Where Have You Been???

I've been a complete blogging slug, haven't I? I think it's because this blog is mostly dedicated to my writing, and in recent weeks, I've been doing a lot of waiting around, waiting to hear from my editor, waiting for inspiration to strike, etc.

On the upside, I have a brand, spankin' new laptop computer to play with. It has the bells and whistles my old machine was lacking, plus it doesn't have the broken fan that keeps me from being able to use the thing for more than a half hour at a time before it overheats and shuts down.

I went with Hewlett-Packard again, because I've been pretty happy with their products. I went for lots of memory, lots of hard drive and a DVD burner as my primary criteria for what I wanted. So far, it's great. Now I have to put the dinkier laptop in the shop to get the fan fixed. When it's fixed, that becomes my mom's computer. She's been wanting one for a while, and the old laptop will give her everything she's looking for in a machine.

So, that's my life these days. Aren't you glad you asked? :)

Porn for Housewives?

A comptroller's race in Texas has just gotten weird.

This is all the buzz in romance writer circles, but it's an interesting commentary on our schizoid society as well. I'm sure there's a Monica Lewinsky joke in there somewhere, but I'm just too disheartened to try to find it.

Hit and Run Blogging

Don't have much time, so I'm just going to pop in to let you know about an interesting blog I just added to my links. Interesting, that is, if you're a geek like me who thinks literary and mise-en-scene analysis of a soap opera is entertaining. Deep Soap is a new blog from my friend JDPerry, dedicated to having "some analytical fun with Steve and Kayla's return to Salem in Days of Our Lives" as her blog subtitle claims.

Tons of nerdy fun!

So, the New TV Season is Upon Us

I'm trying really hard not to get as sucked into prime time TV this year as I have been in past years. Despite all sorts of rave reviews from friends and professional reviewers alike, I have not allowed myself to watch Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Prison Break or The Nine. I have not been sucked back into Bones this season, nor have I watched much of CSI (pick a city) or Without a Trace.

So this season, my shows of choice are House, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, and when it comes on again in January, 24. And my new and rather embarrassing addiction to Days of Our Lives, which has actually improved a lot under the new headwriter Hogan Sheffer and looks to improve even more in coming days.

I'm still waiting for final word from my editor on title approval and a firm publication date for book two. I'm hoping to hear something within a couple of months on book three as well.

And I've managed to shake that cold without too much trouble, which is good news, since a bad cold is always a nasty experience for me, thanks to my asthma.

So, what have I missed while I was out of commission fighting off the bug?

Ugh Redux

The stomach ailment is better, but now I've got a cold. I hate colds--they wreak havoc on my asthma. But so far, it's mostly just a nuisance.

My writing plan for this week was wrecked, but I'm going to try to make up some of the pages tonight and tomorrow. No final news about my book title or the publication date, but tentatively, it's going to be FORBIDDEN TEMPTATION, available August '07.

Anybody watch last night's premiere of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA? Wild. And that little blond kid? Cutest. Kid. Ever.

Oh, and Tahmoh Penikett? Hawt.

Ugh

Stomach virusy thing happening. Things are not happy in Paulaville. Will update once I'm feeling better.

Hello, October

October might be my favorite month. Living in the deep south, fall starts later here than in other places, and October is usually the month when it really feels like summer is over. Back when I was in high school, I was in the marching band, and October was when I was finally glad for the heavy uniforms. In September, the coats and long pants were nothing but sheer misery, but with October came crisp, clear nights when that extra bit of fabric and padding came in handy.

October is the smell of wood smoke and the colors of turning leaves. October is Saturday afternoon football and waning daylight. It's the time when little kids start plotting and planning their Halloween costumes and dreaming of bags full of Smarties, M & Ms and bubble gum. It's the month of my mother's birthday and the month when I fell in love for the first time almost thirty years ago. (Awwww).

And October was when I promised myself that I'd get back to my writing. And I did. Three pages today, just as I'd projected. Yay me!