No, not the decade. The temperatures we’ve had the last couple of days. It makes it hard to stay inside and work, whether it’s writing or countless hours shampooing carpets. I’m still sore from that last one. Ugh. I did get started on a new book Monday night, another romantic suspense. It’s manuscript number 14. I’m sooooo ready to sell one of these manuscripts sitting around my office staring at me as if they’re bored of their abode. I’m trying guys, I’m trying!

Got some edits/revisions from my agent today on the first few chapters of the book I finished a week and a half ago. I’m going to look through those tonight, but I probably won’t start on those revisions until I finish up the first three chapters of the new book and get them off to my agent. This writing thing is a little like juggling.

New episode of Lost tonight. Yay! And we’ll see who is the latest singer to be voted off American Idol. Personally, I think Anthony or Scott had the worst performance last night. We’ll see if the millions of other viewers agreed or if they shock me.

I found out this morning that I’m a Golden Heart finalist again this year, the third year in a row! The manuscript is one that finaled in 2003 in an earlier version. It’s been revised since then, so I’m happy it’s made it to the limelight again. So, I’ll get to sit in the front during the awards ceremony in Reno this summer. Yea!! That’s always fun because of the nervous energy and excitement among the finalists. Plus, you can actually see the stage up there.

It was such a pretty day today. I was out on the road doing some freelance work for the magazine I used to work at full time, and it was sunny, warm and just beautiful. Today, March 21, the second day of spring, the first day I used the air conditioner in the car this season. I’m really looking forward to all the nice warm, sunny days ahead. I may take my Alphasmart Dana and sit outside to write, provided the wasps and mosquitoes leave me alone.

Yes, I’ve neglected updating the blog for a few days, but I’ve got a very good reason. I’ve been a writing machine this week, writing 99 pages since I last entered a blog entry on the 11th. I just finished the first draft of my women’s fiction book, and it’s kind of hard to believe. I began this book so long ago, but it’s progress toward completion has been interrrupted by requested revisions on other books and all those unexpected things life throws at you. For now, I’m trying to enjoy the fact that I’ve completed the book and not focus on how it might be a big rambling mess. That’s what revisions are for. Tomorrow, I plan to read, work in the yard, hang out with the hubby and maybe, just maybe, start another book. But at least I know on this new one I only have to complete three chapters and a synopsis so my agent can see if the targeted editor is interested. That’s a lot less daunting than staring 400 blank pages in the face.

Among all this writing, I have been enjoying my favorite shows. I pretty much agreed with the results on American Idol, was mucho upset by the twist on Survivor that sent Angie home, and again enjoyed two programs on Sci Fi Friday — Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica. It was only my second episode for Stargate Atlantis. I accidentally got interested in it last week when Battlestar came on a half hour later than usual and I saw the last half of Atlantis. I’m looking forward to some new episodes of Lost whenever they decide to put new episodes on again.

Imagine me dancing a jig. I just hit Page 300 of my current work in progress, the official 3/4 point for the manuscript. Pages 200-300 are always hardest for me because I feel like I’m floundering whether I am or not. Now, with 100 pages left, I can sketch out what scenes still need to be written and in what order. But I’ll do that after I walk on the treadmill to get rid of the Chocolate Extreme Blizzard I caved and ate while out running errands.

I’m also getting excited about my new romantic suspense idea that I plan to work on after I get the first draft of the current book written. I’ve worked on some characterization and plotting and sent the notes off to my critique group so we can brainstorm on it at our next meeting.

And speaking of my critique group, check out my critique partner Beth’s new blog. It’s fun because it’s written from the point of view of the heroine in her book Heavens to Betsy that is due out this summer. Go to her site at www.bethpattillo.com and click on Betsy’s Blog.

Okay, so maybe it’s March and the sun is shining, but I’m still cold a good bit of the time. Let me tell you, it’s quite annoying to have such a low metabolism and catch a cold at the least little thing. So, even though spring and Easter are just around the corner, fleece is still my friend. I’m sitting in my office with a fleece jacket on with a fleece blanket on my legs. Is that pitiful or what? The only good part of this is when I need to warm up, I go hop on the treadmill for at least half an hour. This serves three purposes: get my blood pumping and thus warm me up, I get some exercise which is important when you’re a writer and you sit on your tookus all day, and I catch up on reading while I’m walking. No, I haven’t fallen off and broken any appendages yet. Right now, I’m reading Lori Harris’s “Someone Safe”, a Harlequin Intrigue. Lori is another member of the Wet Noodle Posse (the Golden Heart class of 2003), and I’m really enjoying this romantic suspense story. I would have read it anyway, but it’s also serving the purpose of helping get the flow and tone of Intrigues in my head as I plot a story for that line. Well, off to write and plot and research some more…

I can’t believe how many days have passed since I last updated the blog. It seems like it was just a day or two ago. But I guess that’s what happens when you’re making progress on your writing. I’ve passed the halfway point in my women’s fiction book. I sent off approximately the first half to my agent to see what she says. There’s that familiar anxiety many writers have when they send off one of their “babies” into the big bad world. You just hope someone doesn’t tell you it’s the ugliest “baby” they’ve ever seen.

I’ve begun working on the characters and plot for another suspense-type story that I plan to work on alongside this current book. Once I get it plotted, I hope to get a partial (first three chapters and a synopsis) to my agent to send out to the targeted publisher. I reallllllllllllly want something to sell before I go to the RWA National Conference this summer.

I’m listening to the latest in my movie soundtrack collection. Yesterday, I bought the soundtrack to House of Flying Daggers and have already listened to it close to a half a dozen times. I counted my soundtracks yesterday, and I have 27 — mainly from historical movies with instrumental soundtracks. I just love them because they evoke so much emotion, and I remember the emotions of the movies. House of Flying Daggers is a movie I’ll buy when it comes out on DVD (thanks for the great Barnes & Noble gift card, TECAers). I just thought the movie was beautiful.

I’ve not written today but rather finished reading the manuscript of a dear friend (it was really good) and did some freelance work. But since I wrote 16 pages yesterday and am only 10 pages away from my week’s goal, I think it’s okay. I think I’ll reach that goal tomorrow and still have Sunday to get ahead for next week.