Two things happened Tuesday. First, agent Laura Bradford sent me her blog for this Saturday, and it’s awesome. She’s ending our month of agent guest bloggers with a bang!
Second, I went to a booksigning for Isabel Sharpe for her breakout book, Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakthrough. I loved her reading. Like me, she has 3 women protagonists, and her voice for each protag was different. (So funny when she did the slutty one.:twisted:) But before she started reading, she defended romances and said her Silhouette books took the same skill set she used on this one.
Good thing she stood up for romance writing, because a lot of our chapter mates were there. Liz came, too, from way across town. It was great to see so many writer friends face to face. I’d be lost without my cyber CPs and blog partners, but it’s so damn good to talk to writers in person.
All this made me realize how grateful I am to the agents for blogging, and to my writing friends for being there. National is five months away, but I’m already eager to meet so many of you in person. The cyber writing community has hooked me up with my biggest and diverse group of friends since high school. Okay, more diverse than that.:mrgreen: We not only talk about writing, we talk about coping. We talk about magical things that happen to us. Sometimes we share our innermost thoughts–and find out we’re not that different. And sometimes we get to ‘talk’ to agents and editors.:grin:
On her blog, Brit Blaise posted her goals to the universe–and other bloggers. I’m in a goal group with Brit, and she challenged us to share our goals with her and she’ll post them. I was going to–and then I read hers. Hers are so great, I’m taking all but her last one as my own. If you want to put out your goals to the universe, that’s the place to go.
Jennifer Estep, who wrote one of my favorite guest blogs (and will be guest blogging again soon), is having a couple contests on her blog, and I told her I’d mention them. I’m glad to do this. We just don’t take, we give. This is a small thing, but it’s all karma.
Look at the writers who are doing bigger things: Karin Tabke, who’s doing her first line contest, giving so many writers a forum for their beginnings. Rachelle Chase had her Chase the Dream contest last year, and Michelle was one of the winners. All the winners’ manuscripts were requested by editors. Rachelle started the contest because she got her start from a Lori Foster contest.
That’s the altruistic side, but some of us are also showing our weird side. Joan Swan tagged me, I tagged Liz and Michelle (read about Michelle’s run-in with a parade float). Michelle tagged Cynthia Eden and Kate Sterling. In Kate’s, you’ll find out why she’s going to hell. 
Elisabeth Naughton’s been tagged too.
Like the wolf said to Little Red Riding Hood, all the better to know you. Only I mean it in a nice way. 
What’s one thing you’d like us to know about you? It doesn’t have to be weird, but if you want to, go for it!
I’ll share first, something none of my CPs know: I once won I hula hoop contest in a bar.
I dare you to top that.
I got tagged? How’d I miss that?
Anyway … something to share. Hmmm, on my way home from Australia (geez, 20 years ago), I had a stopover in Hawaii. I entered a bikini contest at one of the hotel bars. I had this teeny, tiny black string bikini that I bought in Australia and was afraid to wear it. I figured since I was alone, knew no one there … what the hell. Didn’t win, but it was fun. I felt very daring.
Liz, did you take pictures? Every once in a great while, I’ll look at old photos of me in a bikini, and think, damn, I looked good!
I just realized, all my CPs are world travelers. Unless Canada counts, I’m the odd woman out.
I’ll have to catch up.
It drives me batty when people touch my writing (as in writing stories) stuff. Absolutely batty. It makes me all mean and territorial for some reason.
Hey, Edie, funny stuff! I’m trying to picture you swinging the hoop, and Liz strutting her stuff in a bikini.
Okay, about six of us “Beach Babes” mooned a barge one night while camping. Old high school friends, all married at the time, enjoying a fun weekend on the beach. We plopped our wine bottles down in the sand. This huge barge spotlight scanned the beaches every night enroute. Five full moons; all glowing under the spotlight. We pulled our pants up so fast, laughing off buns off, and ran like the wind after! Ah, halcyon days.
May, it’s a good thing I don’t feel like that. My cat walks all over my desk. If there are pens on my desktop, she bats them off. I have to be careful where I put my flash guide.
If you’re just talking about humans, there I’m the same.:twisted:
ROFLMAO LaDonna, I’d love to have a picture of that! This is fun to know about you.
One thing I’d like you to know about me? I sneak cigarettes every once in a while. Shh don’t tell hubby.
Edie, hula hoops and pole dancing? I gotta wonder about your past life.
Something people might think is interesting about me: I once had lunch with Julius Caesar. (And yes, I do have pictures.)
Bad, Karin, bad! How can he not smell it? My sister used to sneak smokes, and she said her husband had “a bad honker”. (Her exact words:lol:) I hope that’s not true about Officer Friendly.
Kath, I didn’t think you were that old. *ducking* I know that’s terrible, but I couldn’t resist.
And I still have a hula hoop that I use every once in a while.
Hi, Edie. Thanks for linking to my contest. I appreciate it. I hope all the Magical Musings gals mosey over and enter.
A strange thing about me — I worked for an engineering magazine one summer.
Jennifer, are engineering people that strange? I hear people mock them, but the ones I know are pretty normal. Although I’m not actually sure what normal is. My husband will tell you it’s not me.:lol:
My husband is a chemical engineer, and he’s strange
.
One strange thing about me . . . hmmm. My husband calls me a compulsive baker. I like baking cakes, cookies, pies. A couple of times a week, at least.
Edie, I worked for an engineering firm in college. Yes, they are that strange.
Looking forward to Laura’s post on Saturday.
Michelle, all husbands are strange.:twisted:
My mom was a compulsive baker, and I love baking goods. I try not to do so much, because if I bake it, I eat it.
Eli, Laura’s post will be worth the wait.
Okay, here’s my confession. I did “Da Butt” on top of a piano and won the contest. The sad part is, I don’t drink, so I’m blaming it on my over-sugared Coke with cherry grenadine.
So funny! I can’t wait for the blog now, you tease.
I love hearing about everyone’s little quirks. Too funny! Here’s one of mine: Sometimes when I’m eating breakfast before work in the morning, I watch Sesamee Street. It cracks me up.
ROFL, Marcia. “Da Butt” beats a hula hoop any day. And on top of a piano too! You’re a brave woman.
Sorry, Becky, but waiting is part of being a writer. You should be used to it by now. At least this wait is guaranteed to have an interesting blog at the end.
Lindsay, I love hearing about everyone’s quirks too. Yours is cute! I haven’t watched Sesames Street in years. Now you’re making me think I should turn it on to see how it’s changed.
I am laughing as I read all these stories. I have one but I guess it has to do with Liz and me. This stories started along time ago and is still going. I have this little yellow stuffed bunny that Liz gave me but is always stealing back. Every time she steals the bunny it comes back to me dressed in some strang way. One morning I woke up and found it on the coffee table draped all in a white cloth and jumper cables hanging off its ears and on the sign it read “Frank-N-Bunny”. Another time I found it tied to a tree with a bunch of logs around it on the sign it said “bunny of Arc”. She even took it all the way to Australia and sent it back in a box and said it was a Stole-A-Way bunny. These are only a few samples of what she has done to this poor bunny. Well the last time she stole it was at least 8 or 9 years ago and I am still waiting to find it in some form or another. Don’t quite know what she is waiting for or what she has in mind or if she lost it. I’m still waiting.
Sorry Liz, I just had to share this story with your friends. I had to let them know how mean you are to poor defensless little bunnies.
Margie, that’s the best one yet! Liz, the bunny torturer. Who would’ve known?:twisted: I’m glad you shared it with us.
Awwww, Geez … I forgot about that damned bunny! You didn’t mention when I created a beach scene on the front yard … complete with sand, paper water and a shark fin.
Gotta find that sucker.
LOL. Very creative, Liz. But I think Margie needs a new bunny.
Edie,
Timely post. I was just reading various blogs on how valuable conferences are and how important they are … even moreso for pre-pubs.
I’m planning on being at Dallas (my first time to nationals). Can you veterans tell me what some of the don’t miss elements are for a pre-pub?
I have an agent, so unless something changes between now and then, I probably won’t pitch.
I’ll probably address this topic on Romance Worth Killing For next week.
Joan, I’ve only been to one National. My favorite part was hanging out with friends and meeting people. The workshops are great, but we can listen to most of them on the CDs. On Liz’s blog, she mentioned introducing ourselves to the editors after the publisher spotlight workshop were over. Maybe I’ll do that this year.
ROFL – that’s hysterical about the bunny! My brother and I have a chicken we do that with. I love Frank-N-Bunny!
Liz, you are too dangerous and creative.
It was fun coming up with some of those. I was really proud of the “Bunny of Arc”. Tied the little sucker to a tree and piled logs around it with a sign over its head.
That’s a good one, Liz. You have an evil mind.:evil:
Edie, By the way I forgot to mention that I have pictures of all these bunny tortures. They really are too funny.
LOL You can blackmail her with the photos when she’s a famous author.:grin:
Uh-oh.