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Last weekend I flew to California for the Sacramento Valley Rose’s Writing Retreat in Monterey. It was The Bomb.

It started out with my fabulous crit partner, Virna De Paul, picking me up from the bay area and driving us down to the coast. That’s us in the pic above, across from our frequently visited Chocolate Shoppe in Pacific Grove.

We found an awesome Coffee House a couple blocks from the beach and the Chocolate Shoppe — how perfect is that? I worked on revising Peek-A-Boo Brain (formerly known as Mind Reader) and I edited well more than half of my ms - yay!

Virna busted out almost all of her wip, and the weekend was nearly perfection…just missing our other crit partner, Misa Ramirez, who was there in spirit–and on the phone line since we kept calling her all weekend.

Great friends, awesome location, and lots of writing. This Retreat was The Bomb and I wish we could do it every month. Hope your weekend was as wonderful, too!

This weekend, I went to a little independent bookstore in Whitefish called Bookworks. I adore browsing books–shocking, I know–and I was perusing the bookshelves and saw a familiar title, Unlacing Lilly.

How did I know this title? It wasn’t the one of the genres I usually read (chick lit or young adult). Then, I saw the author’s name . . . Gail Ranstrom! Gail’s a writer friend of mine who I met through my local Montana chapter of RWA.

There was Gail’s book, Unlacing Lilly, right there on the shelf. I snatched the last copy, raced to the register, and bought it. It has a gorgeous cover and I’m excited to read it!

I’m trying a new way of writing. It’s unnerving, it’s chaotic, it’s working!!

Want to know my trick? Writing blind. This means turning off the monitor while I write. Or, if I’m on my laptop, writing with a piece of paper covering the screen. I got this tip from the instructor of my writing class (Dennis Foley) and it’s weird how this method makes the story unfold faster. It flows from my mind to my fingers without my eyes getting in the way. Cool, huh?

I’m currently working on Chapter Eighteen of Zombie Love and I’m reading another one of Sarah Dessen’s books, This Lullaby. It’s good so far, but I’m still savoring Someone Like You, which is up there as one of my top faves.

This weekend, I’m heading to an Easter bash where, rumor has it, the Easter Bunny will be parachuting in. It’s snowing right now, so let’s hope he bundles up for his jump.

Hope you’re all having a great week!

Sorry for not posting last Monday. I was, um, at the beach. Same with Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and–before you ask–yeah, I’m going again today. When the beach calls, I must answer.

But, I’m checking in to say HI this morning so don’t feel neglected! In addition to the beach, I’ve been going to the local library and working on Chapter 8 of Zombie Love. I’ve also been getting lots of reading in.

I did something quite fun yesterday. My hubby’s a golfer (I’m not) and I rode in the golf cart with him yesterday (they charge a whopping $4 for riders). The views from the Kukuiolono Golf Course are AMAZING. Green grass, palm trees, ocean views and best of all, whale spouts poofing up in the water as the whales trucked along in the ocean.

I brought Sarah Dessen’s That Summer w/me to the golf course thinking I’d get tons of reading in, but I ended up chatting with my hub and his golfing partners between their plays/strokes/or whatever-the-proper-golfing-lingo is. Was LOTS of fun and can’t wait to go again. This time I will remember to SPF 30 my shoulders…they are a beautiful shade of pink right now.

I’ll try to check in again this Monday so as not to upset those of you who hate me (Stephanie!), but if the beach calls again…I’m gonna have to answer (we’ll see, Steph!).

What have you all been up to this week?

I’ve been flying through my wip this week.  It’s all I can think about.  If I could spend 24/7 writing this book, I would.  Can’t spoil it and tell you what’s going on, but I’m at the tail end of Chapter Six and there have been LOTS of suprises for Amy Love.

I’m currently reading Project Date by Kate Perry, which I’ve been cruising through.  If you’re looking for a fun read, pick up a copy, and prep yourself for some laughs.  Kate creates some seriously quirky characters - lol.

I’m also enjoying Stephen King’s On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft.  It’s going to be the first book of his I’ve completed.  I read 90% of Pet Sematary (back in the day), but couldn’t finish it because it was way too scary.  Reading scary books doesn’t work for me cuz I can’t duck during the awful parts like I can in a movie.  I know I can scan, but PS was even too scary for that!

So that’s what I’ve been up to this week.  I must get back to writing now.  I’ve been off for ten minutes and it feels like forever.  Hope you’ve had a good week!

I’ve started a new book. A creepy YA. Any guess what the title is? That’s right! Zombie Love.

Someone suggested writing about what scares me. Well, what could be scarier than knowing something–or someone–is in the room, but you can’t see them? That’s the problem for Amy Love. Amy’s skin prickles into icy goosebumps whenever “they” are in the classroom. She refuses to acknowledge their presence. Afraid of what might happen if she does. But, now, they are done being ignored . . .

I’d categorize Zombie Love as a teen chick lit w/paranormal elements. I’m starting chapter three as soon as I sign off here. Can’t wait to see how Amy attempts to handle this. She’d turned to her best friend for help, but it looks like a certain hottie at school might have more of a clue about the freaky.

So, that’s what I’m writing. As far as what I’m reading, last night I just finished Extras by Scott Westerfeld. I’m curious . . . if you’re a writer, what are you writing? If you’re a reader, what are you reading? If you’re neither, what are you doing here?

What are you passionate about? Painting? Traveling? Writing? What makes a llama tick? Whatever your passion is, there are others out there with that same fire. And let me tell you, it’s amazing to be around them.

I went to my first meeting of Authors of the Flathead and my writing productivity has skyrocketed. It helped that we had a fabulous speaker. There’s a wealth of info to learn. But, it was also just being around other writers. Listening to what they write. Hearing their success and rejection. Nobody gets a writer like another writer.

Same goes with whatever ignites you. Sure, you can explore things on your own. But, meeting up with people on the same quest can be VERY inspiring. Take it from Exhibit A. That would be moi.

I was craving something sweet just now. Looked through the fridge. The cupboards. The pantry. Nada. Absolutely nothing sweet in the house–unless you count gum (and I don’t).

BTW, I don’t KEEP anything “sweet” in the house, so I won’t EAT anything sweet. Catch where I’m going? If not, I’ll spell it out for you… “I SCREWED MYSELF BY NOT HIDING A BACK-UP CANDY BAR FOR DESPERATE OCCASIONS SUCH AS NOW!!!!”

Think: fruit or vegetables. Healthy food.

But how many bananas can a person be expected to eat in one day? I mean, really. Starting to feel part monkey here.

Did I quelch the craving, you ask? Yes, I did. How’d I manage, you wonder? Creamy Skippy Peanut Butter on a spoon. It’s not a Recees PB Cup, but it worked.

Thought you might enjoy the tip. You know, in case you ever find yourself that desperate.

My good friend Misa said “It doesn’t take long to reflect on your year and realize the impact people have had on you and your life.” This seems like wise advice so here goes.

2007 was a year of many changes for me. The biggest thing that I learned is that I need to always be myself. This includes not keep my mouth shut so much. Who knew that would’ve been a bad thing?

Reflecting on people who’ve had an impact on my life:

Christa . . . Thank you for always noticing.
Karen . . . Thank you for a friendship that feels more like family.
Melissa . . . Thank you for guidance, you wise Michelle Pfeiffer.
Virna . . . Thank you for being there.
Erin . . . Thank you for commiserating with me.
Mom . . . Thank you for awesome advice.
Muse . . . Thank you for invading my brain.  Often.
Chloe . . . Thank you for light.
Sam . . . Thank you for uplifting smiles.
Mike . . . Thank you for always loving me.

Feel free to reflect as well and here’s to an awesome 2008!