Another step forward....

Or you could call it another form of procrastination *G*

I'm taking a positive step forward in my goal of being a Published writer. My money order to the RWA was sent out a couple weeks ago and I have created a blog for my alter ego. Corinne Davies

That's my official pen name. Not that I don't like my name but let's face it with the number of letters in my real last name I'm not sure it would fit across a paperback.

The last name is nod to my Gran and Grampy. Grampy because on more then one occasion I remember him patting my shoulder saying "You got a lot of celt in ya kid". And to my Gran who recently told my mum that she thought I was gifted. (who me???) Mum had been reading one of my posts to her. I'm assuming she omitted the "F bombs" I often drop in here.

For now I don't think I will be posting as much there as I do here. My plan is to keep that mostly for professional type stuff, but since I don't have any professional stuff yet then most of my posting will still be here. I think *G*
I may save my writing rants for over there.
The power of positive thinking right?

The Dresden Files

For all you who missed the premier episode....damn! Start checking your local listing and see if it is repeated later in the week. For those of you in my area it was on The Space Channel at 9 tonight and I know Space likes to repaet things during the week.

It's a great show, well written, good characters and 'Harry' isn't all that bad on the eyes either *G*

Of course this means that I will be going to Chapters on payday and buying every copy of the series I can get my hands on. Either that or I'll make my life easier and order them all at once online.

Ok gotta go, much editing to do

Looks good to me.

Years ago my uncle turnedme on to a series of book and I had forgotten all about them until a couple weeks ago. He emailed me to let me know that they had been turned into a tv series. I caught a preview on tv tonight and found it on my second favourite website *G*




You can't tell me that this just doesn't look like it has the potential to be one of the coolest shows!!! next to Supernatural of course LOL It's based on the series of books written by Jim Butcher.

It starts tomorrow... dammit I really should be writing and not watching tv...so I made a compromise with myself. I have to have 2 thousand words written tomororw during the day, then I get to watch it....and work on more edits afterwards.

11 days left till the submission deadlines

I'm surrounded by Construction!!

I want my own Hard Hat! Something in a lime green with little red dragons, grapes and books stenciled over it would be cool. It would pretty much sum up everything that is going on around me.

I'm not a big fan of change, silly thing really since change it inevitable, and I adapt once it is all over but it's the during that drives me insane.

Our store is being renovated and of course the P.T.B. will not close for a single day to do it. So we all have to work around big tarps and cramped temporary locations. The Vintage area has been moved which was a hellish job, made more hellish because I know that in a month (or more) we will have to move it all again into our permanent location. I was joking yesterday that with all the plaster dust floating around we're all going to start coughing up speckle soon.

During all this upheaval and insanity at work I am trying to construct a story due the end of the month. It' moving albeit slower then I would like. Although I work better under pressure and I am down to the last 12 days so my high gear kicked in this morning. I've had reworked bits of dialogue floating around in my brain only to be mentally replaced moments later by a 'better' version. Today will be one of those days that I carry my notebook around in my apron sketching down ideas as they hit me. I'd hate to get to the computer later and have it all gone. *aaaarrrrgggghhhh* Since I am working late tonight and early tomorrow, I should have more then a few pages ready to retype. I hope. LOL

The Annoying Thing

Appropriate name for the creature otherwise known as "Crazy Frog". This is one of my youngest's favourite songs, Family channel plays the videos as fillers between shows. There's also another one featuring the Queen song "We are the Champions". I just wanted y'all to share in my pain LOL

Supermom...hell no!

So far this new year I've made some changes and they have actually worked! *gasping in horror* Hopefully I didn't jinx myself with that LOL. In the mornings there is no tv until the girls are up, dressed, hair and teeth brushed. Yea I know that is just logical but we all had a few bad habits at the beginning of the year. Good news is not only have I managed to cut down how much time they spend watching tv, I haven't had to do any frustrated shouting. Nothing Nada. Mornings are busy but almost pleasurable.

Second change is trying to stay organized as far as dinners are concerned. Eating out is quick and easy and there are a lot of places that are reasonabley priced and still have healthier food. BUT it still adds up and this is the year I am determined to get some of our overhead paid off. So I have been throwing a few new things at the hubby and kids. Not to drastic, just easing them into trying new stuff. I'm working late tonight so I'm amkeing them "Marvellous Mini Meatloaves". It's a recipie I found at the Kraft site. They really have some awesome recipies there. If your ever stuck for what to make, you have to check this one out. They also have a magazine that they send out 4 times a year. I make the hubby look through it and point out what he would be willing to try.

All and all I am trying to make my life easier and therefore have more time to write.

Good and Bad news on the writing front.

Good News is I got hit with a great idea for the story I'm working on. It adds a bit more depth to Evangeline and the story as well. I was putting away stock and ended up writing notes to myself, on the flap of, a box of Italian red.

Bad News is I came home and had to rip big chunks out of what I had written. So now I am down to just over 6,000 words. But I am not panicking! Really not! *grabbing paper bag to breath* I still have lots of time to procrastonate...I mean write. It's the edits that scare me. That is what takes the longest for me, but I freak out over that in the few days before the deadline. Not now. Now I just have to get the rest of the story down.


The picture is called the "Kitchen Witch" by Brigid Ashwood. This woman has some amazing work, I really love this one.

They liked it!!!

I have mentioned about my husbands fussiness (pain in the ass) eating habits before. Honestly he is like a 4 year old looking at his plate and deciding that he doesn't like something before trying it. Imagine my surprise when we were out to lunch one day and he tried my potato leek soup and announced he like it. That was after both our daughters tried and ate most of it.

So I attempted to make a new thing for dinner. It's a variation on the old chicken cooked in soup meal. I worked late so I figured I throw something in the crock pot for them. Boneless chickenbreasts, can of chicken broth, can of cream of potato soup and a package of dry leek soup mix. All he had to do was boil up some egg noodles and throw garlic bread in the oven.

They all loved it.....oh god now what do I do tomorrow!

I am so far behind....

on everything but my story *BG* I'm about half way. 7,200/15,000 words Well ok maybe I am a little behind from where I wanted to be but it's for a good reason. I am layering detail as I write. Of course now I am questioning a major detail I have in the beginning of the story. AARRGGHH! I don't even have a good reason for questioning it except for if it will help or hinder the sale. I'm working a bit later tonight and it always quiets down so I'm hopeing to find myself a corner and work out some details.

Wanting to be a author is one thing but I tell you there is so much conflicting advice out there. Write what is in your heart, write what the market demands, don't watch the market, know your genre.....well that last one is a good one. I already know my short or Parthenon stories won't be for the print market. They be a bit to...um explicit? yea that's a nice word.

My historicals, I'll be submitting....begging....Avon. If memory serves they don't take unagented submissions, but to get a good agent you need to have been published...see the vicious circle. Of course there are tons of people out there I'm sure will contradict what I just said. This businss is nuts....can't wait till I'm a part of it *G*

Ontario's Liquid Gold

From humble, frozen beginnings....

You get one of my favourite delicacies ICEWINE!

If you have never had an opppourtunity to try some I highly recommend the experience. Unless you are my husband. The only person in this universe that actually turned his nose up at the stuff.

I had a small 50ml bottle in the fridge. Just enough for one glass and today I decided to treat myself. I poured, I nosed, I savoured and being the generous wife I brought the glass to him and said "Here smell this."

His response? "Ach, god what is that! That is disgusting! I'm not trying that it smells horrible."

Yes, he is a fussy eater and hates wine....but this is sweet and rich and decadent. It smells like honey, ripe peaches, apricots, orange blossom, and beeswax. None of which I would label as anything remotely disgusting. The heathen.

My husband still has the ability to amaze me. On the bright side of things....I don't have to share. I can be selfish and not feel guilty for a moment. So here I sit with my Inniskillin Vidal Icewine and a box of Bissinger's truffles having a truly orgasmic experience. *BG*

The wordcount is 4,800/15,000. Submission deadline January 31st. Yuppers I'm trying a short story again. They really are hard to write. I've had to edit tons already because the characters keep complicating the story too much. This time I have an Aztec god and a couple of paranormal investigators subcontracted through CSIS. At the very least I'll have another "bong" letter for my binder. Every rejection is a set closer to a contract.....at least that is what I keep telling myself.

Ever had a warm apple fritter?

I did. This morning as I picked up coffee at Tim Hortons. I asked for one on impulse as they look exceptionaly deish and it was still warm in the middle. Oh Rapture. To bad it didn't last long, I had it eaten before I pulled outof the parking lot.

Blogging is truly an amazing thing. You never know what it is your going to learn or discover through other people. I popped over to J.A.Konrath's blog this morning and he had written about Lance Storm's book club. Lance is a pro wrestler who has created an interactive internet book club. Juct click here for more information. http://www.stormwrestling.com/bookmarks/index.html

Impressed me because anyone who encourages reading and literacy, rocks in my book. Joe's book Bloody Mary has been chosen by this book club as their first book for 2007. If you have never read any of the 'Jack Daniels' series I recommend them. Bloody Mary is the second book in the series after Whisky Sour . They are gritty, funny, and scarey as hell in parts. This isn't horror but it's not your run of the mill detective story as well.


What tipped the scales is when I clicked on one of Lance's links and noticed that there are Maple Leafs all over his costume. The man's a Canuck!!! Hailing from Calgary, Alberta. I've moved from impressed to pratically hero worship. LOL

Attack of the Technogoobers

2006 My year as a writer

Sounds like the beginning of a memoir. Too bad that is about all there is to my career...aside from the rejection letter that arrived in November. Not that I am complaining, that launched me into 'professional' status and marked the beginning of my rejection binder *G*

I will be peppering this blog a bit more with writing flavoured pieces but don't look to me for advice. I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I'm just following the lemming in front of me.

The historical workshop is proving to be very interesting. I've read some unique ideas just through the general discussion. For example:

Frances Housden made this comment during one discussion. "...Near the end of my first book, I had a scene from a secondary character's POV where because of the seemingly stupid actions of the woman he was with, he got shot. Those two became the hero and heroine in book two, where I rewrote the scene as a prologue - this time from the heroine's POV, which makes her
look heroic instead of stupid. The same things occurred but the second time I
knew the heroine's motivation."

That just hit me as an absolutely brilliant idea!! You never know what you will learn when you sign up for stuff. *G*

Also the HeSaid/SheSaid blog has changed a bit. Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer have reworked it to be more of a writing workshop as well. They are both very talented and very different writers with different writing styles. Which mean that there is a TON of experience they are going to be sharing over the coming year.

I don't expect that I will be published or anything by this time next year, but it is my hope that I will have a couple of books finished and editor ready. I have learned so much in the past year, a small amount of what I need to know but I'm a stronger writer now. Thanks to a great number of patient people that I have pestered. *G* You know who you are, and please you can lift the restraining order now. I promise to be good.

This is getting easier.....

At the rate I'm going I'll be a HTML Master in no time. I've taught myself a ton of stuff already. The first time I changed this template, it took me over an hour to get it set up, now I can do it in half that time. LOL I've gone back to a warm brown colour, a kind of a dreamy background. This one is a little more grown up then the previous attempt.


Did you know that Hershey Kisses come in peanut butter filled? They are like little Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Trust me, they are horrible rotten little things. In fact; if you have any in your house I suggest you get rid of them quick. Just send them to me and I will make sure that they are disposed of properly *BG*