Seems like more and more these days I’m caught unaware of changes going on around me. Some would say I’ve got my head in the clouds or just getting older and time feels like it’s passing faster. Perhaps I’m living in a world of fiction with my concentration on characters and their journeys. Whatever the reason, I was floored to see Mr. & Mrs. Phoebe had not only returned to the nest, but had apparently canoodled and laid eggs. The next night, daylight savings time set in.

I started taking stock, remembered finding several clumps of blooming daffodils last week while walking the dogs. Hubby’s been tilling up the garden area. Oh, yeah, and the Spring Peepers (frogs) have been singing in the evenings. Duh. Way to be aware.

I look at the calendar. Yesterday I felt like the year was just getting started good and today St. Paddy’s Day is in sight and Easter is on the horizon. Sheesh. Wake up, Carol! Suddenly I’m panicking and taking stock of my productivity. Have I made any progress? Well, yes and no. Guess it depends on your perspective, but I’m working on a couple of writing projects, finished a novella, and have made several crochet projects, but I still feel like I’m lagging behind.

At the end of this month, a quarter of 2013 will be history.  Are you on track with your goals or are you like me, already playing catch-up?

by Carol Burnside (aka Annie Rayburn)

Initially, I was going to talk about Valentine’s Day which is coming up this Thursday. When I mentioned this to Miss Maggie, she paused in mid-stream pour of my cup of tea and harrumphed. I’m not sure what that meant, but I forged on. In preparation for writing this romance post, I took two online quizzes which were supposed to determine whether or not I was romantic. Now, I know I am, but answered the questions honestly, even when I suspected they weren’t on the highly romantic end of things. But during the process, I noticed a vast difference between the quizzes and it changed the slant of my post.  

On the Quizopolous  site, the questions centered on what I consider lazy romance – much like clichés in writing fiction. Songs, reading poetry to one’s partner, bubble baths, moonlit beaches, flowers, my pajama choices. I scored 4 out of 15! Me. A romance writer. The verdict was that I considered matching sweatpants romantic. At my exclamation of dismay, Miss Maggie peeked at the screen over my shoulder and shook her head. 

Then I took the Chatterbean quiz and was pronounced a ‘Hopeless Romantic!’ This quiz got a “There ya go.” comment from Miss Maggie as she carried our teacups to the sink. The questions here were more about my habits. Do I kiss with my eyes closed? Fiction or non-fic? Love stories or comedy? There were questions about my feelings on PDA and whether I thought about my partner during the day. IMO, they were focusing more on my inner romantic nature rather than outer, schmaltzy behavior.  

Perhaps it’s my age, or the fact that I was raised by practical-minded, frugal women, but there are a lot of supposedly ‘romantic’ things I find frivolous and even consider them lazy clichés. Yes, I’d be somewhat disappointed if my hubby bought me a heart box of candy and a bouquet of flowers for Valentine’s. That worked when I was 14, but now the candy would sabotage my diet. (I’ve lost 12 pounds, y’all!) The flowers? Eh, I could live with them as long as he didn’t spend a small fortune. I’d rather have a nice evening out with him or a piece of jewelry that reminds me of the occasion.  

Romance is me getting the oil changed and filling the gas tank before a trip because Hubby was out of town and it would be a mad rush for him to get those things done upon his return. It’s remembering to keep a supply of his favorite diet pudding on hand, his favorite drink stocked or picking up his business mail while I’m in town so he doesn’t have to stop at midnight after a long day of traveling. To me, those things say “I love you still, after more than three decades of marriage.” 

I’m betting our readers and my blog sisters have some definite opinions about what’s romantic and not. Please share. Name three things you find romantic or tell me how you show your love in everyday ways.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, “Out with the old. In with the new.” For a lot of people, a new year means change, resolutions, a clean slate in which to begin anew. But the truth of the matter is, that’s all a matter of attitude, a frame of mind.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone saying they want to repeat last year or 1997 because that was a good year, or that they want to do everything the way they did last year. We like a certain amount of change. Without it, we stagnate and grow bored.

For me the new year means I need fresh spreadsheets to track my writing productivity and sales numbers. It means I need to get started on the summary I send my accountant. Somewhere in all that, I usually reflect on what I accomplished in the previous year and adjust my goals. Upward and onward.

Several months ago, when the new year was just a speck in the distance, I decided I wanted to indulge myself more, to do what I love and enjoy it. I want to indulge in reading more and rediscover the pleasure of losing myself in a book. I want to be creative in other ways than writing, to rediscover the pleasure of the needlework crafts I once loved. I’ll also indulge my talent for design and tackle re-decorating another room in my house because it really needs a facelift. Yeah, parts of that can be a chore, but I love the end result, so I’ll deal. I’ll enjoy the fresh, updated look.

But what about the writing? Interestingly enough, the more other creative things I do, the more I itch to write. Could it be that creativity sparks more creativity? All I know is I’m looking forward to 2013 with a new attitude and am excited to see what the year yields.

How do you look at a new year? Is it just another day or do you see it as a clean slate, a blank page full of possibilities?

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In celebration of our Blogoversary month, I’m giving away a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky commenter. Good luck to all!

While watching The X Factor tonight, I was struck by how many of the contestants said they were petrified that first time on a big stage, but that they’d grown so much as singers and performers through their experience on the show. Mind you, the ‘live’ shows haven’t even started yet, but they’d gained experience and in the process, confidence in their abilities.

That got me to thinking about a recent experience of mine. I was part of the PFHT workshop panel at the Georgia Romance Writer’s Moonlight & Magnolia’s Conference. I will admit to a modicum of nerves before the event, though it did help to have my PFHT sisters on the panel with me. We presented our information and even managed to add a little bit of humor to it, got a laugh and a lot of smiles. I noticed people taking notes while I was speaking. There’s a very real possibility they were bored and doodling, but this is my story, so they were taking notes. Believe it or not, people found the information we gave valuable and at the end, we got several questions. Success!

Previous to the conference, Susan and I had holed up in her lake house for some quiet and writing time. We also brainstormed two workshops. Since then, we’ve developed the outlines enough to submit both to next year’s Romance Writer’s of America Conference which will be held in Atlanta. At the time we were talking about it, I could see myself presenting them online – no problem. After all, I’d be behind my computer, my fingers easily correcting the mistakes before my answers went out to the public. In a live setting? What comes out of my mouth might be a surprise to me too. Oh, the pressure!

Now that I have a little experience, I have more confidence. I also have writing experience and have gained knowledge over the years that others might benefit from. The crowd didn’t fall asleep. No one got up and left (that I saw), so I feel confident enough to try it again. What do you think? Do these two Southern Belle’s look like they might know enough for someone to take notes again?

Tell me about an experience you had that gave you the confidence to do more or bigger things.  Because it’s nearly fright night and my novella, Phantoms & Fantasies begins on Halloween, I’ll give an e-copy to one lucky commenter!

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Connect with Carol socially on the web through Twitter or Facebook.

Connect with Annie on Twitter or Facebook

While you’re reading this, I’m at a writing retreat, so my replies may be infrequent. The reason? Duh. I’m busy writing. That’s what these retreats are all about. Fortunately, we get more than a pile of pages from them, or at least I do. Perhaps it’s because I live in a writing desert far from like-minded people?

Whatever the case, going on a writing retreat to me is like ice cream to a kid on a hot summer day. Dadgum it, now I’m hungry for the cold stuff, but I digress. Here are my top five perks of attending a writing retreat.

1. Since this is the whole point, I guess more pages has to be at the top.

2. At a close second for me is: Connecting with other writers

3. Just squeaking in below that is brainstorming! This is one of my favorite things to do. State the premise of a story to the group and let the ideas fly. You might be surprised at the story you get or the plot holes that are revealed, saving you hours of hard work.

4. The combined enthusiasm gets you out of the slump. Whether you’ve been stuck on one scene, wrapping up The End, or have been in a writing funk for awhile, a retreat with others will jump start you again. Guaranteed. Even if it’s that you feel obligated to type something because others are working so hard. Once you’ve begun, the characters start talking again and off you go!

5. Last on this list, but certainly not the last of the perks, is finding your mojo. This is different for everyone. It could be as nice as getting away from the ratrace long enough to hear your characters talking or as impactful as simply taking a deep breath from the stresses of life.

So, that’s my top five. Have you been on a writing retreat or a mini vacation that did you a world of good? What perks did you see from the experience? One lucky commenter will win an e-copy of my Annie Rayburn short story, INSIGHT.

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Connect with Carol socially on the web through Twitter or Facebook.

Connect with Annie on Twitter or Facebook

Confession: I’ve been in a writing slump of late, but I think an epiphany may have catapulted me out of it. Let me explain…

Speaking of that writing slump, by ‘of late’ I mean off and on for the last two years. Part of the writing slump had to do with personal losses and how it affected my emotional/mental health. Part of the slump had to do with how long I’ve been writing without getting that ‘big break’. Oh, I won contests and placed in others, I got requests from editors and even had them wanting revisions, even got breath-holding close to getting a contract from a BIG-NAME publisher. But in the end, the accumulated ‘no’s’ had taken their toll.

Bless her heart (and I mean that sincerely), Susan Carlisle was a bright spot in my slump. During critiques or  occasionally when I asked her to listen to a small passage I read, she always had encouraging words to say about my writing, my story ideas, my characters. [I could love that woman for this alone, but there are many other reasons to do so. She's an outstanding friend!]

Recently, the link to a recommended blog post appeared on more than one loop I’m a member of. I clicked on the link, not really expecting anything earth-shattering, but was pleasantly surprised. The title of the post was The Business Rusch: Perfection.  It covers several topics all writers deal with – striving for perfection in our writing, the over-value we often place on critiques, automatically looking for the bad while critiquing rather than just reading for enjoyment first, the power we give to others regarding our work, trusting ourselves and the story we want to tell. That wasn’t everything Kristine Kathryn Rusch touched on for the post is lengthy, but it’s worth a read, even if you have to come back to it and re-read to digest the message.

I think it would even other creative types such as artists and musicians could glean important lessons from it as well, but I digress. Basically, I’m saying – GO READ THAT POST.

But before you go, the result of my epiphany is that I’ve re-read some of my manuscripts. I’ve made plans to finish several stories I felt stalled on. I fell in love with writing again. As a result, I bought two beautiful covers for books I want to release on my own, but one of them is the third in a trilogy, so I’m looking for more. The point is that I believe once again that there is an audience for my books, I believe in the stories I wrote, I believe  others will fall in love with them just like I did.

I have more than writing and editing and covers to occupy me now. I’ve got a marketing plan to put in place and dates to put on my calendar and… well, stay tuned because Carol Burnside and Annie Rayburn are once again excited about STORY, CHARACTERS, PLOT, the way words paint a picture again and have BIG PLANS.

Thank goodness they don’t all show up on the schedule at once, but over the course of a year, I record and watch

American Idol
The Voice
So You Think You Can Dance
Work of Art: The Next Great Artist
Food Network Star
MasterChef
Hell’s Kitchen
Top Chef (Hmm. There’s a definite food slant here.),
and Design Star.

I didn’t think about it much until recently, when it occurred to me that writers who seek publication are much like the contestants I see on these various shows. We’re all reaching for a dream, aren’t we? Believe it or not, there are lessons to be learned from these shows, such as: If minimal effort is expended, you’re likely to be out of the game in a hurry. There’s no substitute for hard work, but drive and passion help your chances of success. Don’t let setbacks keep you down. Dust yourself off and go at it again.

Ultimately, someone wins and I heave a satisfied sigh, much like when I finish reading another love story or watch a romantic movie. Seeing others reach their goals, I’m encouraged to keep writing and keep working toward successes of my own.

What kind of shows and movies do you watch? Is it purely for pleasure or have you discovered it feeds some need inside you?

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If you’d like to learn more about me or my alter-ego, Annie Rayburn, here’s where you can find us:

Website, Blog, CB_Twitter, CB-Facebook, AR_Twitter, AR-Facebk_author_pg, Pinterest, WANATribe, Shelfari, Goodreads

 Marilyn Baron had a stellar month. 

 **The Edger Featured in University of Florida Magazine**

 The Edger, the humorous women’s fiction by sisters Marilyn Baron and Sharon Goldman, is featured is the Spring 2012 issue of the Communicator, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications magazine. The article, called “College Bookstore: College’s alumnae engage readers around the globe,” features novels from the College’s alumnae – those women who are making a name for themselves in the literary world. The college has long been known for authors like Michael Connelly and Carl Hiaasen. This article shines the spotlight on the Women’s Edition.

**Blogging Trifecta: Good Things Come in Threes**

 Last week, Marilyn Baron hit the blogging trifecta. She doesn’t know how it happened but she ended up blogging three days in a row.

 Her first stop on Friday, May 18, was to the fabulous It’s Only a Novel blog where she discussed her humorous women’s fiction, The Edger, and her collaboration with her sister.

 Then on to paranormal romance writer Maeve Greyson’s blog on her birthday, Saturday May 19, talking about the Marketing for Romance Writers’ First Annual Marketing Summer Camp July 14-15

 On Sunday, May 20, she was featured on our own Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog about her recent trip to New York to visit her daughter.

 Maybe good things come in threes.

 Marilyn will also be blogging on Savvy Authors on June 28. 

 Last but certainly not least, check out this new video from TWB Press about Marilyn Baron, The Angel Whisperer.

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 Mash-Up

Sally Kilpatrick shared some insight into her running world over at the Healthy Writer’s Blog.  She shares some items that help her on her fitness path.  She also gives her readers a look at how her writing has progressed from writing westerner historicals to the mish mash that is her current book.   

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Darcy Crowder and her daughter, Brenna, have been hosting some amazing guests over at their blog, It’s Only A Novel.  Their Tete-A’Tete conversations with each other about different movies and books are particularly interesting. 

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Susan Carlisle/Susan May has been super busy.  Afternoon Teat at the Bond in Boston.  Signing her book at the Heart of Dixie Reader’s Luncheon.  (her son)_Graduating a kindergarten class. An announcement that Susan is going to be May May to TWINS!

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Annie Rayburn “zigged and zagged up a twisty, turning two-lane highway” to make it to a writer’s retreat in the Ozarks.  She also left her readers wondering WHAT is Coming Soon, June 8-22… 

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Pam Asberry went to her very first ever Gwinnett Braves baseball game.  She’s also sharing her adventures in dating and her revelation in optimism.   

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Tami Brothers teamed up with some fabulous authors to give away some e-books in the Splash Into Summer Blog hop (currently going on) and the Sinful Sirens hop.  She also participated in the Nation Clean Purse Day with Kathi Lipps, author of the Get Yourself Organized Project book.

As you can see, all look ready to fly at any moment. No fuzzy down remains, not even on their heads. Hubby took this picture for me one sunny morning. The very next day, I exited the house with dogs, taking them across the deck to let them out in the yard.

Pandemonium ensued under the covered entryway.

It seems we’d interrupted Mrs. Phoebe in the act of convincing her offspring it was high time they struck out on their own. As is the case with many of our own offspring these days, they had grown fond of Mama waiting on them wings and feet while they were busy creating a mess and generally becoming nest potatoes. She was having none of it.

I shrieked and ducked as one bird buzzed the top of my head. The three dogs (remember, they’re bird dogs) started barking and jumping for the birds. This is not a large enclosure, folks. Excited by the noise, another birdie left the next. They circled. The dogs went crazy. I tried to herd dogs and protect my head.

One escaped to freedom. Mama Phoebe chased the baby a ways, then returned to shoo the others, one of whom had just decided to return to the next. Oh, no. Not having it. She came in toward the nest, flapping and tweeting. Not in the same way we tweet, mind you, but from the results she got, I interpreted her message as, “Get out, you ungrateful child. I’m not your chef and maid. Go get your own breakfast!”

With a soft flutter and a tiny shriek, the nest was bereft of life. I let the dogs out and went back to check. Nothing. Not even a stray feather. Plenty of fecal sacs scattered about, the only evidence of their quiet beginnings.

My little entryway felt hollow and I missed seeing the little heads popping up, the flurry of feathers from parents swooping in with worms and bugs. For several days the nest was a silent symbol that life is constantly changing.

Then another change took place. I glanced out on a sunny morning (the habit was hard to break) and there was Mama Phoebe cleaning out the nest. Two days later she began sitting on her newly deposited eggs while Mr. Phoebe brought tasty morsels to nourish his broody mate. The cycle of life has begun again.

Good News

Annie Rayburn   

1) She received a 4-Star, Recommended Read review for Bittersweet Obsessions at the To Be Read Pile. http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2012/04/review-and-contest-bittersweet-obsessions-annie-rayburn.html

2) Annie also guest blogged on The Romance Studio’s Blue Blog (TRS_Blue) about how Love is in Bloom. http://trsblue.blogspot.com/2012/04/lot-of-folks-in-writing-world-are-at-rt.html

3) She now has her own author page on The Romance Reviews site.  http://www.theromancereviews.com/AnnieRayburn

4) And great news for readers who would like to grab a copy of Phantoms & Fantasies.  The price has been reduced to $1.99! http://annierayburn.com/books/

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Susan Carlisle   

1) She finished writing her third book for Harlequin Mill & Boon Medical line and started working on the 4th one.

2) She will be presenting her workshop, “Rejection-Making ‘No’ Work for You” at the New England Romance Writers conference this weekend (April 27-28).  The theme for the conference is Let Your Imagination Take Flight.  http://necrwa.org/blog1/conference/

3) She will also be hosting a table at the Heart of Dixie Readers Luncheon on May 5th in Huntsville, AL. http://www.heartofdixie.org/luncheon.html

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Marilyn Baron

1) Her Real Life Angel Story and three, humorous supernatural angel stories, A Choir of Angels, Follow an Angel, and The Stand-In Bridegroom, are featured on The Angel Pendant Web site. http://theangelpendant.com/real-life-stories/

2) Front Page News, her humorous, supernatural e-short story, The Stand-in Bridegroom, was featured on the front page of her publisher’s April 2012 newsletter.  www.twbpress.com/twbpressnewsletter4-12.pdf

Publisher TWB Press was recently listed among five of the Best Colorado Publishers. http://www.examiner.com/literature-in-colorado-springs/the-best-colorado-publishers

3) The Edger was featured in the April 5, 2012 edition of ISelfPub.com  http://iselfpub.com/2012/04/the-edger-by-sharon-goldman-and-marilyn-baron/

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Darcy Crowder

1) Her short story Chasing Sunset in the BelleBooks anthology, Sweeter Than Tea, is coming out in e-book later in May & print in early June.

2) Big news for Darcy is that she and her daughter, Brenna Crowder will be hosting a Blog Launch Party on April 30 for their new blog, It’s Only a Novel! There will be Books & Bling from April 30 – May 4 featuring contributing authors Deb Smith, Haywood Smith, Kimberly Brock and more!  They are giving away books and bling to several lucky visitors each day.  Leave a comment on multiple days for added chances to win their special Grand Prize bling on Saturday, May 5th! http://www.itsonlyanovel.com/

Mash-Up

Inspired by Tammy Schubert’s blog post yesterday on her Adventures in Dating, Pam Asberry shared one of her dating stories, A Funny Thing Happened While I Was Out Fishing.  Stop by and read both posts for a few laughs and a lot of head scratching.

Susan Carlisle posted a picture she took in the bathroom at the Silver Skillet in Atlanta. Very nice! Anyone else up for a road trip?

Sally Kilpatrick gives us a lesson in NOT what to do during a Boot Camp workout over at the healthy Writer’s blog.

Debbie Kaufman shared her “running away from home” trip and her fun at the First Annual Barbara Vey’ Reader Luncheon earlier this month.

Carol Burnside/Annie Rayburn is painting the countryside green with the start of her gardening season.  Just the thought of all those fresh veggies will have your mouth watering.

How about you guys?  Anyone have some Good News or Mash-Up posts they’d like to share with the rest of us?  We’d all love to celebrate with you and check out your blogs.