This week I met up with my first romance writing critique partner. She is also getting back into writing. We agreed that we needed something or someone to get us going and keep us going. I remembered taking part in a writing goal contest of sorts with ORWA a few years ago. Actually a lot of years ago. We both agreed an updated version would be perfect for us.

So what are our goals? Well this week Sue has to write up a premise for a new story. We brainstormed about one over dinner on Tuesday and then she’ll move on to write at least 1 page a week. I however will write 2 pages a week. I know it seems rather low but I do have a busy and tight schedule right now. So committing to 2 pages a week is doable for me and might at times be a bit of a challenge. But I’ve always loved a good challenge.

What will be the consequences if we don’t meet our goals? Well we’ll both owe $1 per page that we didn’t submit weekly. At the end of each month we’ll donate the money to a charity. It might change every other month.

Have I met my goal for this week yet? Not yet. I’m halfway there. I’m hoping to get another page in tomorrow or even Saturday night.

Hi all,

After a great weekend in Iselin, NJ and a long drive back yesterday. Today I’m blogging at Pop Culture Divas today. Pop in if you get a chance http://www.popculturedivas.com/2009/10/creativity-and-heart-for-breast-cancer.html

Well its official, I didn’t win the Golden Leaf for the Best First Book. The winner in my category was Linda Parisi with Noble Blood. Click here to pick up a copy of Noble Blood.

Am I disappointed? Not at all. The right writer won the award. I feel as though I won by just being nominated.

The drive down to New Jersey was rather uneventful with the exception of getting lost in Montreal when I picked up one of my girlfriends, but I’m truly not surprised to get lost there. Maggie, Thelma and I had a blast on the drive down. We talked about our books, pitches and what we were looking forward to during the conference. I have to say they did a bang up job of distracting me from my nerves of tonight’s awards.

I will be back later today to blog about the results of the awards. However so far I’ve had a great time at this conference.

More later!

Tomorrow I head out at 5 am for my trip to the New Jersey Romance Writers conference in Iselin, NJ. My plans changed this morning when my roommate and driving pal got sick with the cold. Now I’m traveling to beautiful Montreal to leave with a few other wonderful writers.

I’m nervous. This is the first time I’ll be attending as a published writer, book fair participant and more important a finalist of the Golden Leaf. Do I think I’ll win? I’m not sure, I have 33% chance to win, but truly I’m ecstatic to be a finalist. Winning would be the icing on the cake.

My next blog will be from NJ. Here’s hoping a fun and uneventful drive down.

 had a fabulous reading week while I was sick. I had to stay home because people a petrified to get even a cold. Any way I spent some wonderful hours being bewitched by Annette Blair’s Triplet Witch Trilogy. I can’t determine which one I liked most. They were all unique and fabulous in their own way.

SEX AND THE PSYCHIC WITCH is Harmony’s story. Typical of her name she brings harmony to all the rooms she walks into. This is perfect for King Paxton because he has a dead relative haunting his castle creating havoc and fights among his construction crew. He doesn’t believe the castle is truly haunted until Harmony proves it to him. Mix in King’s long lost teenage daughter – turned teenage mother of a brilliant 2 year old and you have the perfect comedic romance.

True to her name Storm takes over in GONE WITH THE WITCH. She kidnap’s King’s best friend, Aiden, when she keeps  hearing an infant’s cry whenever she’s around him. He thinks she’s crazy, but decides to go along for the ride to prove her wrong. Storm is quite proud to show him the truth, Aiden discovers he has a young daughter he never knew about and Storm meets the mother who abandoned her and sister at birth, but discovers the best surprise of all, a half sister. Aiden, his daughter, Storm and her half sister prove against all odds that family is all about people you truly love.

 Morgan comes face to face with his own destiny and worst fear, Destiny in NEVER BEEN WITCHED. He has a secret he has never told anyone and is even keeping from himself. Destiny is determined to get behind the wall surrounding Morgan and get to know the man she’s attracted to and help a child and young man cross over. Together Morgan and Destiny will face his past, his parents and forge together to deal with the here and now.

If you want to be entertained and have quite a few laughs then pick up copies of all three books. I swear you wont’ regret it.

Well its official the Ellen Degeneres Show has decided to pass on the proposal my publisher and the American Breast Cancer Foundation put to them.

Am I disappointed? Yeah! Did I really think it would happen? To be honest, not really. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. Come on we are talking about a huge show here. That said, it would have been fabulous to see my very own book in Ellen’s hands, but I knew this was such a big maybe from the start. All I could do was hope and dream that it would come true.

Will this stop me from getting attention on Deadly Secrets, Breast Cancer cause and the American Breast Cancer Foundation? Nope. I’ll keep going until the books goes out of print.

Here in Canada we are celebrating on this fine autumn day Thanksgivings. I celebrated with my extended family yesterday.  We had a wonderful dinner, tons of fun and were grateful for the time we spent together.

I wish all of you and yours a Happy Thanksgivings! Joyeuse Action de Grace!

Feeling under the weather isn’t all that much fun. I should know I’ve been there all week long, which explains why I haven’t blogged all week. However I did get to do some nice reading this past week. I’ll be blogging about the books once I’m done the third one in the series. I loved the first two so I’m sure it will be the same for the third one.

Wonder which book I’m talking about? Well keep on wondering since I’m not going to tell you.

Have a great Friday!

What does a true warrior look like?

Here is one of thousands out there

Photograph by: Pat McGrath, The Ottawa Citizen

Look around, you might know one or two.