I don't use an alarm clock anymore. I don't need to. If they 3 year old hasn't gotten me up, my eyes automatically pop open. I don't like to get out of bed before 6:45, though, so I make it a point to stay under the covers. Most of the time, I'm not sleeping, but resting with my eyes closed. That's usually when I get a lot of thinking done. Planning for the day ahead, thinking about the next part of my writing, freaking out about various things, or, like this morning, thinking about movies. For some reason, I was thinking about Starship Troopers. Great movie. Maybe I'll have to watch it this weekend.

I received another rejection yesterday. This one was a two sentence rejection. One of those "I'm probably not right for this project. Good luck" kind of things. It took almost two months to get it. TWO MONTHS to send two lines that were probably already written. Oh, well, what can I do? I am at the mercy of the industry. I'm about fed up with the industry, by the way. Of course, me withdrawing my story from consideration isn't going to hurt any body but me. I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired of rejections, but I don't really want to go through a small publisher, with the exception of the publisher it is under consideration with now. Even then, I have mixed feelings about it. It doesn't matter, though, since I haven't received an acceptance from anyone.

I just have to put it out of my mind. I have some other publishing stuff coming up and stories I have to finish, so I need to focus my energy on that. Always easier said than done!
Normally, I don't mind when my imagination runs away. It's what helps me create stories. Then, there's other times when it really stresses me out. For example, this winter, I had visions of cars losing traction on the icy streets and coming through our front yard and crashing into the house, killing the boys in their sleep. Was it a possibility? Of course. Was it a probability? Probably not. But that doesn't stop my mind from creating it. My imagination always creates strange scenarios with my kids. It drives me crazy, and it makes it hard to sleep. But that's not the only place it happens, it spills into my regular life, too. My imagination creates weird scenarios at work or makes me panic about my writing, then I'm a ball of stress. I'm figuring out ways to turn it off.

I got a little bit more done on my short story yesterday. With any luck, I'm hoping to have it done by this weekend. Then, I'll get started on the third story. Sometime in there, I have to get some articles done. We'll see how that goes!
I received a rejection yesterday. It was one of those, you have a great concept and are a good writer, but I don't love it, so I'm going to pass rejections. Story of my life. I did decide, however, that when I'm done with the editing I'm doing, I'm going to go back and try to add some more suspense into the story. My spouse thought it would help, so we will see how it goes.

Other than that, nothing exciting is going on. But I'll let you know as soon as something wonderful happens! (Not that I'm expecting anything.)
Well, I finally heard back from the publisher this weekend. They DID want to see the new version of my story. That is very exciting. Now, I'm wondering if that means I have to start the day count over from 1 since it's a new story or if I can tack onto the 214 days its been under consideration. I guess only time will tell.

I started the second story in my serial this weekend. Like the first, the main character has taken it and made it her own. Again, I'm very excited. I hope the third one flows as well. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to write a fourth. We'll see how it works out.

We didn't watch any exciting movies this weekend. The spouse watched Valkyrie, but I wasn't interested in that film. I know how it ends. (Damn history! Ruins everything!) The 3 year old watched Planet 51. I only saw bits and pieces. The best part was the dog, who looked like an alien from the Sigourney Weaver films, and its name was Ripley. It was great. It didn't have a very big part, though.

Other than that, we went to a graduation on Sunday. At the reception, the graduate was inhaling helium from some balloons and apparently did too much because she passed out. It's funny now, but it was still kind of funny at the time. I'm sure her parents didn't think so, but I'm kind of sadistic!

My plan for this week is to finish the short story and get some more editing done. So far, the outlook is promising.
For anyone who has more than one child, they know that kids will fight over anything. If one has a toy, even if the other hasn't played with it in years, they want it. The other day, my kids got into a fight over an empty paper towel tube. Yes, you read that correctly, an EMPTY PAPER TOWEL TUBE. I wanted to tear out my hair. Luckily, they figured out a way to play with it that was entertaining for both of them. The 3 year old would set it up on the counter, then whack it off with a plastic golf club. I would then pick it up and set it up again. The 16 month old thought it was hilarious.

Last night, I was picking up the house because the house cleaner comes today (I know, I'm spoiled, what can I say?) Days earlier, the 3 year old had pulled the majority of his toys out of the box, so I was in his room putting them back. I asked him to help, but he couldn't be bothered. Anyway, when I was just about done, the 3 year looks at me and says, "You did a great job of picking up my toys." It was nice to have encouragement.

My plan for this weekend is to get my second story started. I'm finished with the other things I HAD to have done, so now I should have time. Maybe I'll have time tonight. Hmm...
I apologize for being silent for so long, but I've been busy. I hate it when you have to go to work and work! :) Plus, I don't have anything exciting to say. I wanted to start the next story in my series, but I haven't had the chance. I would like to say I'm going to do it tonight, but I have other things to do.

As usual, I worked myself into a frenzy for no reason. The editor really liked my first story and wants to see the others. Yeah! Now I really have to go to work!

I didn't dream directly about the cat last night, but I dreamt that I was telling a psychic about the dreams I had about my cat. It was weird. I really need to get my stress level in check.

One more day of this week! Whoop, Whoop!
I didn't dream about the cat last night, but I didn't sleep very well, either. The 3 year old was up at 1:00 and then at 5:00. In between then, I was tossing and turning. I don't know what my problem is, but if it doesn't fix itself, I'm going to fix it with Nyquil (or some other sleeping agent [for me, not the kid!]).

I emailed my story away yesterday. Of course, after I did, I lost my self-confidence. Was the story good enough? Was it too long? Did I do enough editing? Normally, I'm able to push those thoughts away and tell myself that it will be just fine. Even if he doesn't want it, someone out there will. But, after months and months and months of rejections, I'm feeling a little gun shy. I know that it will be all right, I just work things up in my mind. I'm good at that. My mom always tells me I have an overactive imagination. Duh! That's why I'm a writer!

I'm planning on starting the second story in my trilogy either today or tomorrow. It depends on how things go at the house tonight. I know I can get things done when the kids go to bed, but it'll depend on how exhausted they make me before that!
We watched 2012 this weekend. It was actually quite a bit better than I expected. It had its cheesy moments and things that made me roll my eyes, but for the most part, the graphics were really well done and the actors did well. Of course, we all know that zombies are going to destroy the world, not nature!

Saturday night was a horrible night. For some reason, I couldn't sleep to save my life. I was up like four or five times, and I was dreaming about the cat. I dreamt that she was out in the hall, meowing, so I woke up thinking she was there. I figured it out pretty quickly, but it was pretty disconcerting. Then, last night, I dreamt that she was still alive and she was so sick her fur was falling out and she was covered in other lumps. It was really sad. I have no idea why a week later this is finally getting to me. I don't think I'm stressed, but who knows.

I finished my short story this weekend. I'm planning on sending it to a friend to get his take. I'll let you know how it goes. Happy Monday! I hope this week is better than the last 3!
Yeah! The week is finally over. Thankfully, this week wasn't as bad as the last few have been, but it did have its down moments. Mainly because I was so very tired. Hopefully, the kids will get back into their routine next week and get back to their sleep schedule.

I wrote a little more on my short story last night. I am rather pleased at the direction it's taking. Although, from previous experience, all the stories I really enjoy, publishers don't like. I don't know why that is, but it's happened on numerous occasions. I've readied myself for mass rejections. What else can I do? I'm obviously not going to stop right. That would be crazy!
The spouse and I watched The Hurt Locker this weekend. What a fascinating movie. It's one of those films where not a lot happens, but a lot happens. The tension in the film is great. It is the story of soldiers in the Middle East who are responsible for disarming bombs that are left on the side of the road. That job in and of itself is stressful enough, but then the story focuses on the relationships between individuals in the unit and how they are strained in the stressful environment. The thing that really struck me was the absence of music. In most horror films or dramas, the audience knows something is going to happen because of the music that is playing. Not in this case, which I think adds to the discomfort. You get so used to having those cues, when they aren't there, you don't know how to react. It was great. I LOVED the tension in this film. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

I got some more writing done on my new short story. The character I'm working on right now is taking the narrative and making it his own. I love when that happens. You start with a bare-bones idea, then it fleshes itself out as you write. I didn't really know where I was going, I just had a general idea, but the character knows exactly what needs to happen. LOVE IT!
I read the most distressing article yesterday. Naomi Campbell, the supermodel with a temper, just signed a 3-book deal. Apparently, she's writing *scoff* a children's book about a girl going to model school. Really? REALLY? That's what people want to read? That's what publishers are signing? I had very little hope before, but now I have none. I can't compete with that.

Today is not a good day. It's snowing, AGAIN, and it's like 30 degrees outside. My devil child didn't sleep last night, and I'm very grumpy. I need a vacation. Just me. No kids, no spouse, nothing; just me and my computer. Oh, that would be heaven.

I've been working on my short story. It's coming along pretty nicely. My goal is to have it done by the end of the week, but this week is a little busy, so I don't know. I guess I'll just do my best!
My awful week came to an end on Friday with the death of my kitty. It was time. She was starting to limp, and the vet was sure she was probably in some pain. It was hard, and I had second thoughts when we got to the vet, but it had to be done. We then drove 3 hours to my parent's house so we could bury her. After that, though, it was a very relaxing weekend. Sometimes it's nice to get out of town, even if it's for horrible circumstances.

I received a rejection on a partial on Friday. Again, this agent said she liked the story, but some of the scenes didn't come alive for her, so she wasn't sure if she could sell it in such a competitive market.

I've been working on a short story. I'm really enjoying how it's turning out so far. I should have it done (hopefully) in a few days. I think I'm going to turn this one into a series like I did for After the Apocalypse. I have a few characters and their stories need to be told. I think it will be fun! I will keep you posted on my progress.
It has been 196 days and my book is still under consideration with the publisher, and 3 weeks since I sent an email asking them if they want to read the new version. I'm working on the assumption that no news is good news, but I would like to know if they want to see the new version. Oh, well. I guess I keep on waiting!

My alter ego got a freelance editing position for a publisher. I'm very excited about that. I can't wait to get started! I just have to make sure it doesn't interfere with my writing schedule. Pfft, like I have one. I'm sure I can work it out!

By they way, if someone unfriends you on Facebook, the only way you know is by the counter going down. There aren't any messages or anything, so now I'm wondering if I dare unfriend the person who drives me crazy...
I was watching TV last night when I started thinking, "DVR has got to be the worst invention ever!" The only reason I say this is because it keeps me distracted from writing. I used to plan my week around the days my shows were on, then spend the rest of the time doing other things. Remember back in the day when you either had to be home to watch your shows or set the VCR? Even with the VCR, you could only record a few shows, and never two at the same time. Then came DVR and changed everything. We have a HUGE list of shows to watch, and I can be easily convinced to do that instead of be creative. On top of that we have our Netflix videos, so every day of the week is dedicated to movies or shows. Not that I have any deadlines. I finished my required articles, but I just find it amusing.

I'm still waiting for the weather to get nice. When I got up this morning, it was 27 degrees. There's a chance of snow tonight and tomorrow. *sigh* Soon, soon it will be warm, then I'll have nothing to complain about. *scoff*
I have another guest blog up. You can read it here: http://bookmadness.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/guest-blogger-pembroke-sinclair/

Well, so much for hoping. This week isn't any better than last week. The cat is getting worse, and I don't think she's going to make it another week. It's been a tough decision to make, but I think I need to put her down. I have my moments when I'm OK with it, then there's others where I just break down. Such is life. I'll make it through. I always do.

I decided to conduct an experiment yesterday. I don't know much about Facebook, or the applications, so I wanted to find some things out. My site doesn't seem to function like other peoples, so I'm not sure I can trust the results. For example, when my spouse can play games by just clicking on the application. When I try to do that, a box pops up that says they have to send a confirmation to my email address, but I never get the email. Without it, I can't play games. It's weird. My friends keep sending me invites to all these different places that I don't really want to go to, and I feel slightly guilty when I say no. Of course, I hope they understand that I can't join everything, so I hope they don't get upset. Anywho, I began wondering if they even know if I ignore their suggestion. I decided to test it out on friending someone. I chose an ex, one I knew was on Facebook and one I was pretty sure would ignore me, and sent them a request. Two seconds after sending it, I thought, "Oh, crap. What if they say yes?" I wanted to withdraw my request. Luckily, I'm pretty sure this person has ignored me. Their name hasn't appeared on my friend list with "Friendship Request Pending," so I'm convinced they said no, and it was done quietly. I'm assuming the others don't know when I ignore a page suggestion. Phew. Of course, if it bothered them that bad, they could just unfriend me. I don't have time to deal with hurt feelings!

My next experiment is to see what happens when you unfriend someone. I have a suspicion that the person knows when they're unfriended, but I'm not sure. Not that I want to unfriend anyone (well, there's one person, but that's aside the point), but it's for the sake of science. I'll totally refriend them when I'm done. I could have someone unfriend me, too. That might be the better way to go. I'll let you know how it goes.
After the week in hell, I had a pretty good weekend. I got my ag articles done (Yeah!) and some other writing. My spouse and I went out and shot our guns, which is a very nice stress reliever. Plus, we got some time away from the kiddos. We watched Couples Retreat and Sherlock Holmes, both of which are very good movies.

The 3 year old stayed the night at his grandparents on Saturday night. Some time on Sunday morning, he was outside playing with the dog and a stick and got some slivers in his fingers. These were his first, mind you, and the grandparents were able to get one out. When he got home, after his nap, we tried to convince him that the other one had to come out so it didn't get infected. He freaked. He kept saying that it was going to hurt and he didn't want us to touch it, so I convinced him that it wouldn't and got him to the bathroom. The minute I got the tweezers out and touched his finger, he started screaming and ran away. To get the sliver out, my spouse had to hold his arms and pry his hand open. There was a lot of screaming (him, not me), but I got the sliver out. Of course, when I was done, he says, "Oh, that wasn't that bad." Oh, the joys of children.

There was an awesome article in our local paper this weekend. OK, for some reason I can't paste it right now, so I'll try later. Anyway, it was an article about how a local man is starting a ghost hunting business. So cool! I love to watch Ghost Hunters on SyFy, and I think we have a lot of haunted locations in Wyoming, so I would be so interested to see what these people find. I'll have to keep tabs on them.

I'm hoping this week is better than last. I'll keep you informed!
Pembroke Sinclair's books on Goodreads
Life After the Undead Life After the Undead
reviews: 55
ratings: 100 (avg rating 3.64)

The Appeal of Evil The Appeal of Evil (The Road to Salvation, #1)
reviews: 38
ratings: 63 (avg rating 3.54)

Wucaii Wucaii
reviews: 32
ratings: 35 (avg rating 4.11)

Death to the Undead Death to the Undead (Sequel to Life After the Undead)
reviews: 20
ratings: 39 (avg rating 4.23)

Dealing with Devils Dealing with Devils (The Road to Salvation, #2)
reviews: 22
ratings: 32 (avg rating 4.00)