Okay, so not really. I'm going to try and blog more, and not just have this be the last blog you get until May. But no promises. It's hard enough to keep up with school, dance practice, writing, and acquiring manuscripts. My blogging hardly gets any attention (though it should).
What have I been up to lately? Lots of dancing. I performed for the first time ever December 9th. And then again on the 16th. Talk about nerve wracking! Especially since one of the pieces I did on the 16th I'd only learned the Saturday before.
Christmas was good. I got lots of belly dance stuff for that too. Costume pieces, DVD's (instructional and performance). I'll have 'Christmas presents' arriving all of January. I actually kinda like Christmas like this. It's stretched out over all of January, which is fun. Fun to get almost weekly presents in the mail.
I've only just started to get back into the writing groove. I bought the Write Or Die desktop edition, and it really seems to be helping. Though it makes you think things like "if I can write over 900 words in 30 minutes, what could I accomplish if I wrote for like four hours"?
While I have been writing the past few days, everything I write still sucks. I need to start doing some rewriting to see if I can fix it. It has no tension, and nothing is really happening, which is really weird for me. Usually my books are tension and action packed. Meh, at least I have something to edit. It's better than having a blank page mock me.
What am I working on? The ménage I've been working on forever that I meant to do for NaNo. But my computer died in November so there was no attempt at NaNo. I'm hoping the story will be like 15k. I was hoping to finish a first draft by the end of this week, but I don't see that happeneing with the problems I'm having with it.
I've been reading Jaid Black's Viking series, and it's really good, so if you're looking for an interesting erotic romance, check out her books. Her book Warlord was also excellent.
I'm going shopping for more books tomorrow with Naomi. We're hitting a Recycled books. I want some yoga books and of course, I'll be checking out the romance section.
Until next time (when ever that may be)!
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, December 7, 2009
Small Packages by Franny Armstrong
Please welcome Franny Armstrong, who is here promoting her new book, Small Packages, released December 10th.
SMALL PACKAGES: A CHRISTMAS STORY
by Franny Armstrong
Buy link
BACK COVER BLURB:
Widow Paula Winters, romance author, Paula R. Prentice, wasn’t interested in meeting men when her daughters sent her on a romantic cruise so she decides to use her two–week vacation to finish her novel and do some Christmas shopping. She hasn’t recovered from the loss of her beloved husband and has no intention of meeting someone else.
Widowed workaholic Derek Rawlins is only on the cruise at his son’s insistence and figures he can get some work done, not because he has plans on meeting any women.
When they meet, Paula wonders if he’s the romantic hero in her next novel, or someone she wants to keep in her life permanently. This Christmas will bring them more than one small package to fill them with joy!
EXCERPT
“Are you sure you aren’t cheating?” Derek asked, laughing.
Paula had won three rounds of Euchre, with him as her partner.
“Absolutely not! I don’t even know how to cheat in cards!” she protested. What is trump?” she asked, having asked twice already.
“Diamonds! Are you going alone, or do you want me to play too?”
Biting her lip, she was silent for a moment then nodded. “I’ll go alone. Thanks anyway, partner,” she said.
Raising his eyebrow, he put his cards on the table face down.
The couple that they played with put down their cards and Paula laid down the ten of diamonds, taking the hand. The next card she played was the ace of diamonds and took those cards as well. Then, she led with the ace of spades, losing that hand. Finally, she put down the Jack of diamonds and the Jack of hearts, capturing the last two hands.
“You did it! Congratulations, Paula. Nice job.”
“Thanks. It was a pleasure playing with you,” she thanked their opponents. “I don’t know about you, Derek, but I’m kind of tired and would like to call it a night.”
“Works for me, I still have a couple of gallons of salt water to process. It’s exhausting being a hero,” he teased.
Laughing, she accepted his hand and they said good night to their Euchre companions. They made their way back to their rooms.
Derek paused outside of her door.
“Goodnight,” Derek said, leaning in to kiss her tenderly.
“Goodnight, Derek. I had a wonderful time today.” Paula whispered. She gazed into his deep-blue eyes and saw a question. Shivering she panicked and opened her door, ready to slip inside.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked, his voice husky, his eyes burning with a dare.
“Sure. Yes. Goodnight,” she said and stepped into her room, closing the door.
Putting her hand over her heart, she shook her head. “What am I doing?” she whispered, thinking of her heroines and their courage in the face of passion. She decided that she didn’t want to be alone, especially if it meant not being near a man as kind and gentle as Derek.
Nodding to herself, she said, “I’m forty-five freaking years old, for crying out loud! It’s the millennium! And…and…damn it! I want that man!”
Filled with her resolution she grabbed her purse and key card and left her room. Walking straight across the hall she knocked on the door. She had a terrifying moment where she thought her legs wouldn’t hold her, but braced herself.
When the door opened, she just stared at him and couldn’t speak, though her mouth made every attempt as it opened and closed like a guppy’s.
Without a word, Derek took her hand and pulled her close, closing the door behind them. His lips found hers and she dropped the purse and card, kissing him with a sudden wild passion.
When she finally pulled her lips away, she said, “I…I want to be with you.”
“I don’t have a problem with that,” he chuckled then kissed her again.
SMALL PACKAGES: A CHRISTMAS STORY
by Franny Armstrong
Buy link
BACK COVER BLURB:
Widow Paula Winters, romance author, Paula R. Prentice, wasn’t interested in meeting men when her daughters sent her on a romantic cruise so she decides to use her two–week vacation to finish her novel and do some Christmas shopping. She hasn’t recovered from the loss of her beloved husband and has no intention of meeting someone else.
Widowed workaholic Derek Rawlins is only on the cruise at his son’s insistence and figures he can get some work done, not because he has plans on meeting any women.
When they meet, Paula wonders if he’s the romantic hero in her next novel, or someone she wants to keep in her life permanently. This Christmas will bring them more than one small package to fill them with joy!
EXCERPT
“Are you sure you aren’t cheating?” Derek asked, laughing.
Paula had won three rounds of Euchre, with him as her partner.
“Absolutely not! I don’t even know how to cheat in cards!” she protested. What is trump?” she asked, having asked twice already.
“Diamonds! Are you going alone, or do you want me to play too?”
Biting her lip, she was silent for a moment then nodded. “I’ll go alone. Thanks anyway, partner,” she said.
Raising his eyebrow, he put his cards on the table face down.
The couple that they played with put down their cards and Paula laid down the ten of diamonds, taking the hand. The next card she played was the ace of diamonds and took those cards as well. Then, she led with the ace of spades, losing that hand. Finally, she put down the Jack of diamonds and the Jack of hearts, capturing the last two hands.
“You did it! Congratulations, Paula. Nice job.”
“Thanks. It was a pleasure playing with you,” she thanked their opponents. “I don’t know about you, Derek, but I’m kind of tired and would like to call it a night.”
“Works for me, I still have a couple of gallons of salt water to process. It’s exhausting being a hero,” he teased.
Laughing, she accepted his hand and they said good night to their Euchre companions. They made their way back to their rooms.
Derek paused outside of her door.
“Goodnight,” Derek said, leaning in to kiss her tenderly.
“Goodnight, Derek. I had a wonderful time today.” Paula whispered. She gazed into his deep-blue eyes and saw a question. Shivering she panicked and opened her door, ready to slip inside.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked, his voice husky, his eyes burning with a dare.
“Sure. Yes. Goodnight,” she said and stepped into her room, closing the door.
Putting her hand over her heart, she shook her head. “What am I doing?” she whispered, thinking of her heroines and their courage in the face of passion. She decided that she didn’t want to be alone, especially if it meant not being near a man as kind and gentle as Derek.
Nodding to herself, she said, “I’m forty-five freaking years old, for crying out loud! It’s the millennium! And…and…damn it! I want that man!”
Filled with her resolution she grabbed her purse and key card and left her room. Walking straight across the hall she knocked on the door. She had a terrifying moment where she thought her legs wouldn’t hold her, but braced herself.
When the door opened, she just stared at him and couldn’t speak, though her mouth made every attempt as it opened and closed like a guppy’s.
Without a word, Derek took her hand and pulled her close, closing the door behind them. His lips found hers and she dropped the purse and card, kissing him with a sudden wild passion.
When she finally pulled her lips away, she said, “I…I want to be with you.”
“I don’t have a problem with that,” he chuckled then kissed her again.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thirteen Things I Won't Get for Christmas
Thirteen Things I Won't Get for Christmas
1. A trip to Europe
2. A new car
3. A new laptop
4. An MP3 player
5. A digital camera
6. A LCD flat screen TV
7. A new cell phone
8. A kitten
9. Books (mother refuses to buy me books, she says I have enought)
10. A ferret
11. A bird of any kind (the cat gives them heart attacks)
12. A snake. Yes, I do actually want a snake.
13. Wireless high speed. I know, that's not a normal Christmas present, but if my mother decided we were going to get high speed internet for Christmas I would be thrilled.
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