I am DEEP DEEP in my writing cave and desperate to get this book out before Santa comes and leaves me a lump of coal in my stocking. I edited and flipped to first person 63 pages yesterday. All day. ALL. DAY!

But at one point I took a break (oh RAINE is going to be TICKLED SHITLESS!) and was talking to a friend on IM (who I’m sure would prefer to remain anonymous). She told me about this guy who has erection problems (it was more specific than that but I’ll leave it at that)….and well my mind was off and running as a writer’s mind tends to do. See I have this character, his name is Will (as in…the Kill….Raine stop jumping up and down) and his story would be a spin off of my June release, Nailed, but I’ve been back and forth on whether to write it or not because writing action/suspense is really hard for me. Not that I dont want to push myself and try but I’m not sure it’s my forte. Anyway Will’s story is all plotted out but it needed a bit more…not sure what but something, a twist, a dash of spice ….A SPARK! It needed a spark, and SHE gave it to me. So Raine…my buddy, the hotblooded killer just got some serious woman issues. I’m so excited!!!

So have you ever had the spark? that one last piece of the puzzle that fell into place and set you off and running (usually at the most INOPERTUNE TIMES)….Share!

Years ago I heard rumors about it, though the title was never mentioned. All I knew was that the book (an historical romance) had a crazy sex scene in it.

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Once upon a time there was a girl who loved to write.  It was only when she was writing that she felt happy, for her life had been hard and brutally led.

Despite her kind heart and loving nature, the girl could find no comfort.  She lived in a starving artist’s loft during this most bitter of winters with no heat, surviving on ramen noodles and rice.  During the icy days she took to the streets, trying to sell her matches, dime bags, and maryjanes.  But with cluckers lurking in the alleys and undercover cops sniffing up her skirt, it was becoming ever so hard to make a simple sale, and the girl grew poorer and poorer as the weeks marched on.

Only during the frigid nights did she truly feel alive, when she could work on the romantic tales that made her happy—hot with heart.  Stories of studs on steeds, and jeweled nipple rings, and heroines sitting on rough, bearded faces until they came so hard they squealed for joy.

But her meager pennies were spent on stamps for submissions that disappeared in the dark maws of slush piles, and no one seemed to hear her cries.

Finally, upon this night, the coldest in recorded history, her little fingers were too numb to hold her nib of a quill.  Her stomach cramped with a terrible gnawing need that chewed away at her hope, and even her small drink of water had turned to ice.  Every now and then she moved her dainty, dimpled bum around in the seat to keep from freezing.  Even her wee coochie, as yet untouched by man, clenched and wept for warmth, distracting her from her work.

She could not even feel her feet beneath her shabby wooden chair, and the last ember of her poor fire gasped on the hearth.

“There is no help for it.”  She whispered to herself between chattering teeth.  “It is my best hope, my dearest love, my last existing manuscript…but I fear I must burn it or die.”

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Yes! The correct answer was 10! You guys are right on.

I had my son draw the name out of his very own hat and KIM is the winner! Yay, Kim! :)

Email me your snail mail address to: michelle at michellemiles dot net. I’ll mail your gift card tomorrow!

Congrats

Okay. So. For the first time in his six year old life, my son decided this would be the year to sit on Santa’s lap. The reason? He really really wants a Wii for Christmas. So bad, in fact, he told me back in November he would be brave and ask Santa for it. He wants to write a letter too.

My first thought was… Oh, dear. Because I know these things are impossible to find in any store. I immediatley hit eBay. After many losses, I finally got a win! And I felt like it was a good deal too - two controllers, two nunchucks, 14 games. Cool, eh?

But I digress…

My insurance agent is a volunteer at this Breakfast With Santa thing every year. So this year, she sent out a free ticket to her customers. I figured - what the heck. I’ll take my kiddo and he can ask Santa for his stuff and then I’d be off the hook for the rest of December.

It was really nice. Parking was free. And we donated some canned goods for the event as well. Plus, when I got up to the front, the kiddo got a free shirt and I was a winner too - I got this little musical Christmas matchbox thingie.

So we go inside and he starts to get all clingy. He doesn’t do that well in big crowds like that. But he eventually got better. They had pancakes and sausage and coffee. Thank the Lord for coffee! Even though I had already had one cup before leaving the house, I needed another. Java is my weakness.

We ate our breakfast to a chorus of high school girls dressed in jeans and a Santa t-shirt (cute) and then we got in line for Santa.

With my coffee in tow, we waited for … oh … thirty minutes or so. The lady behind me had a passel of kids in tow and they were all obnoxious. The couple in front of us had a passel of kids too but they were very well behaved. And all super cute.

There’s something to be said for children who are well behaved in public, I think. Those behind me? They were climbing on everything and bumping in to me.

I kept waiting for mine to back out, but he stood in line, holding my hand, just being good as gold. I paid the $5 for the token photo (hoping he’d go through with it - I even asked them if he changed his mind could I get my money back. They said yes. hehe)

We get up there finally and I hold my breath. It’s his turn. He walks right up, gets in his lap. And Santa says, “Mom, do you want to be in the picture, too?”

That’s a resounding NO. Because I looked like crap. I wore my baggy jeans and an oversized Stars shirt. Luckily I did put on make-up and somewhat curled my hair, but overall I looked dumpy.

The lady next to me helping crowd control nodded big and nudged me forward. My kid nodded too.

So it looked like I was getting in the picture.

As I approach, that guy dressed as Santa patted his other knee! As if I was going to sit on it! HELL NO! I shook my head with a forced smile and knealed down next to them instead.

All I could think was “PERVERT!” hahaha That old man (who had on a wedding ring too, mind you) was inviting me to sit in his lap.

Um. Ew.

Thank god I had plenty of java in my veins. Otherwise, I might have decked him.

The kiddo told him what he wanted for Christmas and then we were off. But I was feeling like I needed more caffeine, so when we headed home I polished off the rest of the pot.

So. Did you make it to the end of this little story? If you did - then post a comment. And guess what? I’m giving away a $15 giftcard to Starbucks. Hey- it’s free bucks for your java!

BUT - here’s the catch. Tell me how many times I use the words coffee, java, or caffeine in this post (total number). Everyone who has the right answer will be entered into a random drawing.

See? There was a point to this post. You just didn’t know it.

Vanessa’s post last week got me to thinking…..i know  i KNOW like thinking about chocolate is difficult?!!?

Anyway…….I thought it might be fun for those of you who bake and have special holiday recipes to share them with us.  So, send them to me in an email ( amie at amiestuart dot com ) and next Wednesday I’ll post them all in one post.   Or maybe i should just let Bailey guest blog her recipes LOL

Also, Colleen Gleason is Paying it Forward this holiday season……I’m so taken with the idea that I”m going to do a little paying it forward of my own.  I’ll report back.  By the time this actually posts (it’s Thursday the 9th), I might have already paid it forward and have something to report.

Looking for ideas……here’s some.  There’s even something on there about making cookies for your non-baking friends *cough* Bailey………

I was trying to figure out the best contest to give away a  . . . well giveaway to celebrate the new Chicas.   Hey Tanya and Vanessa

And whamo bamo an idea fell (hell it leaped and asked to be petted) into my lap!

I want y’all to interpet this pic. You may give it a fun caption. You may tell what you think has happened, in a fun and inventive description. (If you were there–and there were plenty of witnesses to prove I ain’t faking this pic–you may not tell the real truth but can make up a fun happening!) You can say what you think REALLY happened. I will pick one makes-me-laugh-so-hard-I-hafta-pee and one closest to the god’s honest truth and you will each win a Border’s gift card and a surprise.

I will give you two hints:

1) yes it’s our Miss Ames w/ two of NRH’s finest

2) Saturday night

Now go ~ get creative!

Okay folks. The moment you’ve all been waiting for. The winner of the Kinder Gentler Christmas contest is………BAILEY with this gem of a Christmas tip

Tell everyone they’ve been bad and you’re off the hook.

Well Bailey you’ve been bad and so I’m off the hook. No, seriously, you have your choice of gifts. Just email me at amie at amiestuart dot com and let me know if you want the iTunes, Amazon.com or Old Navy gift card…like I can’t figure out which one you’re going to choose!

It’s actually just now Thursday morning and I’m reading the digest for one of my loops.

There’s a lot of talk about royalty checks, and earn outs and statements and print runs and oh my God all the things that can just fry a creative person’s brain.

It’s so easy to lose sight of why we do what we do and I think we can ALL admit this is no business for sissies!

So why do we continue to do something that’s so difficult? Here were my answers……..in no particular order  :yes:

1. I’m already neurotic….might as well have something specific to be neurotic about!

2. Money…….it might not be a ton of money but with two kids the writing income helps (braces anyone?)

3. When the writing works it’s magic and I really do love what I do.

So drop and gimme three….reasons that is.

Fasten your seatbelts because it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

14 Things I Hate About Romance Movies/Novels And The People Who Read/Write Them:

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