Thursday Thirteen #7

Everyone has been talking about their kitties... my doggie dog love makes me want to do this TT on my puppy just to even things out! :)

Her picture was taken at the Vet's a couple of years ago, and I had to scan it so it's a little scanned looking, but it's one of my favorite photos.

Thirteen Things about My Puppy (not so puppy - 12 years old.) 1…. Her name is Sammy - Samantha when she's in trouble, like when she steals socks from open drawers. 2.... She's a mix breed - Bijon and Spaniel, but we got her before the owner's chopped her tail - Thank God! Why do people cut their dogs tails? I just don't get it! That's my favorite thing... I always know how happy and excited she is! 3.... She hates water. :) Odd for a dog, but my father traumatized her when she was young by throwing her in the lake so she wouldn't be afraid of the water - which you can imagine only made things a hundred times worse. Funny how wrong parents can be sometimes, even when I was only 14 I knew how bad it was! 4.... She will not, under any circumstances, leave the house when it's raining. She'll stare dreamily out the windows, but won't budge. :) 5.... She's 12, yet she looks like a puppy - people always ask when we got her! :) 6.... She loves the snow. She hides in it and waits to be found! After half a year of sun bathing her fur is usually very white. She somehow knows this and takes advantage of it. 7.... Speaking of sun... She loves the sun! With as much fur as she has going on I'm shocked sometimes, nothing like a fur coat to keep me out of the sun, but it doesn't deter her. 8.... She always has her tongue sticking out. :) I adore this. Probably because she doesn't have bad breath and she doesn't drool. 9.... When the luggage gets pulled out she gets sad and depressed, moping around the house like if it's the last time she will ever see us. 10.... If someone were ever to break into the house she would probably lick them and kiss them until they fell on their butts, but we couldn't count on her to be our security guard. 11.... She doesn't bark! Which kind of falls in with 10. :) I didn't know there even were dogs that didn't bark. All I know is that by the time we got her she was broken. Truthfully, I like her better this way. 12.... She will do ANYTHING for cheese! We didn't have to teach her to roll over, sit or do anything else... stick a piece of cheese in front of her and you don't even have to say a word. I swear to you... she will show you EVERY trick she knows to get that cheese. Shake your hand, meow (my dad taught her that - believe it or not, it's a little dog like, but it is clearly a meow,) or roll over... a hundred times! 13.... I can never get any work done around her. She follows me around and if I open a book or notes to study from she comes and plops down directly onto my work with a loud sigh. :) As if she's the entire 30 seconds that she had to entertain herself was extremely painful and excruciating! ;) God, I love her! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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I want to rant... but I'm actually too angry to do it!

Okay so maybe you're more aware of this than me... but I had no idea that this even existed!

Everyone knows about Kazaa and every other online free music provider. I use Napster. I use it because I can count on downloading what I want without a virus or any extra crap that will load itself onto my laptop... I also use it because I have to pay for it. That's right. I prefer paying for it, although most people don't understand this. They always ask me why I would pay 1.19 per song, when I can download it for free from Kazaa or some other place. I always tell them that anyone who wants others to respect their work in terms of copyright laws, originality and all the hard work that went into it need to respect other peoples as well. To me, it's as simple as that.

So yesterday I got an e-mail from Clues-N-News, one of the Kiss of Death Chapter Yahoo groups. Anyways they sent out an e-mail letting us know that well... actually I don't even know if I'm allowed to say. But holy cow! Did you guys know about http://www.esnips.com/ ? Maybe I'm just a little behind... or maybe I'm a lot, but I can't believe that this place exists! If you have ever been able to buy a book online, you can steal it here. WTF! I can't even tell you how pissed I am.

I know I'm wasting my breath, but I can't help myself. In my perfect world everyone is honest and sincere. I saddens me that I'm even talking about this, I just can't believe it. I don't know why, it shouldn't surprise me. I mean, you can pretty much steal anything online now a days. I'm just soooo incredibly disappointed by the people that take part in supporting this that I can't even rant about it. It's just so sad! :( Is it such an inconvenience to go to the library? This just makes me so sad. :(

There's a great article about this at IPcentral Weblog if you want to read about it with less emotion and more factual information. :)

Soap Opera Fan?

Yesterday someone asked me whether I get my ideas for writing from soap opera's. Well, since I seriously despise soap opera's, you can probably imagine the look of disgust on my face that I couldn't keep from showing. :)

I told him that good writer's have people who tell them what to write - the little people in their heads! HA! Yeah, okay so I'm not that funny. I tried!

So later on I began to wonder... do any of you get any inspiration from soap opera's? I'm also curious to know how? Does anything actually ever happen on them? You can miss a couple of weeks of the stuff and still not have missed anything.

Is there another place you get inspiration from? I know that I love to create characters that have some quirky personality traits that I have found in my friends - yeah, I do that. So far none of them have complained or sued me so... knock on wood. :) Thank God I change the names! ;) As for inspiration for my evil villains... well I have a t-shirt that says... Caution! Mystery Romance Writer - I research ways to kill people for a living. Try to remember that before you make me angry.

Two words... so true! Muwahahahaha! ;)

Catching up on some work.

Okay, so I'm a little behind. A little. Okay, maybe a touch more than that.

I still have friends that go to school and this tends to be a paper submitting week or something, because I spent my weekend going over 3 papers for spelling and grammar. Huh, trust me with that? I don't recommend it, but hey! :)

Then, we have four days worth of fire alarm tests (our yearly test) that are being done in the building... which should have been almost done. So while it should be quiet we have the fire department walking through the place like they own it. Obviously, only a crazy woman can't appreciate a good fireman, but I might just go crazy if I have to hear any more of the alarm!

To add to that, on Friday we had a major power outage most of the day, some other power supply place had a fire, so there was no electricity. That was fun. So again, I got nothing accomplished. And that's also why the fire department have to return today. YAY!!! :( Apparently they can't do their work in the dark. Jeez! :)

So today, I have to finish 2 1/2 chapters and send them off to my CP. Yeah. No problem! :)

What did everyone else do on the weekend?

Motivated

So this morning I'm looking around the blogging world... seeing what's new. Yeah, I know I do this every day, but during the week I don't give myself time to look around all of them... there just wouldn't be enough time in the day!

I haven't been to visit the PlotMonkeys in at least two weeks, so today I wandered over. This blogging group is probably one of my favourite's. I'm a huge fan of Carly Phillips, who is a member of the PM and with her in the group are three other amazing and inspirational authors, (Leslie Kelly, Janelle Denison, and Julie Leto,) so what's not to love?!

Anyways - I'm getting to my point, I swear - Today Carly posted a story on her road to publication. I read it and thought it was such a motivating story for anyone who needs to get their writing done or is struggling with publication or even has enough rejection letter's to wallpaper a room! (Ever since you said this line to me - you know who you are - I can't get it out of my head! I love it!)

So if you have time, go over to the PlotMonkeys and read Carly's story. It's nothing new... author struggle... author doesn't give up... author gets published. And maybe it's just me because I'm such a fan of her work, but reading this I kept thinking who the heck would send Carly a rejection? ;) And holy cow... maybe you could even say a rejection is normal?

Have a great weekend everyone!

Yay! I have a CP!

Okay, so through my wonderful RWA OL Chapter I found a CP! I've talked to her and she seems wonderful. She lives a bazillion miles away, which sucks... but you can't have everything. And as long as she doesn't hate my work, I'll accept the distance.

So... now comes giving her my work... Um... I'm anxious, nervous, and flat out scared. Which actually I find hilarious because over the years at my job I've grown thick skin and taught others to grow it too!

I take feedback very well (or at least I think I do.) I take it and learn from it. What was done in the past can't be changed, but the future can. I know it's not the most profound saying, but it is true. So there it is.

As for having a CP, I have to tell you... so far I feel like I can't slack off. We have expectations of each other, and in order to make them happen and work with each other to our full potential I need to get my butt into gear and finish editing! After all, I actually need to have something finished to give her to critique.

Okay, back to work. This time for real! ;)

Thursday Thirteen #6

Since I've been slacking off for over two weeks now, I figured I would post my 13 favourite shows - Yup! Because that's all I've been doing while I should have been writing! :)

Thirteen of my Favourite - for my American friends - favorite ;) shows: 1…. Crossing Jordan. I almost couldn't decide what to start with, but Crossing Jordan doesn't come on DVD - so if you miss an episode you miss it. That's why it made it to number one! 2.... CSI Las Vegas. I don't care how many new versions they come up with. Nobody replaces the original team. I love Grissom and hate Fellatio (That's what my husband and I call Horacio) We both equally hate him. 3.... Gilmore Girls. I love that they never stop talking - the same reason that my husband can't stand the show. Did you know that a regular script for GG is twice as long as any other script for any other 1 hour show? And the maid is different in every single episode? I'm filled with useless facts about GG. 4.... NCIS. Love it! I don't know what it is... I think it might just be that the characters are depicted so relaxed and normal, I would even say unprofessional... which in any other company would be a no no. 5.... News Radio. Does anyone remember this show? I have a deep down dirty secret love for Joe Rogan - don't ask! I don't know what it is! When my husband watches UFC and I just hear Joe's voice I smile. Can't help it. 6.... Criminal Minds. Shemar Moore... yum! I have loved him since YR. I hate soap opera's... but I would watch it just for him. Did I say yum? 7.... Bones. Oh my God! I almost forgot this show! HOW? It's one of the one's I never forget to watch. I hated David Boreanaz in Angel. But now on Bones, as an agent.... well, lets just say a lot of my characters that are agents start with him in my mind. 8.... House. This and CSI are probably the only show that my husband and I agree on, so it had to make it on my list. 9.... Law and Order. Dear God... how long have I been watching this show? 10.... Law and Order - Criminal Intent. I can't help it! I'm a forever fan of all Law and Order's! 11.... Law and Order - Special Victims Unit. I usually hate spin off or continued type shows, but Special Victims I probably like better than the original show and Criminal Intent. 12.... Las Vegas. I don't know why! I think it has a little to do with the character's being so beautiful - it's mesmerizing! 13.... The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. This one's a twofer, because although I watch it because I love the Colbert Report, I like John Stewart too. I can't stand Canadian politics! But give me American politics and I'm glued to the screen. Plus, I find Stephen Colbert hilarious in the most stupid, yet brilliant ways! Wow! I thought it would be hard to think up of 13 shows that I watch since I tend to replace the TV with a good book... but clearly I was true to my word about getting nothing accomplished in the last two weeks! Yikes... that's a lot of TV! What are some of your favourite shows? Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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I DEMAND my procrastinating to end!

Love the cartoon!

Okay, so today I'm going to force myself to get my big culo off the couch and far away from the TV! Plant it in front of my laptop and write! For the love of God - I haven't written a word for two weeks! Longer then that actually! *Groan*

Okay...

By Sunday I will have completed revisions on at least 3 chapters! That shouldn't be so hard! Right? Yeah, too bad I only write skeleton chapters the first time around! :)

Just my b%t@#ing fest! Sorry!

Oh Amy! Once again, I can't get over it! So I have to b!%@# a little to get this off my chest.

Okay... I know a writer's voice is very important! Very important, in most (if not all) cases determining whether someone buys your book or not. Is anyone entered in a competition that specifically looks at the writer's voice?

I judge two competitions, Winter Rose and Daphne DuMaurier - neither of them says anything about the writer's voice being a perticular way. Am I missing something? Is there something I just don't understand? How can someone comment on a writer's voice - or God forbid make suggestions on changes that should happen for no good reason except that the judge would prefer it.

I can't even begin to tell you how pissed off I am about this! Contests are such a great opportunity for any author to get feedback from an audience - not to get ripped apart for being unique.

ANYONE who can't get over their jealous attitude and judge a competition fairly need not apply for the job of judge! When you become a judge you are volunteering to provide authors with feedback that will HELP them with their writing goals - NOT make them want to quit writing and hide under a rock! Shame on anyone who makes another person feel less of a writer! Shame! It's hard enough without A$$#oles like them running around to make it in this industry! Find another way to take out your frustrations - one that will be more productive!

Looking for a critique partner!

Okay, so for the past year I've had some great victims to abuse for critiquing my writing... the same writing that I haven't been doing right now! :) Can you tell I'm disappointed in myself? :( But I'm just not into it right now, and I'm not going to force it!

So now I'm looking for a CP at one of my chapters (RWAOnline) thinking that it would be great to have someone look at my stuff and tell me truthfully - not that my other reading victims weren't evil bi%#es that set me straight anytime they thought I was mad - it's just that I need to hear it from another writer! You know what I mean? By the way I love my reading victims - they always know when to challenge me... That's to make sure that if one of them is reading they don't kill me! Or write 'Reject' right across my next ms... Covering my butt. ;)

I would love to find a CP in the area... but what are the chance? Does anyone have more than on CP? And where did you guys find your CP's? Any advice would be great!

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thirteen reasons I Love Winter 1…. Well, if you have the day off today because of a snowstorm then you know what I'm talking about for number 1... Day off school or work!!! Yay! 2.... You can go out and build snowmen! 3.... Helloooo..... snow angels! 4.... Hot chocolate has no calories and no fat when you drink it because it's ssooooo cold outside. 5.... I can watch the cat try to catch snowflakes through the window all day long! ;) Six years later she still thinks that by some miracle she'll actually be able to catch one! 6.... Any excuse for an extra cup of coffee I will support any day! 7.... In the winter you can always layer. In the summer, there's only so much you can take off! 8.... If you're having problems starting your car, you can always ask a hunky neighbour for help! :) 9.... If you have kids, this is a perfect opportunity to go out and play with them. 10.... I can watch my dog play in the snow all day long! She has light coloured blonde-white fur, and she knows it's hard to find her in the snow... she loves trying to hide... and I love trying to find her. Just the thought puts a smile on my face! 11.... I don't have to wear a bathing suit in the winter - hello! That means I want dessert! 12.... I have more time to relax... because seriously who's in a rush to leave the house? 13.... Did I mention I don't have to wear a bathing suit? :) Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Oh my! It's already here... I'm not even sure how time passes by so quickly. Next thing you know it will be Christmas. Again.

I haven't been blogging... my husbands is still pretty sick so I'm paying more attention to him then anything else... like the course with that Molly is teaching! Yikes! 147 messages... and the more that pile up the more I dread looking at them!

My goals for the week have quickly gone down the toilet, but still have a chance of possibly being salvaged if I can manage to focus on my writing on the weekend.

Then there's our snowstorm! :) If you're currently burried in 11 feet of snow you might not want to read this... so move on... As for the rest... :) :) I love snow!!! It is sooooo gorgeous outside! And even though I have to go out and somehow make my way from Scarborough to Pickering in a couple of hours... I'm still happy! Could it be a more beautiful Valentine's Day? :)

So hopefully I'll get through my messages, get my crap together and get back to my writing. Hopefully. ;) No rush though, not while there's snow on the ground. :) Okay, I'll stop smiling, for fear that one of you might want to kick my ass... all the Winter haters! ;)

Tagged!

Okay, I got tagged by Amy for this meme. You have to write about 10 odd facts or habits about yourself. Then tag 10 other people to do the meme.

Okay, so here is mine... warning in advance... I have a lot of food habits, so a lot of these are based on food. :)

1. I love steak! And since I've tried it at every restaurant known to man, I have found my favourite - Ruby Tuesday's in Buffalo New York. Now every time I want a good steak I get in my car - drag someone with me of course - and go to NY! :) I'm stubborn... if I want steak then it's worth the two and a half hour drive to Ruby Tuesday's to me! Mmmmmm.... craving.

2. I only eat the middle of perogies. Filling, yum... dough, not so much! Just for those of you who don't know me... no I am not six years old, but yes I don't like my food touching! Not unless it's gravy on my mashed potatoes.

3. Whenever I'm craving a chocolate bar, instead of going out to buy one, I reproduce it in my handy dandy kitchen! Yeah! My latest creations... turtles and when I had that done, turtles brownies! Mmmmm!!! Up side, they were great! Down side, usually I have to avoid the scale!

4. Whenever eating Russell Stover Mint Dreams (they only sell these in the U.S.) it's like a big chocolate ball that's hollow and filled in with the lightest fluffiest mint cream stuff, (Wylie - that's the chocolate!) Anyways... I dig a small hole a scoop out the mint cream, eat it first and then eat the chocolate. If I didn't drive down for the steak, I would drive down only for the mint dreams! Oh soooooo worth it!

5. I love eating dinner for breakfast! I'm not an eggs and bacon girl. Actually I'm not big on breakfast foods. But give me mashed potatoes and steak or whatever else I made for dinner the night before and I can eat at 6am! Yum! Sometimes I get excited about what I'm going to have for breakfast! Did I mention I love food?

6. I don't drink any alcohol! None. I can't stand the smell, it makes me sick! Never had a beer, never had a drink, just tasted them (well, I guess that can be argued here.) My Tiramisu has to have rum though, no fake imitation tasking crap! I mean mind numbing yum, yum good rum, that all Tiramisu's should taste of! :) Alcoholic at heart right?

7. Okay, not a foodie.... I hate watching reruns! There are only three movies that I can stand watching over and over again... Spider Man 1, Spider Man 2, and Dirty Dancing. That's it! If it's a horror movie I feel even more strongly, and tend to get slightly upset when someone suggests it. I do not need to watch Saw again... I know what happens! And Sixth Sense... great movie! The one film that actually surprised me at the end! Loved it! Will I sit down to watch it again? Hell no!

8. I love talking in crowds! I managed a high volume retail store, where I had over two-hundred fifty staff during the holidays... I love the attention! I love having a good time! I love talking to them all! The interaction, the conversation, just over all the crowd! Loved it all! But put me in a room of ten people that I don't know... hell, make it five! And all I want to do is sink into my chair or stick my head in the sand! I'm sooooo shy when I have to talk to groups of people that don't know me! Weird huh?

9. Oooooh... these are getting harder! I bite my lip when I get nervous, or watching a scary movie. Yeah, yeah, I know a lot of people in books do it. But I don't actually know anyone else who does it. After talking about food for so long, I'm sorry I'm talking about this, but sometimes (okay, I won't lie - a lot of times) I end up picking at my lip to blood! Ewwwwwe! I know! But I've been doing it my entire life and can't stop! My mom and husband always slap my hand away when they see me doing it! :)

10. I'm absolutely terrified of downtown! I will never go by myself! Ever! I will never get a job downtown and I sure as hell will never go for an interview there. No idea why! Well, okay I have some idea... but it's not perfectly clear to even me. I've probably been to Eaton Center a whopping 4 times in my entire life! And the only time I ever force myself to go is for charity... like the aids walks and all that stuff, and I always go in groups of people. I won't go to restaurants, won't go ice skating, won't go anywhere! No thanks! The only thing I miss is street meat! :) But you can get that in the Yorkdale area, so not much to miss! Wait till the TRW March meeting... Dundas sounds downtownie to me! Shaking in my boots! :)

Okay so I don't even have 10 people I can tag... so whoever wants to play along please do! :)

My Red Lobster

What? I'm posting pictures of a lobster now? ;)

Okay, so I haven't written anything since Thursday. First I wasn't feeling well, then my husband got sick. We ended up going to the doctor's together, and both got some medicine.

On Saturday, we had a great Toronto Romance Writer's Meeting. I got to meet Wylie! Which was fabulous because now I can put a face to the name! :) I also got to see Amy again, and to meet a couple of other new member of TRW.

It was a great meeting. Molly O'Keefe spoke about Great beginnings, rules that we've heard, and things we (as readers) didn't like seeing in other author's books. Molly was hillarious! She made me think about a lot of rules that I have heard about writing over the years, and I'm so glad she stomped all over them, because I'm breaking a lot! ;) What do you mean a book can't open at a funeral and with your characters in conversation?

So all was well, a wonderful meeting with lots of take aways. I came home giddy and excited to get back to my writing and accentuate how my WIP begins... I want everyone to know their at a funeral! :) Screw the rules! And I'm thinking all of this as I open my door....

To my poor red lobster! My husband had an allergic reaction to the medication he was on and is completely red, like a sunburn, and sick out of his mind. :(

My sister, who is a nurse, came over to help me with him, and after some Benadryl, Tylenol and serious recoup he looks a little better today. :) He actually made a joke... "You think it will turn into a tan?"

I can laugh a little bit about the lobster thing today... a little, but I have a feeling a year from now it will be a much funnier moment. :)

Thursday Thirteen #4

Okay, so I was looking for something Valentinesy to do for this weeks TT... only while looking for a topic, I somehow stumbled upon an article about 4 Things Men Should Know About Valentine's Day (I posted it below.) Anyways, when I read this article I got so pissed off... I don't know if I'm just being sensitive but just something or rather a lot of things got to me. So keeping this article in mind I decided that my TT was going to be about 13 Delusions that Men have about VDay. Maybe it will make me feel better. :)

Thirteen Delusions men have about Valentine's Day.... 1…. Single women everywhere are desperate on Valentine's Day! What are you kidding me? So many things wrong with this statement! Really, you think single women can get desperate and lonely because of a holiday? And, what kind of a man do you have to be to think that this is a positive aspect of Valentine's Day? 2.... Women think that if you take them out on a date on VDay you're very serious. Uggggghhhhhhh!!!! Women aren't stupid! Fudge!!! If men really think that women are like that they need way more than this article to get a date! 3.... VDay has been stacked against men. Okay, do I really need to go here? No offense, I'm not big on VDay, but seriously is it that stressful? Why is it more stressful then lets say Christmas or any other holiday for that matter? 4.... The only day you have to buy flowers, candy, or do anything sweet for your loved one is on VDay. Seriously if you agree with this statement then you're single. And I gotta say... Gee, wonder why? 5.... Buy your loved one jewelry - Sure, I won't deny it, women love jewelry. But for Goddsakes, you have to stop somewhere. If you've been married or dating for a long time I want you to ask yourselves... How many necklaces have you bought us? How many rings? We won't say no, and we won't say we hate it, but jewelry isn't all that special when you have a million things to choose from... Plus, men always complain when it takes us a while to get dressed for a date. Well if he had less choices it wouldn't take us so long! ;) 6.... You have to buy flowers on VDay... oh even better the dozen red roses. Gee, I feel special! You know what you don't have to buy me flowers on VDay. Buy me flowers every other day of the year, and I'll be more than happy. ;) Just kidding - sorta! Okay, the rest of these are things men should do to win a woman's heart: 7.... Men, Please stop getting female advice from other men!!! What makes you think that one dumb ass can teach another dumb ass? I don't mean this to sound rude, but come on!!! What man can honestly say they know women. Heck! I'm a Gemini... I change my mind like a hundred times a day... I dare you to think you know what I'm thinking! Dare you! 8.... Treat women like it's Valentine's Day everyday. To be honest, it's more meaningful if you show up on our doorsteps on non-holiday day. Bring us flowers, (I dare you to be more creative that red roses) whatever is their favourite. 9.... Make us dinner. Hell, order dinner! Any day that we don't have to make dinner is great! 10.... Clear the snow off our cars when there's a huge snow storm (I know it's demanding but suck it up!) or just start it so it's warm when we get in. *sigh* I got this one from a fellow blogger, and I thought, it was the perfect way into my heart. 11.... When we come to bed with cold feet... don't shy away... come closer! Warm us up. 12.... Sit through Gilmore Girls with me (insert whatever show men absolutely hate, but women absolutely love)... even though you want to sanitize the TV just because you know I had the show on. I'm a GG addict, and although my husband cringes just as the sound of the GG song at the start of the show... let me tell you how great it is when he actually on the occasion sits through the painful hour and watches it with me. ;) Better than any flowers I have ever received! 13.... Call us! It's pretty simple. If you just started dating... what the hell is up with that 3 day/4 day rule? And what moron came up with it? We want to know that you can't wait to talk to us... it's just that simple. My husband calls me everyday at lunch, the phone rings at 12:30 and I smile before even picking it up, because I know it's him. I know even in his busy day he's thinking about me... and he found the time to call. Funny, chocolate doesn't put a smile on my face that fast - close, but his phone calls are fat free and calorie free! ;) Obviously this list is more me... other women are less demanded, others are more. But the point is, if you listen to us you won't need to be desperate enough to read an article that can get you into a lot more trouble than you were in to begin with. :) I hope you all have a Happy Valentine's Day! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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The Article that PISSED me off!

Four Things Every Man Should Know About Valentine's Day

From Jeff Cohen,

Your Guide to Dating.

The following article is a guest submission by Joseph Matthews, author of Art of Approaching.
Love it or hate it, you can't avoid it. It occurs like clockwork on the 14th of February, every year. It's Valentine's Day.

The one day synonymous with love (and loneliness). And if you're a man facing the inevitability of this day, there are some things you simply need to know if you hope to have a V-Day that's maximum on the love and minimum on the bitterness.

Let's be clear about one thing...
You must forget about everything you think you know about Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day, which was once a celebration of the sanctity and holiness of the marriage union, has been extended by big business and the media to cover all aspects of human courtship.
Should we go down the list?

Dating, the first kiss, true love, romance, unrequited love, chocolates, greeting cards, love poems, exotic vacations, beauty... they have all been incorporated into the modern idea of "Valentine's Day."

But here's a little secret that none of these businesses and media outlets will tell you (especially if you happen to be a man).

Valentine's Day has been stacked against you!
If you think about it, look at the role men have been placed in for this specific holiday.
We're the ones who are expected to buy the women expensive gifts.
We're the ones who are expected to take them out to expensive dinners.
We're the ones expected to initiate the courtship ritual.

And to top all that off, the women have such a high expectation of Valentine's Day, that when it comes down to it, most men simply can't live up to what the women really want.
So what does that mean? It means Valentine's Day is a day where men spend a lot of money and can disappoint a woman they care about, and get little benefit from in the long run.

(Okay, I know that's a cynical view, but bear with me here, I'm trying to make a point.)

That's the way Valentine’s Day is currently set up. And if you play into that set-up, you're going to get that rather undesirable result I've listed above.

But, if you're willing to "buck" the system and try something new, you can actually make Valentine's Day work for you instead of against you.

The first thing you need to realize about Valentine's Day is that you don't need to spend a lot of money!

If you're planning on buying your love a fancy necklace, or get reservations at that $200 a plate restaurant, you need to stop yourself right there.
Why?

Because you're shooting yourself in the foot, that's why!

When you start getting extravagant about your gifts and events, you play into the "courtship ritual" that has been pre-established for you by society. In this role, you're the one trying to gain (or in this case, buy) the woman's approval.

Let me ask you this: Has that ever worked out for you before? Didn't think so.
When you're trying to gain a woman's approval, you're putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage, because you're allowing her to judge your courtship efforts.

Instead of putting a dollar amount on what you want to do to woo her, you need to think a little differently. In the end, women don't really care about expensive gifts or dinners. They might enjoy them for a little bit, but it's not something that will win their hearts.

However, all women LOVE romance. So instead of an expensive gift or date, give her a romantic experience. Give her a gift that means something more than just dollar signs. Do something that might not cost a lot of money, but will bring you two closer together.

All women respond to romantic gestures like that. And it's not something they can readily judge, because it's an emotional experience you're offering, instead of something worth lots of money.
The second thing you need to know is about avoiding dates on Valentine's Day, at all cost.

Now, if you're married or in a long term relationship with a woman, then it's okay to make a special night of Valentine's Day and go out. But if you're a single guy and want to make your V-Day worth while, the worst thing you can do is set up a "traditional" date for the 14th.

The reason for this is that women will place way more importance on a date that occurs on Valentine's Day than a date that occurs any other day of the year.

So if you really like a girl and you want to get romantic with her, the worst thing you can do is ask her out on Valentine's Day.

Because then, you're signaling that you want something serious from her, and that might freak her out a bit.

Now, I'm not saying you should not date on V-Day. In fact, if you set it up right, a date on Valentine's Day can work out quite well. But you need to diffuse the "seriousness" factor of a date on the 14th as much as possible before you do it.

An example of this could be that you decide to throw a Valentine's Day party, and you invite your lady love to attend - along with a bunch of other people - so the pressure is now off and people can just have fun instead.

Or, you could invite her, along with a group of friends, to a special event that's taking place that night, like a concert.

Whatever it is, make it low pressure. This way, you avoid the restricting expectations that go along with a V-Day date.

The third thing is, if you don't have a date for Valentine's Day, and you don't have someone you really want to be with that day, you can really take advantage of the holiday to make meeting women extremely easy.

See, women who are single or lonely will tend to be very depressed about Valentine's Day. They'll be out searching for Mr. Right on and around that night. This means Valentine's Day is the best day to meet women!

It's true. Walk into any bar, club, bookstore, coffee shop, whatever from the 12th to the 15th of February, and you're going to find women just looking for the right guy to come along and sweep them off their feet!

Which brings us to the fourth thing every guy should know about Valentine's Day: How to romance a woman once you're with her.

Like I said before, true romance isn't created with gifts or activities. It's created via your words, actions, and intentions. If you want to become Mr. Casanova for V-Day, you have to know what you're doing, the right things to do, and most of all, the right things to say.

Nothing is more influential than words. And if you have the right words, you can woo any woman you desire, regardless of how you look, how old you are, your nationality, or even the size of your bank account.

All you need are the right words.
And remember: Stay the course, and you'll be sure to have the kind of Valentine's Day you always dreamed was possible.

Walking away from Mafia Blood! For now.

Okay seriously, I'm dying here!!! :)

I've decided - just this minute - that my only hope to ever completing this ms is to walk away from it. I have some changes that I need to make to it, and I'm just not in the mood to rip apart the chapters and start from scratch. So instead, I just stare at the pages like if the problems are going to fix themselves! Arrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!

So... I'm moving on. In Mafia Blood I decided not to kill of a person, which from page one I thought for sure was going to die. So, somehow I fell in love with him and decided he was going to be in the next one... which is what I just decided I'm moving on to. It great, because I have these fresh ideas in my head. It sucks, because I have that incomplete feeling, which I hate!

Oh well, it's not like I'm helping the situation. At least writing the new ms, will get more accomplished than staring aimlessly at Mafia Blood. :)

Please don't judge me by my writing today! ;)

Since it's soooooo cold outside, obviously everyone is heating their places like crazy. I'm getting so sick from all the hot and cold, hot and cold... I'm dying here! I'm sick, my brain hurts and it feels like it has been replaced with a cloud.

I'm going to force myself to think clearly for later on this evening so that I can edit another chapter, but even as I type this sentence I can hear my brain laughing at me!

So I guess we'll just have to see tomorrow. Other than that there's nothing new with me.

I did want to congratulate Christine on her new Website! Yay Christine! It looks awesome! Go visit her at http://www.christinedabo.com.

Don't judge a book by its cover!

Okay, so I spent almost my entire Sunday devoted to judging a writing contest. I had five partial manuscripts 25 pages each. It's funny how, right at the beginning before even reading the first page, I had already selected what my favourites where going to be. Just based on the titles! I know... It's terrible! I'm ashamed!

So many people tell me that when they buy a book they open it and read the first page or pages, if they like it they buy it. Umm, not so much me. I get caught up with the title first, the cover second, (I know that's terrible but I can't help myself) and the back blurb third. I don't even crack the book open.

Two of the partials sounded so intriguing just by the title that I couldn't wait to start them... I was so disappointed I can't even begin to tell you. Maybe it's because I set my expectations high, I don't know, but seriously I was bummed.

Then there was an MS that had a religious title and I thought - Ugh! I really am not going to like this one. But what I thought it was going to be was totally not what it turned out to be. Does that make sense?

Then there were my last two MS', one had a holiday title - another yuck factor for me. The other had a Western title - I'm not so great with Westerns. So these two, were the one's that at the beginning I thought I would absolutely not be able to get into or relate to. Oh my God, was I ever wrong. I wanted these to go on forever... when will I know how they end?

Even though this was my first time judging an unpubbed author category, I was definitely not disappointed. The one difference that I really like is that unpubbed authors actually want feedback. It's sad to say, but to this day, I have never had one published author ask for their score sheets back from a contest. *sigh*

When you get published - if you submit an entry of an already published book - do you still not want feedback? Wouldn't you want to learn something from past mistakes? Or is it just something that you would all together just slip under the rug? What's done is done?

Reading Weekend

I finished my last chapter on Friday! YAY!!! (You know for someone who hates caps lock, I sure write in capitals quite frequently.) Just an observation. :)

Anyways, I decided as a reward I would read Delicious by Susan Mallery. The problem is... I liked it, so then I picked up the next book in the line - Irresistible. Read it. Loved it, even cried a little. So now I'm going to start her third book, I can't not read it, because I know the last one is of the last brother in the series. So yeah, I'm a sucker for any books in a series.

I'm really hoping it doesn't disappoint me - even though someone *wink, wink* you know who you are, said it wasn't all that great. I want it to be... I'm hoping with the history of the past books the last story kind of ties everything up nicely. *Sigh* We'll see.

Other than that, until Monday I am not picking up my laptop to write. Or at least I'll try not to. I'm devoting my Sunday to reading the 5 partial manuscripts that I promised to judge, Judging doesn't have to be done until March, but I'd much rather work on it early.

Excited about all of it actually, this is my first unpublished authors category. So I'm curious to see the different styles of writing by unpubbed authors. The titles sound interesting so... well I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Guilty of sucking at last chapters!

Oh these pictures!!! My little hit men kitties, I love them!!!

Okay so I have a confession, I absolutely suck at writing last chapters! I will stall till the cows come home.

I though that by Wednesday I would be done, yeah right. Not only have I not finished the last chapter, but you could pretty much say I skipped it. Well, actually not 'pretty much', I actually did skip it.

I went ahead and wrote the damn synopsis and I even wrote a damn Epilogue! Crap that last chapter!!! I don't know what it is!


So, I decided that I'm going to motivate myself a little. When I finish this chapter (or whats left of it - it's not even much,) I'll reward myself with reading a little. Sadly I haven't read a book in at least a couple of weeks... which for me is beyond unusual.



Great... now I get to go work on that chapter... Yay! :(

I wanted to join your 50 books in 2007 club... but there's a problem, kinda. I'm reading a lot of Harlequin Intrigue since that's where I want to send this one. Let's call it research, which it is. ;) Anyways I know HQI has really short books, like 200 pages... will you make me read more than one to make it count? ;)