TV Weekend

So, on Friday night we finished off SEX AND THE CITY. It was SO cool to see the whole series a second time. And I'm happy to say that the hubby loved the show too.

Can't wait to see the movie! It's released in the middle of October, here in Oz. So we'll be borrowing and watching it as soon as we get it. It'll be good to catch up with the characters and see if the movie feels the same as the show.

On Saturday night, we caught up on SUPERNATURAL.

I've been hanging to see how the new season was going to go. And man, wow! My mind's buzzing with the possibilities already. It's so good to catch up with Dean and Sam. And of course, when Bobby's around, it's that much better too. :) I really like where they're going. I've always been fascinated with Angels and Demons. I've explored it in several of my own stories (this is one). Anyway, I'm liking the angel angle and can't wait to see why they need Dean. Although I have a theory that includes the two brothers now sitting on the opposite side of the spectrum. ;)

Loved the first two episodes. Bring on the rest!

Last night we watched the first two episodes of FRINGE. I've been intrigued by the concept since I saw the first ad. One of the channels here has decided to play it about a week behind the U.S. so that's always great news.

The verdict: Wow! I'm hooked. Actually, my hubby is hooked too. I wasn't sure if he would like it because he wasn't an X-FILES fan. Oh, and I wasn't sure if both of us would like it because the guy from LOST had something to do with it. LOST, IMO, is a total mess. You never find out anything. But it looks like this one's different.

There's a deeper, longer thread happening from the beginning, but each new case seems to be self-contained. I like that. Actually, I can't wait to see more. It's a definite keeper.

On Sunday, we're going to watch THE MENTALIST, which has the Aussie actor, Simon Baker. He's great, and the concept of the show sounds interesting. Oh, and the second season of CALIFORNICATION starts the same night too. Loved the first season, can't wait to see how they screw up the characters in this one. LMAO.

There you have it. We're once again back into TV-show galore. :D I need to find out when HEROES starts here, too.

Bye!

You know what day it is!

So, I'm in a great mood. :D Bring on the weekend.

<--- Have I used this picture before? Lol. Suddenly it looks very familiar. *scratches head*

Okay, I'm going to start with a word count update:

As you can see, I've passed my 80k word count goal. So, that's awesome. The novel is pretty much finished. I just want to re-read the last two chapters to make sure I included everything. There were several things that needed to be tied up, and after I'd finished and was walking over to my daughter's school, I thought of a few other things.

Still, the bulk of it is now done. How exciting! I'm really glad with how it worked out. Now I need to sit down to take some more notes and possibly write a brief outline for the next two installments. It's all very exciting. :) And I think it'll be fun to return to these characters.

My daughter's on school holidays for a few weeks. So, until the middle of October, she'll be home with me. I'm still going to give myself weekly goals, but they'll have to be (much) smaller things. I mean, I won't be writing any novels next month, that's for sure. :D Although NaNo's just around the corner, and I'm planning to take part in that. Heeee. Heeee.

It looks like we'll finish up SEX AND THE CITY this weekend. You know, we're up to the bit where she's started dating the artist, and I just remembered how much I disliked him the first time I watched the series. Ugh. He's so not for Carrie. Why can't she see that? Is it because she's been through so much crap with dates and men that she's lost her judgement? Strange to look at it that way, I suppose.

Okay. That's it for me today. Make sure you have a great weekend!

ytd word count: 332,051

Sometimes, not so Fabulous!

You know, I'd forgotten how pissed off I got with Carrie the first time I watched her pre-wedding breakdown.

I mean, it was so obvious that she never really loved Aidan. I'm pretty sure that she loved the idea of him more than the actual man. With a good dose of guilt for what she did to him, too. Yet, in the end she says yes because the ring was nice.

Ugh!

She can be so annoying sometimes. They all can. But you know, that's what I LOVED about SEX AND THE CITY. That we have four seemingly average hardworking women, with many flaws. Most of the time they don't even know what they want. And when they do get what they think they want, it's not what they imagined. Or not really what they were after.

Phew. *taking a breath*

I just love characters that get under your skin this way, whether it's to make you happy, sad, angry or annoyed. I love the rawness of this show. We're now up to the end of season 4. We'll hopefully watch the last two eps tonight after the hubby gets home. Man, I might have already seen these, but I'm enjoying it as much - if not maybe more - than the first time around. It's also interesting and fun to hear what the hubby thinks.

Man, I can't wait to see the movie! Next month, next month... :D

Well, this week is an early-start week for hubby, so I got stuck into the writing and managed to reach my goal before 1pm. That's always a cool thing. I'm going to pick the lappy up for another hour after it recharges and hopefully add another 1k. But for now, I'm right here:

Pretty cool, though I think I'll have to sit down this afternoon sometime and make a list of everything that needs to happen and be resolved by the end of this draft. I mean, it's all there floating around inside my head, but it makes more sense and I don't lose things if I write/list it on a clean piece of paper. I'm so excited, so close to the end now.

See ya!

I'm glad it's almost the weekend!

Last night, my nose decided to misbehave. Lol. That sounds so strange, doesn't it? Anyone who's been reading my blog for over a year knows about the nasal problem I have. It comes and goes, and hadn't acted up for a long while. But it got me last night, and the new spray I used made things worse. After spraying, I felt like I had a lump between my nose and throat.

I almost freaked, but somehow managed to stay calm. If I don't, I start getting dizzy and venture into anxiety attack territory. Not a nice place to be, so I handled it well by sitting up for a while and just watching some TV while I waited for my husband to get home. In the end, by the time I fell asleep, I was fine. I'm glad about that, thought it might make it hard for me to sleep through the night.

I woke up all clogged up and ventured out today to get AZEP. It seems to be the only instant relief spray I can get my hands on. It clears my nasal passage and I feel better almost right away. Of course, I'm still taking the prescription spray three times a week, too. :/ I was pretty good during winter, so it looks like spring's the worst time for it. Even though, it's not allergies. Very, very strange.

Anyway. We are now on the last disk of the third season of SEX AND THE CITY. We're now up to Aidan. Ah. The guy Carrie should've ended up with, if she ever got over Big. I really disliked Carrie around this time, and I have a feeling the hubby will feel the same. He already got pissed off with her about how she handled her Big neurosis. ;)
Okay, no writing yet today, but I did get here yesterday:

I've decided that since I need to add another 3k in order to meet my 60k goal for the week, I'm going to have to get my daughter to watch a movie after dinner. Then I'll grab the lappy, park myself in the living roon and write the next chapter. I know where I need to go, so that'll be helpful. I'm hoping to get the words done before the hubby calls and we have to go pick him up. :)

Anyway, that's it for me this week. Have a great weekend!

Enjoying SatC a second time

I haven't added any new words today... yet. But this is where I got to last night:

So far, I'm still on target. :) Gotta sit down and write tonight, after my daughter goes to sleep. I won't be able to do anything until then. I had to do a few non-WIP related stuff this afternoon, and spent most of the morning watching SEX AND THE CITY.

The hubby and I have decided to watch it from the beginning. I've already watched the entire series, but he wants to see what it's all about. And we're both hooked. I swear, seeing it a second time is like watching a brand new show. It's amazing how many of the situations slip your mind. Lol. :D

We're now halfway through season two. Can't wait to watch some more...

Nothing else going on at the moment. :/ Catch'a.

Feelin' good

This picture has nothing to do with the story I'm writing at the moment, but you know, it's lovely. I couldn't help but post it here today. :) Anyone getting inspired yet? :)

So, how was everyone's weekend? We had another relaxing one. Picked up several books from my fave bookstore on Saturday, watched several footy games, did some weights, went for some walks, and I got a bunch of reading done, too. It was fun. They always are, right? Oh, we also had to pop into a local school to vote. It was one of those council election-thingies this weekend in NSW.

We've been having some beautiful, beautiful spring weather. I'm SO excited. I've missed this so much. Don't know why, but I'm usually in a great mood during spring and summer. I just LOVE the warm weather. Everything feels better in summer. ;)

This week, the hubby starts later and gets home later. It sucks that he won't be home until sometime after 10pm but at least we get to spend some time together in the morning/afternoon. Therefore, this week I'll be getting the majority of my writing done at night. So, this is all I managed this afternoon:

Not a great amount of progress, but I'm still aiming to get to 44k later tonight. Fingers crossed. I like where I stopped, mid-chapter. I know where I'm going for the next two/three chapters too. I took a few notes over the weekend and did a little more research. See, there was this strange new subplot that came from nowhere and I have to fine-tune the specifics. To do that, I needed to research a certain type of something. I think I've got it now, and it'll hopefully lead into the major plotline for part 2. That's exciting. Oh, and you know what? The romantic involvement in this novel is now turning into an entanglement... can't complain about that.

Okay, it's time to get going now.

PLUM LUCKY

Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck... and mystery men. And no one is more mysterious than the unmentionable Diesel. He's back and hot on the trail of a little man in green pants who's lost a giant bag of money. Problem is the money isn't exactly lost. Stephanie's Grandma Mazur has found it, and like any good Jersey senior citizen she's high-tailed it in a Winnebago to Atlantic City and hit the slots. With Lula and Connie in tow, Stephanie attempts to bring Grandma home. But the luck of the Irish is rubbing off on everyone. Lula's found a job modeling plus size lingerie. Connie's found a guy. Diesel's found Stephanie. And Stephanie has found herself in over her head with a caper involving thrice stolen money, a racehorse, a car chase and a bad case of hives.

You know, I wasn't planning to read this in one sitting, but that's exactly what I did. I picked it up off the shelf to check out the beginning and two hours later, I'd finished it. Oh, but I can't leave out that several tears were shed during the reading of this book because I was laughing so hard. :D

Take Stephanie, Lula, Connie and Grandma Mazur, throw in a good dose of Diesel and a little guy who thinks he's a leprechaun and you've got a hilariously wild ride that takes us to Atlantic City. There's also a horse in trouble, who presents some very funny situations.

My gosh, this was a fantastic read. I LOVED it!

LEAN MEAN THIRTEEN

MISTAKE #1
Dickie Orr. Stephanie was married to him for about fifteen minutes before she caught him cheating on her with her arch-nemesis Joyce Barnhardt. Another fifteen minutes after that Stephanie filed for divorce, hoping to never see either one of them again.
MISTAKE #2
Doing favors for super bounty hunter Carlos Manoso (a.k.a. Ranger). Ranger needs her to meet with Dickie and find out if he's doing something shady. Turns out, he is. Turns out, he's also back to doing Joyce Barnhardt. And it turns out Ranger's favors always come with a price...
MISTAKE #3
Going completely nutso while doing the favor for Ranger, and trying to apply bodily injury to Dickie in front of the entire office. Now Dickie has disappeared and Stephanie is the natural suspect in his disappearance. Is Dickie dead? Can he be found? And can Stephanie Plum stay one step ahead in this new, dangerous game? Joe Morelli, the hottest cop in Trenton, NJ is also keeping Stephanie on her toes-and he may know more than he's saying about many things in Stephanie's life. It's a cat-and-mouse game for Stephanie Plum, where the ultimate prize might be her life.

Obviously, this is Stephanie Plum's thirteenth adventure, and what a fun ride it was. There were some very typical Stephanie antics and a lot of action, as well as hilarious situations and conversations. I love all of these characters. They totally rock!

Man, this series never gets old. I'm still loving every installment and can't wait to read what's next for Stephanie. Still totally love Morelli and Ranger, too.

What's next for me in the reading department? Well, this of course! :)

Yay! The weekend's almost here

Now, let me get started by showing you an updated progress meter:

As you can see, I managed to meet my target for the week. Although, I have to admit that I would've liked to have gone over by a little more. ;)

Still, I wrote a very exciting scene, smack-bang in the center of the novel! Yay. I'm very excited about how it played out but can't wait to read it back because I know I've left off a bunch of details. There was so much to capture because not only is it a vital scene for the heroine, but also for another one (of the two other) character(s) involved. Phew. All I wanted to do was get everything that was flashing inside my head onto the screen before anything faded. I think I managed that, so it's all cool.

Well. I've been so caught up in this story that I've spent almost every spare moment thinking about it. As a result, I know a little more about what will (probably) happen in the next few books. That's so awesome because I don't usually write sequels like that. I usually have a very brief idea and then everything comes together in the end. Lol. This one's a little different, but new things and directions are popping up all the time.

Okay, I better stop boring you with the nitty-gritty details. I'm going to go and put some washing in, fold what I've already gotten off the line, and hopefully get stuck into this book during this weekend. Have a good one!

ytd word count: 291,784

Taking a (small) break...

... because my lappy was running out of juice. I think 30 minutes on charge should do it. Just enough time to post over here and do the dishes.

Not too far from today's goal. Hoping to cross the 32k mark before heading out to get my daughter.

You know, I've been enjoying this week so far. The hubby has been going into work earlier, which means he's home earlier, and that rocks! It's also made me realise just how much I prefer to write during the day. I don't know why, but night writing seems a little harder. Strange, but true.

Anyway, this is where I stopped:

Also, I'm a total pantser and although I have a pretty good idea of where I want the story to go, a lot of the time I'm not sure how I'll eventually get there. Yet, with this story, something feels different. Its like I have a bunch of things that need to happen next, and when I'm not even close to finishing the current chapters, the next bits come to mind and I write it all down. So, that means that I'm staying about 4/5 chapters ahead all the time. I sure hope it stays that way. :)

I have a really cool scene coming up that I've been looking forward to writing since the beginning. I don't think I'll get to it today, though. There still needs to be (at least) another chapter before I get there.

Okay, it's time to get some dishes done!

Week 2 of my first draft...

Well, how was your weekend? Mine was very relaxing, although I did get a few things done. :) No writing, though. And we didn't really watch any movies. After the looooong week of work the hubby had, he was so tired. Can't say I blame him, he only got out before midnight one day out of five. That totally sucks!

Saturday was pretty yucky outside, so we stayed indoors all day. I read a book over the weekend too (check below), but the sun was out yesterday, so we continued our lovely walks by the river. I love walking around here. It's lovely.

I got stuck into the writing this morning. I'm taking a short break now so that the lappy's battery can charge up a bit. But here's where I am at the moment:

I met my target for today already, so that's cool. There are all these bits and pieces circling around inside my head, and I finally had the chance to grab one and write about it. I'm also trying to write everything down as it comes because I'm so scared of losing something vital. Lol. Hate it when that happens, and I've got a few things up in the air for this tale.

This morning we got up early and did some yoga. That always helps get energised for the day. The hubby went into work earlier today, so hopefully he'll get out earlier too.

Well, not much more to chat about today. I hope you're all doing great. :D

ARMED & MAGICAL

All Raine wants is her life back—which means getting rid of the stone and the power it possesses. To sort things out, she heads for the Isle of Mid, home to the most prestigious sorcery school, as well as the Conclave, the governing body for all magic users. It's also home to power-grubbing mages who want Raine dead and goblins who see her as a thief. As if that's not enough, Mid's best student spellsingers are disappearing left and right, and Raine's expected to find them.

Lives are at stake, goblins are threatening to sue, mages are getting greedier, and the stone's power is getting stronger by the hour. This could get ugly.

I started reading this book on Friday night and finished it last night. I gotta say, Lisa totally sucked me in from the first chapter. Of course, I've read and really enjoyed the first book, so I couldn't wait to see what would happen to Raine this time... especially since we were going to be shown a completely different island.

Wow. It didn't disappoint, that's for sure. I love Raine's voice. It's so casual and witty. She's very stubborn too, even if she knows that a situation might be a little too hard for her to deal with, she's willing to do whatever she can. I have to say that I really enjoyed my stay in the Isle of Mid, even if a bunch of not-so-great things were happening to our heroine and others.

And you know what else? It's just SO much fun! I simply LOVED it and now can't wait for the next adventure. Oh, and did I mention the two possible guys for Raine are simply delish? Tam or Mychael... which one will she ultimately end up with? It's such a hard choice, because... well, they both sound great. ;)

Lisa's created a refreshing fantasy world with awesome characters. If you haven't read this series yet, you should.

Mid-week post ;)

Well, I've been busy adding new words all this week. Today marks the third day of working on this new novel project of mine. So, here's the word count:

I wasn't sure if I was going to meet my target yesterday, but I did. Even managed to sneak in a visit to the library with my daughter. Although, the above word meter is where I'm at after my first sitting for Wednesday. I'll get back to it tonight, when my daughter goes to sleep. If I can add another 2k, that would be great.

When I sat down today, I wasn't 100% sure where the story was going to go. Okay, that's not entirely true. I knew where I was going, but I wasn't sure of the how-to-get-there bit. Lol. Still, I thought about it in the shower for a bit and worked it out. Now, I know what the next chapter will entail too. My hubby asked me this morning if I was excited about writing this story, and the answer is definitely. I'm so excited about these characters and this world I'm building. It's totally consuming. In a good way. Lol.

I also attended a fun chat over at Coffee Time Romance & More today. It's always so cool to chat over there. Everyone's so nice. I was there to talk about my upcoming Vampire Oracle Death novella. Can you believe it'll be released this Friday? Yay!

Well, it's almost time for me to head out. I've still got two goals to meet today. I want to send out my September newsletter and add a little more to the novel. ;) Bye!

WALL-E rocked!

M-O (Microbe Obliterator) is one of the gorgeous robots in WALL-E. I think he's adorable. How awesome, an OCD robot. I love it!

As you can probably guess, we went to watch an advanced screening of WALL-E yesterday. It's due to be released here in a few weeks, I think. How ridiculous is that? Anyway. We saw it, and we all LOVED it. OMG. What a beautiful movie, and so romantic. WALL-E's so cute. What about the (probably unintentional) social commentary, huh? I know it was inflated for the sake of telling a story, but my gosh, aren't there people like that already? Lol. I won't go into it because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Anyway. I'm going to stop now. I'll just concentrate on how wonderful the movie was. Although, I think every politician and corporation should be forced to watch this. :) And wasn't it fun? Yeah, it was.

Well, today I got stuck into the first draft of the novel I plan to write during this month. I think because the beginning is so vivid inside my head, I got right into it. Actually, I was pretty sure that I was going to have the first chapter finished by the time I had to go pick my daughter up from school, but nope. I didn't get it done yet. But because I know where it's gonna go, it was okay to stop and then go back to it tonight.

Here's the word count so far:

My daily target is to write 4k. I'm pretty close, so it'll go over by the time I finish the chapter. At least today. :) Tomorrow, my daughter's not going to school because of a teacher's 'stop-work meeting'. Hopefully I can find the time I need to stay on target.

I'm getting into the heroine's voice. I mean, I know a lot about her and how she thinks, how she feels, what makes her tick, and even how she'll grow and change, but I wasn't 100% about her voice until I got the first words on the page. Very cool. This one's going to be written in first person. It's been a while since I've written a first POV. But I enjoy writing in first person, it's a lot of fun.

Okay, I'm going to get going now. Have a great day!