28 Days!

28 days until The Ghost of Granny Apples hits my editor's desk at Midnight Ink! I'm happy to say it's still moving along on schedule. Unfortunately, I injured the heel of my right foot recently, but the upside is, it caused me to cancel all activities for the weekend. So this entire weekend I'll be home nursing my foot and writing like a madwoman.

On the family side, my niece, who is preggers with her first baby, has a blog detailing her pregnancy and how she feels about it. Don't you just love blogs? It gives you a chance to keep up on folks and see how they're doing and what they're feeling. Visit the blog and you can even vote on whether you think the baby is going to be a "Jack" or a "Megan." Even without a crystal ball, I can see a trip to Massachusetts in my future next year!

Off to work now. As much as I'd like to stay home and write full-time, I gotta say, the day job is a nice change of pace for my overworked brain. Not that I don't use my brain at the office (just in case any of them read Babble 'n Blog), but I use it in a different way. Writing with a day job might be a bit grueling, but it's also like having a well-rounded exercise program. One set of activities for the right side of the brain, one for the left side.

Coming Up for Air

Only 31 days until I must ship The Ghost of Granny Apples off to my publisher. Books are going unread. Favorite blogs unvisited. E-mails ignored. Last night, I took time off to sift through old mail to make sure bills get paid.

31 days. Thirty-one. The big 3-0, plus 1.

This is the time when the pedal hits the metal. Or is that the brain hits the pavement? The book isn't finished, but it's still on target to be done in time to leave me 2 full weeks of editing and polishing. Problem is, as I wind down the last third of the manuscript, it keeps wanting to go off in directions I hadn't anticipated. I mean, a dead body showed up yesterday! A body I hadn't anticipated and planned for, yet a body that gave the manuscript an unexpected and delicious twist.

A few days ago, I wrote about going down the rabbit hole. Well, I'm still there, having tea with the Mad Hatter. And it's a fun ride!

Baby Steps

My friend Felicia Donovan saw this photo posted on the Killer Hobbies blog and wrote me about how great I'm looking because of my recent weight loss.

Okay, what woman doesn't LOVE hearing that?! But, honestly, it made me a bit embarrassed. You see, the truth is, I haven't lost any more weight. I'm still at about 25 lbs lost after 6 months, but I do think the exercise I've been getting has been making a big difference in how I look. Even my clothes are hanging on me.

I really need to focus on getting more weight off so I can get serious about that mud run next June, but right now, with everything on my plate, I have been eating like crazy. But my new stress eating habits are no where near how I used to eat under stress, so that's progress. Big Progress! Gone are boxes of cookies, replaced with a small handful. Microwaved mini bags of popcorn have replaced chips and crackers. And drive-thru burgers are now ordered solo, without fries, and never doubled.

With my Granny Apples deadline looming (35 days!) and work kicked up several notches, I consider it a victory that I haven't eaten the two cats and Jackson, my little neighbor boy.

Baby steps ... they still get you where you want to go. Just a little slower.

Now, I just have to learn to control my bitchiness. Hmmm, be a bitch or eat? It's like choosing between being run through a paper shredder or suffocated in a barrel of cat litter.

(The above photo was taken at the Sassy Sleuths panel this past Saturday. Behind me, l-r, Harley Jane Kozak, Patricia Smiley and Kathryn Lilley.)

Woooooooooooo Hooooooooooo!

Late yesterday afternoon another big TV/film agency contacted us about option availability on my books! That makes two in just a few weeks.

Everyone keep those fingers and toes crossed!

Yesterday, I also got a preliminary book cover for the upcoming Booby Trap. It ROCKS! As soon as I get the okay to make it public, I'll post it here and on my website.

Be still my heart ... no time to get excited ... Granny is due in 37 days!

Cover Me, I'm Going In

38 days to deadline and just this morning the plot of The Ghost of Granny Apples took an unplanned detour. Thing is, it's a GREAT detour, one that will enhance the story and excitement. But it also means going back through the earlier part of the manuscript and tweaking it to set up the new twist.

What to do? What to do?

Hell, I know what I need to do. I need to go down the rabbit hole the plot just opened up and see where it leads. To not do so might leave a better book unwritten.

But as the March Hare said: "I'm late. I'm late. For a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye. I'm late. I'm late. I'm late."

Or in my case, it's:

It's due. It's due. The manuscript is due. No time to tweak ideas and change. It's due. It's due. It's due!

See you folks at the other end of the rabbit hole!

Who Says Weed(s) Makes You Dumb

While watching the last episode of Weeds for the second time, I took note of something that made me go hmmmmm. No, it wasn’t the idea that I could have a second career as a drug dealer. Though in my case it would be a third career, right after writer and paralegal. Rather, it was an important observation. One that could be important to my personal security.

You see, in the 3rd episode of this season of Weeds, Nancy temporarily switches cars with her drug lord boss, Guillermo, and then is surprised when he tracks her down at her new home by the beach. Simple explanation: her home address was stored in her GPS under “home.”

Okaaaaaaaaay. My home address is stored on my GPS under “home.” And I’ll bet most of yours are, as well.

This means that every time you leave your car with a parking valet, they have access to your home address, complete with driving instructions. It also means that if your car is stolen, the crooks have access to your home address.

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Here’s more food for thought. A criminal doesn’t even have to steal the car. He/She only needs to break into cars in long-term parking at the airport. Start up the car to get the GPS going and, bingo, there's your address and, chances are, you’re not home, you’re traveling. If you have a portable GPS, like I do, you don’t even have to start up the car to get the information. Just hit the on button.

Needless to say, my home address is no longer stored under “home.” Nor do I keep my portable GPS in the car when I’m not using it.

And you thought watching a sitcom about drugs was a waste of time … silly wabbit.

Scenes From a Long Weekend

The large print hardback edition of Thugs and Kisses is due out any day now. It's being published by Thorndike Press, an imprint of Gale Publishing. They've even slapped on a new cover for the occasion. Kind of like buying a new dress for a special date. If you, or someone you know, would like a large print copy of Thugs and Kisses, the best place to purchase it is through Amazon.

Had a fun time yesterday at Vroman's in Pasadena. I was on a Sassy Sleuths panel with fun gals Harley Jane Kozak, Patty Smiley and Kathryn Lilley. This was a repeat performance from an earlier event when the power went out at Vroman's due to a fire up the street. After, Kathryn and I joined Diana and Darrell James for a bite to eat at the Green Street Restaurant, where the talk centered on the book biz - what else?

Friday was a lazy day. Instead of going to 4th of July festivities, I stayed home, wrote, read and watched movies on TV. Finished L.A. Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker. (It's an exciting thrill ride!) And started TKO by the delightful Tom Schreck. Another book I finished recently is Mama Does Time by Deborah Sharp. I had the honor of reading a preview copy. It's HYSTERICAL! It's not due out until October, but is available for pre-order.

Today is chock full of house-bound activities. Besides hours of writing, I have a LONG to-do list of chores around the house. I find on days like this, I function best when I write for an hour or so, then do several chores; go back to writing; then a chore or two. When the long day is done, I have a nice stack of finished pages and most of my household jobs are complete. I just finished a few pages on The Ghost of Granny Apples. Next up is laundry and grooming B.

Here kitty, kitty...

Just 40 days until The Ghost of Granny Apples is due at my publisher. YIKES!

Hope you all had a great 4th!

I Want To Be A Cougar

As most everyone on the planet knows, I’m on a health kick. Truthfully, it can be more accurately described as a health kick, stumble, fall, get back up, dust myself off, keep moving towards the light, type of program, but I am committed to getting healthy and fit in 2008 and beyond. Originally, the goal was to lose weight. Then I took on the daunting goal of training for the 2009 Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Now I’ve added another goal (read, dangling carrot) to the end of the finish line: I want to be a COUGAR!

Last week I was channel surfing during dinner and stumbled across a program on one of those inane entertainment channels. The program featured Hollywood cougars. Not the sleek, lethal felines, or the car. Cougar is slang for a sizzling hot older woman. Generally one who prefers dating younger men.

Okay, I’ve dated younger men, and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Well, maybe in some respects, it is. But overall, it’s not. I prefer men over 50. Men I don’t have to explain pre-1980 cultural references to. Men who took a moment of nostalgic silence when Bozo the Clown died this week. Men who were alive when Kennedy was shot – both of them. But dating preferences aside, I still want to be a cougar. I want to be considered hot and sexy when ordering from the senior menu. I want to have a deep, vibrating purr and come hither look, even if I have to do it covered in mud next June at Camp Pendleton.

So I've posted here a few of the over- 50 male celebrities that make this cougar-in-training purr like an outboard motor on a summer lake.

Left side: Armand Assante and Alan Rickman (I've been in love with these gentlemen for decades!).

Right side: Jimmy Smits, Denzel Washington and Pierce Brosnan.

Honorable mention: Harrison Ford, Danny Glover and Andy Garcia.

Calling All Animal Lovers!

Tom Schreck, one of my favorite new writers, just posted a blog at Inkspot that is both tragic and triumphant.

If you are an animal lover, it's a must read.

If you love basset hounds, it's required reading.

Keeping Time with the Music

This morning I walked another 5K. Since the Mud Run is only one year away, it's important for me to get my cardio built up. My goal is to walk 3-4 of them a week for now, maybe 4-5 a week later. I don't plan on tackling a 10K walk until August or September. 1) It takes more time and I'm on a big deadline right now; 2) I'm not ready for that distance yet. Eventually, as more weight comes off (I've lost about 25 lbs now), I'll start to jog part of it.

However, this morning I did something different. I took my tunes with me. As much as I love music, I'm not a big music-holic. I don't follow any specific style or performer or group. I just like what I like and what fits the moment. Some authors listen to music while they write. I cannot. I find it too distracting, even if it's a light and lovely classical piece. In the past, I've never even listened to music while I walked. Usually, I use my exercise time to think about plot twists, dialogue and red herrings. And, of course, when I walk with friends, I spend the time gabbing.

Armed with my iPod Shuffle and tunes especially chosen to get my feet moving, I hit the road this morning at 6: 10 a.m. What a difference! I definitely moved faster, even shaved 5 min off my usual time. My legs kept time with the music. I was less focused on how tired and hot I was getting with each step, and the miles flew by. Before I knew it, I was almost home.

What do I listen to on the road? Some of my get-my-ass-moving favorites are:

I Want to Know by Marc Anthony
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Respect by Aretha Franklin
Proud Mary, The Best and What's Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner
It's Still Rock and Roll to Me and Only the Good Die Young by Bill Joel

But the best tune came at the end when I rounded the corner and saw my apartment building just 1 block away. Yes, it was [ insert drum roll] the theme from Rocky (Gotta Fly Now). And I swear I didn't plan it that way. Talk about timing! When I hiked up the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment, I almost felt like raising my arms high in the air and dancing.

I said almost.

Too Pooped to Pop

I think it’s safe to say I got my fair share of exercise this weekend, a weekend with above-average temps in Los Angeles.

Saturday I met new friend Carrie to walk 5K. Like me, Carrie is on a mission to lose weight and participate in the 2009 Camp Pendleton Mud Run. We didn’t know each other before this quest. Carrie was doing an Internet search about the Mud Run and stumbled upon my blog post about it. We connected, and now are training pals. She’s super. A mother of teens and a veterinary technician, Carrie has already lost 65 lbs of her 100 lb weight loss goal. She’s a true inspiration to me.

As if Saturday's 5K wasn't enough, on Sunday I was drafted to play softball. Yes, me! You can read all about that adventure on today's Inkspot.

I gotta lay down. I'm pooped.

Keeping Fingers and Toes Crossed!

Yesterday afternoon I received a very pleasant surprise by e-mail. An agent from a major production company and agency here in Los Angeles queried me about the dramatic rights to my Odelia Grey series!

I'd met this agent before, about a year and a half ago, at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. At that time, my novel Too Big To Miss did have an option on it. But as with many options, it went by the wayside during the recent writers strike. Now it looks like there is interest again. Yea!

I've turned this over to my energetic agent and will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, sales are still brisk on all of my Odelia Grey books. Thank you, everyone! And The Ghost of Granny Apples is coming along nicely. Only 57 days until Granny is due to my publisher. Mush!

It's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Last night, Weeds, my favorite TV comedy, returned for it's 4th season on Showtime, and it did not disappoint. I rushed home from work to catch the 7pm showing so I wouldn't have to wait until 10pm. I nuked a Lean Cuisine pizza and settled on the sofa with dinner and the cats and soaked in every bit of this quirky, irreverent, and beautifully written show.

This season the show made a drastic change by taking Nancy Botwin and crew out of the suburbs to a fictional beach town situated near San Diego. Most of the 30 minutes of the first episode involved the set-up for the change and left me wanting MORE and NOW.

Also this season, several favorite characters are gone, but the legendary Albert Brooks has joined the cast as Nancy's father-in-law. As always, he was brilliant.

As I've blogged before, I love the shows on the cable channels, but this is my absolute fav. It's my Cherry Garcia in a world of vanilla. It's so well written and the humor so cutting edge that I come away from the tube humbled, and not just a little like a hack with regard to my own writing.

Geez, it's a long time until next Monday!

Sometimes a Half Gallon Isn't Just a Half Gallon

Okay, who shrunk the ice cream when I wasn’t looking?

Tonight at the grocery store, I decided to buy some ice cream. My absolute fav brand is Ben & Jerry’s, Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, in particular. But tonight I decided to buy my 2nd favorite brand, Dreyer’s (or Edy’s to you folks in the East). There were two reasons for this abandonment of Vermont’s finest: 1) they had spumoni, another favorite flavor that’s not often in stores; and 2) it was on SALE. I could get a whole half gallon for less than a pint of B&J. Such a deal!

But wait! What’s happened to the ice cream carton? At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. After all, it had been awhile since I’d bought a large container of ice cream. But no! My eyes had sized up the carton with precision. It was not only redesigned, it was smaller than it used to be! Something that was confirmed when I read the product information. The “half gallon” container contained merely 1 and ½ quarts of cold and creamy delight. I checked the other brands and they, too, had recently undergone reduction surgery. I guess instead of raising prices, the various ice cream companies simply reduced the size of their package, giving us less for the same price instead of the same amount for a higher price.

I really don’t mind getting less. I eat less ice cream than I used to so a smaller amount means less freezer burn because it will disappear quicker. I also don’t want to pay more for ice cream. I don’t want to pay more for anything, including gas, food, shelter and clothing. I’m funny that way.

But here’s the thing. A “half gallon” of ice cream not really being a half gallon in size just doesn’t seem right. I mean, it’s awkward.

“Hey, honey, while you’re at the market, pick up a quart and a half of rocky road.”

See. It’s just not right.