A rose by any other name?

Total bullshit I tell ya…

So, I’ve got the idea for my next ms – not a novella this time, but a full length 100k story.  Right now I’m busy with my plot board and my colored post-its laying the ground work of my GMC – but my biggest problem is turning out to be the names of my hero and heroine.

See, I can’t just name my heroine Gladys and push on with the story until her name hits me – I can’t write like that…does that make me slightly anal?  And maybe I should just name my hero Earl and get on with it…are you kidding…I can’t…waa waa.

I guess it’s off to the bookstore for me today to get a nice thick book on names, meanings and origins.  Okay any excuse for a trip to the bookstore is a good one for me!

Do you have any names you absolutely won’t use for your hero or heroine – do share!

 

Blogging my way to sanity

So seems a few people have noticed my absence from the blogosphere – thanks girls I feel loved!

I’m back today to let everyone in on a little secret…I’ve been blogging everyday, pouring our my heart, venting my wrath at people and circumstances and adding hundreds of suggestions for where the above might go to change their ways – and then deleted every one of those posts before they hit the airwaves.

Turns out squeezing your emotions onto a page that is meant for consumption from both involved and uninvolved members of my readership, is a way of cleansing the angst and freeing my creative mind for the day ahead.

So even though you haven’t seen me blogging, I’ve actually been here – behind the scenes, everyday.

Guess what?

glitter-graphics.com

 

Happy 2008

glitter-graphics.com

First resolution of 2008 – be more attentive to the blog!

Happy New Year fellow bloggers!

 

What’s your holiday stress level?

Your Holiday Stress Level is Moderate

The holidays sometimes stress you out, but mostly because they wear you down.Take it easy! You can have a fun holiday without running yourself ragged.

What’s Your Holiday Stress Level?

Why am I posting a blogthing quiz on my blog?  Could it be that the holidays have taken their toll and I’m in a tizzy?  YES!

I’m really trying to get my novella done before the holidays, so I can relax while the kids are off from school (and with a little of Santa’s magic, possibly be adjusting to life with a new little kitten…fingers crossed here, cause the hubster is totally against a kitten in the new house.)

I’m almost done with my shopping.  I haven’t even started the baking.  And not to mention I feel like my blogging well, is well, dried up!  So enjoy the quiz, don’t be shy – post me a comment and let me know what your holiday stress level is!

 

Christmas Tag

This Christmas meme is from Kristen Painter. So blame her for getting it started, and Jennifer can now share the blame as she tagged me!. And away we go:

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate. IS A TIE ALLOWED?  I love my eggnog, love it spiced with rum…but, who can pass up the chocolate?

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree?  Wrap ‘em up baby!  Nothing like the sound of presents being ripped open, paper flying and the mess on the floor!

3. Colored or white lights on tree/house? We decided to go with an artificial tree this year and bought one pre-lit with hundreds of white lights!  It’s the first year we’ve gone “white” and we put the colored lights outside.  Love it!

4. Do you hang mistletoe?  Sometimes, if I can find it in the stores and if I have just the right place to put it.

5. When do you put your decorations up? We usually start the weekend after Thanksgiving.

 6. What is your holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Corn Souffle – my kids eat it like it’s candy.  It wouldn’t be a holiday without it!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child. Baking Christmas cookies with my Grandmother and putting up the tree with my family.  It was an artificial tree my parents still have (going on 40 years now!)  We’d dance to Christmas music on the stereo, we’d pull the branches out of the box and pass them assembly line style to my Dad, who then put the tree together.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I think I was about 8 or 9.  But I had a younger brother and sister, so half the fun was playing along for them.  So, I was well into my teens by the time no one in the house believed.  It always made the season just a little more magical to think of flying reindeer and someone giving just for the joy of speading happiness and good will.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? YES!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? This year with white lights, lots of tinsel, ornaments the kids have made and lots of lenox and precious moments ornaments!  And of course, the yearly ornament we buy to commerate something special – this year it will be buying the new house!

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? HATE it!

12. Can you ice skate?  I used to go skating all the time, but it’s been years, so I have no idea if I can still skate or not. 

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I’d have to say my first christmas with hubby when we were dating and he bought me a fur coat – I knew the poor guy was doomed! 

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending some quality time with the family and buying presents.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Cheesecake and cookies!!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Decorating, christmas carols and watching all the sappy holiday movies! 

17. What tops your tree? It’s always been an Angel.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? I know, I know, but I’d say this is a tie.  I love to see the faces of those I buy for – the kids especially.   But, man, I do love to see something for me under the tree on Christmas morning too!  (Does that make me bad?)

19. What is your favourite Christmas song? “Do you hear what I hear?”.

20. Candy canes. Symbolic and decorative, minty and love to make mine into a little point at the end and stab people as they walk by me (I’m evil that way!).

21. Favourite Christmas movie? Hand’s down – It’s a Wonderful Life. 

22. What do you leave for Santa? Cookies and milk.  (Last year, I think we put out the bottle of scotch too!)

Okay so as with any meme – I’ve got to pass this little gem on to a few of my favorite bloggers.  Here ya go girls – Merry Christmas.  I’ll be hopping over to these blogs to see their answers!  Gina, Angelle and Jennifer.

 

Listening to a good book

 As usual, I’m behind the technological times.  Many people I know get books every month on CD to listen to while driving.  Now I understand you can even download these audiobooks onto your MP3 player!

Up until now I’ve been fairly resistent to this new idea.  The idea of listening to a voice read a book to me is still foreign.  What if I don’t particularly like that voice?

So what has me rethinking this premise, you ask?  Well in my usual daily slog across the internet I stopped over at EHarlequin (a place I admit, I haven’t frequented since I decided I just could NOT write for the Desire line I had previous delusions of writing for) to find that many of their books are now available in an audio format.  Even better – they are offering a free Blaze download.

Woot!  I’m thinking this might be just the ticket to getting my butt off the computer chair and walking.  I’ve got the MP3 player.  I can download (I think!) and if I can get some of my TBR pile dwindled down by multi-tasking – well – need I say more?

What’s your opinion on audiobooks – good, bad, indifferent – now the time and this is the place to let me know.  In the meantime, I think I’ll take advantage of the free download.

I’ll let you know how it goes.