link on the website of Samhain Superwoman Angela James and couldn’t resist building my own hero.  If your Monday has been as long as mine has, take a moment to unwind by making your very own cartoon hero at http://cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/

Put Down that Paddle….

Over the course of the past few years I’ve attended numerous charitable events where Silent and Live Auctions have been conducted.  My husband and I have walked away from almost every event empty handed.  (On one such sad occasion we were outbid in the last few seconds on a Fenway Park package – ouch!). 

 

On Saturday night we attended a Benefit Gala for our children’s school at a local country club.  Now, based on our poor success rate, my husband has developed the dangerous habit of bidding on a ton of items.  As he scoured the ballroom upping his bids on a score of items, I wondered what his reaction would be if he actually won.  As we sat down for dinner I suggested we might want to hold off on bidding during the Live Auction — since we had no idea how many items we might have picked up during the Silent Auction.   Paddle Boy couldn’t resist….however!

 

By eleven-thirty we tallied up our bounty….and loaded our SUV full of gift baskets.  I laughed the whole way home because Paddle Boy was like a four-year old who just scored big at Toys ‘R’ Us. 

 

Oh, in case you’re wondering…golf and beer were the common themes in our gift items. 

Oh, Happy Days are Here Again…

  

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven -
All’s right with the world!

Robert Browning (1812-1889)

I awoke this morning to find a coating of snow on the ground!  Eeeeh…I know that even though the calendar says spring has arrived, we will probably still feel the bite of winter for a wee bit longer here in Western New York.  Nevertheless, I’m smiling on the inside because that twenty-six degree reading on my thermometer right now will soon be but a distant memory  

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

I had a wonderful surprise that kickstarted my morning.  As I entered the lobby of my son’s school to drop him off I was greeted by a professional Irish bagpiper who serenaded the children and teachers upon their arrival   It was truly lovely!!!  Keeping with that spirit I’ve included some links to a few traditional songs that might help you start your day on just the right note (pardon the pun, but my dad was a legend when it came to word play).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJ8g9asQnU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9xyux4EJoI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI8bPVw3scA

And for a fabulous version of Danny Boy, click here: 

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCbuRA_D3KU

Note to self….must check and see if McDonald’s still offers a green milkshake!  YUM!

Thumbs Up…Thumbs Down

My alma mater got spanked last night by Louisville in the Big East Tournament.  After a hot first half they totally tanked when it counted    Kudos to Coach Wright for always looking so spiffy on the bench.

Opening day is just around the corner.  The season will kick off on April 6th against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park.  Now if someone could simply get Papelbon to share less of his feelings, I wouldn’t wince every time I pick up the sports page.  Frankly, he’s starting to come across a little too much like Roger Clemens for my liking.  So far we only have tickets for the Sox series in August against Toronto — hopefully we’ll hit a few more games.   Maybe even at Fenway this year….

My brother and sister-in-law welcomed a new baby girl into their family this week.   My boys are thrilled to have a new little cousin, Adelle Evelyn.  Sending cyber kisses from the crew in Western, New York.

Well, it’s that time of year again!  I’ve already pulled out my favorite St. Patrick’s day shirts/hats.  Our city parade is this afternoon.  Although I’m not a beer drinker, the green ale below looks enough like Midori liquor to make my mouth water.  YUM!

 

 

 

 

 

 Decided to change a significant plot point in my current WIP.  I’m still not sure how I’m going to make it work, but I do think it will heighten the conflict quite a bit.  Hopefully I’ll squeeze in a little time in between family activities this weekend and boost my word count!!!

Anybody have exciting plans for this weekend?

Break out the Alka-Seltzer….

My stomach is in knots.  Today I submitted a partial manuscript to a publisher I’ve been eyeing for quite some time.  A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of reading several books from this publisher as part of a local RWA contest.  I was blown away by the quality of one book in particular.  It was unique, well written, and a wonderful surprise.  Needless to say, it received top scores.  On the heels of that contest, I ordered several other stories from this company.  Frankly, I wasn’t disappointed with any of my selections.

 

Hence, I’m testing the waters.  Realistically I know that the odds are probably not in my favor.  That’s okay.  Rejection isn’t fun.  But I’ve been there before.  I’m still in a state of shock that Catcher and the Lie is amongst the finalists in the New England Reader’s Choice Bean Pot contest.  Eeeek – I’m trying to decide if I can attend the conference at the end of the month.  Things have been crazy busy at home the past few weeks, so logistically it may not be feasible.

 

Tomorrow I need to explore additional marketing avenues for my forthcoming April release, Ready to Take a Chance Again.  I have an ad placed with The Romance Studio, but I would like to squeeze in a few more spots where I can promote.  Romancing the Blog was a great site to generate hits when Catcher was released but they are booked solid through August.  Ugh!!!

My boys are off from school tomorrow!  Yeah!!!!  I’m hoping the weather this weekend will be nice, especially for the St. Patrick’s Day parade.  GO GREEN

Here come Tuesday, oh hard Tuesday…

Few things in life create more anxiety for me than visiting the dentist.  In the past I have had everything done…fillings, root canals, crowns.  You name it and I’ve had it done.  Repeatedly.  On the same teeth, no less.  Usually within two years of treatment my tooth breaks down again.  This is frustrating.  Not to mention expensive.  REALLY EXPENSIVE.  Today I visited a new practice for the first time.  Needless to say I was dreading it for the past several weeks.  Fortunately, they were extremely nice and extremely professional.  Instead of just fixing the current laundry list of problems, they want to address the underlying reason behind the repeating cycle.  At this point they believe I am a severe teeth-grinder….which is resulting in cracked teeth. 

Anyway, I was feeling a little down this morning – before and after my appointment.  STRESS.   Much to my surprise a friend had sent along the following in an email last night.  It made me smile…so I’m sharing here! (Oh, and can you guess from which song I came up with today’s title post?)

Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

In twenty-seven days ____________. A)  The Dow Jones Industrial Average will bottom out around 4,000. B) A late winter storm will drop 21 inches of snow in Western, NY. C) Alex Rodriguez, heartbroken over Madonna’s twenty-something love interest, will reunite with his ex Cynthia. D) My second novel, Ready to Take a Chance Again, will release from Wild Rose Press. Answer Key: A. Maybe  B. Maybe  C. Maybe  D. Definitely

 

Ready To Take A Chance Again Champagne Rose Rita Oberlies Release Date: 4-3-2009 Turning to Barry Manilow for inspiration seemed desperate, even to Grace Winston. Nevertheless, a warbled rendition of Ready to Take a Chance Again, chased down with an overabundance of cheap chardonnay, left Grace primed for an extreme life makeover. Now she must choose between a flame that burned her in the past and an engaging man with a past of his own. After a decade in the military, Jake Magee is finally ready to settle down with the woman he’s spent years dreaming about. Unfortunately, past mistakes threaten to derail his plan to show Grace he can be the man she always wanted. To win her heart, he must first find a way to win back her trust. Details on how to purchase this book in either e-format or print coming soon!!!