Had it off...

... the night that is. Last night. But back on tonight. Going to be v boring these next few days as I crack down and try to finish the draft. It will take me half as long again to then bash it into some kind of shape. Maybe it would be better if I polished more as I went but I hate doing that. I like to just get the thing on paper and then ... rewrite most of it!
LOL.
But at least if I've gotten to the end of the draft I understand my characters more, I know what drives them (I learn a lot about them as I go) - then I can go back and make sure it all fits together from the start and that what actually happens is believable. (Or believable in a Romance kind of way).
Actually, the problem I have for this book is that I'm still figuring out what it is that happens full stop!
(Other than the obvious).
Going to bed before I tie myself in knots completely and get a total panic on.
Apologies to some of my visitors for not commenting back at you but things are strained at the mo and my brain is on limited function...

I can't be bothered...

...updating my word count do-dackey tonight because I am TIRED. But, just in case you were worried, I've added another 1000 - my minimum daily tally. Had a moment of clarity in the car today which is going to help things along.
For now anyway! ;)

Meanwhile, don't you love it when a friend invites you and gorgeous son around for a playdate, provides you with two other gorgeous young boys for said son to play with and hands you dinner-for-the-family in a dish as you're about to leave?! Just the nicest thing and really, really appreciated.
:)
And she can really cook! YUM.

Support...

...is the most marvellous thing.
My husband finally read my book.
We'd made a pact that he'd never read my work until it was published - of course, I never expected that to happen quite as fast as it did. And suddenly, after months of me blocking the computer screen from his sight everytime he walks past it (I can't STAND someone reading my draft form - unless I've got it to a certian point and send it to super-cyber-cp Jude)... he got handed this little book.
He read it - cover to cover in one hit - and tells me he thinks its great :)
No wonder I love this guy.
Nothing else matters. Readers, reviewers, nada.
My hubby thinks its fab and that's good enough for me.
This is the guy who gives me hours of time so I can write, who has always said 'you can do it' - no matter what. Who never, ever fails to give me the lift/push/kick in the pants (KITP) when I need it.
Just the thing I need right now in fact!
Everybody should have a support person like that - someone who believes in you more that you do yourself - to keep you going when those damn doubts are weighing in.
Actually, this is a theme in the current wip. The wip that's proving to be a real DOG at the mo. Good thing I have the hubby to give me the KITP!!!

Mood music...

...I know this isn't new news but just because it isn't new doesn't mean its not amusing...
musical condoms! - although the title is somewhat misleading - its a CD you get with the condom that makes the music... all 18 minutes (don't they realise the average M&B hero needs at least twice that if he's to get all the multiple orgasms in for his heroine?!)
And the old favourites- Ravel's Bolero was always bandied about in orchestra practice (oh yes, orchestra was not unlike the 'Band Camp' of the American Pie series- they got it right there) - and Ravel was used in the movie '10' and how many jokes have there been about 'stairway to heaven'?!
Hmmmm Poison huh SG?
Maybe...

I'm at the drag bit of the draft... where I'm wobbling on where I'm supposed to be going... in fact I'm not really sure where I am going... this is despite the outline!
Ah well. Push on through time...

The ultimate in eighties...

nostalgia has been picked up by Jude - hilarious!
Me, I rediscovered Guns n Roses "November Rain" - not actually eighties, but a marvellous example of 'rock narrative' - and as for that wedding dress... remember that one? Fabulous! Just the thing my current heroine would wear!

But the best thing is Slash's stance in his solo outside the church...

Come back tomorrow for more on the music theme... music to make love to!
HA!

Meanwhile Julie Cohen - another MX author has blogged on Romancing the Blog about the 'power of the hour' - that one hour a day a writer with a new baby (or babies!) can still get that damn book written... good fun :)

Nice visits and Eighties madness...

Hello to all the postcrossing people who've stopped by - yep, Deluxe is my sister! A special hello and thanks to
'Solecito' in Slovenia! (piccie of flag on post in your honour) - Deluxe passed on the message you've ordered the book from Amazon! Thank you!!! And I really hope you enjoy reading it come May...
Another special hi to Kelly in NZ as well - cool to hear from you and thank you for the wishes :) I hope you like it too and may you discover the fun and pleasure in reading M&Bs - escapist, emotional & enjoyable!
Meanwhile, I tried Eye of the Tiger - must say it was kinda fun. I got the giggles over the keyboardist in his glasses ... why is it all the keyboardists have to wear huge glasses and have bad hair??? It's always the same.
Then I got totally eighties up with a round of Cindy Lauper - genius.
So if you had to pick one eighties anthem - what would it be?

Oh I know. That is just toooooooooo hard...

Thank you!

.. to everyone who's stopped by - its been fun watching the stat thingummy and seeing where you're all hailing from - hi to Taiwan, the Netherlands, China, South Africa etc and you lot in the UK, US, Canada and Aussie of course!
:)
Back to the words tonight - a little slow after my couple of days off (the 250 from yesterday don't really count) - so now its late.

I have listened to Breathless waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many times now.

I tried an alternative for a while - the same gorgeous foursome doing REM 'Everybody Hurts' - but I'm not up to that bit yet so it didn't work...

There was a hilarious article in The Press this morning about what music people listen to when working out at the gym. Eighties anthems seem to be big. Apparently "It makes you forget that you're actually working hard and at the same time, because you're enjoying it so much, you really can push yourself," - I suspect writing to music is the same - for me anyway. The cheesier, the more motivational they say - read about it here. Eye of the Tiger huh? Hmmm, might have to look that one up on YouTube... tomorrow!

It's all go in Nat-land - and family-land actually. Exciting things happening all over the show. Here's me holding my first book - wow.
(I promise to do this only the once).

I got all emo because those final changes happened at such a crazy time for me and I can't quite believe we managed it all at all.

Meanwhile, my website is up and running - pop on over and let me know what you think... and watch this space for a chance to get your hands on a copy of the book...

Just what you always wanted!

All Night with the Boss...

He's her boss - and the one man she can't resist...

Lissa Coleman doesn't do office affairs. Hurt in the past, she keeps up her guard by being witty and sarcastic... But one look at Rory Baxter, her tall, dark and incredibly sexy new boss, tests her powers of resistance to the limit!

Working closely together doesn't help - Lissa's body responds to Rory's every move, and goes into hyper-overdrive when he says he wants her! But once she's spent all night with the boss, and discovered he's as hot in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom, the biggest problem is that one night will never be enough...

=> the blurb on the back! Does it make you want to read it?

SG - sorry about the Corrs - Bonnie is too emo for this stage of the book - I'm in the light, flirty banter part - maybe later, when things really turn to custard...
Jude - keep an eye out for the mailman ;)

One EXCITING Day!!!!

I have done no words today so am still 200 shy of the magic halfway mark.
I have a huge headache - and its not from the thimbleful of wine...
It's from over excitement...

I GOT MY AUTHOR COPIES TODAY!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it. Have had the shakes all afternoon and just all weird. And its so supercool.
Will post a piccie when I take one (tomorrow).

It really is such a shock. I admit I cried a little.

Will post the blurb tomorrow.

And my author profile is up on the new writer page at eHarlequin... hopefully this link works - here.

Meanwhile, yup, EOR - the Corrs (and apologies to the von Trapps for the poor spelling!).
But not runaway.. oh no... how about...

Go on, go on
Leave me breathless
Come on
The daylight's fading slowly
The time with you is standing still
I'm waiting for you only
The slightest touch and I feel weak
I cannot lie
From you I can not hide
I'm losing will to tryCan't hide it
Can't fight it
So go on, go on
Come on leave me breathless
Tempt me, tease me
'Till I can't deny this
Loving feeling
Let me long for your kiss
Go on, go onYeah come on
And if there's no tomorrow
And all we have is here and now
I'm happy just to have you
You're all the love I need somehow

- there's lots of tempting and teasing going on for my characters at the moment. Check out the babes here (hope my youtube link works!).

Scarlett you're a doll. Thank you :)

OK. Off to bed.

Wow.

Patience...

I am going to be mean and make you wait another day 'til you get the cheesy tune as an ear worm... I had been hoping for fireworks tonight for hitting the 25k (and halfway) mark of my rough and ready draft (that is going to need a lot of spit and polish) BUT I'm 200 short.
So let's wait til tomorrow.
Meanwhile, why not try guessing - I'll give you some clues...
- They'd have celebrated St Patricks Day
- They're gorgeous
- They're the modern day Von Traps

Oh, I made that too easy - didn't I?

crawling....

I am having a very tired evening - darn daylight savings! We put the clocks back this morning so it feels an hour later than what my watch now says it is. I'd love to be in bed right now but I have to be up another hour til I express and then another half hour after that to try to sneak a late feed into the babies - otherwise I'll be up a couple of hours later for the early a.m. snacker babe. I can get by on 6 hours sleep - but it needs to be 6 uninterrupted, not 3 then 3, or 2 then 4 or some other hideous combination...
So, I'm trying to do some words but my brain is on go-slow. None of my mates are online so I can't waste time chatting on messenger. I'm watching some YouTube instead. OK, the one song over and over - its my anthem for this book... by the time I've finished this book I'll have listened to this song thousands of times. Thousands.
And its v. cheesy.

Wanna know what it is?

not tonight Josephine...

.. my in-laws are staying... I was working on the downstairs computer... somehow it's impossible to write about your characters having sex with your mother-in-law sitting on the sofa behind you...
did start an argument between them though!

Too tired to think of a title...

late one tonight - am on the breastpump now (like you needed to know that) - but work going well. Stopped writing just as my characters are about to get it on... looking forward to opening the file tomorrow!
;)

At least I wasn't last...

The pedometer results are in and I did ok... especially when you think I sit down and feed a baby ten times a day... and my in-laws were here for that time and I confess to having a big nap one afternoon... check out the results here ... The Press

disaster on the domestic front = 4/6 down with vomit virus. Only me and one of the babes in the clear... spent all night washing every sheet in the house.. every towel... and applying disinfectant to every surface... ARGH!!!

Onwards and upwards!!!

Yay - I'm back on the word count after a couple of days off. I'm working to deadline again which is always a good thing. The deadline is a couple of months away but with my full plate I have to write every day to have even the slightest hope in meeting it. And I like writing every day. Well, some days I don't but I always feel brilliant when I do make that day's tally.

At the moment my couple are in the pool together. Not quite as cosy as these guys but you know, there's some heat there.

Meanwhile it seems book two (as yet untitled) will be released in the UK in November!!!! I'm very excited about that!!! And my outline for the one I'm working on as been accepted (good thing, as I've started it already!) and my Ed is getting back to me on the one after that as soon as she can which is fab because it means I have the next few months sorted out in my head...

... so long as I write every day!!!

The problem with 'good-enough'...

of course is that it never is!

Hence the chocolate biscuits.

BUT, its a new day - Friday in fact and the weekend is upon us - YIPPEEE!!!

A good-enough day...

Well while the rest of the country watches Grey's Anatomy and I, in my tv-free house, do not, I've sat here and demolished the best part of a box of chocolate biscuits.

It's one of those days. You know, where you're not quite on top of anything. Where you're absolutely knackered and been trying, trying, trying but it doesn't seem to be enough. Where there are so many million other things you wanted to do but didn't get to - everyday seems to be a bit like that for me at the moment. And I'm tired. And I want to do better - in everything - as a mum, a writer, a friend...

but sometimes you've just got to sit back and think well good enough is ok.

Phases. Its all about phases.

You ever have times like that?

The nanny bathed the babies again - twinges of guilt DL because the nanny is there to do the big kids so I can do the primary care and mothering of the babies. Its hard enough being a twin let alone being numbers 3 and 4 in a family - one to one time? Ha! What's that they say?!

Page 1 Fame...

Part one of the pedometer challenge was in the paper yesterday. Me and the sheep farmer made it to the front page! You can see the text of the article here. I'll post the link to the piccie when it gets loaded... shameless mentioning of Harlequin Mills & Boon. Now I've officially gone public... no going back now and I seriously need to get hard and stop worrying about what all the Olds are going to say about the sex scenes!!!

Made the nanny bath both babies for the first time as was so hot and I so tired... must not feel guilty about this!

Super busy...

...as usual. We have a family weekend this weekend - lots of people in town and staying late and consequently the old word metre isn't moving along nearly as much as I'd like.
Good news though - book two has definitely been accepted! YAY! Will detail title and release date as soon as I know.
So really need to move on with the next ones - been having lots of fun dreaming them up, now I have to do the hard work and get it all on paper...
Wish me luck!

Back on the chain gang...

OK. Time to seriously get back into the word catching game. I've even added the obiligatory word counter wormy thing on the sidebar there - watch it grow!
I've hung up my pedometer - thank goodness! Was stressful trying not to be a complete sloth - I was devastated to discover rocking side to side (holding babies of course) did not register! So all those hours on my feet doing the baby shuffle count as nada in the step stakes. What a disaster.
And I was wrong about it being Saturday's paper - no idea - will post the link when its up.
Meanwhile one of the lovely babes has decided she wants midnight snacks again - rotter! Still, more time in semi-sleep state to dream up fun things for my characters to do...

Tee-shirts = 2; Nappies = at least 20; Totally sick of the darn breast pump but only 2 months til solids = yippee!!!