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Archive for November, 2008
Thursday, November 27th, 2008
It’s Thanksgiving day, and I’m just minutes from sitting down to a feast, but first I wanted to enumerate a few more people and things I’m thankful for.
First of all, my wonderful husband, who not only bagged this wild turkey, but is cooking the feast too, due to the fact that I worked the night before and will work again tonight. I don’t know how to thank him enough for doing this cheerfully and uncomplainingly–in fact I think he secretly prefers to do it! I’m blessed to have him, I know.
Then, of course, I’m thankful for my health. I take it for granted much of the time, and I know I could make it even better by watching what I eat more carefully and finding time to exercise, but thank you, God, for the health you have given me.
And lastly, for my writer and reader friends, the ones who really get what I’m doing. There’s Deb and Mary, whom I email several times a week, who’ve shared trials and triumphs with me, first when we were all writing for Harlequin Historicals, then as we’ve gone different directions with different publishers. I’m thankful you’re always there for me. Then there are my fellow authors at Steeple Hill and the kind and down-to-earth editors, as lovely and fun of a group of women as you can imagine. It’s such fun hanging out together at conferences, and reading your email on the loops. Then there’s the readers I’m thankful for–the ones in my acquaintance who think it’s cool what I’m doing and actually go out and buy the book and then let me know specifically what they liked about it (or didn’t).
I’m thankful for all this! I hope you had a delicious Thanksgiving feast too.
Blessings, Laurie
Tags: holidays, Thanksgiving, writing life
Posted in holidays | 2 Comments »
Monday, November 24th, 2008
I’m on Shoutlife now! This is one of the social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, but with a Christian theme. I hope those of you on Shoutlife will come visit me there. If you’re not already on there, join! It costs nothing, and if someone as simple as I can do it, so can anyone.
Looking around on Shoutlife got me to thinking–I don’t know how long y’all have been online, but I got on almost as soon as sites like Prodigy existed. In those days there wasn’t an internet as such, just separate networking such as Prodigy, AOL, Genie. Those on Genie couldn’t talk to those on Prodigy without joining the other service, so it was like a closed community. There were topics that you read the members’ thoughts on, and you could write individually to members. This was when writers first started communing together all the time, not just at infrequent conventions. The old days on Prodigy is what Shoutlife, Facebook and MySpace remind me of, at their simplest, but wow, so many more bells and whistles! The old services didn’t have pictures,and videos, and blogs hadn’t been invented. I’m just saying I like the community feeling.
Blessings, Laurie
Tags: internet history, Shoutlife, social networking sites
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Sunday, November 23rd, 2008
It’s almost Thanksgiving and I just wanted to say one of the things I’m most thankful for is my forever best friend, Pru, who lives in Maine. We met in 7th grade at Girl Scouts where we discovered a love for horses and the Beatles (we both loved Paul, but also John) but not necessarily in that order.
Pru was my mentor in many things, especially the love of England and its history, and it was with Pru that I went to England for the very first time ”back in the day “–in 1972, to be exact, before the responsibilities of a job and a husband intruded.  I’ve been to England twice after that, but it was thanks to Pru’s showing me the way that I even had the courage to plan the trip, going without a tour and driving on the left, and finding my way around via Tube. Pru introduced me to her British aunt, uncle and cousins, and it was through her that I actually got to meet some ”real English people.” It was also thanks to her that I first ate Chinese and Indian foods.
Thanks for being a true and loyal friend since 1964, Pru! Love ya!
Blessings, Laurie
But one of the most important things Pru did for me was nurture my writing ability. We told each other stories then, and later wrote them down, but she made me believe I really could be a writer. She even referred me to my first agent, back when she worked for GK Hall. And now she’s my loyal reader, always willing to tell me why she liked a book I wrote, not just that she liked it.
Tags: fbf's, writing life
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Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
This blog is probably TMI (too much information), but I’m getting ready to have my first colonoscopy tomorrow, so I’m writing this while getting ready to start those lovely pills that get one’s insides ready for the doctor to look at. This screening colonoscopy is something everyone needs to get when they’re 50, because this test can find colon cancer, which is very curable if caught early, and the polyps that can proceed the development of colon cancer can be removed.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a few years past when I should have gotten this, but E.R. nurses tend to be control freaks, and having to go through the prep and getting and I.V. and being sedated means a loss of that control. I’ve used a lot of excuses to put this off–not wanting to put daughters to the trouble of driving me home, but once Tom came into my life, that excuse was gone. Then I used the excuse of my revived writing career, when I sold to Steeple Hill. I was on deadline! I couldn’t spare the time! Or I was going on vacation…perhaps I’d do it after that.
I’ve finally run out of excuses. God willing, I will have writing deadlines for a long time to come. It’s the right thing to do for the sake of my health, and I’m going to do it tomorrow. I sure will be glad when it’s over. Right now I’m starving, or at least it feels that way, because I can only have clear liquids–tea, broth, jello, clear pop, etc. I’m dreaming of what I can eat tomorrow.
If you’re 50 or over, get it done too. You know it’s the smart thing to do. Thanks for listening, and I’ll “see” you later. I’m sure I’ll be better able to concentrate on MARRYING MILLY than I was today.
Blessings, Laurie
Tags: medical stuff, writing life
Posted in medical stuff | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Just sitting here in my office watching the golden leaves fall from the maple framed by my office window, sometimes one at a time, sometimes several, sometimes all are trembling but none fall… Change is coming to the trees, and to our country as well. I went to vote this morning, and hope you did too, or will later today. Tonight I’ll be working at the E.R., so unfortunately I will probably be exposed to election returns all night long. I’d really prefer to rent a good movie, go to bed early, and forget about the whole thing….
I’m dillydallying, trying to figure out how to approach this dancing scene. Kudos to Steeple Hill for allowing our characters to dance now–it would be hard to imagine an after-the-barn-raising party without fiddling…and where there is music, there would naturally be dancing! But it’s the hero’s turn to have his point of view, and I just need to decide how to play it.
HILL COUNTRY CHRISTMAS’s release month is nearly over. If you haven’t found it yet, why not order online from eharlequin.com or one of the myriad of other online bookstores? Remember, Christmas is coming….!
Blessings, Laurie
Tags: Election, seasons, Steeple Hill, writing life
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
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