I’ve already started by eating fewer sweets, drinking more water, and having salads instead of sandwiches for lunch.  I also cut way back on salad dressing.  A taste is plenty.  The dressing doesn’t have to be on every particle of the salad.  I’m also blogging on The Healthy Writer once a month about my progress.  Or, if it works out that way, my lack thereof.  This is my form of accountability.

I’m also starting a new writing project and setting weekly goals for myself on that.  Because I love research, I need to build in time for that, which may mean not writing every day.  I’ve never been a daily writer, though.  I like having percolating time, letting ideas simmer while I do other things.  I generally find I produce more pages when I do sit down at the computer if I’ve done that “pre-writing” first.

I made decent headway with whittling the TBR pile.  In December, I read more books than I bought.  I plan to keep that up this year.

How is your new year starting?  Are you making resolutions or plans, or are you just winging it?  How’s your RBR pile?

His house was on a cul de sac, so everyone drawn to the lights had to turn around somewhere.  I imagine his neighbors got tired of the traffic.  We never tired of looking at his lights, though, and drove by at least a couple of times during the holiday season.  We called him Christmas Guy because he got into the holiday spirit so enthusiastically.

The last time we saw his lights, he was out in the yard with some other people when we made our first pass.  I rolled down my window so we could tell him how much we enjoyed his decorations, and we heard him tell his friend, “I have to work some time, you know.”  We gathered that he took time off to decorate.  And he’d have to unless he wanted to string it out (no pun intended) over several days.  No one could do all that in an evening.

Alas, but Christmas Guy moved a couple of Christmases ago.  We don’t know where he went, but it wasn’t in this area.  Otherwise, we’d see his lights about now.

Lucky for us, though, some new people moved into the neighborhood the next year, just up from our house.  While they couldn’t rival Christmas Guy in scope, they decorated their little bungalow with lights for both Christmas and Hannukah, with Stars of David in blue lights and a winged pig (for Cleveland, we’re told) in the yard, all of it presenting a cheery note as we came down our street.  But we won’t have their lights this year because they, too, have moved.

We could put up lights, of course, but decorating the tree and doing some minimal decorating in the house seem to be the most we can handle.  We have lots and lots of Christmas decorations, many of them beautiful, handmade items.  The dh’s sister made the star on top of our tree.  We have a gorgeous, cross-stitched Christmas tree skirt and a cross-stitched angel made by a Jewish friend who loves Christmas but doesn’t feel right putting up a tree.  She and her husband used to decorate with us (before they, too, moved–is this a pattern in our lives?) and also gave us some beautiful ornaments.

We switch out a big picture for the large 12 Days of Christmas cross-stitch made by my late aunt.  We have an angel on the sideboard and a Santa also made by the dh’s sister.  A nativity candle tower I bought on sale when the boy was small goes in the middle of the tablecloth.  And we have snow globes we bought at various times, the first on our honeymoon in San Francisco.  Once those things are set out, we call the decorating sufficient.  Anything else we have time to do is gravy.

What about you?  Do you like to look at Christmas lights?  Do you celebrate Christmas?  If so, do you decorate heavily, lightly, or as time permits, and do you have a favorite decoration?

Thanks for having me today Nancy and hello to all your readers. I’d love to talk about how I finally got one of my books published.

“ADDICTION-an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something.”

When I started writing sixteen years ago it was one of those, “I wonder if I could write a book” moments.  That’s something that happens to every author, thousands of writers and millions of people.

So, one late night I picked up a pen and started writing a scene that was milling around in my head. Next thing I knew I had five handwritten pages. Wow! I’d actually written a very interesting scene. A pregnant woman recognizes a murderer inside the mercantile store, (did I mention it was a historical scene?) and has to escape, find a safe place to leave her step daughter and then hide before the man finds her.

Now what to do with it?

Like many late twentieth century families we had a brand new computer at home. Excited, I had my husband teach me how to use the writing program on the computer and after some practice sessions with a typing program, I quickly converted my handwritten pages to typed copy. Pretty soon these pages went from five to ten, from one scene to two scenes, then one chapter after another, until finally, a whole story existed beginning to end. Yes, I was addicted.

“PERSISTENCE-the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult.”

After the first book was completed I knew two things. I needed to send it to editors to see if they would jump at the chance to publish my “baby” and that I had to write a second book for the two characters I’d left dangling in the wind.

So I made a list of my favorite authors’ publishers, looked up their addresses in the Writer’s Digest and mailed query letters off to half a dozen. In the meantime I began writing the second book, sure that I’d need to have it ready to go once someone snapped up my first book for publication.

I wrote and waited. Wrote and waited. Wrote. Waited.

Then letters came from publishers. Joy! This was it!

Sigh. Unfortunately, these were not letters claiming the book to be the best thing they’d ever read, although some did ask to see the whole manuscript. No, these were form rejection letters at worst and kind rejection letters at best.

But I kept writing. I finished that second historical romance. Then the bottom fell out of the American/Western romance market. So, I wrote two contemporaries, followed by a contemporary suspense. This one won a writing contest by a big publishing house. They paid me money. They asked to see the full manuscript. They asked for revisions, which I did. Sigh. They rejected it.

“PERSEVERANCE-continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition”.

I wrote a second contemporary suspense romance. Both were entered into the RWA Golden Heart contest. They both were finalists. One was again requested by a NY house, but ultimately rejected and the market for romantic suspense slowed to a near crawl.

The next step on the path was small-town contemporaries. These were stories based on my upbringing in the Midwest. The heroes and heroines had great emotional depth, but unlike the sweet small-town stories, mine had a bit of heat and bite to them. I enjoy external conflict that affects the characters’ internal conflicts. I like sex that is hot. Alas, not what the market was ready for.

Got lots of requests, followed by lots of rejections.

“STUBBORN-performed or carried on in an unyielding, obstinate, or persistent manner.”

My father says I have the tenacity of a mule stuck in mud when I want something. So, one day I was thinking about my critique partner’s newest Heat erotica book and an idea popped into my head. Why not try my hand at an erotic historical? All my books have been more sensual than the average book. Could I push the envelope further into the erotic world? I didn’t want to write sex scenes just to write sex scenes. They’d need to further the story and the plot along like my CP’s did.

So I took a poll of what I liked about or in eroticas I’d read, applied them to my love of Western or American historicals and started writing yet another book. The result was The Surrender of Lacy Morgan. A western historical erotica set in 1880′s Wyoming. I submitted it to two more writing contests and it won the erotica category in both.

I attempted to gain the interest in some literary agents for this book, as I have all the others, but no one wanted to take on me or my work. But I believed in this book. So I submitted it to the largest romantica publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

“SUCCESS-the correct or desired result of an attempt.”

Then in May of last year, I received the best e-mail ever. My now editor wanted to contract my book for EC’s Lawless westerns line. And much rejoicing was heard throughout the land. I did have to agree to change one character’s name. Then through the editing process, I learned more about how to write a smooth story, which hopefully will translate into the next book and thereby make the editing process easier for my editor and myself.

So on February 4th, 2011 I became a published author.

Does addiction, persistence, perseverance and sheer stubbornness guarantee success? Honestly, not always. However there is one sure way never to achieve your goals. That is to give up. By never giving up, you keep hope alive, and wherever there is hope, there is always possibility.

So dear readers, have you ever had to hold onto a dream when everyone else has tried to talk you out of it or rejected your efforts repeatedly?

The dog, of course, has plenty of ideas for things we could do–explore the neighborhood, chase things in the yard, give her something to eat.  Weather doesn’t bother her.  She would as soon go out in the rain as in sunshine, at least if it isn’t raining too hard.  Unfortunately for her, the humans in her house do care what the weather’s like.  We indulge her when when going out doesn’t make us cringe.

Winter also seems to call for comfort food–soup, mac and cheese, quiche.  When the weather’s cold, a cup of tea goes perfectly with a book.

How do you like to pass the time on dreary winter days?  Are you watching any particular movies or TV shows?

A very different crowd converges on Atlanta about a month later, for the four days of DragonCon. Many of these people will be wearing costumes related to their favorite science fiction, fantasy, comic book or movie worlds.  Most of the others will opt for what the dh calls “appropriately decorated t-shirts.”  The packing is much easier–spare jeans in case of spills, t-shirts, toiletries, etc.  Not very glamorous, but there’s lots of fannish enthusiasm.

Which do you prefer–casual occasions or dressy ones?  Do you have any packing secrets?

The TBR pile is kind of like a hardware store, where I walk in and see possibility all around me, especially when the authors there are new to me.  Maybe this will be someone else whose work I’ll love.  Or not.  But it’s fun finding out.

This summer I’ll be sharing the pleasures of the TBR pile, the books I dig out, read at last, and enjoy.  I hope you’ll do the same.  Just leave me a comment and let me know what you like about the books you’re reading.  I’m especially interested in any new authors you discover and enjoy.

When I look over the stack, I see history, multiple subgenres of romance, science fiction, fantasy and mystery.  Which one I pick up next always depends on my mood at the moment.  I have several new authors (either to the market or to me) in the stack.  I love picking up a new or unfamiliar author and falling into the book, having a new name to add to my watch-for list.

I recently discovered Caitlin Kittridge’s Black London series–very dark urban fantasy.  Of course, not all experiments end happily.  Some books don’t engage me the way I thought they would when I bought them.

In honor of the website’s new look, I’m having a contest.  The prize, to be awarded at the end of May, is a package of three novels (mass market paperback) I enjoyed that were by authors new to me, plus a $15 gift card for an independent bookstore or one of the chains I have easy access to.

To enter, send me an email via the site link telling me what author you recently read for the first time and why you liked that author’s book.  I’ll put all the names of those who enter in a hat and draw one out on May 26, which will also be my May blog day on Romance Bandits.

If it’s a financial plan, it won’t work if you deviate from it.  If you’re supposed to put a certain amount of money into the plan every payday and  you start finding excuses not to do it, or something keeps coming up, as things are wont to do, success moves farther and farther out of reach.

We all know that.  Yet every year, lots and lots of people subscribe to quick fixes.  Why do you think that happens?

Rather than making resolutions I generally don’t keep, I’ve decided to take stock of the past year and try to create a mindset, rather than a list of behaviors, for the coming one.

Continuing our habit of renting movies we missed when they first came out, we saw Duplicity on DVD.  We enjoyed the plot twists and character interplay tremendously.  Our hope for the rest of the year is to see a couple of first-run films and do better with DVD catchup, continuing that into 2010.

My nonfiction reading has suffered, as I’ve spent most of the time available for that on class prep of various kinds.  I still hope to read my books on the Barbary Pirates, the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood, and the Thames River.  But those will have to wait until the holiday break.

I did get to meet several authors whose books I’ve enjoyed this year, and I’ve found more new authors to follow and new series by authors I like.  My goal for next year is to read at least one novel or nonfiction book a week in the (probaby vain) hope of whittling down the TBR pile.  The fiction reading, alas, remains behind.  I’m beginning to suspect it always may.

I’m trying to write a second volume in a series, using recurring characters for the same time, and that has been a bit of a challenge but fun.  I have to think about the characters in new ways.  I also have an idea for a new project.  I want to turn out up my output of new material in 2010.

My eating and exercise habits haven’t been what I’d like, so I’m looking to improve those.

What are your benchmarks, good and bad, for 2009?  What changes do you hope to make in 2010?

We thought Christian Bale was fine as John Connor.  The character was mostly one note, but we didn’t see that as Bale’s fault.  Far more complex, and thus more interesting to both of us, was the character of Marcus Wright, ably portrayed by Sam Worthington.  Marcus awakens after an explosion not knowing where he is or what’s going on and sets out to see if he can find his family.  Marcus soon encounters John Connor (a believable and sympathetic Anton Yelchin, fresh from his appearance as Chekov in Star Trek) and a little girl who seems to have a sixth sense about the Terminators.

As Marcus travels, we begin to realize he’s doing things no ordinary guy, such as he is when we meet him at the film’s beginning, could possibly do.  He was on Death Row and signed his body over for research, so we suspected from the beginning that he was a Terminator.  But he doesn’t.  Even when confronted with the proof, he doesn’t want to believe it. All his thoughts, motivations, and feelings are human, but his body isn’t.  And he comes to hate that fact.

The boy and I both felt the filmmakers missed a great opportunity.  When Marcus awakens in SkyNet custody, he readily throws off the machine’s control.  Seeing him struggle against it, with his humanity ultimately triumphing, would have made a wonderful, conflicted scene.  Maybe it ended up in a cutting bin or something, but we felt its lack.

Especially at the end of the movie, when the filmmakers attempted to make a somewhat garbled point about the strength of the human heart over the logic and power of the machine, that conflict would’ve tied into the movie’s theme nicely.  And one of our gripes was, if the measure of humanity is the strength of the human heart, what does it say if John Connor’s is failing?  The ending voiceover sounded great, but the actions in the film undercut it, at least for us.  We found Marcus’s struggle against the truth and his eventual acceptance of it the most powerful elements in the film.  More than anything else, that part of the story engaged us.

We also noticed that SkyNet apparently has Joker syndrome.  You know the one–it makes the Joker create elaborate death traps and rant and rave instead of just shooting Batman.  If he ever just shot the hero, he’d win.  The same with SkyNet.  If you’re a logical, efficient machine, and you believe that killing Kyle Reese is game over, you win, and the future resets with you in charge, wouldn’t you kill him immediately upon capture?  But SkyNet doesn’t.

All that aside, we did enjoy the movie.  It has lots of great “boom,” as the Romance Bandits call explosive action.  The “good” characters were sympathetic.  The premise was interesting.  But we agreed that both Star Trek and Wolverine drew us in faster and more deeply.

I’ve had a soft spot for Terminator films since seeing the first one on TV.  I’m looking forward to seeing Michael Biehn, the original (and still best, imho) Kyle Reese at DragonCon over Labor Day weekend.  The dh doesn’t share this enthusiasm for action movies and boom, and he was surprised that I liked a movie that opened as violently as the original Terminator did.  He went with it, though.  Sharing those interests with the boy reminds me of my dad.  He and I were the ones in our family who liked action movies.

Have you seen T3?  What did you think of it or earlier films in the series?