NANO time again!

Writers: get ready, get set and go. For the month of November, hundreds, maybe thousands of writers will put themselves to the test and write a 50,000 word novel. That's right! 30 days of story telling through the fingers and tracked, each word at a time. It's fun.

Write! You don't edit, that's for next month. You don't worry about spelling, let the machine underline it and we'll get back to that next month as well. This month is just for the opportunity to test your self and your ability to capture a story in one month.

So, during the month of October, I spent time interviewing and getting to know the characters that will be brought to life in my novel. Screening places and ideas for story boards and putting it all together so that when November 1st comes around, I'll be ready...

Well, here it is and so far, I'm having a blast. The kids are enjoying themselves as they tentatively get to know each other and will eventually fall in love. So, lift you cup of coffee or wine glass and toast to a productive month of NANO!

URWA Conference turned out to be absolutely wonderful. The attendance was fantastic, the workshops were top nosh and the networking was phenomenal. An enjoyment to the very end. Christine Witthohn from Book Cents Literary Agency and Amanda Bergeron from Avon/Harper Collins were a lot of fun. (the picture to the left is taken in Park City. br. Me and Mary Martinez, fr is Kim Finnegin, Christine Witthohn, Amanda Bergeron and Lisa Williams-Cox in front of the miner's statue).

The pitches went down and some excellent results followed. I, for one, am happy with the request that I received and the valuable information that Christine gave me. Hook? Oh yeah, the hook. We'll lets just say that the hook was asked for and not given. Yet, Christine still gave a request and I couldn't be happier than a bear with a new roll of Charmin. Since then I've been polishing up my synopsis and getting ready to send it out with my first three chapters. My fingers are crossed and my hopes are raising. Hopefully my heart can wait until she asks for more before pounding from my chest.

Friends exchanged hugs and laughter, even Victoria Dahl dropped by to lift up a glass of wine. If anyone would enjoy a great romance, check out Victoria Dahl's 'Talk Me Down' or 'Start Me Up.' Both are exceptional books. All in all, I don't think there was a person in the whole group that wasn't happy with our conference outcome. My favorite part was the game on Saturday night that Diane Stoddard introduced. Our other visiting agent, Kelly Mortimer was with us as each person wrote down a name of a famous person (dead or alive) and then everyone else tried to guess the name we chose. It was pretty fun in front of the fireplace in the lobby of the Deer Valley 'Lodges.' Next year, I understand that it is going to be tons better. Join us, won't you?

Hey, Howdy, Hiya,
Posting on our first night here at Deer Valley, Utah's The Lodges. Where Utah's Chapter of RWA's (Romance Writers of America) conference for 2009 starts...now.

Holly heaven, Batman, this place is class. We're talking ala beautiful place. Everything is so gorgeous, done in huge white pine logs, fireplaces, full kitchens, laundry closets in each suite. The suite that we are in is a two bedroom, 3 bathrooms, full sized living room and kitchen with a large 6 person dinning table. Absolutely beautiful. Flip a switch and you have a nice and cozy gas fire in the fireplace, the chairs are big and comfy. Wonderful.

The weather is perfect, crisp fall foliage, the golds, yellows, oranges and reds, a slight nip in the air and traces of a recent snowfall on the ground. Sweater and thick jackets seem to be the appropriate attire. Of course, our cute Mary is wearing flip flops :-)

Our first course of action today was assisting Kelli Ann with the gift bags for the conference attendees and getting everything organized for tomorrow mornings early registration. The day begins at 07:30. The workshops are going to be fun and extremely educational and I'll be up early so I don't miss a thing. The count down to get here has finally made it and now its a rapid whoosh through to the end. Over too soon after waiting so long -life, as always.

Later...

Please...for me! This week, I am saying goodbye to my Aunt. A courageous woman who has fought a long, painful struggle with cancer. Twelve years ago, she went in for her annual mammogram and was told everything looked good. But, they made her another mammogram for six months. One of those, 'just in case' appointments. We'll refer to that as the 'something is there but frankly I have a waiting room full of women and a lunch date, so I'll just cover my butt.'

Six months later, she goes in to have her follow-up mammogram and low and behold, what's this? A lump. You say you mentioned it six months ago. Are you sure? Because, the tech had to have surely seen it and requested an ultra-sound. Hummm. Well, lets do an ultra-sound now. I'm sure there is nothing to worry about.

And the verdict is two, not one now, but two suspicious masses in the left breast. The soonest we'll be able to do that biopsy is.... three weeks. But, no need to worry, it's probably fibrous tumors. Many women your age have them. There wasn't a history of them but, she's in her early fifties so, its possible.

And the verdict is, of course, Cancer. Had it have been anything else, I wouldn't be pounding the keys. She went through everything. An aggressive war was mounted. Well, sure, what else can you do when, it had metastasized to the lung. It's called stop that puppy before it runs amok. Amok, amok, amok it went. from the lungs to the stomach, from the stomach to a black mark on the liver. And she fought. She lost part of her stomach, she lost a lung, they removed the damage to the liver, and she had a Radical Mastectomy before the age of Sixty.

Then, she got sick. (No kidding!) Yep. So after being on blood thinners for a long time, she starts having problems with her back. Osteoporosis? Sure, why not. So they take her off the blood thinners and, yes, she develops a blood clot that does a one way travel to her brain. Stroke! Not massive, bless her heart, just minor. But, now, after enduring all this, she decides that she's had enough. She refuses to eat.

I understand, her daughter understands, but lucky for her she has three sons don't, (you say, you're kidding? Uhm, wish I was!) So, they whine that she's just giving up. Throwing in the towel. "Please....for me!" (Its a good thing these jolly rogers live far away from me cause, I've got a boot that's just itching to kick some cousin's butts.)

So here is the moral of my story, and a reality check for the boys. She has put up with mammograms, ultrasounds, surgery, chemo and radiation for us. If she wants to join her mother, father, sister, brother... my hell, let her. Isn't it her turn? By the way, dudes, it doesn't feel like a smooth vacation when you deny your body nutrition. It's painful. Dying is painful. It is her decision.

I love you, Aunt Judy. I'll mourn your passing, but I'm proud of your heroism. You were my mother's sister, but to me, you were a real good friend. May you never suffer such cruelty again. Goodbye, our gentle warrior.

Ladies, you know your bodies. If you feel something abnormal, fight, kick and scream for that follow up ultrasound. And, biopsies shouldn't be scheduled three weeks out - Do it now! But, most importantly, ignorance is not bliss when it comes to your health. Know how you are doing. Get your mammograms, check your cholesterol, test your blood pressure. And for sure, if you're sick, demand your down time. If you don't properly heal, you won't be doing anybody any good.

Here is the price of a huge mansion on a private island question: Why does one editor request your full manuscript and another one reject it?

I was asked by a specific person to send them my manuscript, unfortunately I could only submit it to the submissions e-mail address (give you their actual e-mail address, please) but I made SURE to indicate that this specific person requested it. Almost four months later, I receive a rejection. That's fine. I can cowboy up with the best of them. Except who is this other person who sends me back "Thank you for your submission but your manuscript isn't what we are looking for" generic form?

Maybe the editor who requested it was fired. No.
Maybe the editor who requested it left for another company. No.
Maybe the editor who requested it got ran over by a truck. No. (But if the editor did, be darn glad that someone was nice enough to get back to you)

This is my work, my job: Writing. I enjoy writing. Putting plots together, giving characters life. Not this day in and day out frustration of wait a few months and 'someone' will get back to you, or not, publishing world that I'm swimming in.

Maybe it's just a bad day. So what if no one threw me the beach ball. If I can't wait my turn I should probably pick up my towel and try again another day. Let me get this whine with a little cheese, please.

Don't you just hate it when no one chooses you to play on their team?

HAPPY Independence Day! My brother celebrates his birthday on the fourth. Four days later, I celebrate mine...but I don't get all the fancy fireworks. Nobody sets of bombs to celebrate the passing of my youth. And, I say that's good. I'd rather cry alone anyway!

Congratulations to my Niece, she had a little girl on the 3rd of July.
Welcome to the world Macie. I just hope it goes from bad to good before it matters to you. I look at my grandkids and want to cry - look at the crap their getting. It's a damn shame. I still think there are several greedy pigs out there that should be shot in a firing squad for stealing money. Instead our lovely government is turning a blind eye and letting them keep it. Well, where in the hell is my 50 million dollar bonus. I deserve it too!!!! Oh wait, I don't know who I should be screwing to get it.
Everyone I know has already be screwed.

The end of the year is quickly approaching. Christmas in July starts the snowball down the hill of Holidays. We enjoy the carefree days of August before the kids are back in school and we hear..."I can't wait for Labor day, What are you going to be for Halloween, Are you going any where for Thanksgiving. What do you want for Christmas." And then we begin again. Yep, the snowball is just beginning to slip over the edge to a quick ending to 2009.

I listened to an interview the other evening between Bill Mahr and Billy Bob Thorton regarding the musical groups that we listen to. Billy Bob said that he had asked someone to give him a list of the groups that are going to be remembered a hundred years from now that are popular from 1980- 2010. Then he said to Bill Mahr that from the 1960's - 1980's he could name a hundred popular ones. Bill Mahr agreed except said "well, not a hundred". Listening to the Oldies stations and hearing the ones from the 60's through the 80's, YEAH, you really could come up with a hundred. Maybe not as popular as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Eagles, Rio, Led Zeplin, The Who, Three Dog Night, Lynard Skinard (how ever you spell it) but there are a good long list of them. The ones that are performing today are more of the one hit wonders that scream instead of sing, show violance or rap about it, and just plain don't have the beat. You know, that thing called music that you can dance to. Remember the sock hops, Skinny Johnny Mitchell, and Wolfe Man Jack. I do, well...Isn't it a shame that Twisted Sister isn't declaring "We ain't gonna take it anymore?"

Tired? Now you see it, now you don't. Yes, they'll do it, then they won't. Will there be a school next year or not. They formed a board, they spoke at district meetings, they pleaded for the opportunity to educate or to learn and yet...

Granite High School is closing their doors for the second time. But not to the general public. This time it is closing the educational rights of the destitute student who would never get ahead in a larger school. It is closing to foreigners who have just arrived and speak little to no English. It is closing to the students who are being cared for through foster homes and state custody. It is closing to students that want an education but have a hard time competing with the large volume of students who's parents can afford the football, dance, baseball, cheerleading registration costs. It kind of makes me mad. Now that there is this 'Everyone has a right to an education' act, those who really want to learn are crammed into classrooms with kids that could care less who's tending them that day and they'll let you know it.

During my time on the Valley Journal, Granite High School was a part of my beat. It was truely the funnest place to go. From the unique plays that they performed using students who spoke with accents I enjoyed hearing to watching a child from India adjust and excel in an environment that was so far from their norm. The teachers cared. The students learned. And yet, the school district has decided that there just isn't enough monies in their budget to continue supporting them. What a shame because I'll bet that the percentage of their seniors actually graduated and at least 3/4 of them all received scholorships. That's what happened in 2008.

DON'T TRUST YOUR NEIGHBORS!!!!

There is a comandmant that states "Thou shall not kill!. Because you don't get to decide who lives or dies. The creator does. Yet, this
eighteen year old breaks into Kimberly Hain's house during the night with a bat to steal something - what? Hell, he doesn't know, he's 'supposibly' hiped up on drugs. He makes a noice and wakes up the 33 year old mother of a 8 year old and a 6 year old and beats her to death with the baseball bat. The following morning, the 18 year old is acting as though he has no idea what happened during the night at his neighbors house. Hell, the jerk goes so far as to publicly console another neighbor over the tragedy before a news camera.

I met Kimberly Hains in 1999, when she came to work at Cottonwood Hospital on the 5th floor. Her mother-in-law, Cozi was also a part of the unit and Patrick, her husband was a phlebotomist at Primary Childrens Hospital. While working full time on the day shift, Kim was also going to school at night. In 2000, she became pregnant with Terran. I don't think I knew a more excited mother-to-be. Scrub pants and t-shirts became her mom-of-the-year wardrobe. I have a picture of Kim at the baby shower we gave her on the floor where she is holding up a stuffed moose with the biggest grin on her face. How excited she was! For several years, we worked together, often doubling up in doing patient care jobs. If you called her Kimmy or K-K-Kimberly, she would ignore you until you 'get my name right'. Kim, Christa and I enjoyed our jobs working as a three way unit. Christa left to get married and move to Utah county, Kim left to join Pat at Primary's and I left to work for two wonderful surgeons. Now, Kim's next door neighbor has taken her life and left a lot of people with out the priviledge of knowing and working with her as one of the greatest nurses this state will never see. Talking to Christa the other day, we decided we're lucky 'cause at least we have our memories.
"Rest Well My Friend, For You Are Loved. We Shall Remember You With Warm Thoughts and Deep Words of Joy" Doree