What's going on...

Ack, another terrible gap in my blog, so better check in and report what's going on around here.

Not a great deal to be honest. At the moment, I seem to be bouncing around between quite a few writing projects and finding it hard to settle on just one. My head is a pot luck stew of ideas, all milling around together, rather than gelling into strong story concepts. My jottings notebook has bits and pieces from across about half a dozen different stories, novels and novellas. I find it a bit disquieting, to be honest, too, as I'm an author who usually likes to immerse herself in one big project and really get inside my characters and live their story.

I think I'll be more settled when I hear some news from publishing land. Apart from one remaining Spice Brief, I'm pretty much out of contract at the moment. I have some stuff 'out' and my agent is pursuing it, so hopefully, I might have something to focus on soon. But it's tough right now, for obvious reasons, and horror stories keep floating around. Authors dumped, lines contracting or disappearing, publishers cutting back all round. Very scary. As my agent said, though, all I can do is keep writing my fiction. Actually, she said 'the wonderful fiction that you write'... so I'm hoping that I can manage to be wonderful enough to snag a new contract of some kind soon. :)

On the home front, the recession or whatever you choose to call it is hitting hard too, just as it is for many thousands and thousands of families, small or larger, across the globe. Like everyone else, himself and I are looking to cut our bills a bit, and squish any tendencies towards extravagance. Looks like we'll be plumping for supermarket own brands and cheaper options more than ever from now on.

And it's certainly looking like yours truly will *not* be winging her way across the pond to RWA in 2009, much as I'd love to. I had such a ball this year, and met so many fabulous buddies, but a major, major expense like that is just out of the question in the short term future.... Wah!!!!!

Anyway, to cheer me up, and to cheer you gentle readers up, here's a goodie I found at Cute Overload that has me chortling every time I watch it... Enjoy!

He's back!!!!!

I've got another one for you....

Found via the Scarlet newsletter... and priceless! LOL

Courtesy of Stuff On My Cat

This isn't one of mine... but I couldn't resist it! LOL

Stuff On My Cat

I am such a sad act!

My first very silly attempt at making a video with my mobile phone. Mulder is so sweet, but I'm just a dork... LOL

Do watch this! :)

This delightful funny is going the rounds apparently.... I found it at Cute Overload. It's priceless!

It couldn't last...

... my writing spurt, that is.

I finished my first school reunion story on Saturday evening, in first draft, but I haven't really done any new writing since. Correction, I haven't done any writing since, why avoid the issue!

I'm sort of in a bit of a multiple holding pattern at the moment, waiting to hear about various things, and I'm not sure what to do next. Editing the reunion story would be obvious, but I like to leave things to set for a little while before I tackle editing. In the meantime, I've not been totally idle on the writing front. Instead of actually laying down words, I've been researching and reading topics up online, for a book idea that's 'out there'...

Now I've no clue as to whether this idea/proposal will come to anything, or any special hint or sign that there's any hope... but it's a story line that needs more background development than my usual boy meets girl, boy shags girl, boy and girl skip off into the sunset tales. So, I thought I would look up a few things in sheer blind hope that I'll need them...

Other than that, I'm having a pleasant but very lazy Easter Holiday... and I hope you all are too.

ps. I indulged myself this morning at Amazon, with a Black Books Complete Box Set. Oh, so funny... And in honour of that, here's another look at a YouTube I've posted before, but which is one of the most hilarious and ironically true to life writing vids I've ever had the pleasure to view.

I don't usually...

... blog twice in a day, but this just had me screeching with laughter!



Many thanks to the wonderful people at Cute Overload for bringing it to my attention.

IN TOO DEEP draft #1 finished!!!!

Not great resolution on this vid, but a pretty cool song!

Wear some flowers in your hair...

In view of Kuffer's recent activities...

I thought this might amuse...



Courtesy of the lovely folk at Cute Overload...

I have loads and loads to do today, including 1K of In Too Deep, and having got up late, and with me going out earlyish this evening for carvery, time is short.

However, here's an interesting article at the Dear Author blog, that caught my eye this morning via Google Reader. See what you think...

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While you're here, please, please, please pop over the the Night Owl Romance Awards and vote for me in the Best Erotic Contemporary Ebook!

If you love you some Portia click here and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE every day until 31st October!

Further to my post below...

Lovers of Apollo 13 are sure to enjoy this YouTube...

Thanksgiving With the Kranzes

I won't post it here because it's 18 mins long!

It's an absolute scream... and so creative. :)

Mulder... my first YouTube

This is my first ever YouTube. It's not very good because my camera is cheap and old, but you can get an impression of my little baby puddycat frollicking in the back garden.