Girl Scout Cookies and Other Evils

It's that time again - cute little girls going door-to-door, selling those irresistible sweet treats. What's dieter to do? They're everywhere - outside the supermarket, drugstore and bank - oh my! I guess all I can do is give in. After all, it's for a good cause. Buy lots because the Girl Scout troops only get a tiny fraction of the proceeds. If you, like me, would like to see fat-free and sugar-free Girl Scouts cookies - tell the Girl Scouts so!
(Stepping down off the soap box now.) I'm really excited - not just because of Girl Scout cookies, but because my first print release - a short story in an anthology titled, "Rose Petals" will be available in two short weeks! More info to follow in later posts.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday was a good day. Why? I got TWO!!! book covers - The Kitten Club (which is adorable) and Kissing Cousins. See new photos on right. Would you think The Kitten Club is a whimsical story? It isn't - it's quite serious. In fact, I just finished a final round of edits and confirmed that even I can not read the last quarter of the book without boo-hooing!

Pride Goeth Before a Fall!

Well, I've been a bad girl - goal wise. That's what I get for bragging about meeting my writing goals. I've written nary a word in the last few days between working on edits for my upcoming novel, The Kitten Club and my short story, Kissing Cousins, kids' appointments, volunteering at schools and lunch dates, writing has taken a back seat. Sometimes it seems like everything conspires against me - even my dear, sweet kitty cat, Tinker. Sometimes, when I'm trying to work, she gets jealous and jumps up to my desk, parks her fat butt in front of the screen and refuses to move. If I dare type, she licks my fingers!
Next week, the parental units arrive for their annual pilgrimage. They'll be here for 4 weeks. How much work do you think I'll get done then? Too little! But at least I'll probably get in some shopping, some movies and some gin games. Maybe I should take a goal vacation. Please - talk me out of that!

Family Drama

I just witnessed the coolest thing. I was busily pounding away at the computer on my latest WIP when I heard a thud on the roof. (no - this isn't a Christmas post!) I went outside and found two baby squirrels about 2 inches long laying in the grass. They weren't moving, but one started squeaking. The mama came looking for them but hung back because I was there. By this time, a crowd of neighbors was gathering at the edge of my lawn watching the drama unfold. So, I stepped inside and watched from my window (the best view of the action) as mama retrieved her babies and carried them up the tree to a new nest. In the middle of this, my neighbor's Yorkee got out of the house and chased mama as che carried 1 of the babies in her mouth.
We all held our breath as the neighbor's son chased his dog, and finally got her before she got the squirrels! I'm happy to report, all babies have been rescued and are hopefully on the mend! Just wanted to share that.

Pity Party

Major disappointment today - one of my publishers decided to delay the print release of Compromising Positions due to a lack of pre-sales. The irony? I've been telling everyone I know to wait until my book launch party - (now cancelled) or my first book signing scheduled for April 21.
It's amazing how you can be so pumped up, then someone comes along with a tiny little pin amd lets all the air out of your balloon in one fell swoop! So, the color of the day is blue to match my mood. Okay - all done venting.

Rantings and Ravings

I am on a roll! I've made my daily word goals on my current WIP all week. Today, I blasted past it and reached a total of over 8,000 words this week. For those non-writers out there, that's about 32 pages. Not too shabby considering I took Saturday off for a Bris and then baby shower.
I'm getting totally freaked out by the sight of my 13 year old daughter wearing makeup. We let her do a subtle look on special occasions and when she's playing with friends. But it's so strange to see her looking so grown up.
My editor tells me we're moving into the home stretch with edits of The Kitten Club, which will be released sometime this year in print. I can't wait to have that one finished. It's my first serious (Non-comedic) romance and has some really heart-wrenching stuff in it.
My husband and I are entering the final countdown before the parental visit. They are coming for a month, a little shorter than usual. Don't worry - they don't lodge with us, but at a nearby condo.
Just reworked my website with the help of George, my tech guru and sort of brother-in-law. Now I'll be able to do the updates instead of having to bug him all the time. Please let me know what you think. www.daraedmondson.com

Making it up as I Go Along

We're only a little more than a week into the new year but I've made some serious progress already. I just sold a short story to
The Wild Rose Press and an interview I did a few weeks ago was posted today at Romance Junkies. I've been really good sticking to my daily word count goal of 1000 words a day and we're even making some headway in reeling in the teenangel after a meeting with the principal. I hope it's a good sign for how the rest of the year will go. I probably shouldn't say things like that - I might jinx myself. I'm not quite as brave as my friend, Julie, who has posted her very ambitious goals on her blog! Call me a coward, but I don't have that much confidence in myself. With 3 print books to promote this year and an RWA chapter to run, I'll be lucky to have time to sleep. But heck - I'm a writer. I'll just make it up as I go along.