Okay. First round of edits are off! Now I get to enjoy the new toy hubby bought when I get home. We got a little bit of a tax return and finally joined the 21st century. Ta da! Our new toy looks something like this :

We have put it off forever since I didn’t think we really needed it with as little as we watch it. However, when we tried to watch Kite Runner and couldn’t because of the subtitles and our “aging” eyes, I knew it was time. My son has an awesome feature on his phone that scans bar-codes & tells you where the item is cheapest in town. I hate playing that game but Best Buy matched the other price and viola! A chopped entertainment center later, we’re in like flynn, baby!

When my daughter came in to say good night last night, the most awesome advantage of this new toy occurred to me…and I made her blush.

That’s right! This:

and this:

and even more of this:

Bigger. Better. Dirtier, baby!

I sure hope the screen in windex friendly :}

*wipes drool*

I finished my latest novel and a final read though yesterday. *insert a  squee here* Not even fifteen minutes went by before I got an e-mail from my editor with the first run of edits. Talk about your great timing.

All I can say is, I must have the world’s most patient editor! I knew I needed a “comma nazi” to add or remove as necessary but there is a lot more as well – as I suspected. It is wonderful having a new set of eyes on it. I have read it too many times to catch simple things. (I about fell over when I found the dreaded “your” “you’re” that is my pet peeve! I have a lot to learn apparently about POV (point of view). Some things I felt were needed but apparently just don’t float. It isn’t as hard to change as I thought though. This is an awesome learning experience.

I also find myself catching things I didn’t before. I purposely didn’t read it since I got the acceptance from the publisher so that when I started edits, it would be a somewhat “fresh” read to me. I actually caught where I named 2 minor characters the same name. *head desk*

So, I’m taking my time with this, accepting the changes and finding myself adding to the scenes as well. This is quite the experience in many ways and I know I’m learning a bunch! (I had never used the editing feature in word before – pretty “nifty”)

There is NO fine line between telling a great story and being able to write it for the public to read. Hense why I would never self publish. I wanted someone else to tell me it was good enough to be out there and I wanted someone that knew their stuff to fix the errors I could not. I may have gotten straight A’s in English but I don’t want to count how long ago that was. Writing rules do apply and I know I still have a lot to learn. Yes, smack me. I should have spent more time on AW in “Uncle Jim’s” threads than I did ‘stalking the battery’. My bad.

If I’m out of sight for a while, refer to previous post. No, I’m not dead. I’m just trying to make my editor and future readers happy.

I’m goin’ in…

Still coming off the high of seeing Avatar, we decided to go see Lightning Thief. Two movies in as many weekends. My DVD budget is shot this month but both were well worth it. My daughter really enjoys Rick Riordan’s books and I didn’t want her to have to wait until I got around to buying the movie previously viewed.

It was a really good movie. Of course according to my daughter, the book was way better. I was only slightly disheartened to see so much of my last book of hers in it. Despite my facebook post, I shouldn’t toss out my book #9 just yet. Yes, I have the whole Greek god thing and their children down and even the fight between Poseidon & Athena, but I guess if you are quoting mythology, there is only one way to write it unless you rally wanna mess it up. In my book, they didn’t go to the underworld and I knew nothing about the pearls that bring you back, so maybe I’m okay. I still have the twist that only she and her best friend Samantha can add so maybe I’ll just tweak it some more… again. I don’t think I wrote it here but her comment after beta-ing for me was : “You know how when you have too much glue and the papers don’t stick? Yeah, that.” Gotta love her honesty.

Of course it really doesn’t matter whether I do anything with it or not for a long time because once again, I am just sitting on the whole series. Unless my other books take off & I land an agent interested in doing a Children’s series, I am not up to actively seeking getting these published. I’d like to enjoy the high of Dustin Time being out before I start getting beat up again and I still have months to go. One step at a time, Bug…

So, to throw some funny into the whole thing, as we’re walking in my daughter says, “Are you ready for some exciting beasts and to be scared by a “monitor’?”
“Did you mean Minotaur or does this movie have the dreaded computer screen monster?”
tee hee..

I may have steered you wrong in the past with some of my odd movie choices but this was really well done. *gets off movie review soapbox*

This e-mail has come around a few times but it always makes me laugh.

Dear Ms. Davis ,
I want to be very clear on my child’s illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.

Mrs. Harrington

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Very fitting with all our recent snow and although I was not a stripper, a main character one in a book I recently submitted used to be one. I had a roommate on Kauai that swore I was a stripper running from my past. Ookay… whatever. I guess I had a better bod than I thought way back when…. Anyway, it fit in nicely with the story so I ran with it. Again, I stole a bit of my life, so to speak, and threw it in a story. I find that’s what I’m doing with the one I’m currently writing.

My son’s girlfriend posts a picture of a boxer that her mother is fostering and it needs a home. Bam – my MC goes to pick up a boxer that a coworker is fostering. The smoke detector goes off while we are at a cousin’s house for dinner. Bam – my MC burns her spaghetti sauce and the smoke detector goes off. It’s funny how the little daily things make their way into my stories and give them that little touch that it needed to make it more real. I didn’t even realize until yesterday who my male MC was. He’s handsome, sings, plays guitar and shaves his head. Gee my AW friends… which music mod would that be? I recently made this shirt kind of as a joke, but it’s really true.

Do watch yourself around me. This will be your only warning.

P.S. When the whole “Rusty” nickname thing first came up, I did tease that it was my former stripper name. Yes, I’m evil that way.

“Let me know.

If you are… can I have your ATV?”

It’s e-mails like that – that make me all warm & squishy inside.

I’m alive and well, just very engrossed in my new WIP, thank you for asking. Guess I’ve been neglecting my forum “peeps”… my bad. I’ll get in & throw some reps around soon, my love.

I’m at 63K after 17 days and can’t seem to write fast enough. I have enough scenes in my head to take me through to the end, even though they are not necessarily flying at me in order. I have a new favorite novel *squee* and may even send this one out next instead of what I was planning.  Of course I still have my second one out and haven’t heard back yet but you know me, if I’m not biting off more than I can chew, I’m just not doing it right.

As for the ATV, thanks for the reminder. The snow days have been horrible here & I’m ready for a little spring mudding SOON! So no, “Up you’re’s”! * (*AW Trademark – not bad spelling)

Get yer own.

*sprays mud all over clean blog*

…. not know which way to turn the valve on the horse water hose to keep it from freezing?

The “this” was hubby asking me what the standard height of a door was. ‘Answer for $10 Bob’ – 80″ . 6’8″, duh.

Why do I know this? I worked at 3 different lumber yards over the course of my “jill-of-all-trades” life. Two years on Maui, one on Kauai and one p/t in the Florida Keys were the silly people put me in the lawn and garden before they realized I meant it when I said I had a black thumb and could kill a silk plant.

Again, it’s one of those things – I don’t know why I remember this stuff.

~ ~ ~ ~

“We need to re-shingle the house”

“Be sure to go with Arch 80 – it has a 30 year warranty & more depth to the pattern. Firescreen only has 20 & is ugly & flat.”

“Okay…”

~ ~ ~ ~

“I need to go get some sheets to match the garage. The stuff with the grooves.”

“T 1-11.”

“Shut up.”

~ ~ ~ ~

When tiling a bathroom came up on my forum & the use of green drywall I hopped right in. “You have to use durarock, green board won’t do it, ding dong.”

~ ~ ~ ~

If I’m at your house and your bathroom fan makes too much noise, I will crawl up & replace your squirrel cage for you, even though you have no idea what that is. I will also put in your dimmer for you without turning off the power (& yes, I will get zapped a minimum of 2 times & still won’t turn it off) & hang your ceiling fan if you whine long enough. I wish I could say no to taping your damn drywall, yes I do that too.

I got my first tool box when I was around 16. My dad picked up my purse to move it and said, “What the heck is in here?” (Yes, he probably did just say heck. My potty mouth does not come from my dad who was always great about never letting us hear him swear.) I pulled out a couple of screwdrivers, a tape measure & so on. He customized a tool box for me for my car the next day. I wish I still had it. Hubby bought me a pink one a couple years ago but it doesn’t stop the ‘bastid’ from stealing my tools. I asked my son to buy him a “fairy pink tool box” of his own for his birthday this year.

I also used to be great with electronics and install my own car stereos & CB with a PA system. I wired my TV to play out my stereo speakers & rewired my VCR & lamps after my bunny that ran free in the house ate them all. Now, however, I have to call my daughter when she’s at a friends house to ask her how to get the TV to go from DVD to VCR. Something happened after I got married – or hubby & I just don’t agree on wiring solutions. Just tell me which button I need to push, okay?

Bragging? Heck no. I find it funny. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I still prefer guys to do that kind of stuff, but it’s just funny (to me) when its something a guy doesn’t know. A favorite quote of mine from Mr Mom:

“You gonna use 220?”

“220…221. Whatever it takes.”

The main characters in my books always know these kinds of things and it’s always something fun to run with. Somewhere, someone will say, “No way. A chick did not just do that,” & I’ll say, “Way. I did.” In the second book I just sent to my publisher, the girl worked at a lumberyard. I always have bits & pieces of me in my books – helps make things easier on me not having to look stuff up. (I can’t wait to submit the next one – I love the ‘ 67 Mustang banter between my MC & her husband’s father.)

What’s that? Your car won’t start? Try pouring a soda on the terminals. That’ll clean off the crud & it should start right up. Yes, I helped many a friend stuck at the beach that way. It does work. (& yep, I put it in a book )File that in your chick-tool-box under “$#it that really does work!” Yup. You can just call me “McGirlver”. I can also open your bathroom lock with a pen. Don’t.Ask.

Maybe, your toolbox looks like this:

That works too.

So… the horse water faucet. Yes, I will be reminded of that for the rest of my life. I do know in theory what is supposed to work but I’m pretty sure I turned them one way, ran the water, and put it back how it was when I got there. In. Your. Face. Kram-min. That’s my story & I’m sticking to it.

…always hit at the worst time.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I am once again having to consider a waterproof laptop.

Yes, I was in the shower when an idea that would feed a whole chapter hit me. It was all I could do to hurry up and rinse the conditioner out of my hair before I went running to my laptop in a towel to get the idea down before I forgot it.

My family has come accustomed to me jumping up from a game or leaving the dinner table to make a quick note. I have my phone by me when we watch a movie just in case something hits me. It’s a Treo & it has Word on it and I can almost always decipher the notes I make in haste.

Unlike trying to remember three items when I walk into a store and can only remember two, once I get on a roll with a good WIP (work in progress for the few who may not be on AW), I can usually keep a good momentum going and get the scenes to play out. I never outline or know where I’m going, the characters usually just take over. This has to start with that initial idea, however, and I hate to lose it so with my history, I have to get the idea down as soon as possible.

The phenomenon of “I have an idea” then in a minute “Gah!! It was right there!”  goes by many names. Blonde moment, brain fart, etc.  (I refuse to use Senior moment ’till I get that damn discount and start dying my hair blue!) It’s related to the hereafter, I’m sure of it.  I used to sell this mug in our coffee shop:

It was one of our best sellers; too many can relate I suppose.

As for Sunday night anyway, mission accomplished. Thought saved and chapter written. With yesterday’s snow day, the chapter panned out nicely without interruption. I am glad hubby insisted on the real wood floor. If we had gone for the pressed stuff, I’m pretty sure it would be curling up at the edges from all my dripping treks to the laptop. That would be a little hard to make an insurance claim on.

Oh… the beatings our home and family takes for our craft. Could’ve been a lot worse I suppose. The neighbor coulda been over and I could have forgotten the towel. There just isn’t enough eye bleach on the planet for that.

Poetry was never my thing,
This much had always been true.
But I have a friend who is now published,
And for her I must go whoo-hoo.

She was on AW
And known by many names.
In the cabaret she hung her hat,
And we played many games

My favorite nickname derived from potato;
Although her name was not.
It came from her handle initials;
Her name became Tater ToT.

If you haven’t guessed by now,
Think handcuffs, then memories sought.
For my Tater ToT writing buddy
Is our very own Train of Thought.

Here’s a linky to her worky,
Pop on over here & say hi if you have the time.
I’m sure she’d love to hear from you
Just don’t tell her about my lousy rhyme.

We got together in DC & Chicago
And she is a total blast.
Can’t wait till we get together again
ToT, I miss you OCD @ss.

(Well…maybe it’s CDO – I’m pretty sure yours is in order. )

Yes, it’s easy to see why I don’t mess in poetry, eh?
I leave it to the ones that know what they are doing! The 1st 2 are hers. Enjoy!
Congrats, Tater!

Here’s me & a bunch of mods from the MD trip. Nope. No Tater. She took the pic though. That count?

I am a horrible one for using nicknames for people. The biggest mistake you could ever make in my presence is telling me, “So & so calls me ‘this’ & I hate it.” Epic. Mistake. That will be the one name I will remember forever. I worked with a Maggie once – she never should have told me about the customer that called her “Magpie”…

Knowing that I do this – you’d think that I would be smarter. You’d think…

Known by many but pronounced by few – my daughter’s middle name is Ku’uleihaukeaokapiliaumoe. It took hubby 8 years to learn it and only then because my parents visited for a month & my dad used it daily. For whatever reason, I mentioned it in my forum and someone asked what it meant. I was far too smart to just explain my oldest brother’s Hawaiian language skills & the fact that she was born in the car in a snow storm. Instead, I posted a link to a post that he made years ago. I didn’t pay attention to the whole thing – just the explanation about her name. Major failz.

I don’t mind the name Rusty. In fact, hubby & his family call me Rusty. I was given the name in my early twenties by a big burly Hawaiian I worked with at a hotel on Maui where I waitressed poolside. I had only been there for a week and we had the company party. It was raining that day & everyone was huddled under a tent. I always loved rain and just stood out in it. When I was finally coaxed under the tent (probably with booze) Aku (who played the Hawaiian Santa each year) called me over. He took my arm and looked at my freckles. “Haole girl, I told you get outta da rain. Now you stay all rusty.” (Yes, my pidgin still comes back like a second language.) Haole is literally “visitor” but locals use it a lot to describe Caucasians and it isn’t always derogatory. (The arms also got me called Appaloosa by a certain deranged Chihuahua -I think I like Haole better )

Aku was the “leader” so to speak of all the hotel maintenance crew. They were a friendly batch and all had a great laugh at my expense but I didn’t mind. (I’m sure there were more drinks involved so it’s all good.) What I didn’t know was that the Personnel manager was off to the side overhearing the banter. When I got to work the next day, I had a new name badge waiting for me with my time card. Yup. Rusty.

Its no secret I was never fond of the name June. I am a 3rd generation June & it was always just a little confusing getting phone calls at home. My mother was called “honey” & “sweetheart” on more than one occasion by my boyfriends. I didn’t think we sounded alike at all. It’s funny how that comes full circle because now people think I’m my daughter on the phone.

The name Rusty just stuck. Friends began to use it & I liked it. I never had a nickname in school. You couldn’t do anything with June except the 3rd grade “June-the-prune”. (I know I’m gonna regret that.)

When hubby & I met on Kauai, he told his family about his best friend Rusty. “We do everything together. We’ve done all the hikes, go for drives…it’s great to have a good friend here finally.” When he called a few months later & said, “Rusty & I are getting married,” the response was. “Geez Loise. Tommy joined the Coast Guard & went gay!” *giggles* I guess he hadn’t mentioned Rusty was a chick.

On my forum – I’m auntybug. I have acquired Bug, Buggy, Buggers, Stalker Bug, AB, & a few more & I don’t mind any of them. I know who is supposed to call me what. When my forum friends got wind of the Rusty thing – it just sounded funny to me. That even topped when they had started calling me June ’cause I asked them not to! (Yes, you two (^)’s – you know who you are. Okay 3, you know you’re guilty too, Puppy.)

I guess it doesn’t matter. All’s fair in love and nicknames. I have at least 2 for most of my friends – some have 3 and amazingly hubby can keep up with me. My poor daughter has gone from Valerie to Larrie to just Lar – her Hawaiian name doesn’t even usually come into play. I do this with my characters in my books too but so far my Beta’s haven’t complained.

Here’s to all my friends. I may call you by your handle, your avatar, or a name you don’t quite like instead of your name but I loves ya.

Love,
(whatever-the-heck-you-call-me)
*smooch*