Maybe I’m just hopped up on sugar, but I couldn’t find your e-mail anywhere. THANK YOU SO MUCH for my totally kick-ass box of goodies. Seriously, I teared up when I opened it. So much goodness — and so many things that I’ve secretly craved and never, ever mentioned wanting that you some how guessed would make my day. The yarn is gorgeous (so squishy!) and the color one of my favs. I’ll post more on my blog (because this is a tome already), but I have to say that my cats, in the year I have had them, have never shown a wits interest in catnip. Until today. Apparently they’re suckers for the organic stuff (I raised them well) and they have been ALL OVER my desk since the package arrived, drooling!
Thank you so much. You truly made my day!

p.s. good luck with the book. I feel your pain!

That was a mean, mean email that they sent out! It had me crying into my soup!

Oh, I am feeling so guilty not doing this when I encouraged you to and said that I might join in, but I’m just back from nearly a month of travel, have a vicious cold, and have absolutely no energy. Maybe I’ll join in late. Anyway, remember that just because the recommendations they send work for some people doesn’t make them right for you. Find your own pace. Good luck!

Just got back from the RSVP cruise. Was able to get a little bit done on the boat, but not as much as I hoped. For a vacation that’s supposed to be getting away and doing nothing, they sure pack in the entertainment – there were parties, and shows, and dinners, and bingo to attend.

Also, I rewrote chapter one at least three times, and still need to do so again. I know the stated goal is to write and keep writing, to get quantity done now and worry about quality later, but it’s hard to move on when the part I’m working on still wants to be tweaked.

I brought the entire Series of Unfortunate Events – had no idea how far into it I would get, and didn’t want to leave one of the 13 books behind. After finishing Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy with Ptolemy’s Gate, I started in on Lemony Snicket… and was about to open book five when November first came around. I had to put them aside for now, because that’s not the style and tone I want for my novel, and I was overexposing myself. Switched to a book called Changeling by Delia Sherman, instead, since that’s more in line with the world I’m creating.

And today, having just got off the boat, do I get a chance to sit down and write? No, of course not. I foolishly agreed with my boss when he suggested we go out and see Blue Man Group. Sure, I had a great time watching a spectacular show, but my word count is unchanged.

And then at the end of it he says that there’s a sailing race tomorrow at 9:45. AARRGH!