You can't keep a good Gnome down!

What a horrible blogger I've been this month. I think I only posted four or five times total! I promise I will try to be a little more bloggy next month.

In my defense I have been editing. Even when I was complaining about editing I was editing. 

And you guys have proven, once again without a doubt, how freakin' amazing the blog world is by giving your unconditional support and wonderful words of wisdom.

When you're down in the dumps, way, way down, you really wonder why we do this to ourselves. Why we put so much effort into something just to get absolutely nowhere with it. 

But, some of you nailed it right on the head. The difference between being a writer and a successful writer is perseverance.

I can't give up on myself.

So, thanks for the ass kicking. I needed it.

***

Now, there are a bunch of blogfests coming up soon. I have some badges posted on the right if you're interested.

I get most of my info from Tara at Tara Tyler Talks and, of course, THE Ninja Captain himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh. If they don't know it's going on, it's not going on!

And don't forget Write Club has just begun! Go see DL Hammons and read some great pieces and vote for your favorites!

Awesome!

Don't forget the Insecure Writer's Support Group is tomorrow!

If I quit now...they win.

Hello, my friends.

I won't apologize for not being on the blog for over a week, cause I always tell you guys not to do that.

Family, real life, chocolate, these things always come first.

But, I will say that I missed you all very much.

There is nothing specifically wrong but I just haven't had it in me to blog or visit blogs recently.

I've let doubt and depression rule me and I know how wrong that is.

As usual, I had an wonderful idea in my head of what finishing this book was going to be like and, as usual, it isn't panning out.

I'd hand it off to a few trusted friends. They'd tell me how amazing my writing is and force me to send it out immediately to agents and publishers. I would then get email after email requesting my full manuscript. Shortly thereafter I would be fighting off offers left and right.

Is that so much to ask?

Apparently.

Instead, I'm still editing. But, I'm close to finishing my edits. Again.

And I'm hoping to get this freakin' thing off my laptop and out into the world soon.

I just wish I felt more confident about it.

So, that's my story...and I'm stickin' to it.

I'm really not telling you all this so that you will blow sunshine up my ... you know ... but just to let you know why I've been absent.

Since you guys are the most supportive peeps on the planet, I just know that you know exactly how I'm feeling and you also know that I just have to work through it until I get out the other side.

Wow, you guys know a lot!


There is a lot of stuff going on around the Blogosphere recently and I will spend a little time catching up but this is something all of us Bloggers should know about if we didn't already. From the blog of Roni Loren: Blogger Beware: You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics on Your Blog - My Story. 



If you've come back to visit me...thank you!

Ready? And...rip it to shreds!

It's okay. I know it needs work. It needs...something. It needs...you guys!

I promise not to get upset if you promise to understand if I don't use all your ideas. Deal?

***

When Maggie Maguire witnesses an SUV run down a man on Main Street she makes a split-second decision to follow him before calling the police. Her reckless actions almost get her killed and set off a chain of events unimaginable in her small town putting her family and friends in danger.

Settling in Maguire’s Corner hasn’t been easy on recently hired Police Chief Jack Munro. He knows the homicide of a mysterious resident as well as the attempted murder of the ‘town sweetheart’ isn’t a coincidence. When his investigation brings the FBI to his door he wonders how long he can hold his breath now that he’s in over his head.

Maggie’s mistrust of Jack and his methods doesn’t stop her from wanting all that muscle and heat pressed up against her whenever he’s near. After the way she’s treated Jack she’d be surprised if he didn’t toss her aside like day old coffee grounds.

Solving this case must be Jack’s number one priority but this tempting woman has awakened his buried desire to make Maggie his. Jack only hopes fortune will continue to smile his way because keeping them both alive will put all his skills to the test when a killer sets his sights on MAGUIRE’S CORNER.

We put the dumb in random.

Hello!

I hope y'all had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration!

A very sweet gentleman named Michael Pierce bestowed a blogger award on Stormy and I the other day. Thank you so much, Michael!

THE RULES:

1. Nominate 15 others for the award and inform them with a comment on each of their blogs.
2. Create a post for the Versatile Blogger Award.
3. In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
4. In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
5. In the same post, include this set of rules.

Well, 15 other bloggers seems awfully...time consuming...so, as I have before, I'm going to break the rules.


But, I'll be happy to share 7 completely random pieces of information about myself.


1. My best friend and I were roadies for an Irish band for a few weeks.
2. I had every episode of Miami Vice recorded on VHS tapes.
3. I worked for over six years at the NY Renaissance Festival.
4. My first car was a Smurf blue Dodge Shadow. Loved that car.
5. I worked in the cafeteria of a nuclear facility that made radioactive medicine.
6. I sprained my ankle in three inch heels.
7. I hate driving in tunnels.


Stuff you needed to know, right?

I have an old list posted from March 2011 if you need another seven crazy random facts about me.



As for Stormy, well, you'll have to ask him!

It's so gratifying that you want to know more about little old me. Because, as most of you know, I am totally awesome!

1. I'm 13 1/2 inches tall.
2. I'm not a morning gnome.
3. My hat is 3 inches from tip to brim.
4. I don't like wicker lawn furniture.
5. I like watching Cops.
6. Favorite band? Men Without Hats.
7. Rabbits scare me. Really.


He's not afraid to share that's for sure. :)


Have a nice holiday? See any fireworks or parades? Yummiest food you had?

Want to read the beginnings of my query for Maguire's Corner? I might post it this week if anyone wants to rip it to shreds.

IWSG - July 4th Edition!

Happy 4th of July to all of us American folk.

Of course, according to most historians, the vote for independence was on the 2nd of July and the paperwork was sent out and dated the 4th.

Those same historians said the Declaration itself wasn't even signed until August 2nd.

But, who are we to try and be accurate?

That's like saying Columbus didn't discover America, he just ran into it by accident with his rental ship.

But, I hope you all have a nice holiday.

***

So....Insecure Writer's Support Group. Today. Going on right now. At this time. Currently. Huh.

I'm sort of...MEH...about writing.
You know, MEH?
Indifferent. Bored. Lackluster. Uninterested.

Each morning I come out to the laptop to work on my edits but I never seem to get much done. It never seems to go anywhere. I never seem to make a dent.

I may be in the fourth stage of the Five Stages of Writing Grief that I've heard about but never applied to myself before.

Denial
Anger 
Bargaining
Depression 
Acceptance

Technically, in order to start with Denial I should have received bad news about my book. Which, really, I didn't. I got positive feedback and lots of constructive criticism. So says my head.

But, I think my heart took it another way. I think it said, "You don't think it's perfect just as it is?"

Then Anger. The story is good. It's fine. It doesn't need changing.

As I was reading the edit comments I probably hit Bargaining and Depression at the same time. Sure, I guess I could make these changes, even though I don't really want to.

Depression. Like I need more of that.

I'm hoping that Acceptance is right around the corner cause I don't want to be depressed about my book anymore.

I like this book. I think it's good. I think it rocks.

I want other people to read it, not just my peeps. I want you guys to read it. I want strangers to read it. I want aliens from other planets to read it.

I don't know why. I just do.

I better go find my Big Girl Panties and put them on and finish these stupid edits so I can get on with the next stages of publishing.

Ever experience these writing stages?

How will you celebrate America's Independence Day?