Fear creeps up no matter how hard I try to squash it

I think all writers can agree....we feel terror no matter where we are in the process of publication. I know many multi-published authors who get nervous about submissions....so they're no different from newbies. And they still see their fair share of rejection too. I'm definitely not a newbie, but I definitely don't feel like a pro either. Somewhere in the vast middle.

Queries went out this week for my new book, Pretty in Plastic, and I'm scared. I've been over this manuscript tons of times. It's been in front of many sets of eyes, from friends to writers group members to critique group members, but I still wonder if it's complete crap! One day I think it's awesome and then next, no so much.

Well, this is my last regular post for a month. Monday starts the A-Z Blogging challenge. Hopefully when it's over I'll have some encouraging news to share!

The process has officially begun!

I've started the querying process for an agent.

Many people have already asked me, "You already have a publisher, why are you looking for an agent?" Well...it's pretty simple. I ADORE Lyrical Press, but I'd like to expand my horizons and keep moving forward. Especially now, with Lyrical discontinuing print. Digital sales are soaring for them, but unfortunately, not print sales. I completely understand their decision and I love digital books and my Kindle, but as an author, I can't help wanting to see my books in print. Just yesterday I received in the mail the last print copy ever of A Bitch Named Karma. Pretty sad for me.

So, I've finished and polished my newest book, titled Pretty in Plastic. It's a book with a similar style and voice to my others- it's funny, dramatic, sexy, steamy, romantic. It's about a woman who's looking for a perfect fairy tail happily-ever-after...and she thinks she's found it. But the guy has a different view of their future. They both come from pasts they'd much rather forget. Here's the query:

Bobi Jordin adores her new job as receptionist for a plastic surgeon, and her perky new boobs—awesome employee perk. For the first time in a decade, she feels pretty and womanly and it’s landed her the attention of her super sexy boss. If only her mom and sister would get off her back and stop scrutinizing her every move. Yeah, she made some really bad mistakes a long time ago, but she’s not a stupid love-sick teen anymore.

Dr. Michael Gellerman prides himself on sculpting women’s bodies, with Bobi as his latest masterpiece. Shouldn’t every breast, ass, and thigh be perfect? It’s a rewarding job with no pressure to save lives, and he’s thankful for that. He has ghosts in his past too, and vowed to keep his love life fun and string-free. 

Bobi thinks she has finally found her sappy childhood daydream with Michael, but their visions of the future clash. She wants happily-ever-after and he’s terrified of going there…again. 


What do ya think??? So far it's gone out to 33 agents. I've gotten one form rejection...which came the same day I submitted, which I find to be odd. And one request for a partial. Fingers are triple crossed!!

Making little things special!

Today I'm over at Lyrical Press's blog talking about my hubby and his birthday and how sometimes the little things make all the difference! :)

New computer!!!

I did it...took the plunge into the world of Mac.

For the longest time, every time I had an issue with my PC and posted my frustration on any social networking site, I'd get a flurry of "Get a Mac!" comments. I'd said "No way, Jose!" for many reasons. I was used to a PC...that's all I knew. No desire to take the time to learn something completely new and foreign. My husband's uncle was our PC guy...he did our maintenance and was the go-to guy for any issues. If I got a Mac, I'd lose him. And lastly, let's be honest, Macs are REALLY expensive, at least for what I'd wanted/needed.

So, fast forward to last week and me, for the umpteenth time, being completely frustrated with my 5 year old laptop. Hubby gave the a-ok to go ahead and get a new computer. Now the big question: stay PC or try a Mac. Hubby leaned toward Mac, which kind of surprised me since it was more expensive. We headed to the mall and the Apple Store to check them out. NOT a good place to be on a Saturday at the biggest mall in our area.

So...we made plans to go back mid-week, mid-day, when we could have some one-on-one time with an Apple person. In the meantime, I did my research, I asked my Twitter friends, I sought advice from a trusted friend who is a Mac fan. By the time we went back to the Apple Store, I was 95% sure I would be walking out with one. I went armed with a notebook sheet of dummy questions. And the Apple guy was so nice and awesome and answered them all without making me feel stupid. I think that's what sold me right there. The people who work at the Apple store are A-MAZE-ING!

The price was most definitely way more than I could have gotten an ample PC for, BUT I did opt for the bigger machine. I wasn't sure I'd be perfectly happy with a 13" screen...I'd been using a 15" for the last 5 years. 2 inches doesn't seem like a lot....but it really is. (So glad I got the 15") And so far everything has been great. Amazing how much faster a brand spanking new computer is!! And I did opt to purchase Microsoft Office for Mac....well worth the extra $150. I just cannot learn a whole new OS AND a new word processing system at the same time!!

So far I am very happy!! How about you? Do you love your computer? Whatcha got?? Would you ever switch??

Museful Monday- Support?

Today I'm over at Sandra Sookoo's blog- Believing is Seeing- talking about my journey and the support I've received along the way that has made all the different! Stop by!

Need to be Bold and Brave??

When I first started this blog...way back when...one of my first posts asked how one becomes bold. I wasn't published then and was a ways away from my first book release. But an author friend of a friend of a friend gave me the advice to break the rules and put myself out there. I am normally a very strict rule follower, so for me, the concept was completely foreign. But I knew I needed to learn how to be bolder and braver.

3 years later, "How to be bold" is still one of the search phrases that brings people to my blog.

So what have a learned in the last 3 years since that post? Well...a lot. Mainly though, I've learned that no one will hand you what you want. You need to go out there and get it yourself. Keep working...HARD...no excuses. Only those who quit never find success. Learn all you can, learn from others, seek out help. And when it comes to finding boldness and bravery...well...all I can say is you gotta put your big girl panties on and just do it. ("It" being whatever it is you want.) Stop worrying what others will think. Stop worrying you will suck.

I read once that bravery isn't the absence of fear--it's having fear and choosing to rise above it. Words to live by.

My Fav and Not-So-Fav Books Turned Movies

I did a guest post over at Chick Lit=The New Black! Please go check it out!! Very very fun!!!

How many careers have you had???

I know many people pick a career when they're in college, even high school, and stick with it for life. I commend that dedication! I thought I had done the same thing. I went to a vocational high school and really loved what I was doing. I was in Horticulture and though we'd learned many aspects of growing and cultivating and designing, I'd gravitated toward flowers and floral design. I'd worked an internship my senior year of high school at a local flower shop. I had my future career mapped out.

I went to college to further my education. I worked a couple different jobs afterward and eventually landed a great job I adored. But I did know it was temporary. I'd always wanted to run my own business. I'd known other designers who'd run successful floral business out of their homes and that's what I'd wanted. And I did it. For about 9 years I ran a successful home-based business doing flowers for weddings.

But....after a while...I didn't love it anymore. I found other things I enjoyed more, and even though it was a risk, I gave up the business and decided to pursue a writing career.

So far, it's going well. But I have to say, way harder than I'd ever thought. My floral career was a piece of cake compared to this.

But there are times...like last night. Something will trigger thoughts and memories. I had a random desire to make a floral arrangement. It's still like second nature to me.

Have you switched careers? Why? Did you find success easily? Were you happier?

How do you show your Green???

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day!!!! I don't know about where you live but it's a pretty big deal around here. Everyone wears green, no matter what their background, and partakes in all kinds of debauchery! LOL

Our celebration each year includes a party at a friend's house...all kinds of fun stuff! Here are some pics from last year:

Me and my girls! (I'm on the far right!)

Me and hubby!

Being silly!

This year's party is actually tonight! Very much looking forward to it. There are custom designed t-shirts and everything. 

And I gotta post my newest release, Karma Kameleon, since the cover is green and all ;)

Ain't it sexy???

Go to my Excerpts page for the first chapter! :)

So...what do you do to celebrate St. Patty's Day???

Wanna win some GREEN??? Well, Amazon green, anyway!! $10 worth! :) All you have to do is comment below and make sure you post your email address...use "at" and "dot" in place of the symbols if you'd like to cut down on spam. Only those with valid email address can win.

For EXTRA ENTRIES, become a follower of my blog, or Tweet, Blog, or FB about the event! And for even more entries, follow me on Twitter, Click here, or on FB, Click here! Just let me know in the comment what you did! :) You can rack up a whole lotta entries for this!! And please hop around to all the other blogs in the hop! LOTS of fun prizes!!

AND all commenters are entered to win 2 RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME prizes!!  1) Winner's Choice of a KINDLE FIRE or NOOK TABLET and 2) Winner's Choice of a $90 Gift Card from Amazon or B&N.

AND...it gets even BETTER!!! The Romance Reviews is celebrating their 1st Anniversary and is giving away lots of great prizes!! Click here to answer today's trivia questions, including mine, to enter to win!

Crazy, right!??? So what are you waiting for??? Contest ends at 11:59 EST tonight.

So hop around and enter on as many blogs as you want!

Whatcha wanna know about me???

I don't know what you'd like to know, but Booked Up Reviews interviewed me over on their blog! Check it out!! And there's still time to enter to win a copy of Karma Kameleon!!

And don't forget tomorrow's St. Patty's hop!! TONS of awesome prizes!!!

My latest review for Karma Kameleon!

This review totally made my year....and it's still pretty early in 2012! Check it out here!

The part that really made me happy...didn't even so much refer to Karma Kameleon, but my writing in general. It is SOOOOOOOO what I'm trying to achieve with my career. Take a look at this quote:

I have to give 4 stars because this chick-lit novel is probably one of the best I've read. Most languish in the old format but this novel gives me hope better things are to come from this genre and this author.


And this one:

This author has serious talent and fans of chick lit will fall in love with her work. 

Like I said....totally made my year! Let's hope the rest of 2012 is just as great, if not better!! :)

Food I Love! Zucchini Pasta!

This recipe is ridiculously easy and so so good!! Great as a side dish or served alone. I like to make grilled chicken with it, rubbed with a little olive oil and then sprinkled with salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning.

This recipe is from Light n Tasty Magazine, (now Healthy Cooking Magazine) by Taste of Home.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine
• 4 cups coarsely shredded zucchini (about 3 medium)
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Cook linguine according to package directions. In a sieve or colander, drain the zucchini, squeezing to remove excess liquid. Pat dry.
• In a large nonstick skillet, saute zucchini in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until zucchini is tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper. Drain linguine; add to zucchini mixture and toss to coat. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts 3/4 cup equals 219 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 395 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1-1/2 fat, 1 vegetable.

Click here for link to website!

Come get some Green!!!!!!

Or a Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire!!!!

I'm participating in a RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME blog hop this Friday- the day before St. Patty's Day!!!! Over 120 authors are going to be telling anything they can about being Irish, celebrating the day, wearing green, drinking green beer... pretty much anything!

Each author will be giving away a prize. Like a swag pack, gift cards, ebooks, print books, and so much more.

PLUS We have TWO Grand Prizes for TWO different winners! *gasp*

Grand Prize 1: Winner's Choice of a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

Grand Prize 2: Winner's Choice of a $90 Amazon or Barnes&Noble Gift Card

Isn't that exciting? LOL. So you as a reader - what do you have to do? Well, come on over to these websites on Friday March 16th and comment on as many as you want. The grand prize winners will be chosen at random from the commenters - meaning you can comment on EACH blog - meaning 120 entries to the grand prize.

Sounds great right? Come on over and wear your green and win some prizes!!!

Click here to see the list of all participating blogs!

Happiness

I am a big supporter of being happy in life and doing what you need to do to live a happy life. Life is FAR too short to spend it miserable. Whenever I see unhappy people, I wonder why they aren't doing anything to change their situation. I've seen it many times. It makes me sad. Maybe they can't change it...maybe they don't have the energy. Who knows. But I will not live my life being unhappy.

So.....in my life, I will not deprive myself of anything. We live within our means and do what we can, but I want to make the most of our time here. We know well from experience that life can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I want no regrets.

So no...we don't have tons of cash in a savings account. We spend our money on things that make us happy. But not so much in the way of belongings. Yeah, I do like to wear nice clothes, but I am a super bargain shopper.  We like to take trips, go to the movies, go out to eat. Unfortunately, there is little that is free in this world. You can't even go to the park for free, at least not the bigger state and national parks. Even those have an admission fee.I know other people find happiness in a big fat savings account...I'm just not one of them.

I love to eat. There is just something so satisfying about a fabulous meal. Comforting. And I won't deny myself that joy so I can be super skinny. (Honestly, even if I could be, I wouldn't want to be stick-like...I like looking like a woman.) Luckily I have always had a relatively easy time staying thin. But that doesn't mean I don't gain weight. I watch what I eat. I exercise. Exercise is very important to me and so is being healthy and doing what I can to stay that way. But I splurge too. I exercise so I can eat what I want and not feel guilty about it. I'm gonna enjoy my life and part of that is enjoying what I eat. I don't splurge all the time, but the rest of the time I'm not going to be miserable either. I would be miserable on a no carb diet, so I will never do it. I try to eat things that are healthy and good for me, but things I also enjoy. I've been pretty lucky finding lots of great recipes. And again, other people may find happiness in having only 5% body fat and eating cardboardly food all day every day, but not me.

Lastly is hobbies and music and movies and all other entertainment forms. I will not avoid what makes me happy because others think it is silly or weird or not worth the time. I like what I like and I won't let anyone else's opinion stop me from enjoying how I spend my free time. I like boy bands and have seen NKOTB several times over the last few years. I am in my mid-30's a take a dance class that performs on stage during recital. I enjoy crafting and scrapbooking. I ADORE Disney World!!!! It used to really bother me when people would say "You're going there again?" Yeah....I am. And I love every minute I spend there. I'd go far more often if we could afford it.

So, my advice for today is to do what makes you happy. As long as you aren't hurting anyone else, go nuts!! It's your life. Don't let anyone make you feel like less of a person for doing what makes you happy. Leave this earth without regrets. I'm sure no one dies and says "Damn, I really took way too many vacations when I was alive."

GIVEAWAY!!!!! Win a copy of Karma Kameleon!!!!

Today I am am offering up a digital copy of Karma Kameleon, over at Booked Up! Please go check it out and enter!!!

Where has the time gone???

Today I sit here and wonder where the last 9 years of my life have gone. They've been an insane roller coaster of ups, downs, loops, freefalls (which in this instance are a good thing cause I love that freefall feeling!), pitch black holes (which I don't love)...you get what I mean.....it's been exhilarating and amazing but at times scary and stressful.

Nine years ago today is when I became a parent.

My baby girl turns 9 today. She's excited. She's getting older and bigger and more mature. She's able to do more now than when she was younger. We give her more freedoms than before. She gets to have her first ever slumber party this coming weekend. She chose a Hairspray the Movie theme...gonna be so fun! I'm looking forward to it. We'll see if I'm just as excited at 2 am when they're still awake...but for now, excited.

Part of me is sad that time is going by so fast. But other times, not. I look forward to the way our relationship will change. I know it's only going to get rougher...so not looking forward to the teen years. Trying my best to nip the little things now...things I can see being a BIG problem when she's a teen. I have dreams of a nice, sweet, well-behaved teenager who always listens and never talks back. I know I'm in La La Land here. But hey, it's worth a shot. I wasn't that bad of a teen...I don't think. I know I had my moments, but for the most part, I stayed out of trouble. I was too scared of what my parents would do and say.

So, today I will enjoy my daughter only being 9 and still wanting to hang out with us. We're going to dinner tonight. it's our bday tradition...whoever's birthday it is gets to pick where we go to dinner.

New Feature: Food I Love!

I used to have a blog dedicated to fun recipes that were tasty and good for you. I just didn't have the time to keep it up. I really love trying new recipes, and even more, sharing the really great ones with people.

So for my first Food I Love post, here is a soup I adore!! Even more so the next day for lunch!

This recipe came from Light n Tasty magazine, a Taste of Home publication.(It is now called Healthy Cooking Magazine)

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:  

2/3 cup uncooked wild rice
2/3 cup chopped onion 
2/3 cup chopped carrot 
2 tablespoons butter 
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli 
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast 
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1 cup fat-free half-and-half 

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook onion and carrot in butter for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add broccoli; cook 3-7 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. 

Drain rice if necessary; fluff with a fork. Stir chicken and rice into potato mixture; heat through. In a small bowl, combine flour and half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Nutritional facts: 1-1/4 cups equals 251 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 48 mg cholesterol, 707 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 22 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat, 1/2 fat.

Here is the link to the recipe online.

Blogging about what I want to blog about!

I have struggled since the beginning of this blog on what to actually talk about. In the beginning, I was unpublished. I blogged mainly to learn about writing, to meet other writers, share what little I knew. But that meant my blog was only interesting to a limited group of people. And that's not what I wanted. I tried to mix it up. But I worried...as I always worry...that no one cares, no one wants to read. But I really enjoy blogging.

The last 6 months to a year, my readership seems to have dropped severely. Maybe people are still reading, but they're sure not commenting. I need to check my stats and see how many visitor I still get each day, despite the very few comments.

I wish I knew what people wanted to read about.

So instead of wondering, I'm just going to blog about whatever I feel like!! LOL! I'll write about what interests me, what bugs me, what makes me laugh. I like to connect with people on all kinda of levels. That's what blogging is all about. At least for me it is.