The hotel gift shop is out of Diet Coke and I can't bring myself to even approach the bottle in the room's mini bar. I think with taxes and the restocking fee it would come to about $585. Sigh.

Oh. Mah. Gawd. My brain has exploded about eleven times so far and I haven't even left the hotel to attend the Romance Divas dinner (thanks to Laurie for forcing me to sign up!).

The opening session this morning was musical, so you know that makes me happy -- especially when keynote speaker Theresa Behenna made us all sing "We Write the Books" to the tune of Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs." I think that's the closest I'm gonna get to a karaoke bar.

Don't tell anyone, but I totally skipped the AGM to get to the Blaze booksigning.

I'm starting to recognize people, which is very fortunate so I don't have to wander aimlessly alone. Now we wander in packs. There are so many people from TRW here that it kind of feels like a chapter meeting -- only with about 1950 more people and unsweetened iced tea.

Victoria Alexander won over the crowd at lunch over and over again. Somehow she made this whole experience seem normal. ;) The best part was when she spoke about the unfortunate possibility of being struck down by a trolley car immediately after her speech and how we'd all approach it. "The historical writers would have it happen in 1888, the contemporary writers would have the hero step in to rescue me, the paranormal authors would somehow bend space or time to get me out of there and the erotic romance writers...well that's best left between me and the erotic romance writers."

I'm paraphrasing, but hopefully it comes through in my translation.

Seeing that I'm a PRO member, I attended the PRO Retreat. Chocolate and cabana boys were not involved. But Linda Howard made up for it with a delightful speech about just going for it no matter what. Karin Tabke must also be mentioned, because when she spoke, she made such a connection with all of us that it brought tears to my eyes.

She's totally been here in PROdom, waiting for the call. She mentioned sending out a manuscript that no agent or editor should ever be allowed to see, and I knew she could feel our pain (desperation) and hope (gut-clenching desire) to finally get good news...someday.

Ooh, then we met the agents! Laurie McLean, Barbara Poelle, Laura Bradford, Nathan Branford and Jennifer Schober are now all close personal friends of mine so I can go hang out in the whirlpool with them for the rest of the week.

Okay, maybe not, but it was nice to hear what the agents had to say about submissions, sales, clients, do's and dont's, etc. I'll admit, there were some uncomfortable moments when some people asked questions that made the agents go "huh" or, to quote Laurie McLean, made them say, "next question." Ouch.

There were 12 prizes to be given away and I didn't win any of them. Can you believe it? Next time I'll throw in 200 business cards (gotta love Vista Print) to tip the odds in my favor. I don't think anyone will notice, do you?

Now I need to get ready for dinner. If I can swing it, I'll give you an update tomorrow. When they have Diet Coke.

I guess I could always walk over to Rite-Aid...sigh...

Labels: adventures, RWA, writing

Okay, it's official. I'm at my first-ever RWA National convention. That means there are about 2,000 romance authors from, like, everywhere all here in one spot. Yeah, it's kind of loud and squealy, but it's also a lot of fun!

Tonight was the literacy signing, where everyone has the opportunity to meet great authors and get their books autographed, and when we buy the books, all the proceeds go to promoting literacy. I did my part by purchasing waaay too many books I now get to lug home.

It's hard not to get all giddy and fan-girl-like when you see authors up close and personal. It's very surreal meeting the woman who kept you up all night, reading her words. Everyone was so nice and knew my name. Then I realized I had my name tag on the whole time.

I even have a big-ass orange ribbon on my name badge that says "FIRST TIME VISITOR" so other old-school RWA-ers will take pity on me and assist when they find me gobsmacked in an empty hallway or looking like I need a clue.

And I thought riding the small boat around Alcatraz was tough. ;)

Oh, did I mention that San Francisco is cool and chilly? Like freezing? It feels like fall, which is at odds with being in California during late July, but that's just that way it is.

And no, we didn't feel the earthquake over here. But I did pick up some fabulous shoes. Oh, before the convention started...

Tomorrow is going to be a full day, and so are the next few days after that, so please forgive my spotty posting, but I think I may be having way too much fun with a bunch of crazy people to get much blogging done.

Labels: adventures, fun, RWA, writing

Right now I'm in San Francisco, and they don't show Canadian television stations in the hotel, so I'm afraid that I've missed this week's episode. Rats. But, have no fear, I'll be telling all about our obstacle-course adventures upon my return home.

Hey, what are you up to on the Holiday Monday? Feel like watching SIX HOURS of Stuck? W Network is having a Stuck marathon on Monday, August 4, showing episodes 1-12 all in one big broadcasting blob. How cool is that?

Labels: Stuck

Robert Downey Jr. is putting off writing his memoirs. He even returned his advance to HarperCollins and everything.

This is something only an actor would do. Seriously. You would never hear me saying, "Nah, I don't think I'm gonna write that book just yet. Here's your cash. Check in with me later, 'kay?"

Obviously Robert Downey Jr. and I are not on the same wavelength. Which is probably a good thing, given his penchant for injecting -- and we're not talking insulin here.

Then again, it was his memoirs he was putting off writing, not some YA novel. Perhaps he knows that even more cool stuff is headed his way, like another Iron Man movie or The Singing Detective II.

Me? While there are no real plans to release my memoirs out into the world, I can't say it'll never happen. Of course, HarperCollins isn't banging down my door just yet, hoping to fill in the void left by Downey, but you never know. They could one day.

Well, maybe not today. And tomorrow doesn't look good either.

Labels: fun, ideas

There I was, all happy to finally get a sports bra, and Nicole shows up to beach volleyball in a string bikini. ;)

Labels: Stuck

When I was a young girl (just last week), I thought the phrase "ill prepared" referred to getting ready to throw up. Now I'm feeling both meanings as I look at the calendar and realize that I need about another month before I'm ready to head to the RWA National convention next week.

Labels: adventures, blahs, RWA

Today I ventured into totally unknown territory: the urban music scene.

The freelance gig I'm on has me doing some fact-checking, editing and proofreading for a nifty publication -- and I've arrived just in time to help out with their issue dedicated to all things hip-hop, rap and other genres that may include the word gansta.

I know, I know, Bonequa's in da house.

The best part was fact-checking some lyrics a writer used to create a translation guide for all things Lil Wayne. And, if you don't know who the heck this homeboy is, dat's aiiight, you'll be quoting his lyrical metaphors soon enough. His latest disc sold a million copies in the first week it was on the shelves -- and I'm sure none of my peeps picked one up.

We're just not hip to the new scene.

But now, I kind of am. Like a terrified non-swimmer sticking her toe in the deep end of a pool run by the city. Or a woman who thought a booty call had to do with shoe shopping. ;)

Hey, I do own a 45 of Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang, does that count? Never mind.

Here are my top Lil Wayne metaphors/similes:

5. "Pockets green like a pot of peas"
4. "Just relax like a fresh new perm"
3. "I'm untouched like a box of Pumas"
2. "You might wanna fall back like August"

and, my personal fave:

1. "Tell dem hataz cut it out like a coupon"

Oh yeah, this guy is freestyling at the grocery store. Dat's right.

Labels: adventures, writing

Oh my goodness, there are only three episodes left!

This week truly showed how far we've all come along on our journeys. Tracy's crowded-beyond-belief office is finally a safe haven, Clarice has finally put her depression out for garbage pick-up and Mary has finally realized that what she needs to be happy is already around her.

Yeah, there were good vibes all over the place.

Playing beach volleyball has never been on my list of things to do, but Nicole made it fun. I'm not a big fan of games where objects come flying through the air at you, but at least my feet were completely exfoliated after running around on the sand for an hour.

And for some reason playing without my glasses on improved my ability to hit the ball. Hmm.

Next week we're all coming back to beach volleyball, this time with another instructor so Nicole can kick our butts as a team member instead of a.b...beach volleyball expert. ;)

Going back to kickboxing was the best! Not only was I able to keep up this time around, I really could feel how well my strength, stamina and overall fabulousness have improved (yeah, I learned that from Nicole). Watching Clarice and her daughter Simone work out together was fun too -- you couldn't tell who was 52 and who was 31!

While everyone's bodies have changed for the better, so have our attitudes. Sure, there may be days when we really don't wanna work up a sweat or eat something green and leafy, but we feel like sludge when we don't. And that's the part that scares me sometimes. Because I grew used to feeling like sludge for 40 years -- so it may be really easy for me to fall onto the sludge wagon if I let it happen.

So I guess I'll just have to make sure it doesn't. But I'm still gonna have ice cream if I feel like it -- and if I have a coupon.

Next week is also another round of kickboxing, OOPS! I mean rock climbing -- don't expect to see me anywhere near there!

Oh, and I can't believe the show left in the part where I comment on all of my clothes being too big and ask viewers to send their money in so I can buy new clothes. LOL

Hey, I wonder if I should wait by the mailbox, just in case...

Labels: Stuck

As I warned you in my last post, I thought it was about high time I checked in on the goals I had for 2008:

1. Get healthy
STATUS: Done like dinner! Thanks to Stuck, I can honestly say that I'm healthier than I've ever been. Now I just have to keep it up.

2. Land at least two more magazine columns
STATUS: Working on it.

3. Do what it takes to land an agent
STATUS: Working on it...and RWA Nationals is right around the corner.

SIDEBAR: Actually, I really need to work on this. When Michelle did a "pretend I'm an agent" over dinner with me this evening, I stared at her blankly and then ran off to the bathroom. Not a good start. ;) She said something about having my pitch ready...oh yeah, my pitch...I thought she was talking about something completely different, like I was a pimp or something. LOL

4. Finish current WIP
STATUS: Done! Woo hoo!

5. Write DD
STATUS: Not gonna do that one. The idea is nice and all, but it's not jumping up and down and doing cheerleading routines like my other idea, which I'll call CA. While CA's outline needs whole lotta work, it's the next book I want to write.

6. More magazine articles
STATUS: Done! Keeping up with two queries a week without difficulty. Article sales could be better, but I have been published in new publications, which is always a good thing.

7. Make time to write the novels
STATUS: Doing it! This really worked with the last WIP, so once I'm ready to start the next one, I will try to write at least an hour a day to keep things going.

8. A day off
STATUS: Yeah, right. Easy to say, hard to do. It doesn't seem as necessary now that I'm working out on a regular basis. I try to get in a least a little bit of quality veg time every day. And I'm not talking about carrots.

9. A trip...or three
STATUS: Done! Saint John in June, San Francisco in August and New York in September. Plus, I won a weekend spa getaway, which my husband and I will be enjoying sometime this winter. Yeah!

10. More new stuff
STATUS: Done! Did some workshops this year, which are always fun. Enjoying some new authors and some old ones too. ;)

BONUS ITEM: Have way more fun
STATUS: Totally done! Appearing in a TV show and trying kickboxing, yoga, spinning, beach volleyball and running an obstacle course was waaay more fun than I ever thought it would be. But now what am I gonna do to round out the rest of the year?

Wow, seven out of 11 goals done already? That's pretty darn cool...and I still have 5-1/2 more months to take care of the rest. Now I know why I'm feeling so sleepy. ;)

Labels: goals, writing

July has been a great month for me. First of all, I realized that I was able to write my last manuscript in one-third of the time as the one I'd previously done. For me, that's huge. Especially when I hear that it takes more than one novel to make a gazillion dollars. ;)

Then there's my ongoing exposure through Stuck on Canada's W Network. I'm starting to get recognized by perfect strangers, which is perfectly fine by me. Most of them stop to tell me how much they like the other ladies on the show. ;)

And I'm in two publications through interviews instead of writing the articles myself:

My love of entering contests earned me an interview during the Canadian Contesting Convention for "Eyes on the Prize." an article by Steve Burgess that appeared in the July issue of Reader's Digest Canada.

And I'm a local hero in the July 11 issue of The Etobicoke Guardian. (Please note that DH is not a freelance journalist, not sure where the reporter got that from.) Woman's fitness journey on the small screen.

Here's the photo:

Caption: Bonnie Staring (right) works out with trainer Olga Segovia.
Photo by Evan French

Now I'm just gonna wait beside the mailbox for money to arrive. ;)

In other news, I've almost completed the outline for my next WIP. While the last one was written in nine months, I'd like to see if I can write this one in less time. But first, I think I'll focus on getting the first draft onto the page...by December 31. Stamp saved.

Somehow giving myself a goal in July doesn't seem to have the same effect as doing it in January. I'll have to see how those January goals are doing next blog post.

Labels: fun, goals, Stuck, writing

This has to be one of my favourite episodes so far, because watching Nicole and Magnolia totally murder a really expensive steak using a potato masher, a grill and a pound of butter was just way too much fun!

And there I was thinking I didn't know anything about cooking. ;)

This was a fun day since we didn't have to work out! Hooray! No, we're still working out with our trainers and everything, but most of us still feel challenged when it comes to eating right and actually preparing food that doesn't have a gazillion calories or carbohydrates.

We had a cooking class with a nutritionist (who's way too cute and skinny) and a chef who taught us a few tricks about cooking things properly and eating well. It was a great exercise for all of us, even though Nicole admitted she was out of her depth.

Oh yeah, I'd totally agree to that.

My DH also got some screen time in when the cameras followed us to Clarice's gym -- it's waaay bigger than the one we normally go to so we knew we'd be able to find equipment to work on. We also got to see what the director refers to as "Springtime in Vespa Land" -- footage of me being able to get on the scooter properly and Aden and I driving around the neighborhood.

The sad part is they filmed us for about two hours to get those 20 seconds. Le sigh. But the "behind the tulips" footage was really good -- I hope my neighbor with all those tulips was able to tune in and see them. ;)

No tulips were harmed in the filming of this episode.

And it was so nice to see Nicole trying on wedding gowns! My goodness, it's easy to forget that she's engaged and planning a wedding. How exciting, nerve-wracking and all that good stuff. I'll let you know if she invites us for her big day.

Magnolia was just too much fun this week, getting drunk while trying to cook and passing out at Nicole's place. LOL What a party animal!

But you really have to tune in next week where we take on two activities: beach volleyball and spinning. You won't believe how much Clarice swears like a sailor when she's working out at her maximum potential! She's a true force to be reckoned with!

Labels: Stuck

No, that's not a euphemism for anything. ;)

We had the carpets cleaned at Casa Staring today. Of course, we waited for the hottest and muggiest day of 2008, but I had a coupon that expires at the end of the week and this was the only day we didn't have something important scheduled. You know, like shopping for ice cream or watching episodes of Season 2 of Melrose Place.

So I spent a large hunk of yesterday plotting the new WIP and moving furniture around. The DH was off doing a "simple computer upgrade," so I knew he'd be gone for at least 24 hours. ;) And, I have to say, I surprised myself at my ability to haul furniture from one room to the other -- with a curious cat circling around my heels no less.

Once the dust settled, I realized how large some of the rooms in our home are. Wow, without the furniture, it looks like we can put a hot tub and pool table in the living room. Chocolate fountain in the corner? No problem! Full karaoke setup? Bring it on!

But then we wouldn't have places to sit down...or a spot for the gazillion magazines I subscribe to.


And the cat would like to have his scratching post somewhere handy. Like not on top of the dryer.

So, while we waited for the carpets to dry (with all fans in the house going), DH and I decided to shake out the curtains. I remember the last time we did this, it was very cold outside and people walking by pointed at us and called us names like "idiot" and "freak". Then again, it could have been the cheese hats we were wearing at the time.

The best part of shaking out the curtains was when Zaphod, who turns 1 on July 15, raced out onto the front step to assist in the shaking process.

Of course, he was probably excited because the curtains were finally free from those silly rods that hold them in place and make them impossible to tear down from the wall. He's tried. Really hard.

DH and I swung the curtains, causing dust mites to fly through the air and a black and white cat to jump for joy -- or at least try to jump onto the curtain and go for a ride. Maybe he thinks it's a magic carpet. Heck, maybe it is and Zaphod has discovered a way to re-hang the curtains once he gets back home.

Now that would be a trip!


Can't wait to see what the cat does when we re-tile the kitchen floor. ;)

P.S. This photo is not of Zaphod, but he looks a lot like our cat. Those curtains bear no resemblance to ours, thank goodness. ;)

Labels: adventures, fun, kitten

I took a little time out of the glorious weekend to read through my notes from the High Concept workshop Lori Wilde gave at the last Toronto Romance Writers meeting. She was fabulous -- and did a great job putting together a guide to assist us low-to-medium concept thinkers. ;)


Actually, this took me right back to a comedy school scriptwriting class, where my instructor would lean back into his chair, listen to a student pitch and idea and then, after looking at the ceiling for a moment, ask: "So what?"

That was his way of indicating that our pitch wasn't strong enough, or, as Lori Wilde might say, not high concept enough. Sigh.

High-concept ideas are the ones that have editors drooling, agents auctioning and Hollywood calling. They're ideas that have a universal appeal with a unique twist. And they can be conveyed in one sentence. Or even just a few words.

As my scriptwriting instructor would say: Wizard School.

But we all know how long it took JK to get her first book deal. It only became easier with the next one...and the bunch after that...."So what" indeed. ;)

Labels: ideas, writing

It's been wery, wery qwiet over at Casa Staring this week with both Canada Day and Independence Day closing offices and allowing those enslaved by day jobs to run freely into the streets after applying sunscreen.

And this is normally a time when I welcome the calm, laissez-faire attitude that arrives with the warm weather. Only this week, my muse was stomping her little feet and demanding that I write something. Right now.

Couldn't she see that I was taking a much-needed break after completing my last manuscript?

"So what?" she said, adding another stomp for emphasis. "You're a writer. I'm just asking you to do what you're supposed to be doing anyway."

"But I'm tired." I whined from my shaded spot on the hammock. "I need to refill the well before I can proceed."

"You've been eating for hours," she snorted. "Aren't you feeling full enough yet?"

I dropped the bag of low-fat, high fibre vegetable chips (yeah, right) and wiped my hands off on my paint-stained yoga pants.

"I'm referring to my creative well. Time needs to pass so that it can fill up with ideas."

My muse arched a brow. "What if I push something into it? Would that fill it?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I jumped off the hammock in one ab-busting move. Clutching my side, I raced to the end of the driveway where there's a deep hole, normally covered by a cap. It leads to the water pipes...and something much, much more dangerous: my idea well.

I peered down into the hole, expecting the worst.

Two characters from my next novel looked up at me. Penny, a 14-year-old girl, was clutching a pogo stick and box of donuts. Brenda, a slender brunette, was holding my cat, Zaphod. He meowed and reached a paw up in my direction. I tried to extend my arms to them but they were too far down. My knees ground into the pavement.

Turning to face my muse, I gave her a look that would melt a CD case. "How could you?"

"Guess you'll have to write them out of it," she said before disappearing behind the shed. "Good luck!"

Labels: fun, ideas, kitten, writing

Oh my goodness, there are only five more episodes to go! :(

I was very relieved to see things work out as well on the show as they did in reality for Mary and I. Sure, her timing might have been better (she brought up how hurt she was over my comment right after I told the gals how great I was feeling about myself), but at least she said something instead of keeping it all bottled up inside. It's great that she had the courage to speak up.

And it was great to have the other women (especially Tracy and Nicole) point out what was really happening: Mary's stress was reaching new heights. This was a really awkward time for me, as Mary caught me off guard just when I thought I could "be myself" around the group. It's not her fault I'm uncomfortable in groups and it's not my fault that she had way too much going on. Our journeys simply collided for all to see.

And now I can go out in public again. ;)

It is also my duty to warn you that yoga is HARD. Especially if you're like me and can't keep your balance for longer than a nanosecond. Ugh. There was a lot of sweat involved -- and I have tossed out that pink shirt, what was I thinking? I looked like a big lumpy piece of Bubblicious!

The clutter in Tracy's office shocked me. It makes my home office look organized, which is so wrong on too many levels. Can she work her way through all that stuff while working full time, working on her acting career, working out and trying to eat healthy?

Well, you'll just have to stay tuned.

What I find really cool about watching the show is seeing how we're all getting to know each other. Remember, except for Mary and Magnolia, none of us knew each other before this all started. And what we've shared with each other many of us probably haven't shared with our normal circle of friends.

And maybe that's something we can all learn from: being open about our fears, desires and motivations. Sure, it's easy to get caught up in busy schedules and surface stuff, but sometimes all it takes to truly connect with someone is to sit back and listen to what they have to say.

Just don't try it with seven women all in one room together at first. LOL

Labels: Stuck

First, I want to send out a big thank you to everyone who voted for me in The Bay "Reveal and Win" contest. You rock!

Unfortunately, other folks got a few more votes than I did. Like over 40,000! Can you believe it? That's amazing! Obviously I need to join Facebook or update my Classmates.com profile. Or promise to name my next houseplant or main character after them. ;)

Of course, I had already planned all the clothes I was going to pick up if I was declared a winner. A few suits, a ton of shoes, a party dress or two...and some new workout clothes. All in smaller sizes -- woo hoo!

And that alone makes me feel good. I don't need to win a wardrobe to feel that way...but it would have been nice. Sigh.

Now I did celebrate clearing off some to-do list items with a little actual decluttering. Inspired my Stuck sistah Tracy clearing out her master bedroom and home office, I took the plunge and grabbed anything not nailed down and sorted it all into three piles: keep, recycle, yard sale/donate.

The yard sale/donate all goes in one pile, as anything that doesn't sell in our yard sale will go to charity. Most of the folks in our neighborhood know that (and now you do too) so the best time to come to our driveway is about 11:30 a.m. -- when we're feeling tired and ready to pack stuff up.

You didn't hear it from me, but we may be having a yard sale this Saturday, since we missed the street sale a few weekends back. Of course, this is all weather permitting. And mood. Sometimes it's best not to tempt fate. People could get hurt.

And tonight should be another fun-filled episode of Stuck. See you on the other side!

Labels: blahs, fun, Stuck