Friday's at the Piedmont Grille

Good Morning gentle readers. Today is just a short post and not all that well put together, but I need to get back into the blog world and I can't just sit around and mope all day.

I recieved a few awards last week and I'd like to share them. I received the A is for Awesome Award from VR Barkowski.
I would like to pass this on to some new buddies of mine.

Terry Towery at A Writer of Wrongs

Bish Denham at Random Thoughts.

Roland Yeomans at Writing in the Crosshairs

Amy at She Writes

Christi at a Torch in the Tempest

So congratulations to everyone.

And hey, did you hear Talli Rowland is going to be published. She signed with a company over in the UK the day before yesterday! So a big round of applause for Talli!!! **applause applause** I can't wait for her book THE HATING GAME to come out.

I'll be posting more awards over the weekend so keep a look out. Have a great Friday!

Something - Something

Here is the excerpt I didn't post last week. The set-up: Uncle Sally has just taken Genna to his 'surprise', a restaurant that would be perfect for her.

Rated PG 13...


*****

Sorry, this post has been removed by the author.

It's Monday Again

Good Morning gentle readers. Let me thank you once again for your condolences on the loss of my beloved dog. You guys are awesomesauce and I love you all. Here is a *GREAT BIG FAT HUG* for each and every one of you.

This post is going to be short and sweet because I'm not really up to blogging. My head is still in a fog but I wanted to let you know I'm felling a little better now, I've been reading your posts but not commenting. Congratulations to all the winners of awards and contests while I've been away. Go YOU!

I've also recieved some awards and did win a contest too, but I'm going to save all that for my regular 'Friday's at the Piedmont Grille' post.

I'm also going to post the excerpt from REMEMBERING YOU that I didn't post last week so be sure to come around on Thursday to find out why Uncle Sally hates Nana Rocco. Next week I think I'm going to post the excerpt from Tony's POV the night they first met, so if you've a mind, or a calender handy, mark it down.

That's all for now, thanks for sticking by me when the chips were down, and speaking of chips, I think next week I'm going to have my birthday bash and you all can guess how old I really am. Have a lovely week.

Thank You Everyone

I just want to say Thank You to Everyone who helped me through my horrible birthday.

Your condolences and birthday wishes let me know just how much I love you and you love me. Even though we've never met, you guys are the best people I know. I cherish each and every one of you.

Life as I know it will never be the same without her, but it will go on and the pain will lessen. This I know is true.

I don't know when I'll be back. I can't really seem to concentrate on too much at the moment, thinking wise, that is, so Genna & Tony and all my plans for that seem to be on the back burner for now. I'm hoping I'll snap out of this by next week sometime.

I hope you all celebrated Earth Day by planting something green. Or recycling, reducing or reusing something. If there's one thing we can all do, it's to be kinder to Mother Earth. She's the only one we have.

I love you all and miss you much. Don't all go get agents on me while I'm gone. I'd hate to miss the party.

She's an Old Dog

My dearest friends, I know that I have been going on and on about my birthday and I have loved every minute of your sending me those great wishes. I wished a lot of things for myself...

But, I've had to make a very painful but realistic decision within these last few days. I have to put my dog down. I don't want to, God knows how much I don't want to, we've been through quite a lot together she and I.

I hand fed her when she was just 10 hours old and her mother walked away from her. We lived in a teeny tiny little camp trailer back then, in the mountains of Nevada with cattle and coyotes for company. She protected my back from every harm and I protected hers.

She played tennis with a vengeance, Andre Agassi would have been proud, she loved swimming in the ocean even when it was 30 degrees and she slept at the foot of my bed every single night. We crossed the country twice, moved 8 times, and she never once complained. As long as she had me and a tennis ball, all was right with her world.

After a fashion, she even got used to sharing me with Monster Baby.

But now I have to say good-bye. My heart is breaking again. I've said good-bye before to pets I've loved but every time I have to do this it gets harder and harder. Every time I have to do this I say I'll never get another one. But I do.

I busted my balls and my shoulder building the fence for her, so she could have her acre to run in, to play bally in, to be able to roam around and not be tied. And now it's too late. She just can't walk anymore. I have to carry her up and down the stairs. It's time. And I don't want it to be.

I'm sorry I won't be able to post the next excerpt from Genna & Tony. I know you all understand. I won't be around much, even though I said I was going to take a break, and I said I would sneak in and out, I don't even think I'll be up to that. I was going to pretend like everything was all right and just go around with a shiny happy face but I can't. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I don't know if you can see it or not but it's broken. This hurts just too damn much.

So, I'll see you when I see you. Truthfully, I don't know when that will be.

Wishes

As it is my birthday week, I found this and I'd like to share it with you.


You are never given a wish
without also being given
the power to make it true.

You may have to work for it,
however.



Richard Bach
Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

The Mama's and the Papa's

Good morning gentle readers. You may wonder about the topic of today's post, well it's really nothing. I've had their song "Monday, Monday" in my head all weekend thinking about what I was going to post today. I have some delicious news but first I want to get on with other business.

I'd like to say, thank you all so much for allowing me to pass the 100 followers mark. As you know I don't refer to you as followers, I refer to you as friends because I'm not a cult. I'd like to, therefore, welcome these new friends with a big fat Piedmont Writer Welcome: Tricia, Rena, Laura, Angie, Ann, the duo of Lisa & Laura, Stephen, Elliot and Lynn. I've got a buffet in the dining room set-up, so grab a gnosh and something to drink. The weather is beautiful by the mid-afternoon here so the pool is open. Bathing suits are advised because Monster Baby is only 5 and I don't want to have to explain to her about 'jiggly parts.' Especially mine.

As I was cruising around the blogosphere this weekend I found these posts and I'm sharing them with you because I just think they're totally awesome and you should read them.

Shelley Sly at Stories in the Ordinary shares with us "What Non-Writers Should Know About Writers" so you can send this to your non-writer friends when they ask you about your book.

Stina Lindenblatt has some very cool links to some very awesome posts I think we should all take a look at. Make sure you spend some time at Andrew's place, he's brilliant.

Speaking of Stina, she and her other friend Steena have joined forces and are going to have a contest. You can find Stina, hereand Steena hereto find out all the details.

And if you want to read the start of an unbelievable story go see Terry Towery at A Writer of Wrongs. Holy Crap Batman, this will grip you right to the edge of your chair. The writing is superb and heart stopping but there is peanut butter and that is quite funny. Or at least I thought so. But please go check him out and tell him Piedmont sent you.

Anne R. Allen had an amazing post about dialogue which you can find here, and Roni from Fiction Groupie had one as well (last Friday but I didn't read it until Sunday night. Better late than never eh?)

Now if the links don't work, please go anyway, you won't be disappointed.

I know you're all dying to know this, so I'll tell you, the fence posts are all in and cemented! Ta Da! Now I just have to hang 200 feet of horse fence and we will be well on our way to having four dogs. I'm going to take my mother's dog. She's too young for them and needs a LOT of space to run. They're not running people.

As you all know, this is my birthday week. The official day isn't until Thursday. On Earth Day. If you haven't gotten your official "My Blog is Carbon Neutral" green stamp, please go here now and do it. I love trees and want the world to be full of them. This is my wish on my birthday cake candles. We must try and get our poor Mother Earth back to her old self, the volcano in Iceland is just one of the numerous things she's telling us that if we don't try and fix what we've done, Monster Baby, and all your babies, won't have anyplace to play in ten years. And that is just not acceptable to me. I wasn't born on Earth Day for nothing.

Also, as this is my birthday week, and my birthday lands on Thursday, I'm torn between posting a birthday post or my regular Genna & Tony post. I'm sure you all want to know what happens between Genna and Uncle Sally. Perhaps I will do both.

Speaking of which, this Saturday my lovely friend Lulu, graciously offered to take Monster Baby to the school fair for me as I was not feeling up to being around 1000 children. I had a lovely time by myself. I scrubbed the kitchen floor, vacuumed the whole house, took a nap because I could, then sat down and wrote Tony's backstory. Let me tell you what, I am a freaking genius! I had no idea when I started this book what Tony was all about. Truthfully I didn't care because it was more or less Genna's story and her coming home to face her demons of the past.

I don't know why I wrote this, it is the story of their first meeting at the club, the night her parents' die, but told from his POV. Did I mention I was a genius? Boy howdy, just that scene makes me want to change the whole book around and put his POV in it. I don't think I will though. I have another idea for it.

Perhaps next week I will post it for you.

I've been thinking about taking a break. I know, I know, the last time I took one I couldn't stay away from the blog-world because, quite frankly, you guys are totally awesomesauce and I'm a bit of a nosey-body and want to know everything that's going on. But I really have to get REMEMBERING YOU quite finished before Monster Baby is out of school so I can revise it over the summer. I will still post Genna & Tony tid-bits on Thursday because if I don't, several people will hunt me down, but as for the rest of the week, no, not so much. Maybe Monday, Maybe Friday but definitely not Tues & Weds. Also, I won't be commenting as much. I know I feel badly with all my new friends, I so want to hang out with you guys but I've really got to get this finished and if not now when. So if you don't see me, you'll know why. But that doesn't mean I don't still love you. And if I play my cards right and write like crazy, maybe I can get it finished in 5 weeks and play with you for the rest of the summer.

Any-hoo, that's all the news I have. Go check out those linky's, you won't be disappointed. Go get your green stamp, I mean it. And have a lovely, lovely Monday.

Friday's at the Piedmont Grille

Good morning gentle readers. Today is very short and very laid back.

Julie Dao at Silver Lining is having a contest for reaching 200! Yay. Congratulations.

Matthew Rush is hosting guest blogger Rachele Alpine from Freckle Head today. Check it out.

It must be a banner week or something; I hit 100 friends, Shelley Sly and Elaine Smith did too. Anybody else? I know there is I just can't think. It's too early without caffeine.

I'd like to say Thank You and Welcome to Zoe, Paul, Bish, Shannon, MT, Christa, and Meghan. Thanks for filling out my little faces box. I've got a buffet set up in the dining room and the pool is officially open, however bathing suits are required.

I told you this was going to be short. Have a lovely weekend everyone. Be safe and watch out for those thunderstorms.

Something-Something

Here's the set-up. It's the day after Genna's party at the bar where she sees Tony and they talk and he may or may not cry. If you remember, Uncle Sally was upstairs in his office when she returned and they had a little conversation. He told her he had a surprise for her. Here's the surprise...

Disclaimer -- I think this one's tame enough I don't need a disclaimer. Sorry Sarah, sorry Hannah. Hey, how about PG 13?

Also, don't forget it will only be posted for two days. And this still is a first draft.


********

Sorry this post was removed by the author.

New Stats, Award, & Going Green

Okay, so I retallied the stats from my question about Tony crying because I went to bed before I received all my answers.

Five men total responded:
Two said he would cry then.
Two said he wouldn't cry at all.
One said he would cry later in private.

Twenty-three women responded.
Three and a half said he would cry then.
Eleven said he wouldn't cry at all.
One half said he would cry later.
Five said he would have a little tear but not a whole big scene.
Three of the eleven women who said he wouldn't cry, said he would be emotional instead. yelling, raging, beating something up.

So, definately interesting results.

I also recieved an award this week.
This little beauty was from Laurel at Laurel's Leaves. Thank you Laurel.

I'll pass this on to

Hannah -- Who used to be Musings of a Palindrome, but then changed it to just Palindrome and I think now goes by P. Like P. Diddy, Only now, I think it's P. Drome.

Donna Hosie -- at Musings of a Penniles Writer

Susan Fields -- at Susan Fields Writer.

and Crystal Cook at Write Because You Must.

If you haven't been to check these cool cats out, do so now. Fantastic, each and every one of them.

Lastly, if you haven't gotten your OFFICIAL green stamp you should. I should have done it right away considering I was born on Earth Day (Or rather Earth Day was founded on my birthday) and I am an actual hippie, born yes, waaaayyyyyy back then. (But you'd never guess I was soooo old because I am soooo beautiful and you can tell this from my teeny tiny little picture...LOLOLOLOLOLOL)

Any-hoo, if you haven't done it yet, go now! Stamp out your carbon footprint. And believe me, I'll find out if you haven't and hound you until you do. I wasn't born on Earth Day for nothing. Go HERE to the official website.

Have a fabulous Humpday!

My Blog is Carbon Neutral

I've seen this going around the blogosphere and now it's your turn to help. There's too much carbon when we use our blogs. So, for every post that goes up like this, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree to stamp out your carbon imprint. (I also have 86 houseplants so I'm helping a little bit more.) Please join in this fabulous idea and get your OFFICIAL green stamp today. Go to this website to check out what they're doing.

According to a study by Harvard University, an average website causes about 0.02g (0,0008oz.) of carbon dioxide for each visit. Assuming an average blog gets 15,000 visits a month, it has yearly carbon dioxide emissions of 3,6kg (8lb.).

How much CO2 can a tree absorb? The answer varies, but the assumed values vary between 10 and 30kg (20 and 70lb.) for a tree each year.

One tree neutralises the carbon dioxide emissions of your blog.

Here’s how you can participate!

Just write a short blog post about our program “My blog is carbon neutral” and include one of the buttons on your site (ideally in the sidebar). Send the link to your blog to CO2-neutral@kaufda.de and we plant a tree for you, neutralising the carbon dioxide emissions of your blog. The trees will be planted in the spring of 2010 by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Isn't that great? So go do it right now. We all need more trees in our lives!!!

To Cry or Not to Cry

Good morning. Thanks to all of you who did my unofficial poll yesterday about whether I should make Tony cry in my current work in progress. The stats are (as of 7:16 pm last night)

Out of 20 women and 3 men --

Two men said yes, make him cry.
One man said no, don't do it in front of her, make him cry later after he thinks about it.

Two and a half women said make him cry.
Ten women said don't make him cry at all.
One half a woman said make him cry later.
Four women said make his eyes water and lip quiver.

Three women said to do what I think is best as the writer.

So...I will have to take another gander at the scene and see what I can do. Some of the women think he should 'rage at the machine' however, they are stuck in a 1966 Ford Shelby in the rain, so I can't really have him beating up anything. Hmmm....

But thank you for all your opinions.

On to other news, I have some new followers I'd like to give a warm Piedmont Writer welcome to: Creepy Query Girl, Jayne, Al, Courtney Barr, Courtney Reese, Amy Jo, Paul C. Meghan and Stina. The buffet is in the dining room, help yourself to breakfast, coffee, there should be some chocolate somewhere. The pool is open but bathing suits are required.

I'd also like to say, I'm coming up to 100 'friends' and I am deliriously tickled pink. I never in a bazillion years ever thought I'd reach this milestone and as it's coming on the heels of my birthday, it is the best birthday month of my life thus far. I would like to say I'm going to have a wild, wacky and fantastically fun contest, but I can't. I have no extra money for fun books or prizes, believe me I really wish I did. I have the best contest ever in my head. But maybe, just maybe, I'll hold onto the contest idea and do it again when I have the moolah.

I'd also like to say thank you to each and every one of you for hanging out with me in the blogsphere, it's a delight and a blessing that I can call each and every one of you my friend. And even though we've never met, I feel a bond with you for we are all on this glorious quest together. Other people in the real world may think we're crazy for having this dream but that's what makes you all so special. We're there for each other through the good, the bad and the ugly.

I so wish I could have you all over for dinner, a nice cook-out with steaks and chicken, salads of all kinds, lemonade and iced tea, a fire in the fire-pit and the twinkle lights on in the trees. If I were only a millionaire...

Calling All Men

Good morning gentle readers. Do you like my new lay-out? I thought it was highly appropriate since I'm a certified Coppertone Beach Baby. I only found it the other day and said, "Oh yes, this one is mine." I need to find an audio of a fog horn or ocean song to play while you read and then I'll be all set.

So onto other news. After my very unusual post on Saturday, Sunday I could barely move. I have to remember I'm not as young as I used to be and I can't do all the things that I used to. And that's so sad because I still think of myself as 32. Which I'm not. And with the birthday coming in 2 weeks, I'm reminded how old I will be and I don't want to be. You're only as young as you feel. Yesterday I felt 105. Today, maybe in my early 60's. Tomorrow, hopefully, I'll be good as new.

Also, it was brought to my attention thrice, that I need to show pictures of all my hard work however I don't have a digital camera. Hopefully the birthday fairy will buy me one. We'll see what happens.

Any-hoo, it was also brought to my attention that Tony (my character from REMEMBERING YOU) would not cry in front of Genna when she tells him all she needed to tell him. I maintain,
1) Tony is Italian, and as we have all watched the Godfather numerous times, Italian men DO cry,
and 2) I think Tony would cry anyway just from the sheer exhaustion of finally relieving himself from the burden of carrying all that guilt around for the last ten years.

So, MEN, tell me, (and for those of you who haven't been following the entire story, I'll break it down for you) -- Your high school girlfriend whom you SAY you love more than life goes to Italy for a college graduation present for 6 weeks and when she comes back she finds out you've married someone else (because you're stupid and married this other girl for her money) and she (girlfriend) runs away for ten years. She finally comes back and you have the opportunity to tell her why you did what you did. You empty your heart and tell her everything, all your insecurities back then, your dreams, your love, and why you married this other woman (only for the money). And what happened to this other woman, she died of breast cancer. Would you cry when you told her?

After you tell her, she (ex-girlfriend) drops a bomb on you, saying she was pregnant when she ran away. You ask what happened to the baby, she tells you, "It didn't make it, just like us." Would you cry?

I know this isn't the best set-up and I'm sorry, I'm not going to re-run the scene (because I'm paranoid that way) but dig deep and think about it. Being stupid in our teenage years can cause untold grief and heartache (I know I've had my share but I'm a girl. I cry all the time.) Would you sob uncontrollably or would you let tears trickle down your face or your throat feel like you've swallowed acid? Be honest, I won't hold it against you. I happen to like men who cry. Makes them more human.

And okay, the women can chime in on this too. Do you think Tony should bawl like a baby, or be a man and suck it up?


I also have to start Act 2. I need to find something to post for Thursday. In Act 2 we find out a little bit more of Fortuna's illness, and Sally's surprise. We still have to deal with Angie's hysteria and Nana Rocco's bombshell (which you guys don't know about yet) and the working up to the 4th of July party. How much fun is that going to be? Oh and Genna meets a new man, actually an old friend from the neighborhood...what will happen at the Beach Bar I wonder????

If you don't hear from me over the course of the next couple of days, you'll know what I'm doing. However, you know how much I love you and can't stay away so I'll probably be around. Have a lovely week.

Unusual Saturday

This is an unusual Saturday post but I just had to say:

I read some amazing blogs this morning for the murder blogfest. Go check them out. You'll be quite surprised what evil lurks in our friends' minds.

I dug two more holes for the fence posts.

I collected more rocks for the french drain.

I weed-wacked 3/4 of the yard until the batteries ran out.

I mowed the whole thing. An acre including the puppy pen.

Two loads of laundry, hung out on the line.

Emptied and loaded the dishwasher.

I AM DONE! Tomorrow I get to dig the remaining holes - 3 - for the fence and go get the cement. Monday, I have a dentist appointment so I'm not doing anything after that. Tuesday I may do the cement. Weds & Thurs I hope to be ready to hang the fence. 200 feet of horse wire. It'll be purdy when it's done.

I'm going to take a nap. By the way, it's 5:21pm. I think I put in enough time today. I started at 9:30. Have a lovely rest of the weekend.

Oh, P.S. I came up with a few new ideas for Genna & Tony while I was digging the holes. I'm too tired to write them down though. Let's hope I remember.

Friday's at the Piedmont Grille

We've a lot of material to cover today gentle readers, so let's get on with it shall we.

We had a new batch of tornadoes whip through last night and unfortunately these were a little closer to home. Actually a LOT closer to home. One cell whipped right over us before I even had a chance to turn on the tv and find out if we should go down to the basement bathroom. By the time I got to the tv (I was writing this blog post) it was gone. I've never seen anything move so fast. They said the cell carried 50 mph winds and I believe it. My trees are still standing but alas, my plants on the deck were blown to smithereens.

On to the next.

Lola, dearest LOLA, is having a contest because she can. You can go here to find out all about it.

Andrew at The Write Runneris hosting a BAD GIRLS blogfest so go check that out. Go ahead, I know you want to.

Don't forget the lovely Susan Fields is hosting a contest for hitting 100.

And Roxy is rocking steady with her own contest here.

I also want to say, I haven't heard anything from my partial yet, or my other 7 queries that are still out. I know some of the agents say that if you don't hear from them in a few weeks, they're not interested. However, none of those agents who are still holding on to my query and pages had that on their website, so I'll just chalk it up to them being really really busy.

I also wanted to say, check out Sarah's post on revisions yesterday at Falen Formulates Fiction. It's way cool and she's got pics!

Now, on to the important stuff... For those of you who read my excerpt yesterday, I was taken aback by how many said they wanted Tony to ask about the baby right away. I was holding on to that information until Genna dropped the bomb at the fourth of July party. However, as my readers are always right, and I don't want to disappoint them, I changed it. So here for your viewing pleasure is the tiny little change.

*******

She felt sorry for him but she lent no sympathetic gesture, gave no sign of acknowledgement. She had cried enough over the last ten years to last a lifetime. Now she felt it was his turn. Let him feel the loss and the pain. Let him know what she had been dealing with this last decade. She felt it was only right.

When his sobs quieted, he wiped his face with both his hands.

“What happened to the baby?” His voice was barely audible over the rain on the roof of the car.

“The baby didn’t make it Tony, just like us.”

“Oh Genna, I’m so sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I knew Debbie manipulated me but I had no idea what she did to you. Truly, I didn’t. If I had…”

“Yes, well if you had, I’m sure we wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation.” Genna looked out the fogged window and wiped it with her arm.

*********

Now, I hope that appeals to everyone because full disclosure won't happen until the fourth of July party. Or should I say, after the fourth of July party.

I've also finished the scene between Genna and Nana Rocco. Big surprise! BIG surprise! I've only got one more setting to write but that should be more or less easy peasy. It's written in the paper pad so I just have to transfer it to Word. Hopefully, I'll be done with 21k under my belt. Yay. Then on to Act 2. More drama.

As to the fence, I shall be working on that this weekend. The weather finally broke, down to the 70's. I had such a bad case of sun poisoning from last weekend I didn't dare go out this week to finish. I've also gotten half the dirt moved, half the hole filled, and half the yard in complete disarray. We shall be working hard this weekend. I so need a man. But only for yard work.

And so gentle readers, another edition of the Grille closes with my hope for a lovely weekend for all of you. Write something wonderful, have fun with your families, friends and/or cohorts, and be safe. The weather is very unpredictable.

Something-Something

Here it is, the long awaited end to Act One, the final scene. Dum da da Dum. And right on target with 20K. Yee Ha!

Please note this is a first draft and is missing a small piece in the middle which I noted.


Sorry this post has been removed by the author.

Blog Love

I just wanted to say Thank You for all the blog love yesterday on my post. Those of you who are my core, "get me" as Christi says. You understand. And for those of you who are new here, you will "get it" as the weeks go on and you get more followers.

Speaking of which, I'd like to give a big fat Piedmont Writer Welcome to Roland, Sweetsue, Terry, Gina, Samuel, EP and Ggray. The pool is open, breakfast/coffee is in the dining room. Feel free to browse around, comment, discuss. We're all friends. (And you know, I've been doing this welcome thing for so long now you might think I would link to these new writers so you guys could meet them too. Argh!)

Anyhoo -- I added another grand to REMEMBERING YOUyesterday. I think I'm ready to close the first act. Genna's having an attitude problem though so I don't know what she's going to do. I thought she was going to fall right into Tony's arms after the big reveal last week but...well, I won't spoil it for you. You can read it right here tomorrow. Don't forget, it'll only be up for 2 days.

Speaking of which, for those of you who read last week's installment, I thought I was going to end the act right there and then. (If I put chapters in, I will definately end the chapter there.) But now with Genna on her little tantrum, I'm not sure where this is going. I picked up my outline (haha) and read it again, and I'm still on track but I need a hook. The whole pregnancy bomb came from out of nowhere and made a fantastic hook but now that I've got more to write, I'm not sure what the hook will be now. I think I've got a clue, but that isn't supposed to happen until Act 2. Hmmmm....

I'm still thinking in the "romance formula" whereas this is supposed to be more "women's fiction" so I'm just writing, hoping it will turn itself into what I want it to be. Do you ever do that? Think it one way, but write it another? I know there are "rules" for certain genre's, mystery, romance, sci-fi/fantasy... certain elements need to be set forth right from the get-go. And as I started writing this in "romance" mode, it's sort of hard for me to get out of it. Sort of.
I know I know, just shut up and write. Okay, I will.

Have a lovely day. Stay tuned tomorrow for more of Genna & Tony.

How Do I Say This?

I'm having a hard time lately with the blog. Don't get me wrong, I love my blog. I love my "friends". I love reading other people's blogs. I love thinking about writing my blog, I love writing my blog. But...

It's not the same as it used to be. I know change is inevitable, and I'm sort of not complaining, I'm sort of kind of...sad. For the way it used to be.

I remember the first time someone commented on one of my very first blogs and I thought I was going to pee my pants I was so happy, someone thought what I said was worthy of a response. And those first comments turned into conversations and I had friends. Not 'follower friends' but real friends I could discuss my writing with. And somewhere along the way we got know each other better and shared some of our personal life. Not the bad stuff or the junk that we all go through but just enough to make us more 'real' to each other instead of "internet" friends.

And I know this blog is supposed to be "my platform" so I can get readers and fans and all kinds of followers to be famous enough so that when I sell my first book everyone will say, "Oh I know her from the blog, she's fabulous, go buy her book."

Now, as I'm nearing 100 followers/friends, I'm finding it increasingly harder to comment. Not only on my own blog but yours as well, because for each of those little tiny faces, I read each and every thing you post. I try and comment, I really do, but sometimes there's so many other responses to your blog I don't feel like you'll miss me if I don't respond. And now that I'm getting so many comments to my own posts, I feel so badly if I just say, "Thanks so much for reading this today. I appreciate it."

I want it to go back to the way it used to be. When we could share conversation over coffee. I want to be able to discuss the finer points of writing instead of a hastily scribbled, "I so hear you on that." I want to have the TIME to read and respond instead of just tearing through each blog without focus.

I know we all have real lives, and real goals, and kids, dogs, husbands, wives, dirt that needs to be shoveled. Maybe I'm just saying, don't think because I don't comment, I don't read you or hear you, the highs and lows, the excitement the disappointment. I do. And if I write a hastily scribbled, "hey thanks," it doesn't mean that I didn't read each and every comment you wrote and appreciate and love each and every one of you for caring enough to say something to me that day.

I don't want to be one of the bloggers that writes a post and doesn't respond. I could, but I don't want to. I need that connection between us. I like that connection. It's what puts us all in this same writing boat together.

And so I'll end this post with a plea to all those people who didn't check Sunday's blog from me, there are many many awards that haven't been picked up yet. I know, I've been around. I also know it was Easter Sunday and yesterday Monday, so scroll down now and see if your name is there. It might be, I gave out almost 30 awards.

So have a happy week.

The Dirt Has Arrived

Now I know most of you will wonder what the title of this blog post means so I shall tell you. I have been working on my yard because of the weather. I have dug post holes and put the poles in for the fence but I had to stop because I have a spot in my yard that needs dirt and I couldn't finish the fence until the BIG truck came. Well the dirt came Saturday. Yay! So I have been shoveling dirt for the last two days. Let me tell you how much the Monster Baby has loved this. I have never seen a child so filthy. I've also had to stock up on my Tylenols because this old body has never worked so hard. I shoveled 124 wheelbarrows between both days. My arms feel like jello.

I will also have to tell you that I compare working on my yard to working on my book. Because of the hole, (yes, a giant big gaping hole in my yard) that needed dirt, I had to fill it in first with leaves and twigs and other things that will compost. Then I had to move the free-standing deck in the middle of the yard because it was in the way of the truck. Then I had to move the little garden because it doesn't get any sun after April, also in the way of the truck. Next, on to the fence, which I had to stop production on because of the truck.

In the beginning of Genna & Tony's adventure, I had a big gaping hole in the middle of the plot. Which I have since filled in. Now, we had to move some things around, scenes, paragraphs, characters, waiting for the climatic scene at the end of Act One. Nothing could be done until I wrote that scene. Now I can go back in and finish all the scenes I couldn't finish. (Hence all the moving around and waiting to finish the fence because of the big gaping hole.)

So there, I am working on my book (sort of) but I really need to get the yard done before it either a)gets cold again-please God no, b) rains-please God no. Once the yard is finished (or until I break my body completely) I will be able to go back to Genna & Tony. Don't worry I'll still be posting on Thursday for the little Something-Something but I don't know what.

As to my friends who are anxiously awaiting an email from me about certain somethings...I have not forgotten you. I am ruminating, formulating and will be getting back to you hopefully by Wednesday. (Monster Baby will be back in school so I will have "quiet" time in which to respond.)

Happy Week everyone, I hope your Easter was full of bunnies and chicks and anything else made of chocolate.

And please scroll down to yesterday's blog where I posted awards for a whole mess o' people. I want you to have these, so please go see if you are listed anywhere.
And if I haven't given you one, I will.

Happy Easter Awards!

Happy Easter Everyone! As you know, two weeks ago I promised I wouldn't blog about all the awards I recieved. Well, I got some more. And I have to pass these on because, well, it's not right to keep them so without further ado...

I recieved the Super Comments Award from Nicole Ducleroir. Isn't he cute? I'd like to pass this one on to:



B. Miller,
Cynthia Reese,
Portia,
Kelly,
Lola,
Amanda,
Christine H.

Next up is Blogger Buddies Award I recieved from Christine. I pass this on to:


Tara
KLo
Amy
Susan
Steena
Erin

On to the Supportive Comments Award I recieved from Shelley Sly. I'd like to pass this award on to:


Julie Dao
Michele Embrath
VR Barkowski
Talli Roland
Christine Danek
Roxy Haynie
Chrystal Cook

Next is the Awesomesauce Award given to me by Tahereh.

DL Hammond
Nicole Ducleroir
Shelley Sly
Christi Goddard
Sarah A.
Sarah Jayne


And last but not least the Super Scribbler Award I received from DL.

This award goes to:
Summer
Sonshine Music
Isobael
Kristin
Elaine Smith
Julie Cross
E.Elle
Terry Towery


Now I'd like to say congratulations to all the winners. I'm sorry if you didn't recieve an award today, there will be more chances in the next few weeks. If you recieved an award that you already have, please feel free to switch them out.

I did not receive any special rules with any of these awards nor was limited to whom I could pass them on. I also apologize if I messed up your link.

Please please please, if you don't know any of these awesone writers, go to their blog and introduce yourself, tell them I sent you. You won't be disappointed.

Happy Happy Easter to one and all!

Friday's at the Piedmont Grille

Well friends, thank you so much for your enthusiastic response on the 'twist' at the end of yesterday's post. Like I said, it shocked me almost as much as it shocked you. In all the months of planning and writing this story, that had never entered my mind. I love it though because it will add so much more to the original angst.
Tony will definitely be a mess now, can you imagine, he finds out not only did his dead wife drive Genna away, she LIED about the reason...and to find out Genna was pregnant when she came back from Italy. I think I have some heavy duty writing to do.

Okay enough of that.

I'd like to give a nice Piedmont Writer welcome to some new friends -- Matthew, KLO, Jamie, AJ, Joanne, Stephanie and KM. The pool's open now, suits required, alcohol optional.

As you can see from my sidebar I received a few new awards as well. I've got to re-arrange my blog, reformat, it's too busy now and slowly driving me crazy so I can imagine what it's doing to you. I'm not into the 'modern' movement at all, my house is full of antiques (junk no one else wanted) but I think I'd like my blog to be sleek, kind of chrome and monochromatic. I don't know why, it's a phase I think. It's spring, I have to re-do my nest.

Hey, I've got a birthday coming up. Earth Day is my birthday. My Dad's too. He's going to be 70. I'm not telling how old I am. But if you'd like to guess, please do. (The picture up on the blog is from 2008 Christmas so it's fairly recent.) I'll be celebrating all month. (I guess now I know where my daughter gets it.)

Back to the awards for a second...I will be passing these along over the weekend so check back in to see if you get one. I like to hand them out, personal-like, instead of the sometimes free-for-all done on other blogs. I don't take those (although I'd really like to) I like to have mine given to me.

Roxy over at A Woman's Write is having a contest. Go now and see what it's all about.

And I'm sure there are a lot of other contests running but I'm not a big contest-information-giver. I figure everyone else does and why be redundant. (That's a really big pet peeve of mine, redundancy, although funny, when I write, I'm soooo redundant...as shown yesterday on Roni's blog when she critted REMEMBERING YOU. I'm eating those words I wrote even as I type this.)

And so gentle readers, today was just a random thought post. I guess it could be filler. I don't know. Does anyone know what the filler days for blogs are? I thought it was Tues & Thurs but I'm not sure, some times it feels like Friday too with most of the BIG posts on Monday and Wednesday. Anyone have a clue?

Have a happy weekend and check back for the awards.

Something-Something

Okay, here goes. Now remember this is a FIRST draft. I've also cut out a few things from the original to try and make this shorter but I wanted you to get the gist.

Set-up: This is still Saturday night at the party at the bar after the girls come back from the ladies room.

****** Disclaimer -- Rated R for mature themes.


Sorry this post has been removed by the author.