Avon by the Sea...

Have I told you how great my life is? As they say, a picture's worth a thousand words. Here are a few from our anniversary weekend in beautiful Avon by the Sea "down the shore" in NJ, not far from Asbury Park where Bruce Springsteen grew up.

I promise all these photos are G-rated. I'm saving the X-rated ones for a later post! (You're welcome or I'm sorry, depending on your preference.)

The first night we were there a wicked storm blew through. I love a good storm, and this one was a doozie! There were cloud formations like we'd never seen, rain pouring down in sheets, and thunder and lightening so bright and frequent that it felt like a prelude to the upcoming 4th of July fireworks.

That night we were seated at table 27. This number is significant to us because it's the day we got married, and it's our favorite number. In fact, before we called our musical selves Karma Chain, we were known as 27 Dreams.

Also, while we were there, we drove by a party in a VERY upscale neighborhood and nearly traded paint with a black Bentley - that's how close we were. The guy driving the mansion of a car looked down upon us in our Lexus SUV like it was a beat-up Dodge Dart and we'd just escaped from the local prison.

IN OTHER NEWS...
I finished my edit on MURDER ON TWILIGHT CIRCLE a few hours ago and am getting ready to send it to the agent who requested the full. There's also an agent who has the first six chapters. (They're both INCREDIBLE agents. I'm beyond blessed to have them read my work.) In addition, I'll be writing the query and will start marketing MTC as the first in a cozy mystery series later this week.

It was a great weekend. Wish you were there. (Have I mentioned I don't always tell the truth on my blog?) I hope you enjoy the pics!

MJ - Artist, Performer, and Songwriter Extraordinaire

I don't normally do this, but it's not every day we lose a musical icon. I'm linking to my short tribute to Michael Jackson in the Philadelphia Examiner. Enjoy and do yourself a favor - listen to a little Michael this weekend.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Chuck and I are heading "down the shore" for some R&R at a B&B to celebrate our anniversary. I'll report back on at least some of our weekend's activities on Monday.;-)

Sketch vs Masterpiece

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. I'll let you know how it goes...

I'm deep into tweaking my latest novel "MURDER ON TWILIGHT CIRCLE." It's a cozy mystery that has been way too much fun to write! I've brought some of the characters along from "SPARKS FLY SOMETIMES: CONFESSIONS OF A ROCK PRINCESS," and it's interesting to see them tossing a ball in a different field.

What I've realized is that the first draft is like a pencil sketch. When you're done, anyone can look at it, understand it, and appreciate it. It's already a work of art. However, the editing is where the masterpiece comes to life. It's where vibrant colors and subtle brush strokes turn your sketch into a textured masterpiece.

I'm currently adding color and brush strokes to my finished sketch. Bear with me if I'm not as attentive as usual. I'm finding out what I already know: the more you paint, the better of an artist you become.

Rich, vibrant colors and subtle textures to all. And remember: little by little all your sweet dreams come true. ;-)

(Oh, and a big, fat, Happy Birthday to one of my favorite followers!)

There's a Girl I Know...

There's a girl I know who was beaten by her father. In fact, he spent yesterday - Father's Day - in a jail cell.

When she was younger, she cut herself. She also starved herself and made herself sick. When that didn't ease the pain, she turned to drugs.

She's a beautiful girl and the bruises on her forehead and the ones that look like fingers on her neck can't mask that. But they do make her just a little bit sadder.

I love her and want to help, but besides giving her safe shelter, there's only so much I can do. There's a hearing later this week if she decides to press charges. Doing that may put her well-being in jeopardy. She's a teenager and could end up going into foster care.

Her mom is a lovely woman; frail, beautiful, and deeply religious. Another victim of abuse. She doesn't want to lose her daughter and still loves her husband, so she's hoping charges aren't brought. But, she's torn. She wants her daughter to be safe and at the same time is aware her husband needs help. Alcohol is a big part of the problem, but he's not ready to admit that. And, of course, that's never the whole story...

Please keep this girl in your thoughts and prayers. Pray for her healing physically, psychically, and spiritually. She is so very special - full of life, light, and promise.

My deepest thanks and blessings to all. Namaste.

Message from The All

When I was 18, I wrote a song called, "We All Exist in the Mind of The All." Long title, I know, but it had a mesmerizing hook that, to this day, is often stuck in my head.

These days, I receive messages from The All on a daily basis. They come in the form of a Daily Kabbalah Tune-Up. They usually appear when I'm editing or writing. I'll hear the familiar "ding!" from my inbox and get that anxious, excited feeling. Hoping it's an agent wanting a full or, better yet, Random House writing to tell me they found me through a Google search and are sure I'm the next JK Rowling, I click over to my email. I see "Yehuda Berg" in the "from" column and am instantly disappointed and annoyed. But, I know better than to mess with the Universe, so I always open the email. Here's one I got a few days ago:

Why are we so afraid of what people think of us? They’re going to judge us anyway, so we might as well be ourselves and let them think what they want. Confront this fear today. Be yourself. Spill your truth. Let you be you.

Damn! How did the Powers that Be know I was cowering in fear over what a certain agent will think of a certain ms she's reading? Let it go, Debbie, let it go. It is what it is and it will be how it's meant to be.

Here's the Daily Tune-Up from yesterday:

Having a routine can sometimes keep you stuck. It's a bit like riding an elevator that is going backwards. When we're into our routine, we are stuck on that backwards moving elevator. What good does that do us? How do we break that cycle, how do we move forward?

Today, find a way to break your routines, to fight the pull of the elevator. In order to grow and transform spiritually we have to be constantly willing to change it up.

But, I LOVE my routine! It totally ROCKS! Fine, whatever, I'll change it up.

How do you receive messages from the cosmos? Do you heed them or look the other way? Come on, people. Spill your truth.

Baltimore Bliss

Baltimore's the bomb! I'm here with Chuck and my parents, and we're staying in the Inner Harbor area, which is fun, beautiful, and lively. Duck Tours, trolley rides, water taxis, museums, shops and amazing seafood abound. Chuckie is taking a class from Johns Hopkins for his MPH program - Masters of Public Health - which is the "reason" we're here. Well, it's the reason he's here. The three of us are tagging along mainly for the kickass seafood.

We're staying at the Marriott Waterfront overlooking the marina, which is awesome. However, if I won the lottery I'd buy a condo at the Ritz Carlton waterside. They're absofreakingmagnificent! Of course, for over a million dollars, they should be. I'd also buy a nice, modest-sized yacht in the $250,00-500,000 range - you know, so I could more easily get to dinner at the Rusty Scupper, Oceanaire, Ruth's Chris, or McCormick and Schmick's. After all, I wouldn't want to ruin my sparkly, new, imaginary, 4" spike Manolo Blahniks walking from my multi-million dollar condo to a plethora of expensive restaurants. Plus, I'd love to have my own skipper, or whatever the hell it is you call the topless, ripped, male model who steers your imaginary boat.

Tonight we went to Camden Yards and watched the Mets beat the Orioles 6-4. The birds made a valiant comeback in the bottom of the ninth, but they couldn't overcome the awesomeness of My Mets. (For those of you paying particularly close attention, I'm also a Colorado Rockies fan. But before I knew there was land beyond the Hudson, I was a Mets fan and, as everyone knows, you never fully get over your first love. LET'S GO METS!!!)

I hope you enjoy these photos taken from our time at Longwood Gardens in PA as well as in Baltimore. Chuck and I will be here through Saturday, but unfortunately, Mom and Dad are heading back to Denver tomorrow. It's been great, as always, spending time together. I look forward to doing it again soon...;-)

Must See TV, I Mean Blog Post!

Please hop on over to Kae and Jon Tienstra's blog. They're literary agents located here in the great state of PA. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Kae this past Tuesday (and enjoying a rocking tuna club sandwich!), and she asked me to write about my recent conference experiences for her blog. That's us above after our wonderful lunch at a local diner.

And, thanks for all your wonderful wishes to the parental units. They're greatly enjoying reading your comments, so keep those cards and letters coming!!

HIDE THE DANCING GIRLS! Parental Units Arriving Shortly!

Yes, it's true. I have a mom and a dad. And they're flying out from Denver to see their favorite eldest daughter and her lovely sons, handsome husband, and six cats this very afternoon. In honor of their impending arrival, I thought I'd post the Top 10 Things You May Not Know About Judy & Fred:

1) They met on a blind date in the late 50's that took place in a bowling alley. She was wearing a pair of black and white saddle shoes, a poodle skirt, and a button-down sweater, and he had his hair slicked back and was wearing jeans with a pack of cigs rolled up in his white t-shirt. Very James Dean. My mom thought he was really sexy because he blew perfect smoke rings. (Thankfully, he quit that nasty habit when I, his Little Princess, was wee royalty.)

2) My mom got her college degree at the age of 41 in Health Care Management and Finance after pursuing it in between the births of faw, gawgiss dawtas (yeah, we lived on Long Island, baby!).

3) My dad has his Master's Electrical license and has his own electrical business. His college degree is in commercial art. (Go figure!)

4) My mom is the Past President of the Western Section of MGMA - Medical Group Management Association, an organization that has about 25,000 members nationwide.

5) My dad went through basic training in Ft. Lenordwood, MO and was in the army in Buckroe Beach, VA when I was a baby. It was when Kennedy activated the troops for the Berlin Wall Crisis. Fortunately, he wasn't called to Germany.

6) My mom is the Executive Practice Manager for the doctor's at Craig Hospital, a world renown hospital for patients with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. She's been there over 30 years.

7) My dad grew up on Coney Island selling trinkets to tourists on the boardwalk. Some of his high-school friends included Carole King, Lou Gossett, Jr., and Neil Sedaka.

8) My mom was a severe asthmatic as a child, and at the age of 13 moved by herself from Queens, NY to Denver, CO to live at CARIH - the Children's Asthma Research Institute and Hospital . CARIH became National Jewish, the number one hospital in America for allergy and immunology. As an adult, she has been, for the most part, asthma-free. She was also diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, underwent treatment, and is now cancer-free!

9) My dad is a hardcore Colorado sports fan - Rockies, Nuggets, Avalanche, Broncos - he LOVES them all! (As do the rest of us!)

10) My mom and dad will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in September!

11) (Sorry, I had to add another - just like in the movie Spinal Tap when the amp goes up to 11. Why? Well, that's easy! Cause it's one higher than 10!) MY MOM AND DAD ARE THE GREATEST PARENTS A LITTLE PRINCESS COULD EVER HAVE!!!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About...SIKHS (but were afraid to ask!)

Last night I had the privilege of attending a surprise 50th birthday party for my husband's boss, who happens to be one of the most intelligent, kind, generous and compassionate men we've ever known. He also happens to be a Sikh. In the book, "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sikhs, But Were Afraid to Ask*" I discovered the following:

1) Sikhism is the 5th largest organized religion in the world with approximately 26 million members, 75% of which live in Panjub, India;
2) They believe in a universal God that is formless vs. a God that is human-like. One can interpret God as the Universe itself;
3) Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God;
4) The Gurū Granth Sāhib and the Dasam Granth are the two primary scriptures of sikhs;
5) The religion was formed in the 15th and 16th centuries;
6) Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, lived from 1469-1538;
7) Their place of prayer is called the "Gurdwara" meaning "doorway to God";
8) Sikhs participate in daily recitation from memory of specific passages from the Gurū Granth Sāhib;
9) Sikhism is not a form of Islam;
10) Upon a child's birth, the Guru Granth Sāhib is opened at a random point and the child is named using the first letter on the top left-hand corner of the left page;
11) All boys are given the middle name or surname Singh and all girls are given the middle name or surname Kaur;
12) Religiously speaking, neither husband nor wife are permitted to divorce, although this may be done through a civil court;
13) Baptised Sikhs are ordered to wear the Five K's which include wearing a kara, a circular iron bracelet, and kes, not cutting their hair (the turbans the men wear hold a lifetime's worth of hair).

I'm a vegetarian and Indian is my favorite food, so me and the buffet got quite chummy. The women's gorgeous, brilliantly colored, silk outfits were like ohmygod to die for, and the DJ played all current Indian music with dashes of Bollywood, Michael Jackson, and rap all mixed together. Both young and old knew all the words to all of the songs (in Punjabi), and men danced with men and women with women, although there was also a bit of "mixed" dancing.

Until last night, I thought we Jews had it hands down when it came to throwing a great party. But, I have to say - the competition from the Sikhs is MIGHTY fierce!!!

Here are some pictures from the party. The first is of the birthday boy and his lovely wife (who really knows how to take over the dance floor!); next is the Cake Ceremony attended by the family; and last, some of the beautiful women in their magnificent garments (note the long, luxurious hair). If I play my cards right (I love Spider Solitaire and Hearts), maybe I'll be Indian in my next life.

*There is no book by that name, although it sounds dangerously similar to a book I may or may not have read over and over again in middle school.

Wild Ride in NYC!!!

OK, got the partials and full out over the last couple of days. Now, let me catch you up on my wild ride in NYC!

First up was BEA - Book Expo of America. Last Wednesday was the Writer's Digest Conference portion of the 5-day conference. The day started with a talk by Karin Slaughter, crime writer. My BEA buddy Judith and I decided she's the Ellen Degeneres of the publishing world. Every sentence out of her mouth was funny. Here's a pic of me, Karin, and Judith:

She told how she owned a signage company and decided to go for her real passion, writing. She was an overnight success ten years in the making. It took her that long to secure an agent, but once she did, she's been publishing books ever since.

After that, Judith, and I attended several workshops including How to Build Characters, an Ask the Agents Panel featuring the hilarious Janet Reid, Barbara Poelle, Ted Weinstein and Michelle Andelman, and finally a Polish Your Pitch Session, which geared you up for the big event... the PITCH SLAM! Pitch Slam is like Speed Dating for authors and agents. You've got three minutes to pitch your book (yup, they time you, although some agents didn't pay much attention, which was nice). The agent then either passes or asks for sample pages. I pitched to six agents and all six asked for pages - five partials ranging from 10 - 50 pages and a full. The first five I pitched to all asked for sample pages, and I almost quit while I was ahead. Thankfully, I didn't, because I LOVED the last agent and she's the one who asked for the full! Like I said, that day was right up there with the day I got married, the days my kids were born, and all the times I performed live with my band. It was that good.;-)

The next day, the Backspace Conference began with an Agent/Author day. I was in a room with 29 other writers. We stayed in our seats while different groups of agents rotated through. We were supposed to have had the opportunity to read our query and first two pages to at least two groups. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way, and instead we only got to read to one group each. I was lucky, because the group I read my first two pages to included the agent who'd asked me for my full the previous day. Thank goodness she liked my first two pages, or that may have ended her request for my full! A lot of writers were unhappy with the way the day went, mainly due to the inability to get much feedback. I'm sure Backspace will correct this in the future.

The next two days were filled with fabulous workshops. I attended a Buy this Book! session led by agent Jeff Kleinman, where we took on the roles of Marketing Manager, Editor, Publicity, etc. and got a real sense of how editors pitch our books to the publishing houses. It was fascinating. I learned that you need a platform for both non-fiction and fiction, it's important to secure book reviews by known authors, and that you've really got to have an enthusiastic editor pitching your book. Additional workshops included a panel on the Agent/Author Relationship where two agents with two of their clients talked about what that relationship is like, Query Letters that Work gave helpful tips such as personalizing your query, doing your research, putting title, genre and word count up front, etc. Some additional workshops I attended included What Literary Agents Want or Why It's So Hard to Find Representation, Getting Your Book Reviewed, and Yes, No, Maybe - When Agents Ask for Revisions. On Friday night, they had a cocktail party and famous thriller writers Lee Childs and David Morrell were in attendance. (David Morrell won a Backspace Award, and also participated in a panel on Saturday and was the closing keynote speaker.) The most important part of my Backspace experience was finally meeting my new BFF Julie from Columbus, Ohio in person! She's an extremely talented commercial fiction and YA writer. Here we are all dressed up for the party.

Overall, both conferences were extremely worthwhile. I'd highly recommend them to all serious writers with a completed ms in search of an agent. Just beware, your stomach will not thank you! Mine was in knots most of the time, but I figured that was simply proof that I was throwing my hat in the ring and playing full-out. After all, ain't that what life's about?

After the conferences, Chuck met me in NYC for an extended weekend. On Saturday night, we met up with my friend, Wendy and her wonderful husband, Vince for a scrumptious dinner at Beacon. I met Wendy last September when I attended my first writer's conference, The Algonkian Pitch and Shop in NYC. Since then, Wendy has gone on to find an agent. She's near the end of the revision stage, and is gearing up to send her women's fiction book out on submission. I wish her the best of luck! It was great seeing her and catching up.

The next day, we saw Wicked, which is absolutely NOT to be missed, and visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex (the "real" one is in Cleveland, OH) where there's a special exhibit on John Lennon produced by Yoko. Being the rock princess I am, I was completely in my element and could have moved in and lived there happily ever after. If you're in NYC, I insist you attend both of these shows. You'll be forever in my debt, and I love when people are forever in my debt. Also, one lane of Broadway is closed off to traffic for a few blocks until the end of the year, so people can walk around or pull up a lounge chair and sit on the famous street. That was quite a hoot! (You can see in the picture the cars and taxis on the left, and pedestrians on the right.)

Here are a few more pics. Enjoy, and thanks for not giving up on me while I was away from my post this past week or so. You guys rock!!!!!

I'm Baaaack!!!!

OMG! This past week was so utterly, totally, wildly, positively AMAZING that I hardly know where to begin. First of all, being a complete dork, I accidentally left my laptop at home. That turned out to be a good thing, however, since it caused me to focus strictly on the task at hand.

BEA was beyond miraculous. I pitched one-on-one to six agents, and all six asked for sample pages. That day was right up there with my wedding day, the days my kids were born, and all the times I've performed live with my band. That's how mega-spectacular it was. And Backspace rocked as well. I'm keeping this short, since I have a lot of sample pages to get out. There's a particularly wonderful agent who asked me for a full, so that's at the top of my list. I promise I'll write a complete update late tomorrow or Wednesday including pics. Until then, know I love and miss you all toooooo much.

(Sorry, I don't mean to be a tease. But being the anal-retentive freak that I am, I have to read through my ms one more time before I send it out. PLEASE understand!!!! Hugs to all...)

NYC, Here I Come!!!!

I'm gearing up for two writers conferences next week. The first is the BEA - Book Expo America. The part I will be attending is the writers conference portion held on May 27th. There will be workshops all day and then what they call a Pitch Slam in the afternoon. The Pitch Slam is home to the largest gathering of agents in any one place for this type of event - 66 agents to be exact. How it works is you choose which agents you want to pitch to, get in his or her line, wait your turn, and pitch directly to them one-on-one. No pressure. I'm told there were writers in tears last year. Hopefully, yours truly will not fall into that category.

The rest of the conference goes from May 28th - 31st and is for booksellers, agents, editors, publishers, educators, librarians, and published authors from varying genres. Some of the more well-known authors include Nicolas Sparks, David Balducci, Meg Cabot, Jeanette Walls, Craig Ferguson, and Tracy Kidder. The part I'd most like to see, however, is the Keynote Speakers on May 28th. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Clarence Clemons, the Big Man from Springsteen's E-Street Band will "discuss their memoirs and provide behind-the-scenes and ultimate insider accounts of their lives on and off the big stage." That appeals greatly to my rock princess sensibilities.

However, I'll miss out on that tasty tidbit because I'll be in the second writers conference of the week - the Backspace Writers Conference. This conference is held from May 28-30. The first day of Backspace is the Agent-Author Day where more than 20 high-profile agents rotate between three conference rooms listening to the 100 attendees query letters and first two pages of their manuscripts (this is for writers with completed ms's only). They'll listen to the pages and stop you when they've "heard enough" or "lose interest" and give the ever-popular "constructive criticism." Again, no pressure. On Days 2 & 3, there will be workshops on topics ranging from "The Agent-Author Relationship" to "Writing the Fight Scene" to "Query Letters that Work."

I was also lucky enough to sign up for a one-on-one with Deborah Serra, a successful screenwriter who has written eleven TV movies, seven feature films, two one-hours, two pilots, and over twenty half-hours. Her work has been produced by CBS, NBC, Lifetime, Showtime and others. I've e-mailed her a chapter from my book, and when we meet she will critique the dialogue aspects of it with me. I'll also be attending a "Polish Your Pitch" workshop, which is in addition to the regular conference. I'm feeling verklempt by the amount of information and networking opportunities with both writers and agents I'll experience next week!

And, as I stated in my previous post, I've been recruited by the lovely Agent Kae Tienstra to be the "eyes and ears" at both conferences and report back to her on what I've learned. I'll be guest blogging over her way sometime the week of June 1st. Please feel free to hop on over and see what she and her husband Jon have going on. (I'd highly recommend querying them. They're a class act.)

I'll post before I leave on Tuesday for NYC, I'll try and post while I'm there, and I'll certainly give a run-down after I return (providing I haven't thrown myself off the George Washington Bridge in utter frustration and writerly defeat!).

Kittens and Puppies and Hares, Oh My!

What do you do when life doesn't go your way? Do you get angry? Throw yourself a pity party? Revert into yourself and tell the world to back off? I've got a new way to deal with those nasty negative thoughts that creep into my brain and threaten to take me to a deep, dark place. I think of kittens and puppies and little, baby bunnies. I imagine right about now you're thinking I'm crazier than you thought I was before you read this post, and you're probably right. But you know what? It works. And, since I'm an eternal optimist, I believe whatever works to keep my thoughts positive and in line with who I say I am and the person I want to be, then that's what I'm going to do. So, I'm thinking about kittens and puppies and bunnies. And, I must admit, I'm feeling pretty damn happy right now.;-)

How do you act when life serves you lemons, and what do you do to get yourself out of the funk?

IN OTHER NEWS...
I'm greatly looking forward to the BEA and Backspace Writers Conferences next week in NYC and to (finally!) meeting my friend, J (woo-hoo!). A wonderful agent by the name of Kae Tienstra has asked me to be her eyes and ears while in NYC and guest blog upon my return. Please check out her website and let her know of any writers conference experiences you've had as well.

And the Winners Are...

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for participating in my little soiree here at Write on Target in honor of my 100th post (especially those of you who linked me and got extra Brownie Points!). I'd also welcome the new folks who came on board in the last few days. I'm blown away by your kind words and continued support.

I won't delay the anticipation any further. If you are a winner, please e-mail me at dlschubert@verizon.net and give me your home address so I can mail you your goodies.

1)Winner of commenters on the 99 & Counting post is....................dbcooper! $10 Gift Card
2)Winner of commenters on the 100!!! post is....................Shasta! $20 Gift Card
3)Winner in the New Followers category is....................BigMark 243! $10 Gift Card

4) AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS (drum roll please!).........WrittenWyrdd! $20 Gift Card PLUS your choice of either The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman or Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda AND you get to name either a homicide detective or a nun in my current WIP. (Please e-mail me to let me know which book you'd like and to discuss the character name.)

I'm sorry to all the wonderful folks who didn't win. It makes me genuinely sad. You have my word that if I'd won the lottery in the last several days, you each would have gotten Borders gift cards, but alas, I'm broke as ever. However, the good news is, you can hop on over to QueryTracker.net and help them celebrate their two-year anniversary. You'll have the opportunities to win some seriously great stuff!

Again, my sincere thanks for making this party a huge success. My love and gratitude to all. I'll be back to regular programming in a few days...

Debbie

100!!!!!

WELCOME TO MY PARTY!!!

I hope you like cupcakes. Here we are. You. Me. Together again. Isn't this nice? Kind of cozy. It's hard to believe this is my 100th post. What a freakin' milestone this is! Of course, birthdays, anniversaries and 100th blog posts are nothing more than our perception of what we say is important in this bizarre experience we call "life." It's all made up, folks, every last bit of it. But, you know what? That's the beauty. We have the power to create our own lives; we really are the Michelangelos of our individual worlds. I truly believe that "Little by little, all our sweet dreams come true..."

So, what has been created here? Why is this blog important to me and, hopefully, to you? For me it's because this is a place where thoughts on the road to publishing, spirituality, music, politics, humor and pictures of gorgeous animals (and I'm not just talking about my family) have a place to roam free. It's a diary of sorts.

Remember the crazy, old guy who told me I'd voted for Satan? (11/7/08)
Remember when Dusty went missing? (1/12, 13, 15/09)
Remember my crazy neighbor who went all Mike Tyson on us? (10/14/08)
Remember the not-too-bright ex-beauty queen who was running for the second most powerful job on the planet? (10/2/08)
Remember when I got my first "nibble?" (11/25/08)
Remember when my mom went through surgery and your love and support made all the difference in the world? (10/2/08)

(I've added the dates here in case anyone feels nostalgic and wants to re-experience these episodes. You can find them in the bottom, right-hand corner of the blog.)

Here are a few of my favorite pics from various entries:










This is the stuff of my blog journal. Looking back over the past 7 & 1/2 months, a lot has changed. My first entry (9/30/08) was right after I'd attended my first writer's conference in NYC. I'd finally jumped in and gotten my feet wet and what an eye-opener that was! The gals in my group like Wendy and Sarah were so talented and supportive. I was blown away to be in their presence. And my dear blogger friend, Amy, made me feel so at home in this new blogosphere world.

I'll be attending two more conferences this month, and I can't wait. First of all, I'll be meeting my new best friend for the first time (a writer I "met" through my blog - she doesn't have a blog, otherwise I'd link her - hugs to you, J...) and secondly, I know there will be new agents and writers I'll meet and all of our lives will be impacted - it's a beautiful thing.

Since my first entry, I've set aside the book I was pitching back then, written another, and am 2/3 of the way through yet another. I've never been happier. Thanks to each and every one of you for making this journey fun, enlightening, challenging and humorous. I love all of your comments - I am honored and amazed by you.

Before I get to the SGP, a reminder that all the NEW folks (between the last post and this coming Sunday night) are in the running for a $10 gift card, and a commenter from the last post has already been selected to win a $10 gift card. (All winners will be announced Monday morning and all gift cards are from Borders Books). A commenter from this post will win a $20 gift card and if you link to this post and let me know, you'll have another shot at both the $20 gift card and the SGP.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to unveil the Secret Grand Prize....

By Sunday at 9PM EST, all who have commented on this post or the last (if you post on both, you get two shots at it) will be eligible for:

A $20 Gift Card from Borders PLUS
Your choice of one of the following two books (in perfect condition):

• The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
• Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda

AND.....

• You get to name a character in my current WIP, "Murder on Twilight Circle"!!!

If you win, you'll have the option of choosing a male (homicide detective) or female (nun) character to name. (And, for the record, if you choose the nun I'd prefer you stay away from names like Lolita, Candy, Tootsie, etc.!!!)

I wish the best of luck to each and every one of you, and from my heart to yours, Namaste. (I bow to you.)