Shelli Stevens

I’m so glad I’m not alone in my dysfunctional health. Thanks everyone for the support and sharing of your own issues :) That’s why I absolutely love the world of blogging. I absolutely love the support and friendship you can have with people you may have never even met. Thank you for being so inspiring and I’ll keep you posted. You may soon see a topic titled ‘Fun with Needles’ because there’s a good chance I may have to go on insulin; my insurance likely won’t cover the pill my Dr wants to put me on and insulin is the other choice.

Okay off the medical topic. Today was a pretty good day. Which, I mean, can be hard to say when the Seahawks blew their chance at getting into the Super Bowl and my daughter pukes all over the bathroom floor (completely unrelated as she doesn’t get football yet.)

Here’s what went good. And actually, my good day goes back to yesterday as well. Yesterday I was writing back and forth with Cherry about how to handle the free trip to Nationals. Can I just say again how much I love that woman? I mean, she really believes in me. I think she’s so amazing and, like Feisty said, I wanna be Cherry some day. Seriously, the woman’s generosity humbles me. Not to mention she writes the most kick ass books.

So I wrote/burst through this block I’ve had on my single title. Things started flowing, and I was writing. Actually here’s what worked for me. What got me through. I imagined that I was in a Round Robin and someone else had written the first third of my book. It was now my turn to make it shine, I was being GIVEN the chance. And you know what, it totally worked. I looked at it with a fresh, totally different perspective. Then later I had a great lunch with a couple of childhood friends and our moms. A reunion of such. Great fun and seriously, I loved my chicken gyro, but I only half the chicken.

So then onto today. I went to Value Village (thrift shop) for clothes for Emma and found 1 Gap shirt, 1 Old Navy shirt, 1 Old Navy jeans, 1 Old Navy nylon running pants, and then 2 little Hawaiian sun dresses for Emma. All for under $10. I am a bargain shopper. Then I came home, watched the rest of the Seahawks game, Emma puked and then passed out.

So then I started to write my ST. And BAM it hits. Out of left field, blindsided with another erotic romance idea. Which pissed me off, because I was taking a break. But this one is futuristic/sci-fi (By the way, can someone tell me what qualifies a book as one or another?) Now usually I’d store it away for later, but it was spilling over in my head and scenes were just happening. I knew if I didn’t let loose I could lose the moment. The last time this happened, where the idea just hit me hard I wrote Love for Sale in just a few weeks. Which honestly might be my favorite book that I wrote (It comes out Valentine’s Day!)

So I opened a new Word document to purge myself of the idea. I wrote 1500 words in like an hour and half (while Emma was passed out post vomiting.) And I actually think it’s pretty good. Totally not my normal style, haven’t written a funny line yet, but I’m feeling it. I’m going to make this a novella. I have a target publisher in mind, or if I think it’s some of my best stuff, I may query some agents. So for awhile, I think I’ll be writing two books at once.

Anyway, I’m in a bubbly little mood and can’t wait for Emma to pass out again tonight so I can delve into my first and very erotic love scene. I hope you all had a great weekend. Thanks again for the support. Hugs! And the pic, seriously, it’s a chicken.

Warning: This is a medical topic post.

So I’ve never considered myself to be a control freak. But there are certain times where being one is a good thing. For instance with my health. In the past year I have gotten so caught up in my writing that I took an ‘I’ll eat whatever the heck I want and never exercise’ mentality with my health. And because of it, my diabetes has become… uncontrolled. I come from a family who got the short end of the stick with health issues, and I developed type 2 diabetes at 23. Anyway, I saw my doctor today (the diabetes was a side topic with the original appointment being an annual fun times in stirrups and no I don’t mean pants.) And I was just a mess.

Thanks for all the supportive comments. You guys are so right, why should I look at what I’m writing now be any different than when I’m writing for epubs? I am cleansing my palate and setting off with endless ambition and love for the story. Big hugs to everyone! Anytime you need me to lift you up or kick your arse into gear, I’ll be there!

So that snow finally hit, last night rather than Tuesday night. But we have a few inches on the ground and Emma went sledding today. Very fun and invigorating. I loooove the snow.

Speaking of Emma, you mom’s have to let me know if this is normal, she seems to be afraid of like everything lately. Automatic toilets flushing (like at the mall) she freaks out. Going into dressing rooms, scares her. She’s always saying ‘Mommy I’m scared.’ Is this normal for three year olds? Because I’m going nuts.

I just finished a great book, I’m sad that it’s done. LOL. You get those? I delved into my favorites: historical. I can’t write’m, but I love to read them. The only historical I don’t care for are regencies. Yes, and my crit partner writes kinky ones, and my dad’s cousin sold a ton of them. But that’s how it is. Sorry. :) ANYWAY. The book I read:

Okay, so Lillian has inspired me. Inspired me to fess up. I’ve been…procrastinating. And not just with my blogging (wince, sorry it has been awhile) Not with writing in general, I always seem to be writing or editing something. But I’ve been procrastinating with the book I’m going to sub to NY.

I really need to get this single title done. But for some reason I can’t seem to do it. I find other little projects to keep me occupied. I wrote a second Valentine’s Day book for Forbidden Publications, that only needed to be 5k, and I turned it into a 13k book. I mean what the heck? And now that I have a wide open horizon, I know I should jump back to the single title–which was my original plan. Instead, my mind starts drifting…hmm, maybe I should write a follow up to Silk Hauntings, tell Gavin’s brother’s story (which I fully intend to do at some point.) But if I do that now, I’m just breaking a promise to myself to get this book done and polished.

I’m kind of in an epub groove. I’m happy here. I’m subbing to other epubs and have mostly had great success. There’s a comfort in that, knowing I made a niche. I can write the book without any pressure, and I’m really thinking I’m turning out some good work. Then I think about NY and how everything hinges on this book I’m writing now. And I’m starting to freak out. Like as my fingers fly across the keys, I’m at the same time thinking crap, this is crap. Quite possibly it’s not, my crit partners assure me it’s not. I’m just psyching myself out.

So… I need to bust through. Just write the best damn book I can (As Cherry says) and send it out. Right? Tell me I’m nuts and I just need to write!

Other than the writing front, I’m doing pretty good. Tomorrow is 3 weeks of being a vegetarian! I’ve been doing the gym for one week, and lost 2lbs. Though I ate terrible tonight (DAMN PMS!) But I won’t do it again, because I felt like crap for hours afterwards. And Seattle is supposed to have a major snow storm tonight! I’m so excited. Though it does mean no gym tomorrow, and being housebound. Ah well. Good times. :)

I’m at The Novelty Girls today. Come say hola!

My post is all about how I need to act like the pic above :)

This is addictive! If you get all of them there’s a cool reward!

Get the code at www.winterrowd.com

So I’m loving this work out thing. I joined Gold’s gym with my friend Patrica. We’re going at least 5 times a week at the butt crack of dawn. Wait, technically dawn has not yet even cracked when we hit the machines. And it’s great. I’m so sore, like can’t-turn-my-steering wheel or get out of a chair sore.

And I’ve been a vegetarian for two whole weeks now! I love it, though I still get occasional CHICKEN!!! cravings.

So life has been good. Well, except for that random comment some guy left on my blog (it’s deleted now, sorry) quoting scripture and basically telling me I’m going to hell because of what I write. Ooook. You know what I did? Prayed for the strength to not go post on his blog what a naive, judgemental fool he is.

So Happy New Years to everyone :) Did you all get wild and crazy last night? I sure didn’t. LOL. What did I do. Let’s see, the craziest thing I did was go out to dinner with Lacy and we took Emma. Aaaah! The kid didn’t eat, threw a toy car into a pitcher of soda. Yeaah… but it was still fun. It’s interesting, I have to retrain my eyes when I open a menu. I used to seek out chicken, but being a vegetarian now… it’s usually pasta or a veggie burger. Or appetizers.

The rest of the night wasn’t bad. I actually got some writing done, and then at the stroke of midnight I was ringing in the New Year with Lillian Feisty and Lacy Danes via yahoo messenger. LOL. Aren’t we exciting or what? But it was good! Then I went back to writing. I’ve decided that it’s a sign I’ll be doing lots of writing this year.

This morning I got up, and believe it or not, when to a gym with my friend and joined. I’m quiting Curves. Yeah, it’s kind of cool being the young one around all 50+ women and not having to face men while sweating in yoga pants. But I’ll get a way better workout at the gym, and will be accountable going with her. The guy who signed us up was like 18 and went to the same highschool we did. When we told him we graduated in 95 he about keeled over. He’s like ‘No way! You guys aren’t that old!’ And I had a moment of clarity. Just as I used to look at my brothers as those old people who graduated high school in the 80’s, I have now become that old chick who graduated in the 90’s. And really, I’m fine with it…. I’ll be 30 in March… *choking on a sob*

So, like everyone else, I can’t have a blog on New Years without reflecting on what I accomplished and what I’ve failed at.

In 2006 I…

1. Lost 15 pounds, then gained 25lb, and then lost 3 (How’s that for a mathematical story problem!)
2. Sold 8 books (short stories and novellas) not counting the ones I wrote, are revising, but haven’t yet sold
3. Did not date, or become interested in any men. Well, maybe for ten minutes, but then found out he had a girlfriend
4. Went to RWA and met all my PI and DIVA friends.
5. Entered and won first place in the Stroke of Midnight contest
6. Had several close -but-no-cigar encounters with agent queries
7. Became secretary, and the vice president of my local RWA chapter
8. Was raffle chair for the ECWC
9. Won an all expense paid trip to Nationals 07 by Cherry Adair (Cherry rocks and so do her books!!)
10. Have totally half assed my attempts to get Emma potty trained, she’s about 50%
11. Had my first booksigning, and it was at Borders!

Okay I’m sure there’re more, but I can’t think of them all!!! Now for goals for 2007. I love the New Year, a fresh start at your goals.

1. Lose weight as a result of being a vegetarian and working out.
2. Finish my single title and sub it like a mad fool to agents
3. Finish potty training Emma
4. Get Emma off the binkie all the time, not just in public.
5. Get Emma to sleep in her own bed, at least part of the time
6. Possibly convince myself I’m a woman and that it’s normal to be interested in men, and maybe, perhaps, possibly, go on a date. Or not. I can’t do it!

Hmm I think that’s it. At least that I can think of for now. Happy New Year!!!