It's been a crazy time for me. On one hand, I'm still verra, verra excited to be a Golden Heart® finalist, and on the other, life goes on. Laundry still needs doing, work needs to get done and I've got to get some serious revisions done on my current work in progress or I'm going to get really, really cranky.

While all this is going on, I took a quick trip out to visit a good friends and their sons. One is ten months and the other is eight. As a woman with five houseplants and a cat, I don't realize how truly busy life can be with mouths to feed, diapers to change and interesting questions to answer.

During my visit, I sat back and absorbed what my friends most likely consider normal life. Me? I found everything fascinatingly overwhelming. Like how a smile can change the world. Or how an eight-year-old boy knows way more about acceptance than I ever will.

Instead of worrying about what to wear, we put on comfy grub clothes and hung out in the yard. Instead of worrying about what to eat, we grabbed some leftovers from the fridge and made a wrap buffet. We laughed, shared opinions and stories, and didn't worry too much about anything.

We all need to do more of that.

How about you? How do you stay in the moment?

Labels: adventures, ideas

Last night, while the DH and I were watching a documentary about plane crashes (hey, we know how to party!), we saw an ad for the season finale of Amish Mafia.

It looked like Levi was ready to whomp John for holding buggy races without his permission. And another guy, Merlin, is preparing to move in on Levi's territory. I even spotted an Amish woman without a bonnet on!

All I could think was: this is a lot like a plane crash documentary, except with some German words thrown in. ;)

I guess every group has its bad apples. Even if they start out as organic.

Need to know more about the show? Here's the link: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/amish-mafia/about-the-show/about-the-show.htm

Labels: adventures, fun

This has been an incredibly crazy week for me. Allow me to explain:

Monday
I finally finished my current manuscript, Deflowered, a twist on Beauty and the Beast, after taking a couple wrong turns and rewriting the ending three times. When I sent out an email to my brainstorming group saying it was done, I had tears in my eyes.

Tuesday
My phone rang at 9:30 or so, and I thought it was the roofing company that was coming to work on my house the next day. It wasn't. A lovely woman from the Romance Writers of America® called to let me know that the manuscript I'd entered, Camp Awakening, was a 2013 Golden Heart® finalist in the Young Adult category.

I started to cry on the phone. I couldn't conjugate verbs. I mean, I entered, but I didn't expect to be a finalist. For those of you not affiliated with RWA, the Golden Heart is kind of like the Oscars for unpublished romance manuscripts.

I don't remember much else from the conversation except the overwhelming urge to scream, throw up and jump for joy simultaneously.

As soon as I hung up the phone I called my main motivator and BFF, Michelle Rowen, but all I could do was sob. I think she thought I might have been in some sort of diabetic situation until I said, "They called."

Then we both freaked out.

Wednesday
Still in a daze, I received approximately a gazillion emails while roofers worked on my house and cause my internet connection to be spotty at best. Somehow this does not take the smile off my face.

Thursday
Even without the whole being a finalist thing, I knew this was going to be an awesome week because I had tickets to see The Price is Right LIVE -- a stage show that brings the PiR experience to, you guessed it, the stage.

Four of us went. I was the only one who put my name into the draw to be a contestant and was rewarded with my very own price-tag shaped name tag. I still have it!

Despite crossing my fingers, toes, eyes and bra straps, my name wasn't called. But that was okay, I was still a 2013 Golden Heart finalist!

What's next?
Let's see. Lose ten pounds. Find just the right outfit to wear for the awards ceremony, which takes place at the RWA National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on July 20. And maybe, just maybe, get some more writing done!

Labels: adventures, contests, goals, RWA, writing

Welcome!

I'm delighted to be part of the Cupid's Literary Connection Kissing Scene Competition, and perhaps a little terrified at the same time. There are 50 of us competing for the 10 spots in Round Two, in which three entries will be given the go-ahead to participate in the Agent Blind Speed Dating contest, happening later in February. (Yeah, there's a whole bunch of cool stuff going on at that site, check it out!)

The setup
This scene is from my young adult manuscript, POWER STRUGGLES, and takes place after Melody, a 16-year-old telekinetic boot-camp trainee, bumps into Jonas, a junior trainer, out on a path past curfew, which could land her in even more trouble. She's already been caught using her power without supervision, which resulted in a consequence of having bruises appear on her face and arms. They were just comparing notes on Jonas losing his parents, and Melody losing her father.

***

“I thought I’d lost her, too.”


“But you didn’t, so consider yourself lucky.” Jonas took my hand and gave it a squeeze. My skin tingled. “You’ll both get through it eventually.”

“Did you?”

“Not yet. But time makes it easier.”

“I don’t want to forget him.”

“You won’t.” He let go of my hand and reached up to touch my jaw. “Are you sure that doesn’t hurt?”

“Only when I see myself in the mirror.”

My laugh drifted back down my throat as I looked up at him. His finger traced the side of my face and tucked my hair behind my ear. I gulped.

“Feel like breaking another rule?” he whispered.

I nodded, leaned into him and closed my eyes. His lips covered mine, gently at first and then firmer. One of his hands held the back of my head, as if I’d even think of moving my lips away from his.

Sure, I’d been kissed before, but nothing like this.

I slipped my arms around his warm neck. His chest pressed against mine. My hurt shoulder ached a bit as my fingers tangled in his wavy hair, but I ignored it. No lights or sparks appeared behind my eyelids to distract me from the awesomeness of his lips, and I was glad.

Jonas broke away much too soon.

“This is wrong,” he whispered, almost to himself.

“I know,” I agreed. “But we’re rebels, remember?”

He touched his forehead to mine. I waited for him to pull away. He didn’t. The protective spell I’d felt earlier embraced me along with Jonas. I took a deep breath. Everything about him smelled good.

“Do you want me to kiss you again?” His lips curved into a wicked grin. “Even though it’s completely against the rules?”

“Totally.”

He chuckled again, and this time his breath tickled my lips.

A twig snapped farther along the path. We released each other. A beam from a flashlight shone through the trees.

“Get inside,” he said. “Pretend you’re asleep.”

I started to say goodnight, but he was already gone.

Labels: adventures, contests, writing

Happy New Year!

Thanks to Joan Leacott, a talented writer of contemporary romance filled with Canadian charm, I've been invited to participate in The Next Big Thing in which I answer ten questions about my current work in progress.

This is a big thing for me, since I feel that posting stuff about a WIP jinxes things. ;)

But it's a new year, a time for doing things differently, right? :::gulps:::

1. What is the working title of your book?

Rats. That's one question I don't want to answer, so let's call it The Book That Will Launch Bonnie's Novel-writing Career. No pressure.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

I've always wanted to write a story where a girl has to rescue a boy, and suddenly the idea of a boy getting trapped inside a daisy because of a magic spell gone wrong popped into my head. And no, I wasn't consuming alcohol or playing Twister at the time.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Young adult romance with really bizarre elements. That's a genre, right?

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

All the actors that come to mind are way too old to play my 16 and 17-year-old characters. And that might reveal that I'm not 16, even though I act that way. So there.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

In a twisted take on Beauty and the Beast, a girl discovers that the boy who broke her heart has been magically turned into a daisy, and she's the only one who can rescue him before he turns into compost.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'd rather focus on writing (and revising), so I'd prefer to take the agency route.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

For-e-ver. Joan's 107 days put me to shame. Then again, I do work by day writing copy and magazine articles. Shoot, if I posted how long it took, people will point at me and laugh.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Oh my goodness, these questions are hard! Although my novel covers some serious subject matter, it's done with humour. And I can't think of any other books where the hero is stuck in a plant. ;)

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I'm lucky to have a lot of great friends and family members who are very encouraging and urged me to write something "more fun and zany" than my last novel, which kind of veered onto the dark side. Of course, my dark side is more like a light grey one, but it took me to a sad place when I wrote that way.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Petals drop! Romance blossoms! And there's a healthy dose of redemption.

Is there anything else you'd like to know?
Send money now and I'll answer your questions! Operators are standing by!

This is the point where I invite others to post their own answers to the same questions, but I'm going to leave that up to you. If you do decide to participate, please link back to this page and let us know where to find your answers.

Thanks for reading!

Labels: adventures, ideas, writing

No, this isn't the post when I finally reveal that I'm a man, an accomplished ventriloquist and a double-jointed jazz singer. I'm saving that one for 2013.

What I sometimes struggle with explaining to my friends and family members who aren't members of the Romance Writers of America or aren't spending their free time writing novels and trying to get published is how things work with competitions and contests.

For example, I'm one of the sixty selected entrants in Miss Snark's First Victim's Baker's Dozen Agent Auction. Yeah, say that fast three times. What that means is on between 11:00 am on December 4 and 11:00 am on December 5, fifteen literary agents will have the opportunity to "bid" (request a number of pages to read) on my entry.

Last year, 2/3 of entrants received bids from 5 pages to a full manuscript. So the odds may not be in my favour. It's not like it's a voting contest where the popular entries get picked; it's up to each agent's personal taste, what he/she thinks and what he/she is looking for at the time.

What's ironic about the whole thing is that I didn't expect to get in.

There were two entry days for the young adult/middle grade manuscripts, each allowing 150 entrants to register. On both of those mornings I was scheduled for client meetings until noon, so I worried about getting to a computer in time to be in the running. I even considered dragging my laptop with me, feigning a stomach ailment and finding a Wi-Fi hotspot nearby.

Then my practical side kicked in, and I decided to leave it up to fate. I saved my entry in an email so I could access it and enter without having to open up a Word document.

On the first entry day, the 150 spots filled in 22 MINUTES. Seriously. I knew I'd be out of the running for sure.

On the second entry day, my client meeting ended early. We got back to the office just before 1 pm and I decided to check the site. The entry button was still active! With trembling fingers I filled out the forms, paid the entry fee and hit send. My confirmation listed me as entry 122 for that day.

That's when I started to panic. What if I the two judges selected my entry? My work would be out there for people to see. And critique. What if people didn't get it? What if people laughed out loud at how ridiculous my words are, or grumbled about how annoying my protagonist is, or rolled their eyes at how base and simplistic my word choices are?

Yeah, I have issues.

Then I thought about not getting in. Not making the cut. And that didn't bother me as much somehow. I continued asking the Magic 8 Ball if my entry would be selected, and it kept telling me No or Reply Hazy, Try Again. So I accepted that I wouldn't be accepted.

When Miss Snark's First Victim announced that there were 286 young adult/middle grade entries, my heart sank a little. There were only 35 spots available. I tucked my hope back into the closet and focused on completing the first draft of my current novel. (Which I did, yeah me!)

November 19 was the day the selected entrants would be contacted.

I was contacted.

I'm in the 2013 Baker's Dozen!

My log line (kind of like a short pitch for your novel) and the first 250 words of the book would be up for critique and, for a 24-hour period, available for agents to bid on.

At first, I didn't want to tell anybody. I was terrified. Heck, I still am. Come Wednesday morning, I could be one of the writers whose work doesn't inspire a single bid.

And a big part of me is okay with that. Why? Because I've already won. Out of all those entries, I'm lucky enough to be part of the few who made it into the next round. To me, that's huge. Yes, having my work out there is terrifying, but it's a necessary part of being a writer.

I'm in the company ofsome truly awesome authors. If you have some time to spare, I invite you to visit the site and read them.

And no, I'm not going to say which one is mine. I've said too much already.

Now how about you? What have you ever done to put yourself out there?

Labels: adventures, contests, goals, writing

...has me confused, terrified and kind of excited at the same time.

When I first started learning about the publishing industry, I compared it to the ball in Cinderella. Getting that invitation was like being offered a contract: the chance of a lifetime. Once you entered the grand ballroom, dreams would come true. Sure, you might lose a shoe, have your carriage turn back into a pumpkin and go home and hang out with your dreaded stepsisters for a while, but once your book came out, the prince (book sales) would arrive and propel you into a new, fantabulous life.

Yeah, everything I knew fit on a pinhead.

Then I learned a little more, thanks to joining the Romance Writers of America and the Toronto Romance Writers and attending some workshops. Hey, I had to go, they have raffles at meetings!

Forget Cinderella -- I then compared the publishing industry to the Finding Nemo, where fears could become a reality despite the opportunities out there. Finding the right agent or editor for your manuscript would lead an author through schools of sharks, angry fisherman, rough coral, etc. And once you discovered your agent/editor/book deal, you could find yourself trapped in a tank (contract), unable to pursue more comfortable or beneficial ponds.

Then I started hanging out with published authors -- ones who'd experienced all sorts of awesome and not-so-awesome situations and had pretty colourful comparisons of their own -- and asked them about what a new author should be aware of in this ever-changing industry. Drinks may have been involved. And cupcakes.

The result? At the end of the day, it's all about writing the best story you can. Yes, it's good to be aware of your options and what to be aware of when it comes time to negotiate a contract, but without that great novel to sell, self-publish or whatever, you're no further ahead.

So now, I compare the publishing industry to The Princess Bride -- full of common themes, new twists and the opportunity to have your own version of a happy ending. Sword fighting optional.

How about you? What film would you compare the publishing industry to?

Labels: adventures, ideas, writing

Luckily my inner cheerleader kicked in and said, "Are you nuts? Photo opp of a lifetime here, girlfriend."

And now I have the photo to remind me of how much fun I had!

How about you? Have you ever almost missed out on an opportunity because of a sudden attack of nerves or shyness?

Labels: adventures, fun

...not to have resolutions this year, only solutions.

Of course, that makes it sound like there's only one right answer out there for whatever is bothering me or needs fixin'. But that's not the case.

Goals, old and new
As part of my new year festivities, I decided to take a look back at the goals I've set for myself over the years and evaluated the success I've achieved. Overall, I did well. Things got crossed off, tossed, improved and, sadly, completely abandoned after I decided I'd completed it.

And for some stuff, that's okay. For other goals, however, you need to pay some attention to them or they won't survive, or grow into something biggah and bettah.

Too many plates, not enough cutlery
Although you can probably tell from my utter lack of blog posts, I must admit that the latter half of 2011 had me spinning too many plates at once. Personally and professionally. Yes, I'd taken care to not sign up for too much, or agree to do things I had no interest in doing, but life, like a cat, isn't always content sleeping in a sunbeam. Sometimes stuff happens that we have to find a way to work around.

Time is another four letter word
And the huge workaround for me is time management (says the woman writing this post at an ungodly hour on New Year's Day). My ability to do five million things at the speed of light has abandoned me, along with the unfortunate hair colour choices I made back in the '80s. And that's OK. There are plenty of other people out there who can take on that challenge, whether they're armed with a case of Red Bull or not.

What I can do, however, is take a good look at my schedule and ensure that I get some time in for things that I truly enjoy. Good times with family, friends and the kitten of mass destruction. Reading. Really bad TV. And maybe, just maybe, that endorphin rush I used to get while doing that dreaded thing called exercise.

Le sigh.

Why the sudden navel gazing and sense of dissatisfaction? 'Tis the season. ;)

A new reality
A new year, to a lot of people, means a new start. For me, I'd like to look at it as a new reality.

Maybe relying on a Magic 8 ball to make my decisions isn't the best way to approach things. Go figure.

So my plan is to land here once in a while to share ideas and make note of my progress. Where this will all lead, who knows, but I hope to have fun along the way. And I hope you will too.

May 2012 be a blast for us all!

Labels: adventures, blahs, goals, ideas

Okay, first I have to admit two things: 1) I wasn't on vacation for the entire summer and 2) I can't remember how long it's been since I've had to write this kind of essay, so I consider this fun. ;)

Learned a lot
From attending the Romance Writers of America National Convention to online workshops and gathering with writerly types in person, online and over the phone, I keep learning that I have a lot more to learn about writing, publishing, freelancing and finding that work/life balance that the media keeps harping about. This is an ongoing journey I'll be enjoying for the rest of my life.

Lived vicariously through a friend's skydiving adventure
When my friend Laura asked me to be her matron of honour for her August wedding, I immediately knew the type of bridal shower I'd "throw" for her. Always the adventurer, Laura had wanted to go skydiving for her 40th birthday, but things hadn't worked out. So her mom and I decided that instead of having friends show up with kitchen stuff and linens for a same-old, same-old bridal shower, we'd toss her out of a plane!


I hadn't counted on being so terrified for her, though. Seriously. Between the "what not to do" videos we watched to overhearing her last-minute instructions, I was ready to throw up. While every part of me wanted to convince her to stay on the ground, I gave her a hug for luck and let her go. Laura had a fantabulous time as did the rest of us watching from far, far below!

Ballooning!
This has been an epic adventure in the making. Four years. Ten attempts. A near-cancellation on-site at the last minute. Joanne had been hankering to go on a balloon ride ever since we all went ziplining for my 40th birthday. So I signed her up for her birthday -- all those years ago! Then we experienced a wide assortment of balloon-challenging weather conditions (too much wind, not enough wind, rain, hail, atmosperic turbulence... you name it, we experienced it) that prevented us from even going to the site. We appreciated the call-ahead service by Sundance Balloons so that we were disappointed a day in advance. :(


Then, the Gods worked in our favour. Even after going to the launch site and experiencing a wee bit of rain, the operator drove the group of us further north to escape the troublesome front and we FINALLY got in our balloon ride! It was frightening, fun and fantastic all at the same time. I spent most of the ride as close to the centre of the basket as possible, gripping a handle or solid surface. Despite a risky landing (we touched down in a gravel pit), we all got to toast our successful flight with a glass of champagne and the knowledge that we were finally able to cross this item off our respective bucket lists. Hooray!

Fun Times!
Not only did I get to work on interesting projects and hang out with groovy people (including a relaxing week spent at my parent's cottage and too much fun at Laura's wedding), I also was a contestant on a new game show that will be broadcast on Canada's Food Network on May 2012. I know, that seems like ages away, doesn't it?

But then I imagined that September 2011 would be ages away when I got back from New York in early July, yet here we are. What will the fall have in store? I dunno, but I feel ready for it!

How about you? Are you ready for what comes your way this fall?

Labels: adventures, goals, writing

My apologies if you aren't a romance writer or still feel mopey because you weren't able to attend the Romance Writers of America National Conference in New York City this year. You can always go next year and use some of these tips!

Even people at National don't get as excited about raffles as I do
I've been known to be a bit... enthusiastic about winning raffles. When I hear my name or number called, I know I'm going to burn about 500 calories. We're talking a celebration worthy of a Prize Is Right run, people. So there I was, all jittery as I stared at my ticket numbers during the YARWA event, where they had so many prizes I knew I just had to win something.

I swear, they called about a bazillion numbers. My seatmates were watching me carefully. Cecily, a gal I just met at National, won some Jennifer Echols novels, which made me envious. Then Michelle Rowen won a fantabulous loot bag. Roberta, another TRW chapter mate, won something, too!

Things weren't looking good for me. I overheard Maureen McGowan tell her agent to keep his eye on me. I thought it might have been about how awesome my latest manuscript was, but she was warning him about the Bonnie Win Dance.

I watched, heart racing, as others picked up really cool prizes such as autographed books, t-shirts, gift cards... even "big girl rejection" panties. Numbers were called. Small shouts of joy and mild whoops echoed in the lounge. Some numbers had to be redrawn because people had left.

But I was there, waiting.

Then something wondrous happened. The prize offerings moved on to author critiques, and Leah Hultenschmidt, Senior Editor at Sourcebooks, leaned over and handed me her tickets. Michelle did too!

It was like playing bingo with too many cards. My eyes scanned the numbers as quickly as I could while it seemed that they were being called out more quickly than before. (They were, actually, the board wanted to expedite things.)

Then one of Leah's numbers came up!

I squealed. I whooped. I shot up out of my seat and did the best Bonnie Win Dance I could do despite my sore feet. Unfortunately most of the agents and editors had snuck out of the room so they couldn't witness it. (I made sure to track down Leah and thank her the next day.) But everyone there knew I won -- and was excited about winning a prize!

Now back to my fantabulous win. I didn't win just any critique -- I won a critique from Eileen Cook! WHOO HOOO! So excited!

Amazingly enough, I met some more people after that.

And there I was, thinking it had been a brilliant night before the raffle draws started! Many thanks to the YARWA board, the awesome people who donated prizes, my chapter mates who brought along their agents and editors, and everyone I met and have yet to meet!

Labels: adventures, contests, RWA

More people recognize me when I'm smiling
It's the freakiest thing. All I have to do is squint at my phone and my own chapter mates will pass me by without realizing who I am. But as soon as I smile at one person, five more appear.

The first timer ribbons and speaker ribbons colours look the same to me
I told a few speakers on Tuesday that they should really attend the First Timer's Orientation Session, including Winnie Griggs, the fabulous author running the session. Colour me embarrassed. She was very appreciative of me recommending the session, though!

Stay out of the pitch appointment bull pen as long as you can
This is what messed me up at my first National -- hanging out with so many nervous, stressed-out writers made me jumpier than a Cirque de Soleil member. This time I checked in 15 minutes prior and kept smiling, which, of course, led to me connecting with a lot of great people and took my mind off my nerves.

It's National, not Nationals
I have to thank Ali Cunliffe for correcting me on this one early in the week. I had no idea I'd been saying it wrong. Of course, that's the least embarrassing wrong thing I've said this week. ;)

Read nametags
Oh. Mah. Gawd. At least five times I ended up chatting up some "first timer" people who definitely have been here many times before. I thank everyone for being so nice to the girl from Toronto.

Don't hug people in a dark ballroom unless they hug you first
This kind of goes along with reading nametags. Even if you think you know them, you may not. 'Nuff said.

Taking breaks works
During my first National (in San Francisco) I attended every workshop I could and went out for lunches and dinners and drinks, oh my! This time around, I took time out for quiet times and I'm having a way better time.

The Marriot Marquis Times Square details:

The elevators
Even though I watched a video of how the elevators work at the hotel, it's still a surreal experience not having buttons to push while you zoom up 30 floors in a glass-enclosed bubble. These pods of terror triggered a lot of fears and created some new ones for me. Playing elevator bingo by checking off the letter of each elevator I took helped a little for a day or two, but not much. Le sigh. I'll get over it one day.

The room's toilets
You might describe them as "the flush heard 'round the world". And I thought the elevators were scary!

Well, that's all I have to say for now. I've got to get myself all prettied up for the awards as we cheer on Eve Silver, who's up for the RITA in the Paranormal category. Go Eve, go!

Labels: adventures, RWA

The gods are testing me in extremely entertaining ways.

Now this all might be happening because I've taken on way too many things at once. I'm working full time hours on site this month, which truly limits the amount of time I can pretend I'm a cat and curl up in a sunbeam.

And then there are the two night classes I'm taking, which interest and scare me at the same time when I swing from "I don't have a clue" to "Oh, that's what that means" on the learning parallelogram.

And in one of my classes there is a student who has absolutely no sense of humour. A true personification of a lemon. I shall call him Sir Yellow, yet pronounce the Sir "sour" for effect. Seriously, it's been decades since I've had a classmate so tightly wound -- and the inner cheerleader in me wants me to make him laugh, just to see if he snaps into itty bitty pieces like the Terminator when he's exposed to liquid nitrogen.

And I'm coordinating my chapter's contest, with the help of a lovely gaggle of category coordinators. We're a week away from deadline and things are getting kind of frantic as the last-minute questions about eligibility and the rules come flying in.

So yes, the writing is kind of on the back burner with the current WIP on simmer as I whip my to-do list into shape and prepare for a restful June.

Well, restful until RWA Nationals at the end of the month!

Eek! What am I gonna wear?

Labels: adventures, RWA, writing

Seriously. I was explaining the plot of Source Code to my husband this evening and, next thing I know, I'm sobbing.

Yeah, it's supposed to be an action movie, right? Kind of, but not so much. I'll leave you to discover that on your own.

Seeing the movie isn't what's making me feel like an April Fool. It's all the times I've consulted the Mystical Smoking Head of Bob regarding things completely out of my control -- kind of like when Jake Gyllenhaal asks questions of the big man in charge of the Source Code. Because what's out of our control is out of our control. Stamp saved. No erasies.

So all I can do is focus on the things I have control over. Like what to pick up at the grocery store. What to watch on TV. (Anyone else check out Mobbed?) What to work on when I'm at the computer (My novel? My taxes? Online games?).

It's all about choices. And yeah, I've made some foolish choices, like staying up waaaay too late to play at freerice.com or doing surveys in the hopes of winning fabulous prizes. Le sigh.

Procrastination is a skill I have mastered, so I really don't need practice there. ;)

What I can practice, however, is taking it easy. You know, do the Doris Day thing. Que sera sera and all that stuff. And while Doris is singing in the background distracting my inner critic, I can get some words on the page.

How about you? What have you been an April Fool over?

Labels: adventures, blahs, writing

Last month, I held a Girls Night In event.

Girls Night In is an amazing new Canadian Cancer Society fundraising program to help support leading-edge cancer research for women's cancers (specifically breast, cervical, ovarian and uterine cancers).

And, since I'm never one to colour within the lines, I turned it into a Girls Afternoon In -- and made it a Great Exchange Party!

The idea was that everyone would bring those new or nearly new items they had kicking around the house (you know, the gift you couldn't regift, the super-low sale-priced stuff that you bought a few too many of, etc.), and "shop" from each other's treasures.

It's something my girlfriends and I used to do in high school, and it's even more fun these days, simply because everyone has way more good stuff!

There were books aplenty -- from spicy romance novels to The 4-Hour Work Week -- DVDs. CDs, fantabulous Prada handbag knock-offs, gorgeous scarves and knickknacks, and a whole bunch of other stuff that was picked over, tussled over and, in some cases, taken to Goodwill. ;)

One gal took home a boat. She's headed to Florida with it. (Okay, it's a toy boat, but I had you going there for a second, didn't I?)

It felt good doing something fun and doing something good at the same time. And, as one of the gals said at the party, attending the Girls Night In was "a lot easier than running a marathon"!

Thanks to Matchstick, a word of mouth company, I was able to turn the event into more than just a Great Exchange Party by offering up cupcakes, madelines, great tunes and some great-smelling giveaways from Chloe. No one left empty-handed!

Best of all, the money everyone saved by not going to the store was donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. More than $200 was raised! Way to go, gals!

Labels: adventures, fun

I opened a document from a client today that bled on screen.

Seriously. Someone was doing the "track changes" dance to an extended remix that wouldn't end. Luckily the original words weren't mine, so I didn't feel sorry for the little darlings that didn't make it to the next round.

But then I started thinking, what if the tracked changes gremlins could talk? What secrets would they share? Would they have opinions on what was changed and what was left alone? Would they experience edit envy and want to make those changes themselves?

Here's what my track changes creature looks like. And yes, she's a gargoyle, not a gremlin.



You should see how she reacts to dangling modifiers. Scary.

Yeah, I've been working on revisions, can you tell?

And speaking of working on revisions and scary things, I'm attending a writing conference on my own this month. Solo. Just me, my laptop and a room full of friends I haven't met yet.

I'll be at the Lone Star Conference put on by the Northwest Houston chapter of Romance Writers of America on October 16!

I'm very excited because Randy Ingermanson will be running a workshop on the Snowflake Method of book plotting (which will make my brain explode, I'm sure) plus there are three great agents taking pitches (Christine Wittholn, Naomi Hackenberg and Amy Boggs) and lots of other stuff I'm too excited to remember.

Now what I do have to remember is to not get nervous, meet some awesome people and learn a whole bunch.

Are you going? Maybe we can sit together at lunch!

Labels: adventures, RWA, writing

The strangest thing happened to me the other day. For the first time in, like, ages, I felt blissful.

No, I wasn't smoking anything. Or playing with pharmaceuticals. Come to think of it, I wasn't doing much of anything when it hit me: when I realized that I was happy with everything.

My hubby. My home. My work. The kitten of mass destruction.


Heck, even the dreaded WIP.

Maybe stuff like that happens to you all the time. For me, I tend to worry a little bit. Okay, a lot. About things I could do better. Things I should have done differently. Things that might go wrong.

Hey, even cheerleaders worry if it's gonna rain on game day. Or if their waterproof mascara really is waterproof. Or so I've heard.


Now does that mean I now see rainbows and cute puppies everywhere I look? Not really.

But it's pretty darn easy to find things to be happy about. Maybe it's not as easy as finding stuff to bitch and whine about. Then again, I've got a few decades worth of practice with that particular skill.

How about you? What keeps you on the happy train?

Labels: adventures, fun, goals

And it was a lot of fun. Shopping. Eating. A little bit of drinking and household karaoke may have been involved. Followed by pralines and cream ice cream.

All I can say now is I feel like I've been living like a teenager. In a much older body. LOL

Thanks to all who sent me Facebook wishes and caviar dreams. No, Robin Leach did not appear on my doorstep for an episode of Lifestyles of the Out of Tune and Infamous. And yes, I know I've dated myself by referencing a program that hasn't been on the air in this century.

Even more exciting was what happened on the day after my birthday: the earthquake!

So there I was, proofreading a document for a client on the eighth floor of an office building, when I could have sworn a bunch of elephants were dancing behind my chair. Or a very large graphic designer with a gang of production people. Carrying photocopiers.

I turned around and met the gaze of Hugh, the man across the cubicle farm hall from me. And that's when I noticed that the freaking building was moving. Not a lot, but enough to make me wanna throw up.

Bonnie: "Ohmigawd, are we having an earthquake?"

Hugh: "Feels like it."

Bonnie: "But earthquakes don't happen here. They happen in places like San Francisco."

Hugh: "Weren't you just there?"

Bonnie: "Yeah."

Hugh: "That explains it. You brought this home with you."

Lesson learned: people always blame the temp. ;)

Some people raced over to the window to watch the people spilling out of the office buildings onto the street while I struggled to remember what you were supposed to do during an earthquake.

Thoughts of standing in a doorway and avoiding elevators came to mind, but then I got caught up in everyone taking guesses at whether the quake was related to the G20 or not, or if another town was bearing the full brunt of the tremors.

I thought it was cool. Especially since it felt like being on that earthquake ride at Universal Studios. Except without the water and submerged subway.

And now I know that it's hard to proofread during an earthquake, no matter how small the tremors. ;)

How about you? Did you experience any wild acts of nature this week?

Labels: adventures

June has been a month filled with ups and downs. And I'm not just talking about elevators or my recent girls' getaway to San Francisco. ;)

I've been quiet because you really didn't need to know what was going on in Bonnieland. One day I'll look back upon late May/early June as a time when I needed to "shop at the perspective store," as DH so lovingly told me.

Yes, he's still alive.

What really helped was a tour of Alcatraz, truth be told. I stood and peered into each small cell and thought about how good I had it. Sure, the inmates had a bed and three square meals a day, but they had little else.

Not even a kitten of mass destruction (who greeted me with poop at the door upon my return).

And while last week I'd been fully prepared to peel the face off a perfect stranger because she couldn't put her shopping cart to the side like you're supposed to, now I'm feeling less dangerous.

Here's why:

1. I spent four days being a tourist in an incredibly fun city with Laura, my incredibly fun friend from college. Rode the hop-on/hop-off tour bus as if it were the best thing since Jell-O. Then we switched to the trolley cars. My arms and legs still hurt from all the hanging on for dear life.

2. I attended a local writer's group meeting (not one that I belong to) and instead of being treated like a welcome guest, my friends and I got the stink eye, a few shushes, and discontented murmur's when a few of us won raffle items. Little did we know we weren't their type of people. It's okay; the feeling is mutual. ;) Made me appreciate my writing group a whole lot more.

3. As much as it drives me nuts, I actually enjoy what I do for a living. There are a lot of people who can't say that, so I count myself lucky. And no, I'm not talking about my go-go dancing career. :)

4. The notes from my beta reader on the novel that almost killed me aren't that bad. Yeah, I have a ton of work to do, but it'll make for a much stronger story. Looks like I'll have to pick up more index cards. Maybe colourful ones! I heart shopping for office supplies!

5. I have the best husband in the world. Even if he snores louder than my grandmother.

What about you? What makes you appreciate what you have?

Labels: adventures, ideas, kitten, writing

The subway broke for some reason today. Only for a little while though, and long enough for the fuzzy unintelligible updates to stain my Madonna listening experience.

"Gonna dress you up in--"
"Attention all subway passengers, we are munamuna blah blah St. George Station waffle waffle munamuna. Shuttle bus whawhawha platform blah blah."
"From your head down to your--"
"The delay we hodgepodge oogle blah blah munamuna shortly. Thank you."

Yeah, I lost my groove by the fourth subway stop. Le sigh. At least the problem resolved itself while Madonna went through five more tracks. Shoo-be-do-be-do...

Then a woman yelled at me because I stopped at the curb. She actually tried to push me forward, but then held off when the car I'd seen approaching sped around the corner.

Her words: "Oh."
My words: "Next time someone isn't moving fast enough for you, go around them instead of pushing them into traffic."

And I hadn't even gotten to the office yet. Someone had colored my day in with a thick black crayon. They didn't even try and cover up the bits that went outside the lines and dipped into all my happy spots.

An innocent colleague sent me .docx files all day. I'm on a Mac for this particular gig. Le sigh.

Feedback on an article made it look like my words were bleeding. Gotta love track changes. ;)

But then, I thought about how I lucky I am to have a happy home, a happy husband and a kitten of mass destruction who has been known to be happy on some occasions.

Leaving the stress of the subway, the near-accident, and the evils of my workload behind me, I raced up the front porch to burst through the front door and greet my happy family...

And stepped in cat poop.

Apparently this was not a good day for kittens either.

Labels: adventures, blahs, kitten