Because life gets overwhelming sometimes..

Okay, friends.. I need your encouragement. I feel like my blog's been lacking a little lately - meaning mostly that it's veered off course from what I intended it to be.. about my writing.

I have started my next book. It's been over a month since I asked for your help and opinions on which story to write, and while I haven't worked as hard on it as I would like to have, progress has been made. I have written outlines for both stories and have the first 2 chapters or so of the winning option written (#2).

But I seem to be lacking motivation. (sick toddler, struggling with home school, too much time working out?)

And whenever I have a particularly difficult day (which happens often when you have 5 kids under 10 being cared for by two slightly mental parents..), I start feeling like I should give up. This little voice inside my head says 'What do you think you're doing? You don't have time for this.. get your head out of your ass and just focus on your family for now. You can't do it all.' But I can. I just need to manage my time better (don't we all??). No, I don't need to finish the whole book in 30 days, but I know that I'm capable of doing that.. so why shouldn't I be able to get another written over say 60-90 days, right? Besides, most people take years to write their first book.

Anyway.. whatever.

I figured I'd share some of my progress here so you all can tell me if I should a) start over, b) try the other book instead, or c) keep this because it's awesome. Feel free to be mean and insulting.. I like it when people are honest.
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Chapter 2

Jenna walked quickly to the bathroom, dropped to her knees and vomited into the toilet.

As she re-entered the bedroom, Shane was zipping his pants and looked at her with little more than an empty stare.

"Did you just throw up?"
"Yes." Jenna replied as she began pulling the sheets off the bed.
"You want some help with that?" Shane asked sheepishly.
"No.. I think you've done enough already, thank you." she replied in a cold quiet voice.

He sat on the bare mattress and gripped the edge as he watched Jenna leave the room and return with a trash bag.

"I'm sorry." he said as she angrily stuffed the sheets into the bag. She paused for a moment and glared at him, tears starting their slow descent over her cheeks.

Shane rose from the bed and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her as the bag fell to the floor. Jenna stiffened at his touch initially but then slowly relaxed in his arms as he stroked her blond curls. She leaned her forehead against his chest and let out a little sob.

"I'm so sorry, Jenna.." he whispered.

Jenna shoved him away indignantly, her stomach lurching again.

"How dare you touch me, you asshole." she hissed at him through clenched teeth. With that, she turned and walked out of the room, headed for the couch in the living room. She wanted nothing to do with the comfort of her own bed after what she'd just witnessed there.

"Are you leaving?" Shane asked as he followed her down the hall to the living room.
"No. I don't know.. why? Do you want me to?" she wasn't sure exactly what he meant by his question.
"No." he answered as Jenna sat down on the couch.

The room was spinning and she closed her eyes as she sank back into the brown suede cushions.

"I came home because I wasn't feeling well. I just need to lie down for a while."
"Oh." It obviously wasn't the response he was expecting.
"Shane, please, just go away.." Jenna said as she leaned over to lay down without opening her eyes. She curled up on her side as he walked back down the hall to the office. She tried to chase the images of Shane and the other woman going at it in her own bed but it was all she could see in her mind. She opened her eyes again, letting the tears fall freely as her mind filled with questions..

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Okay, let me know what you think.. and also, feel free to leave me ideas for another short story here.. a story idea, a prompt, even just an opening line. I love a challenge.

And now, I will go change a diaper full of butt soup..

Don't Bother Me... I'm working.

Today is the deadline for the Amazon/Penguin Breakthrough Novel Contest.

I had all but given up on making the deadline earlier this week when I realized I would still have to write a pitch, a bio, and beef up my synopsis for this on top of finishing editing my novel.. but after a couple whirlwind editing sessions on Friday and Saturday, I decided I might actually have a chance if I busted my ass.. J sat me down, duct taped me to the chair, put my headphones on my head and my manuscript and laptop in my hands and told me to get my butt in gear get to work. Don't worry, he's making sure I stay hydrated and feeding me the occasional snack..

Hopefully they won't reach 10,000 submissions before I finish.

So leave me a comment.. wish me well, wish me luck, encourage me.. or just tell me I'm crazy and I smell funny (I did shower this morning.. I promise!). Whatever.

Current status at 1:46pmCT: done editing hard copy, working through document on computer.. starting Chapter 21 out of 24. Need to write one missing scene, write pitch, write bio, beef up synopsis..

Current status at 3:45pmCT: the manuscript is finished! Mom called to see what I'm up to this weekend and told me how proud of me she is for all my hard work.. almost cried, so happy.. now for the pitch, the synopsis, and the bio.. Googling pitch-writing..

Current status at 6:52pmCT: belly full of chili, sipping on a Guinness, synopsis done, ready to write pitch and bio.. it's the home stretch people!! I have a bottle of champagne in the fridge with my name on it, I'm going all the way!!!

I'm a Weeener!!

So today is November 30. Know what that means?? No?? *smack* It means the end of both NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo, you doofus!!

I've enjoyed both immensely this month and look forward to participating next year.. Especially since both were decidedly successful for me!! Yes. I DID do 30 posts in 30 days, and yes, I DID write 50k words in 30 days! Okay, okay.. I admit, my book is not entirely finished yet.. But it very well may be by midnight tonight if I keep going.. if not then probably by the end of the week at the latest. I only have another 2 or 3k to go. So yeah, here's my mondo boringo post for today.. slapped up here mostly for the purposes of completing NoBloMoFo and.. oh yeah.. so I can show of this!

Yay, me!

and this!

Back Seat Humor

So I went to a NaNoWriMo write in this afternoon. J was kind enough (the man is a saint, I tell you) to take the kids and run errands while I sat in a cushy coffee shop arm chair and alternated between scribbling in my comp books and assaulting my keyboard. He had to go pick up some soccer crap.. er, I mean, futbol gear.. since he's now playing goalie due to the demise of the previous goalie's foot. He better not hurt himself.

So he headed over to the wonderful world of Scheel's (I swear, that place is its own planet!) to get himself some goalie gloves and padded shorts and stuff after also doing the grocery shopping for the week and putting away all the food as I tried to up my word count at Scooter's. See? I told you. He's like a saint.

They picked me up after I managed to pound (and scribble) out about 3600 words. Sweet.

He pointed the short bus in the direction of home stopping shortly to pick up some drive-thru dinner, when the following ensued from the back seat.. (note: Jo woke up while we were in the drive-thru and was not real happy about it..)

Aidan: Torrin, I will give you 5 trillion dollars if you eat a fart!
Torrin: Okay!
Aidan: Here you go!
Torrin: Ew! That fart was NOT delicious..
Aidan: Okay! Here's your pay-check!
Torrin: No, thank you! I don't want it.. The fart was not delicious.
Aidan: But you already ate it! Here's your 5 trillion dollars.
Joella: WAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
Torrin: NO THANK YOU. It was NOT delicious.
Aidan: Okaaay.. I guess I will keep the 5 trillion dollars then!
Torrin: No, you have to eat the fart!
Joella: WAAAAAAHHH!!!!!
Aidan: I will eat Eliana's brain!
Eliana: NO!! I need my brain!
Aidan: Om nom nom nom.. Mmmm.. braaaiiins.
Eliana: NO!! Don eat my brain!!
Aidan: Okay, I will eat Torrin's brain!
Kieran: Eat my brain! Eat my brain!
Torrin: No! Don't eat my brain! I need my brain, eat KJ's brain!
Aidan: I will eat Torrin's brain!.. Om nom nom nom..
Kieran: No, eat MY brain!
Joella: WAAAAHHHHH!!!!!
Torrin: No, don't eat my brain!
Aidan: Mmmmm... braaaaiiinnns....

And then we had to turn Flatfoot 56 back on to pacify Joella.
The End.

Excerpt from No Place Like Home

The advantage of doing NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo at the same time?? I can use parts of my novel on my blog when I can't think of (or just don't have time, which is the case today..) anything else to blog! This is actually kind of 'part of the story that I accidentally left out' from my runaway story.. But this is the fictional version from my novel. Enjoy..


Suddenly, Katy heard Tina let out a scream behind her. She jerked backwards as Tina grabbed hold of Katy's back pack. Katy fell on to the path, reaching out and grasping for the branches and roots jutting out of the hill side to her left. Tina dangled, holding desperately on to Katy's back pack, her feet swinging only inches above the water. Kyle and Star spun around to see what all the commotion was about and Star stood watching helplessly as Kyle grabbed on to Katy's arm and kept the girls from slipping into the rushing river below. Katy stared up at him with panic in her eyes and clung to his wrist with one hand and a tree branch that she had managed to snag with the other when she fell. Tina whimpered and struggled below her.

“Oh God..” cried Tina, “I'm going to die..” She kicked and swung her feet wildly trying to gain her footing in the slippery hill side.

Kyle looked intently into Katy's eyes and said, “It's okay. I've got you Katy.. You're okay.”

“D-don't let go..” pleaded Katy. “Don't let go of me.”

“I'm not letting go,” Kyle assured her. “I won't let you fall.”

Tina kicked hard and jammed her foot into the hillside. Katy started to slip a little as Tina started to try and pull herself up.

“Oh no..” Katy panicked. “I can't hold on.. I'm going to fall.”

“No, you won't, I've got you,” said Kyle. He planted his feet firmly and reached his free arm down under her left arm that was quickly losing its grip on the tree branch. “Now, hold on to me. I can't get a good grip on you, the plastic bag is making my hand slip..”

Katy clung to him with all her strength and pulled as Tina reached her arms around Katy's waist. Once Tina had a good grip under Katy's poncho, Katy pulled her legs up onto the path and
Kyle wrapped his other arm around her. He held tight as Tina scrambled up on to the path behind Katy. As she did the path started to give way underneath her feet and she grabbed at the tree beside her. She just barely balanced herself on a root of the tree as the mud washed away underneath her.

Katy struggled to her feet and squeezed her arms tightly around Kyle. He reached his hand out behind her and helped Tina back on to the path.

“Oh my God.. oh my God.. oh my God..” Katy whispered in Kyle's ear.

“It's okay, Katy,” Kyle reassured her. “You're okay now. I've got you.”

“Holy shit!” Star blurted out. “That was intense.. Tina? You okay, girl?”

“Yeah.. I.. I'm okay.” Tina said, gasping and shaking. Mud was slathered all over her pants and her wet hair stuck to her face. She looked as if someone had picked her up by her hands and slapped her repeatedly against the muddy hill side. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her hands up and down the sleeves of her jacket as she shivered.

Kyle gently pried Katy's arms from around his neck and she stood staring at him with eyes filled with panic. “Hey.. you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.. I.. no.. I mean..” Katy stammered as she tried to process all that had just happened. “Oh God.. I'm so sorry.” she said finally.

“What?? Why are you sorry? You don't need to be sorry.” answered Kyle.

Katy didn't know how to feel. She was relieved to be alive and on solid ground but suddenly felt horribly guilty as she realized that Tina was mere inches from drowning in the river and all she had thought at the time was 'Let go of me!'.. What kind of friend am I??

“I.. I want to go home..” Katy whispered.

Wordless Wednesday

Because old guys can be really funny...

Remember 'Dress like J Day'? And when I mentioned J's grandpa accusing him of being a gay rabbi? Since my brain is busy with NaNoWriMo, here's an excerpt from an email that J got from his grandfather after sending him these pictures..



Subject: Rabbi J

"Thanks for the pictures of you and your friends at the Hebrew school.  Then I realized one of them was a woman and several of them looked too happy. Then too, the Jews wouldn't tolerate men who wore earrings, which use to be symbol of homosexuality.  I don't remember if it was worn on the left or right ear but you and one of your friends make up for that by using both ears.

My what a good looking group.  When I first looked at the pictures I wondered where J was but then decided you were taking the pictures. Whoops, there he is leading the pact (so to speak) with his face full of hair.  At least your head is in good sartorial spender.  Did you have the beard when you were hired or was that a late addition to your attire?"

There ya go... thought I wouldn't make it for the first day of NaBloPoMo.. didn't ya!

November is upon me...

.. and I might just pee my pants.

So, starting tomorrow, I have 30 days to 1) write a 50,000 word novel (NaNoWriMo) and 2) post something on my blog every day (NaBloPoMo). Honestly? I think the latter of the two will be more challenging.. I have to come up with like almost 30 things to post about! I may have to join in on this Wordless Wednesday deal.. and I'm liking my 10 Things Tuesday (seriously people, you should try it..). Oh, to have a reliable internet connection on my laptop.. *sigh*... Soon.. I hope.

So, I apologize in advance for not keeping up with reading and commenting through the month of November.. Except, those of you who'd actually care? I'll probably still be reading and commenting with y'all cause.. y'know.. you acknowledge my existence and stuff.

Perhaps I should go make a little list of random blog post ideas to refer back to when my brain stops functioning and my fingers go numb and rebel.. right after I do our school time for today (with children who are currently stuffing their face with Halloween candy.. that will make them work faster, right?) and make my Target shopping list.. The Target list sounds more fun.

Sitemeter makes me giggle: I had a page view from someone who Google'd 'breasts stroked mermaid moan'.. um.. wow.

10 Things Tuesday

10 reasons I'm NUTS for attempting NaNoWriMo...

1. I have 5 kids under the age of ten.
2. I home school.
3. I have a nursing baby who still gets up at night.
4. My husband works..... A LOT.
5. I'm already a terrible housekeeper..
6. I have a hard enough time finishing short stories, how can I manage a novel?
7. I'm behind on.. well.. everything. (laundry, house work, home school, etc)
8. We're starting new curriculum in November.
9. I'm still not entirely sure what I will write about and it starts in 4 days!
10. Did I mention I have 5 little kids? and I home school? and I'm on my own with them and the house work most of the time??? yeah, that.