One would think a romance author would have an easier time getting two Sims to wed. Which is the thought I try to push out of my mind when doing actual writing and writing related things (still not used to the family schedule shifts which have people sucking my air during early morning and evening, when I am used to solitude.) The dreaded upside down head plague struck my neighbourhood two in my Sims game, and sadly, many families were left without one parent. Which of course I can't have, so must find mates for those widowed.

Two families were easy; one had lost the mother, one the father, and both adults left were already friends, so a little dinner, a little tv, a dip in the hot tub, viola, blended Sim family. I've never had a four kid family before, so this is interesting. The fact that they have four bathrooms and the dad defers showering until wife and kids are off for the day makes things much smoother.

Since the plauge mostly hit adult female Sims (probably because those Sims were more sociable, and it's spread through social interaction) most of the singles I had left were males. So, in a very romance-writery mood, I decided I must find new mates for them all from amongst the townies. I will be able to think normally again in my non-writing time, as soon as I can get Alastair (a rather good looking doctor with two sweet boys, and come on, Sim gals, he's wearing a kilt) to close the deal with Luisa Townie, a lovely woman who wears bunny slippers all the time. I like to think of it as endearing. Hopefully, he does, too.

This is not a mere avocation. This has become personal. I, as Romance Writer, must make Sim love blossom. Especially since as of two-ish this afternoon, I met my editing goal for the week on My Outcast Heart.

I'm on a mission. Get the final edits in, send off to Awe-Struck, and keep the ball rolling. I really truly have a book coming out and the hunger has hit. We're not meeting for nag group this week, since one member is on vacation, and will have to miss two weeks in September since another member will be on vacation in Italy, so I'm keeping nose to grindstone. Of course it does help that another writer friend is online during the time that do the edits, and Vicki nags me throughout our conversation. Sometimes I need the cracking whip.

Which also comes in the form of the reading that got me into this business in the first place. Bertrice Small's The Kadin and Valerie Sherwood's Lovesong are my current reads. Vintage Anita Mills, Katherine Sutcliffe, Catherine Lyndell are all getting the eye from me. I'm also eyeing some of the knock my socks off inspirational historicals that first hooked me, for rereading. Angela Hunt's Theyn Chronicles medievals, and Francine Rivers' classic Redeeming Love. Ain't nothing sweet about these babies, and man do they pack a punch.

While I'm on a roll here, I have new reviews of two Laura Kinsale books up at Italics online. www.purplepens.com Go read.