weekly recap

The last day of August has arrived...let's all give a cheer. I'm glad to see the month end as I'm more than ready for fall to begin. Here are a few of the highlights from my week....

It RAINED. I can't tell you how psychologically uplifting that early evening shower was. It just about ranked right up there with getting a one hour Swedish massage at a five star spa.

Watched the finale of Jekyll. I'm so hooked on BBC America:) Boy, that show sucked me in and I'm still shaking my head at the clever twist at the end. Threw me for a loop.

I didn't write any fiction. Now, I said I wasn't going to, so I'm fine with this.

I met with my book store 'brains' and we revamped the policy/procedures manual.

I'm starting to figure out this damn cash register. Figured that was a better choice than tossing it out the kitchen window as I was inclined to do earlier this week.

Managed to get the kiddoes to all their 'stuff' and not resort to eating out. Yes, I cooked all week. I'm most likely going to become the crock pot queen this fall. Got any good slow cooker recipes?

Read a book and started another.

Up for today, make the changes to the book store stuff, make cheat sheets for the register.

Have a relaxing Labor Day weekend:)

thursday review

I finished my haul around town book yesterday as I waited for the oldest to finish her music lesson. Cleo Coyle's "On What Grounds" is the first book in her coffeehouse mystery series. I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was quick. I loved the fact our sleuth was a 40 year old. Plus I learned all sorts of neat facts about coffee. I'm still a bit perturbed that the villain didn't make his appearance until so late in the story and then the final big confrontation took place after a smaller conflict scene. I also am undecided on the way the book ended....the last chapter wrapped everything up in close to a bulleted list. I'd read the rest of the series, but I would most likely borrow the books.

Up next, Cinda Chima's YA book "The Wizard Heir"....so far seems to be a stand alone sequel to "The Warrior Heir."

penguins and higher powers

About spit the old coffee out this morning as I read the paper. AP ran a spotlight story on controversial books. Of course, the bottom line is more books were 'challenged' in 2006 than in 2005. Challenges rose 30% according to the ALA.

Cases in point are the two children's books "And Tango Makes Three" and "The Higher Power of Lucky." The Tango book has two male penguins raising a baby penguin, major no no. Yep, this children's book advocates homosexuality according to many. Yeah, right.

The Lucky book, of course, uses the word 'scrotum' in the story. Oh my, guess I must have missed the parenting class where we should only use metaphorical terms for anatomy.

Good grief, don't these people have anything better to do? I'd heard about both of these book brouhahas several months back. We actually did have someone challenge the Tango book at my local library. Don't think anyone dissed the Lucky book.

random thoughts

Hubby and I are back to our morning walks. The humidity this morning made it feel like we were walking in water...I tell him I regularly walk on water:)

Okay, so I'm at the soccer field watching the oldest at her keeper clinic. I watch and then read and continue on back and forth for the 90 minutes. The current 'haul around' book is Cleo Coyle's "On What Grounds." The story revolves around a coffee house in the Village and our heroine gets caught up in solving a mystery. Cute story, love the coffee tips, heroine has spunk to spare. I have to admit, I've read the ending first...I like to know who did it and see how the writer gets us there. The villain/evil doer just now made an appearance and I probably have less than 75 pages to go.

Why does this bother me? Does it bother anyone else? I feel like the writer says, "oops, I forgot to have our brave heroine interact with the bad dude...better stick him in a scene or two."

On the bookstore front.....I took the cash register out of the box and started to figure it out. Good Lord, I think I need a remedial course in something. Reading that manual is like trying to read Chinese. I was about ready to toss the thing out the kitchen window. Needless to say, I plowed on and came to the conclusion that my meeting Thursday will involve making some decisions about just how 'in depth' we want to make our cash handling procedures. Do I really need 45 clerks? Do I really need 100 departments? The hubby, tech dude that he is, came up with some solutions for me. Now, whether or not I can sell this to the ladies is a whole other matter. Keep some fingers and toes crossed for me, would you??

book store buzz

The big news for me this week is the book store. The shelves were installed on Thursday. I popped in on Saturday to check it out after I dropped middle child off at the movies. She raved about "Stardust" by the way. So, my new project, this volunteer run used book store is really starting to become a reality. I'm unpacking the cash register today and putting my old 'banking' skills to work and writing the 'how to' use it instructions. I've also got a meeting with the treasurer and the gal who runs our biannual used book sales to come up with our cash handling procedures. I'll be throwing myself into this project for the next month. I have six training sessions to facilitate for our 'staff' as well as working on the grand opening shindig with the Chamber of Commerce.

I don't plan on writing or editing or revising any fiction over the next thirty days. This may be a real good thing for me. I need to do some work that involves positive, concrete, measurable results. Working on this book store project will give me that.

So, look for updates on the birth of this new book store endeavor. I may also post some short book reviews. Don't expect any info on my writing. I'm setting down the 'pen' for a spell.

friday recap

I'm stuffy and grumpy....not the best way to start a Friday. I forgot to down my Claritin last night and am paying through the nose for it right now.

So, what in the hell did I do this week besides the laundry? I do know I need to take stock in "Shout" because the soccer gear is incredibly dirty so far this season. My daughters seem to think rolling on the field is the best way to play their positions of goalie and forward. Soccer season starts next week and if the moaning and bitching my two did last night is any indicator, they are starting to gear up mentally for a rough season. Not good. Of course I told them to suck it up. I'm not a sympathetic parent when it comes to their athletic performances.

I read two books, Eclipse and Poltergeist.
I finished the third revision of MB and started the fourth.
I tinkered a bit with Lani.
I submitted a short story based on MB to two ezines.
Have been rejected by one ezine already.
Have tinkered with the short story again.
Looking for a few other ezines to sub to.
I read Kaycee's short story and provided my usual 'insightful' feedback. Ha.
I read all my blogs, like a good girl, and even managed to post replies on a few.
Went to two back to school nights at the middle school. Enjoyed the teachers...got to love it when they tell jokes and are actually funny. The Algebra I teacher is a hoot. The reading teacher reminded me of myself after I down a pot of coffee....she bounced, no lack of enthusiasm there.

Today I'm off to the library for a bit to see the about the bookstore shelf installation. The hubby and I have dinner plans tonight with the neighbors and tomorrow with the library director and her hubby.

Good weekend to you.....

who writes what

First off, if this post makes no sense I'm blaming the heat. The Midsouth has left the good old USA and taken up residence in a Jenn air convection oven. I swear. As I told Kaycee on Sunday, the heat has poached my brain.

I was meandering through Target yesterday as I'm apt to do when the oldest is at her music lesson. Of course I wandered back to the book section. I always like to see which books Target has selected for their special stickers. A few random thoughts struck me as I read book cover after book cover ranging from Jodi Picoult to Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Why do we write what we write? I'm not sure if I've ever truly thought about it. I'm not or will I ever be a writer of literary fiction. It just isn't in me. I'm not sure if it is because I'm from the Midwest, grew up in a two parent household, had a happy childhood, married a good man, remained married to him, have three healthy kids or have managed to live a life of moderation. Maybe it's because I'm a product of Catholic schools....who knows!

Now, I read a ton growing up. I was given free rein to read whatever I wanted to. No censorship in my house. I toted John Jakes "The Bastard" off to St. Jude's and gave Sister Katherine Delores a reason to phone my mother. But usually, fantasy books were my stories of choice. Then I discovered Anne Rice. I launched into reading paranormal books. What do I write? I write urban fantasy. I can't ever see myself writing a story that doesn't have some sort of 'magical' twist to it.

Is that a product of my reading tastes? Or because of my very stable life, have I searched for a bit of edginess and that is where I've found it?

Last night after I went to bed, I tried to think of some 'literary' book themes and plots. I swear my brain started to cramp. To ease the discomfort, I switched gears and flipped on the old magical 'what if' switch and came up with a handful of paranormal ideas.

Are our imaginations just hardwired that way? Have you ever tried to step far, far away from your comfy writing zone and tried to write or even plot a story totally different from what you usually produce?

I need more coffee...and by God, the paper better be here by now. My brain is hurting again.