Maggie's Newsletter
July 1, 2008
Okay,
so I was looking at my last post here, and I believe I
predicted that I’d be telling you, in this, the July 1st
update, that the book was done.
And
it’s not. And that’s okay, because it’s not due until
August 1st, but I really wanted it done now.
Today. But I got stuck at the end, and I knew (because
I’ve been at this awhile) that the reason I got stuck at
the end was because of a flaw closer to the beginning,
and I dicked around trying to write my way through it
for a few days, and then I finally gave up and went back
to page one. I found the error between Chapters Four
and Five. Which, as it turned out, were actually
Chapters Four and Six. They needed another one in
between. I’d skipped things that needed to be
included. A scene from the past, a scene with a
secondary character, a scene between the main
couple—they all had to be there. But sometimes in the
heat of the creative fire, I get ahead of myself.
So I
spent the final weekend of June fixing the flaw in the
foundation, which of course alters everything built upon
it. And so now I’ll go forward from there, again,
straight to the end, doing a little more than my usual
final polish, but doing the final polish as I go along,
as well. And by the time I get to the end again, a week
or two from now at most, that big climactic scene will
come easily and naturally. Do not read any puns into
the previous sentence. I saw them, I smiled at them, I
kept them. I am, as you know, a
romance novelist.
BLOODLINE is big. And I wasn’t writing it quite big
enough. Now it’s got a lot more of that . . . that
bigness to it. Or it will have by the time I get to the
happily ever after part.
So
that’s my book progress report. I’ve got work stacked
up like cordwood, which is good because I’ve got debts
stacked up even higher. There’s a novella to write for
HQN, there’s the novella I need to write for a super
secret surprise project that I’ll be telling you about
in—oh, by September I would think. And then three
others I need to edit for that project. And then
there’s the proposal to end all proposals to write—once
I think it up, that is—to base my next contract on.
Lots to do this summer. And that’s the way I love it.
Yeeeehaw, bring it on!
(Can
you tell I’m feeling GREAT? Well, I am. I’m the
happiest woman you could ever hope to meet. I’m happier
and more at peace and more content and more fulfilled
and just more bubbling over with joy than I have ever,
ever been.)
 Okay,
so what else? Oh! My house, that’s what! The
spackling crew finally showed up. Turns out to be one
guy. Gee, who knew? Everyone but me, apparently,
including my contractors who told me repeatedly the
“mudders” (plural, yes, and no that’s not the opposite
of “fadders”) were coming soon. And so they did. Or
rather he did. And he told me my contractors knew he
was a one-man-show from the very beginning. Honestly, I
don’t get it.
But I
don’t mind so much. I think he’s a good worker, a good
spackler, and will do a fine job, and if it takes two
weeks instead of one, I’ll survive. But if it takes
three—watch out! (Insert menacing and Witchlike cackle
here.) The place is shaping up. It’s still slow, but I
think it’s getting faster. I know, I’ve said that
before. Here’s a photo of my new French doors and bay
window. Nice, yes?
 And
since I’m giving her the makeover of her life, Serenity
surprised me with some pretty new blossoms that I don’t
think were around last year. Peonies galore! In
white, pink and red. A vine that might be a morning
glory, except it blooms in the afternoon, so maybe it’s
a four o’clock or something. I’ll post a pic.
 What
else? Oh, yes, my fun family stuff. Last week, my
son-in-law Tony took the three kids, Ella (10,) Tanner
(7), and Gracie (4), camping in the Adirondaks. Ella
really wanted her Aunt Lisa (my youngest daughter) and
me to come up with them, and so we decided to go up for
one day and one night on Lisa’s day off.
 So
we drove up, four hours, and arrived in the dead of
night, but it was well worth it. We sat around the
campfire in the site on the shore of Forked Lake, which
is in the town of Long Lake in the Adirondak Wilderness
Preserve in Northern NY, and we talked and laughed.
Tanner and Grace were asleep, but Ella was up and it was
really nice.
In the
morning it rained, but we all gathered inside a screen
tent and had breakfast and coffee and debated what to
do, until it finally began to clear a bit, and then we
decided to go climb a mountain. Mount Goodnow, about 15
minutes north of Forked Lake. It’s only 2.2 miles to
the peak, and I expected it to be a breeze. If I can
jog 5 miles, I can surely hike 2.2, well 4.4 if you add
in coming back, but why even count that? It’s
downhill!
 Uh,
yeah. Not so much. That hike was gruelling, and my
butt muscles were sore for a day afterwards, and my
knees for two days, from the descent I thought shouldn’t
count. It was beautiful, though. I took pictures all
the way, even though it was misty, moisty and foggy.
At the
top, there was a fire tower, and it looked taller than
the Empire State Building to me, especially as I climbed
it. I got shaky and queasy and almost couldn’t do it,
but I just had to take some pictures from the top, and
that was the only thing that made me keep going. From
the top, you don’t just look down the tower, but down
the entire mountain! It’s positively breathtaking (and
panic-attack inducing!) Oh, if only the sun had been
shining.
 Next
time. And there will be a next time. The only down
side were the mosquitos, which seemed to be particularly
hungry, and showed a decided preference for the nape
area. The back of my neck got all bitten up, and not in
the good way! Gracie’s too.
Anyway,
we headed back home feeling exhausted but happy and glad
to have spent some quality time with each other, and
with Tony and the kids as well.
All
right, so back to business. You already know what’s out
now.
  LOVER’S
BITE and
WEDDINGS FROM HELL.
You
already know what’s coming next:
ANGEL’S PAIN in
October.
Do you
all know where I’m going the first week of August? To
the RWA National Convention (which is sometimes called
“National” by RWA members, and is sometimes called
“Nationals” by people who must WANT to make my teeth
hurt because I’m clenching them so hard to keep from
correcting them—which I guess I just did. It’s not a
series of horse shows, it’s ONE convention. One.
Singular. RWA’s National Convention or National,
singular, for short. It is never, has never been and
will never ever be, “nationals.”)
Gee did
that sound bitchy? I’m not. In fact I can’t stop
smiling and I feel better and happier and stronger and
healthier and just more alive than ever. That one
little thing is just a pet peeve of mine, that’s all.
So
anyway, I’ll be at National the first week of
August. It’s in San Francisco this year, which is very
exciting, since I’ve never set foot in California, and
because my BFF Michele is going too, she’ll make sure I
actually see something of the state. Alone, I’d never
leave the hotel. And she’ll take tons of pics too! And
she takes good ones! Even of me!
That,
my friends, is when the RITA Awards will be announced.
And I really do need that second one, so I can have a
matched pair. Besides, I really want to win for
DEMON’S KISS. It
deserves it. So keep a good thought for me. Of course,
that’s a month away yet, so maybe I’m getting ahead of
myself.
I don’t
have a thing to wear. To National.
Nationallllll. I think I need to set aside some
serious shopping time this month!
Happy July everyone!
Maggie
PS: To
celebrate summer, we’re going to be holding various
health and fitness challenges on my Health and Fitness
list. We are just finishing our first one, a ten day
challenge ending on Independence Day, and the winner
gets the workout video of her choice as a prize. We’ll
continue with the challenges and prizes, and more
importantly with the supporting and sharing and
motivating and cheering each other on over there, so if
weight or health and fitness are your issues, please
join us by sending a blank email to:
Maggies-health-and-fitness-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Previous Newsletters
Maggie’s Feel-Good Websites:
www.hayhouseradio.com
www.abraham-hicks.com
www.effortlesshealing.com
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