Claire is here because I'm feeling a wee bit lost, regarding the day's schedule. Also because she has quite the look of the historical romance heroine about her. Not only the long blonde hair and delicate features (because heroines come in many shapes and sizes and colors) but that determined look in her eye. She is also bringing Charlie because I refuse to give up on the little Hobbit, same as a good heroine will never give up on her hero, no matter what circumstances may be. We still have a couple seasons left on that show, and if they can have a polar bear, then Charlie can swim. So there.

But that's not why I'm here. With real life getting all changey --and make no mistake, mostly good changes, but some are a bit, shall we say, poignant-- keeping the discipline of writing daily is a must. I have a second draft of the time travel to polish and start querying about, and any day now, edits for the new historical are going to land smack in my in-box. On top of that, I'm researching my darkest historical yet, but I promise the dark is going to pay off with a big triumph. At least for the characters.

At church this week, one delightful gent prayed that I would "sell more books than Harry Potter." I laughed, but I also said "amen." Who wouldn't love sales figures like that, with loyal readers who keep coming back for more? I sure wouldn't turn it down. Which ties into the advice I referenced in my previous post. The best way to be a writer is to write. Every day. Something.

So, as the castaways on Lost have to dig in and do what's needed to survive, there are times we writer types must put on the real life blinders, put posterior in chair and fingers to keys.

Why is Sawyer here? Do I have to answer that? Umm, because he is a reader, of course.

Why lawn flamingoes? No reason, beside the fact that my real life romantic hero does not see the ironic appeal of installing them on the front lawn of our soon to be new home. Plus I'm making oodles of icons lately (they are insanely relaxing) and am determined to put them to work. So keep an eye on this blog; there will be art.

There will also be words. Thrashed as I was yesterday from real life stuff the day before, I spent the morning doing business of writing things, rewarded myself with writing a letter to another writer buddy, lining up some promo for this spring's upcoming release, and getting current-ish on email. Phew. I'll have to admit that a good deal of my antsiness went away when I hit the "print" button for the letter. It's a fundamental fact that writers must put fingers to keyboard, or writing instrument (be it by MontBlanc or Crayola) to paper. Daily if at all possible.

This past week, at house church, two new acquaintances found out that I write historical romance novels. The gal next to me responded with an enthusiastic, "Yay, those are my favorites! Where can I buy them?" and the other response was good, too. The second gal approached me after the meeting to ask some general questions about writing. We didn't have much time to get into specifics, but since I had to advise on the fly, the best thing I could say was to put bottom in chair and fingers to keyboard/instrument to paper. Every day. Even if all that gets down is "I don't know what to write." As a former writing group facilitator once said, the important thing is to keep writing. Blathering for a while is fine; things will start to flow eventually. It's a good thing to keep in mind, and I'm glad that telling that to someone else also helped me remember it myself.

Only a month, this tme. For me, this year, that's pretty good. Sebastian will now demonstrate my current level of energy, over there in that icon. Currently exhausted from going through my dad's house with the auctioneer, picking the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, with a few quick conferences with the hubster in the next room so we can decide if the whatnot stays or goes. All in all, a good day's work, and another big step to new things.

Speaking of new things, I have not yet seen the new Brideshead Revisited movie, but likely will, even though I admit right now that I am one of those "the miniseries was absolutely perfect and the movie can only be a pale imitation" snobs. Loved the miniseries, loved the book, and if they hadn't actually filmed at Castle Howard, I likely would be giving the movie a pass, because Castle Howard *is* Brideshead, really and truly and Castle Howard is only a psuedonym. There are Flytes in those halls, I tell you. Flytes! Flytes! (Plus, seriously, a brunet Sebastian? Oh nononononono, my dear. Poor dear doomed Sebastian is most definetly a blond and nobody can tell me otherwise.) Still, I probably will go, because I have a deep burning need to watch incredibly rich yet troubled Brits make complete hash of their lives in the years between the wars. Then I will go to the library and get the miniseries and not be seen for a week.

Still haven't seen Atonement, though I'm keeping my eye out for the DVD at Target. We really do need more films with historical settings -- can they really be *that* much more expensive than bajillion dollars spent on special effects for SF/fantasy/horror films? I'm just saying.

Have not yet seen The Golden Age or The Other Bolyen Girl, even though the whole Tudor era is a big favorite with me, because I have a hard time with biopics. I want to see fictional characters in historical settings. I know what happened. I want to know what could have happened to new characters. Picky, aren't I? ::shrug:: That's how I roll.

Also between books, reading-wise. Finished Emily Bryan (aka Diana Groe)'s newest, Pleasuring the Pirate, after Meredith Duran's Duke of Shadows, started to read Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady, and it's not clicking right now, so will go into the "try again later" pile. I have absolutely no shortage of books. Preferably something on the angst level of Duke of Shadows.

Writingwise, I am still busily at work on polishing my time travel and researching a new historical, and new release news is coming soon, huzzah. But for now, Sebastian and I are tired and must loll in the grass.