Southern Fried Chicas

I’ve been lucky.
Whenever I’ve been asked to be a bridesmaid, we were blessed with really nice dresses. The groomsmen were gentlemanly, the jewelry low-key, and the bouquets were lovely.

These were important considerations for a single girl thrust into the role. There aren’t always a lot of perks to the job, and there is always the inevitable question…”Are you next?”

The first time someone in the reception line posed that last question, I was very young, gave a shrug, a shy smile, and responded, “Who knows?”
The last time I was asked, I narrowed my eyes, gave a too-toothy grin, and replied, “No. I’m not next. I’ve decided I’d rather violate the dictum of God, not be fruitful and multiply, and consign myself to the fires of Hell rather than chain myself to the wrong man for precious years of my life.”

Being a single bridesmaid ain’t easy.

Naturally, you’re supremely happy for the bride. I’m not a weepy sort, but always found myself getting a little teary-eyed. Even if the dresses were ugly, you’d still feel that swell of joy for your friend, be happy for their future. The same would apply to them having children, career success—whatever. You love ‘em, you’re thrilled for their good, no matter how many times you play the same role.
Bridesmaids are important in the grand scheme of things too.

And if by chance a small, thin voice inside whispers a quiet longing for something similar, it doesn’t diminish your good wishes for them. The universe doesn’t seem limited in abundance.
Nothing wrong with wanting a nice dress for yourself…right?

Okay, so here’s the scenario. You’re standing in the bookstore in your favorite section. A shelf is right in front of you…

Forget about author names. I’m talking colors. Which books attract your attention first? Red ones? Green ones? How about yellow? For some reason, the color black always pulls me in, be it on a spine or a faced-out book. Doesn’t matter. I’m there. Dark blue gets me as well. I’m least likely to pick up pink, baby blue and white. What about you?

Now for some totally off-topic silliness, how about a friendly wager?

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So I have managed to catch a lovely back-to-school cold and have been feeling lousy the past few days. My brain is a little on the moosh side so instead of thinking up some witty topic how ’bout you tell me what your fave guilty pleasure for TV is (maybe something that no one else who knows you would guess you watch… it’s just between you and me… ). Also what’s the one show you will alter your schedule for?

As far as guilty, I don’t think I’ve ever been caught—’cause I can change the channel with lightening speed, and I keep my finger on the “last” button when I watch it—but I have to admit to watching those Kardashian sisters. It’s just so darn interesting and so far away from my life. (And okay I watched a little of the BAD GIRLS CLUB the other day too…)

And for rescheduling life, I have to say with the advent of the DVR it has become unnecessary to do that, but there were times in the past I am sure we did. We—meaning me—did get the DVR to not miss the season finale of GHOST WHISPERER four years ago. DVR or no, the Cowboys games have made my life hell—who schedules kids’ b-day parties during the Cowboys, c’mon—between me and the dh, he is *way* more the people person than I, but I have schlepped my behind to more than one party thanks to ill timed football games/b-day parties.

I have also been on a CRIMINAL MINDS kick. I caught one episode late at night, by accident (I’d left the TV in my room on that channel and blam I was hooked in about ten minutes—set it to record the new season on my DVR…hehehe).

So since I watch *way* too much TV and have no plans to change that any time soon, share with me your TV-ish-ness while I go make another cup of hot tea……

I’m no longer published. I haven’t blogged on my blog in ages. Here is really the only place I still go by Melissa Blue.

And ya know, the world did not come to an end.

If some mysterical oracle lady came up to me the day I signed my publishing contract and told me, “One day you will be unpublished again,” I’d have ended up rocking in a corner somewhere. In that deep, dark and dank place where you keep secrets (you know the ones you only tell the therapist after 50 sessions) publishing was my end all to be all. It was the ultimate mark of success. And I was so impatient to get there. “Ok. I suffered a little. I’m ready. Now gimme!”

When the Universe gaveme I was smart enough to realize that by no means was I really ready. And then the royalty checks started coming in…Let’s just say I finally understood I was not going to be the next Nora Roberts. And all this makes me really, really glad that I’m not THAT naïve anymore. My expectations are more in line with reality. Though there are still some days where I shy on the side of “I can’t hear you!” The thing is I’ll get there again. I’m in no rush. When it happens it will happen.

And, I have to confess, it’s kind of freeing.

What’s the one thing in publishing that seemed so imperative when you first started? What’s the level of importance now? Any other confessions?

I refused to comment about another hard week. Things have to balance out eventually, don’t they?

But I wasn’t quite up to two blog posts today, so I hope you’ll join me at the RomCon site, where I’ve been invited to post today—and give away a free print copy of “Hotter Than Hell”.

Have a great week, everyone!

Remakes and reboots. Some serve a good purpose and actually breathe new life into a dying franchise (Casino Royale, Batman Begins … etc) however, many others have no business existing.

I don’t know, but lately it seems like a lot writers have run out of ideas.  I mean, I still get annoyed with the monster/literary mash-ups novelists keep producing.

Screenwriters are just as guilty.  Many of the movies they’ve been churning out lack originality.  I’m not sure what the problem is.  Perhaps they’re having muse issues.  Or maybe the Bible is right.  There truly is “nothing new under the sun.“  How else would you explain the glut of remakes and reboots?  What makes the situation so horrible is that most of these movies suck.

For example:

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So it’s 8 months through the year and how have the goals been going?

Um, well… not so good as far as what I wrote down, but it hasn’t been an all-together drag on the writing front. This year, I sold (and it’s already been released) book 2 of the Paintbrush series. I have been diligently working on finding a home for a cozy I wrote (it’s proving to be WAY harder than I anticipated!)

Lest we forget what I wrote:

at the January YR meeting we set our 2010 goals. Mine are as follows:

– Write every week … honest and true I write every day–haven’t missed one since September–knockwood–but there’s less pressure for weekly than daily, if I miss I don’t have to beat myself up.

– Get an agent … self-explanatory

– Sell to NY … again, need I explain?!?!

– Avoid umbrellas … this is an inside joke. One gal, when I “don’t get” her story, has waved an umbrella–among other things–at me

– Get an office space … I don’t *need* one. I just really, really want one. I mean, do I really need to pay for space when I am home alone during the day… but I WANT it! A fellow writer gal has one and I am pea-green w/ envy

The writing every week fell by the wayside beginning of May. Can’t say for sure why, but then out-of-school hit coinciding with the dh’s summer gone-ness—sports is a year-round, but *really* busy in the summer business—and it crashed to a one sentence a week halt. I am glad to say I have been back at it with a vengeance and am working hard!

Like I said above, been trying for that agent thing and it’s going… slowly!

Editors subs are in the same boat. I gotta get more active in pursuing that.

Did not get hit by any umbrella, though the threats have change to knee-whacking sticks so I must tread lightly! LOL

Office space… who am I kidding, I have a perfectly good desk in the converted dining room now office portion of our home. My butt in the chair is a bigger issue than the lack of four walls!

There are still a few months that I can/will work on this. And trust me, I *am* working on it! Anyone else working on their goals for the year? Make any progress?

And in case you weren’t sure… that cheering yesterday, was me! SCHOOL STARTED … WOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always have more trouble crafting my heroines than my heroes. I can’t say for sure why that is, but there it is. Sometimes I think it’s because I’m so focused on what I don’t want them to be, I have trouble pinning down what they are.
But that’s another blog post…

This week, following the death of a distant relative, the old family album made its inevitable appearance, and I found myself staring at the young photo of a girl I used to know—and wondering what kind of romance heroine she would make.

She was a slim, willowy girl, very pretty, with pale eyes and long, dark hair. Never one to speak completely freely because of an overbearing father, she always seemed to temper her opinions with a shrug and a small laugh, as if they didn’t count.

There was a fragility about her that attracted protective men, and she’d never spent a single day alone in her life. When she laughed her face nearly crumpled, so she looked like she was crying. And everyone enjoyed making her laugh.

I’m not sure she ever believed in love. She never mentioned it, didn’t like to talk about it. But she thrived on fresh relationships, which made me believe she was looking for it, whether she knew it or not. And fragility aside—the girl was a survivor.

The more I think about it…yes, I think she’d make a very interesting heroine.
In fact, when I think about most of the people I’ve known, there are very few I can’t imagine shining in their own starring roles.
And, although I will try to avoid the dreaded album, I may be using more of them.

Here are some great ways to waste time when you should be writing.

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