Melani Blazer

While I upgrade the Itunes on my ‘puter, I thought I’d blog. Something I always just forget I should do. Of course, upgrading the Itunes reminds me I should re-synch my ipod. I’ve got some Hinder and Kenny Wayne Shephard that need to be added for sure. And the new AC/DC cd would work well on there. Maybe another day.

I’m upgrading ‘cuz I tried to buy an episode of LEVERAGE (TNT.tv) and it said I had to. *eyeroll* I missed this past week’s show b/c of the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, but would like to see it before it’s on again. Strange, but unlike Shan, I can read a series out of order, but if I’m watching a TV series, I can’t miss one–or see it out of sequence, or it really messes with the brain. It actually appears there’s more episodes available at Itunes than have been “on”. Oh, the temptation.

I’m not a TV person. I really dislike reality shows. I know ya’ll are cringing when I say I can’t do American Idol or Survivor or any of those other shows. I don’t normally do weekly shows either. It’s too much commitment. And I’ve been burnt a few times by the networks. A coupla years ago I was really getting into Blood Ties (loved the cast, too), and then it was dropped. I had to watch one final episode and then the finale on the computer, for God’s sake. How awful is that? And it left on a series hang. Forever to stay that way. I’m seriously worried the same will happen with Leverage. At least I’m seeing good reviews.

In case you haven’t seen or heard of it, check out TNT.TV. In a nutshell, it’s a group of bad guys who are now working together to reign in even bigger, badder guys. I like that it’s not a cops show (aren’t there enough of those in the commercials alone to satisfy one’s appetite?)–but one above–or more like–below the law. Plus, as a writer I pay closer-than-usual attention to characterization. I really like these characters, both the casting and how ‘real’ these characters have been written. Okay, they’re not paying me to pimp the show, so enough. Plus, I think my download of Itunes 8.whatever is done, so I’m off to watch.

Damn is it cold out there. Like much of the midwest, we’re below freezing. It’s not Minnesota (HI WAX) but frankly, they can keep the -40. We’re nearly there with windchill and damn, brrrrr.
Since we’re also in Lake Effect land, we’ve got plenty of snow to make this feel like the first real winter in years (the way I remember winters being when I was a kid!).

Anyway, time’s flying. Work’s keeping me busy–the “real” job. Right now Barrett-Jackson car auction is on, gluing me to the TV. I even missed LEVERAGE, but it’s available on the website for TNT, so I’ll so be watching then when I get a free hour or so. (Who doesn’t see that happening?) I’m not a big TV watcher, but I’m liking the twists in LEVERAGE. And the characters.

I’m writing when I can, mainly doing a rewrite of an older book that is dear to my heart. Because the story is “there” (the ending needs an overhaul, but I’m only 7K in, so let’s not worry that fact, k?) I’m finding it generally easy, as far as that can go.

I’m outta here, off to brave the crunchy white world out there. Ya’ll be safe and stay warm!

A new date to write (and remember to write…I’ll be in 2008 until about mid-February). A new calendar to….crap, forgot a calendar for my office. What could replace a Pirates calendar? Must start shopping on that regard… Anyway, it’s that resolution time again, and yes, I heard you groan and will do it with you any time I hear that word.

Now, I’ve had resolutions in the past. Some, writing related, have been easier to maintain, at least for longer periods of time. So I’m not going to bother with the vow to work out or eat healthy cuz you all know damn good and well the first time someone says “Let’s have McDonalds,” dude, I’m there.

Because I have been lax here at the blog, especially in keeping my captive audience of two up to date on what’s going on with me, I am going to make an effort to come in and say HI once in a while.

Here’s what I managed to do with 2008. Um….

I learned a lot about kitchen remodeling and FINALLY, Fin-A-Leeeeeeee am on the final step, which is countertop installation. We’re waiting on the contractor to give us the scary dollar amount, then I throw up, then I write a check and then he comes and cusses, grunts, hammers, drills and all those wonderful things contractors do while working, and then I cry when I finally see the entire project completed. (Well, there will be little things like some ceiling trim, etc, but OMG it’ll be working kitchen with a SINK and a COUNTER!!!)

I reviewed, slightly edited and submitted a novellette (slightly smaller than a novella-length?) to Samhain and am waiting on my editor, dear Angela James to ask me what the hell I was drinking when I wrote it.

I wrote, by hand, a Nascar themed book. It’s still mostly on paper in really bad handwriting. A goal for early 2009 is to type it in, editing as I go, then let it brew for a little while, reread and edit it again and then torture Angie @ Samhain with it, too. It’s got some of the characters from Trophy Girl in it, but the sexual level is not even close. Apparently these characters didn’t take notes from Molly and Zander about how to get it on in a car hauler… But I guess not every book needs copious amounts of sex, right?

I added a few thousands words to several other books I have in progress. Mainly a vampire story I can’t manage to get into for long periods of time because it really messes with my moods. Also toyed with a humorous witch story, one I really love and want to finish, but the plot hasn’t all fallen together in my head so I can’t.

Just last week I did something I’ve talked about doing for a long, long time and that’s revise a book I submitted to Silhouette Intimate Moments (that ages it, eh?). It’s not THE story of my heart, but a damn close second, I think. It was ultimately given a personal rejection by the then-executive editor of the line. I think 7-8 years of learning and growing as an author will help me figure out what I didn’t know then and “fix” the things that made this come back to me rather than sell. Who knows what I’ll do with it then. Not sure the original length or heat level will remain. I’m excited about it, and despite one of my friends looking at me like I’d grown 8 heads, am up for the task of rewriting.

Oh, yeah. the other thing I wanted to torture you all with, if you’re even still with me after my babbling-ness. CLICK HERE and you can thank me later.

Life’s been hectic, but we’re healthy, happy (although frustration hits from time to time) and when we look at the big picture, have little to complain about.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. I hope your holiday is full of love, smiles and is filled with the message of the season. I also hope Santa brought you everything your heart desired.

With love,
Mel

I had the thought of firing off a quickie post to let anyone who stops by to know I’m still here, not buried under my kitchen cabinets or hastened away to the funny farm. But this will be shorter than intended because I so haphazardly clicked on the upgrade button and… it ate time. Can you believe it? Now I gotta run.

Speaking of farm…it is one..maybe a zoo…around here. With all the other crap going on, I’m also bottle feeding two baby squirrels. We’ve had some touch and go moments, because one of them likes to inhale his milk and aspirate it. Quite bad for the lungs, but he seems to have gotten over his lethargic state and is eager and climbing and has a helluva appetite. We have all intentions of letting them go into the wild once they’re old enough. I’m hearing 12 weeks. We’re estimating them between 7-8 weeks old now.

Hubby’s back to classes, the kidlets back to school. Me? Just work as usual. Trying to keep ahead of laundry and finding time to write every…single…day. Because I insist on it.

So that’s me. How you doing?

Today, I’m at work, lunch hour blogging, how’s that?

I’m a bit envious of all those at RWA, except for those little twitter excerpts I’ve seen about the frigid temps (no, I haven’t caved to temptation, I’ve simply read Angie’s sidebar). While you’re visiting Angie, the Executive Editor at Samhain Publishing, please take a look at what Mandy, Jaci, Shan and I have found while perusing the boxes and files in and around her blog. OMY!!! There’s more to come, too. You wouldn’t believe what else we’ve found, but we’re debating when to unveil it. We’ve got to see how the world reacts to the news about her evilness to see if they can HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Anyway, in between working, being envious of conference goers, writing and digging through Angie’s basement, I’m visiting the workshops some really grand and talented people are putting on this week.

Here’s some people I know and have visited already, but there are many more, and I’m intending on bookmarking them in the least so I can hone my craft, learn and grow as an author. That’s what it’s all about, right?
Jaci Burton- Work shop entitled the Anatomy of Sex. Whoo hoo! Hot topic, indeed, but OMG is she spot on!
Shannon Stacey- Work shop entitled “When only the Right Word Will Do” about punching up those first drafts. Great topic!!!
Emma Wayne Porter She’s hitting the self editing issues, which is SOOOO important, and one of the least FUN parts of writing.
Mandy Roth–is doing a neat bit on covers. She’s such a talent with graphics. I love her stuff!

All three of these hit on really important aspects of the writing craft–and I can’t wait to dig in and see the topics of all the other workshops. I’m sure there’s stuff for all writers, from beginners to the experts. After all, this is a “job” in which you can never stop learning and bettering yourself!

Now, back to Angie’s box of photos, bwahahahahahahahahha

The kitchen is still….not a kitchen. Since everyone who’s working on it also holds a regular job that’s not necessarily only 8 hrs per day, I understand we’re going to be doing this for awhile.

Saturday? Killed down at the local garage, bs’ing and hanging out with the guys (I tagged along with the hubby, but I consider them my friends too). The Chevelle’s up on the lift, getting a new gas tanks and some suspension work, so there was some fiddling with that. The garage owner has a similar Chevelle (year older, much more radical) and he did a number on his U-joint, so there was much discussion over how and why and then often four or five of them stood around attempting to fix it. Yeah, it got done.

Did anything get done in the house? er, no. Nascar race came on soon after we got home. I wished I could have gone to Chicagoland. It’s a fun track. I think Kyle Busch wants to break every record in one year. Gibbs and Toyota have got to be proud of him. (And Shan’s short-kid, too)

Sunday we got up and decided to head a coupla counties over to see the over-the-water Air show. Cuz you know, we didn’t get enough of the FA18 on July 4th. It was awesome, the weather was perfect, a great breeze, crisp visibility (I never realized how clearly you can make out the Chicagoland skyline from there) and of course, some excellent performers. Nothing got done in the kitchen again, but hey, the show was free save gas and optional $6 parking, so….not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

Now the hubby’s gotten himself selected for jury duty, despite being taken off work for ripped ligaments in his shoulder. Which means, of course, he can’t work on the kitchen by himself anyway, at least anything that’d require use of his right arm. (He’s been measuring and computing, marking studs, mocking out where electrical boxes and switches will go, just basics, but hey, it’s all gotta get done, right?)

Sigh, and I’m trying to write. I’m really loving the story I’m doing. I forgot how much I love writing a NASCAR themed story. Some (a lot) of the characters from Trophy Girl are in this one, but I’m not finding the heat level as the last one. Hope that doesn’t disappoint too many people. Sometimes forcing sex on the characters would ruin the story. This is one in which I believe that. Their issues and challenges are way beyond lust, though don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of wishful thinking…

Off to do something useful, like type in the 30+ handwritten pages I’ve done. At least my wrist has gotten a workout!

Actually, it began over a month ago when plans fell into place to remodel the kitchen. We hadn’t planned on it, at least in 2008, but here we are.

Today, the remainder of the cabinets (I’d lost upper cabinets and have been living out of rubbermaid totes for the last month or so) went buh-bye. That means my sink did to. As did many outlets.
Oh, and drywall, yeah, we’ve got exposed studs, capped off has and water piping and…that’s about it, along one wall of the kitchen.

It’s going to make it interesting to survive. I’ll see if I can take a pic or two or three and post the progress. On the hope and prayer that progress is made VERY, VERY soon.

I’m off to shop vac up the dust and take any/all exposed dishes to the bathtub for a wash, er, bath.

Oh, oh! I’ve no stove either, btw…and it appears I’ll have to unplug the fridge in order to run the microwave. Welcome to hell.

This is been hashed and rehashed and probably little more than a bunch of hash, but I’ve been hard pressed to find a blog topic that wasn’t just journal entries of my less than exciting life lately. Still in the middle of kitchen work–which has multiplied into more work. Then there’s my normal “fun at the day job” saga, which has moments of soap opera drama. It’s summer, we’re doing outside things, have a stray cat who adopted us and of course, me trying to write in the down time. (go ahead, laugh at me)…

What I wanted to compare, after stepping back a few days and then studying it with a realistic approach, was how a pair of movies were marketed and how that affects the reaction and/or appeal. My husband (love you, honey) really helped me realize the truth to this via a very unscientific approach. And I’ve said out loud several times since… if these were books, things would be so different…
(more…)

This weekend we helped some friends totally obliterate their kitchen. Okay, so things were neatly and methodically removed, until it came to the ceramic tile floor, cuz, well, it just ain’t gonna happen anything like neat and methodical….

Good company, some really good burgers and a lot of laughs helped make all that manual labor seem slight. We loaded up a whole kitchen’s worth of cabinets and now have them stored in my garage, basement, living room…..go figure. Meant I got very little writing done those two days, but I’ll just figure the experience is worth writing about at some point…eventually. Right?

I just added a cool pal, Rhonda McKey to my blog lineup. She’s a brilliant writer and I’m convinced we’ll soon be enjoying her books right off the shelf in Border and B&N.

Not sure I’ve got much else to report. I can’t believe it’s darn near the end of May. We were hoping to hit the Indy 500 again this year, but doesn’t look like we can spare the expense, considering the next kitchen to be taken down to bare walls and sub-floors will be mine.

Okay, off to write while I have a little time. Ciao!