The Writer Side of Life

Sunday Fun—What Would You Do...?

2009-11-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

If you were at the mall and encountered a group of firefighters signing calendars, what would you do?

I stopped to buy a couple of calendars and have the guys autograph them.

Then, if you were a romance author who had a blog, what would you do?

After having the calendars signed, I decided to take a couple of photographs to post here on The Writer Side.

So I got my husband to hold my bag of calendars, found a good vantage point for taking photos, and before I could snap even one picture...they took off their shirts.

Seriously.

Well, I’m sure you would have done the same thing I did.

I snapped these.

The last one's a little out of focus. I guess my hands were getting shaky.

My husband was having a good laugh by the time I rejoined him and I was congratulating myself for having such impeccable timing.

The calendar is great, by the way...you can take a sneak peek here...and all proceeds go to charity.

So...to celebrate the July 2010 release of my next Harlequin American Romance—Firefighter Daddy—I’ll be running a contest throughout December here on The Writer Side of Life. Contest details will be posted on December 1 and the lucky winner will be announced on December 31.

What would you do for a chance to win an autographed 2010 firefighter calendar?

I hope you’ll enter my contest!

Until next time,
Lee

The Lighter Side of Life

2009-11-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging with the Wet Noodle Posse today, and sharing a few of my favorite YouTube videos. I hope you'll drop by and tell me about yours!

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

2009-11-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

Things I’m doing this week, in no particular order:

meeting with my critique group

revising Firefighter Daddy

attending a Christmas craft fair

blogging with the Wet Noodle Posse on Thursday

clearing out my office

The work on my office continues. So far this week I have cleared out:

10 stacking trays

17 cardboard magazine files

1 large box of books

a blue box full of paper to be recycled

Since eliminating stuff and clutter is my goal, I also have to eliminate the things I would use to store the stuff and clutter. So the trays and magazine files will find new homes and the books will go a secondhand bookstore.

I’m making progress!

Until next time,
Lee

This Week with the Wet Noodle Posse

2009-11-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

This week the Wet Noodle Posse is Giving Thanks for:

Monday: Trish Milburn/Tricia Mills—Thankful for the Little Things

Tuesday: Terry McLaughlin—Lessons

Wednesday: Maureen Hardegree—Top Ten Tips for Writing Thank You Notes

Thursday: Lee McKenzie—Family and Friends

Friday: Q&A Day—What foods can't you pass up on the Thanksgiving table?

Until next time,
Lee

Sunday Fun—Archie

2009-11-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

Say hello to Archie. Archie is a BoShih, which is what you get when you breed a Boston terrier and a Shih Tzu.

One ear is perpetually perked, the other flops. His tail is as straight as a pencil and looks as though it’s been dipped in white paint. He's one of the sweetest and most energetic little dogs I have ever seen, he never barks, and although he’s only six months old, he’s already quite well trained.

Archie and his master often play ball on the lawn of a government building where I sometimes do temp work. In this photo, Archie is waiting for his master to throw his yellow ball, which he will chase and retrieve so it can be thrown again. And again, and again.

A visit with Archie always brightens my day.

Until next time,
Lee

Lee’s Office, continued

2009-11-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

Remember when computer software came in a great big box with several manuals and a dozen floppy disks that took more than an hour to load?

Remember when documents and data were stored on floppy disks that had to be labeled and stored in boxes that took up valuable real estate on your desk?

I’m guessing that all of this:

can now be stored on one of these:

I love technology almost as much as I love reclaiming all that valuable real estate.

Until next time,

Lee

Tuesday News—Writing and Dreaming

2009-11-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

November is NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month—and many writers plan to write a novel (50,000 words) in thirty days. That works out to about six and a half pages every day, which really doesn’t sound like all that much.

I wish I could do this, but I can’t. The process simply doesn’t work for me. I have tried writing a first draft from start to finish without editing or revising as I go, and have ended up with an overwhelming mess, much of which has to be cut. So I will continue with my pattern of working on the new book and revising Firefighter Daddy.

If you've been following my blog lately, you know I'm also “revising” my office, a little at a time. A fellow writer recently suggested that, as an added incentive, I should create a vision of what I’d like to have in my dream office. I’ve been daydreaming about it my spare time, and have come up with one thing for sure.

I want a big cosy armchair and ottoman. A place where I can sit and lose myself in a book, or sprawl with my laptop and write.

Or maybe a comfy old chaise that has plenty of room for me and a couple of cats.

Good luck to everyone who’s taking part in NaNoWriMo, to everyone who’s plugging along at his or her own pace, and to everyone who's working to make daydreams come true.

Until next time,
Lee

This Week with the Wet Noodle Posse

2009-11-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

This month the Wet Noodle Posse explores the theme of Giving Thanks—everything from tips for writing a thank you note to fabulous recipes for a family feast. Here’s what’s on the menu this week:

Monday: Introduction to Giving Thanks

Tuesday: Five Things To Be Thankful For

Wednesday: Brownies—A Recipe Certain to Garner Thanks

Thursday: Movies with a Thankful Theme

Friday: Q&A Day—What are some novels and characters you’re thankful for?

Until next time,
Lee

Lee’s Office, continued

2009-11-01T07:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I rolled up my sleeves and got to work on the first set of shelves I described on Wednesday. So far I have:

packed up the old all-in-one printer, advertised it on a free website as was suggested by one commenter, and it was gone within two hours. I even delivered it!

earned $3 by returning the toner cartridge to Office Depot to be recycled. They didn’t give me cash, but it went on my Worklife Rewards as a credit. How cool is that?

sorted the books and filled a box with those I no longer need. The box is still here because I will be adding to it. Meanwhile, I will search out a secondhand book store that buys books.

filled my little blue box with paper

It would be great to dive in and work non-stop till this is done, but I’m also working on revisions plus writing a new book right now, and those are my priority. However, now that I’ve started clearing out a lot of the stuff I don’t need, I feel motivated to keep going.

Still to do:

sort the photographic slides and pack them away

find a home for all my freelance projects

admire all the empty shelfspace

Next up will be my storage closet. It’s filled with floor-to-ceiling shelves, and those are filled with a lot of stuff I don’t need and never use. The perfect home for archiving my freelance projects, if only there was room.

Until next time,
Lee

Food for Thought—Pumpkin Ale

2009-10-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Hallowe'en!

You might remmember that back in March, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I blogged with the Wet Noodle Posse about weird beer. I’ve recently discovered another "weird" one, made especially for Hallowe’en.

Crooked Tooth Pumpkin Ale, brewed by Phillips Brewery. This beer has a beautiful orange-amber color, an aroma that’s reminiscent of Grandma’s fresh-baked pumpkin loaf, and a smooth flavor that’s slightly sweet and subtly spicy. Perfect for a grownup Hallowe’en party.

Trick or treat, anyone?

Until next time,
Lee

Lee’s Office (part 3)

2009-10-29T07:49:00.001-07:00

A million thanks to everyone who left comments and shared their wisdom via private email. Some of that advice is so good, I just had to share.

“I don't think you need a professional organizer--you need to bribe one or more of your friends to come over for a day and help you. You can set up zones and do a few in the morning, break for a luxurious lunch someplace you both love (at your expense) and then spend the afternoon tackling the rest. And you can have keep, toss, and donate baskets set up so that you can make a decision and go on to the next thing. The one thing that is an absolute must is that you remove ALL of the recyclables, trash and items to be donated that day! Otherwise those things have a tendency to either migrate back to your shelves or sit there for months.”

And...

“After seeing these ‘pros’ on TV, I have a hard time seeing how they're worth the money. Promise yourself a gift to yourself with those hundreds of dollars IF you just do it yourself! Get organizing tips off the web and buckle down and organize on your own. I just think you need motivation.”

You are all brilliant!

I love the idea of the buddy system, especially since it involves lunch, and I also love the idea of rewarding myself with the money I save by doing this on my own! Stay tuned!

Until next time,
Lee

Lee’s Office (part 2)

2009-10-28T07:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I called a couple of home organizers to get an idea of what they can do for me and how much they’ll charge to do it. On the plus side, if I hire someone for six hours, we’ll book an appointment and I won’t be able to procrastinate my way out of it. On the minus side, it’ll cost several hundred dollars. I haven’t decided if I’ll hire one or not, but it’s under consideration.

Meanwhile I received several private emails from people who either didn’t believe my office was as bad as I claimed it was, or who thought it was probably even worse. Honestly, it couldn’t get much worse, but we’ll start with a photo of one of my bookshelves, which is one of the least problematic areas in my office.

On the floor:

an empty toner cartridge that has to be recycled

a basket of junk I don’t use (I honestly have no idea what’s in it)

Bottom shelf:

UPS unit (uninterrupted power supply)

two storage boxes (in use)

modem and router

an anthology of women’s literature

four stacking trays filled with printer paper, labels, overhead transparencies, envelopes

Second shelf:

the pile on the left: scanner, two empty storage boxes, a box of stationary and an old teddy bear

a storage box filled with promo stuff (bookmarks, biz cards, etc.)

two binders (white) filled with stuff I wrote as a freelancer

a magazine file filled with research material used when I was a freelancer

binders (black) filled with photographic slides from when I was a sessional lecturer in earth sciences

Third shelf:

printer (in use)

all-in-one fax machine (no longer in use, although the tray makes a handy paper caddy) and it’s accompanying telephone, which works when the power goes out

Fourth shelf:

a stack of recycled printer paper

books

a pile of photos on top of some of the books

assorted cat toys

Fifth shelf:

more books

Top shelf:

books I can’t reach—genealogy, gardening, plus a dozen issues of academic guidebooks for which I was the project editor

How much of this stuff do I actually use/need? Maybe twenty percent. Why do I have all this stuff? For one thing, I have the shelfspace for it. A lot of it seemed important when I put it there five or ten years ago, but I haven’t needed it since. Meanwhile, many things I do need and use are piled on desktops and the floor because I have no shelfspace for them.

For the rest of this week, I will ponder whether or not to hire a home/office organizer. If you or someone you know has worked with one, I’d love to hear about it.

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News—My Office Is a Disaster

2009-10-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

How's that for a headline?

I could come up with a long list of reasons and excuses for why it’s a disaster, but why bother? I’ve heard them all before. You’ve heard them all before. Maybe you even have a list of your own reasons and excuses for why things are the way they are.

Here’s the strange thing. The rest of my house is pretty well organized and clutter free, but my office has become a dumping ground.

A dumping ground for what, you ask?

Books, paper, shopping bags that might be handy some day, mementos, gadgets that used to work but no longer do, family photos, more books, more paper, knick knacks...

Wait a minute. Did I say knick-knacks?

I don’t even like knick-knacks. I don’t have knick-knacks anywhere else in my home, so how did all these pesky things find their way into my office?

And then there are the organizers. Those handy in and out trays, file boxes, plastic boxes that hold hanging files, etc., that are supposed to help me get organized. I have at least thirty-six of these things, and half of them are empty.

This chaos wastes my time and interferes with my creativity, and I’ve decided it’s time to take action. I might even call one of those home organizers to come in and help. I have taken some photos of this mess, but I’m too embarrassed to post them right now. I’ll hang onto them until I can do some before-and-after shots. Wish me luck!

Until next time,
Lee

This Week with the Wet Noodle Posse

2009-10-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

Can someone tell me where October went? The days are flying by! This is the Wet Noodle Posse’s last week of our “To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn” theme, and here’s what we have line up for you:

Monday: Maureen Hardegree on “Turning Gray”
Tuesday: Merrillee Whren—TBA
Wednesday: Delle Jacobs—“The World Turned Upside Down”
Thursday: Karen Potter Breast talks about “Cancer Screening: Early Detection and Biopsies”
Friday: Q&A Day—What are you giving trick-or-treaters this year?

Have a wonderful week!

Until next time,
Lee

Food for Thought

2009-10-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

How do you make pancakes? From a mix or from scratch? That's the topic of my post today on the Harlequin American Romance Authors blog. Drop by if you can!

Until next time,
Lee

Firefighter Daddy—the setting

2009-10-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on revisions to my next book for Harlequin American Romance—Firefighter Daddy—and of course that leads to a little extra research. The story was inspired by William R. de Avila Elementary School on Haight Street, just a few blocks from the famous Haight-Ashbury intersection, in San Francisco. As far as I know, it's no longer an elementary school and has most recently served as a satellite campus for a community college.

When I first saw the school, my initial thought was, what would it have been like to to be a student (and the product of hippie parents) at that school back in the '60s and '70s?

The answer to that question became Rory and Mitch's story in Firefighter Daddy.

I loved a couple of things about the school, including the absolutely gorgeous tile mosaic on the front of the building facing Haight Street, and the hopscotch courts and other play areas painted on the paved schoolyard. Believe it or not, hopscotch plays a significant role in the storyline. The playground is visible from the sidewalk on Waller Street and can also be seen in this satellite image from Google.

View Larger Map

Although I don't live anywhere near San Francisco, it sure is fun to zoom in and check out the neighborhood where Firefighter Daddy is set.

Click on "View Larger Map" to see the entire schoolyard. Can you recognize any of the other painted game courts in this playground?

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

2009-10-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I attended the regular monthly meeting of one of my RWA chapters and took part in a fun and enlightening workshop based on the Writing the Breakout Novel workbook by Donald Maass. Plenty of food for thought as I forge ahead with my current project.

I’m also doing research for the new book. Now that the summer tourist season is over, I hope to have a chance to visit a winery or two and spend some time interviewing the proprietors.

Have you had a chance to check out the October releases from Harlequin American Romance?

Top Gun Dad by Ann DeFee
A Baby for Mommy by Cathy Gillen Thacker
Mistletoe Hero by Tanya Michaels
The Littlest Matchmaker by Dorien Kelly

You’ll find the covers and more posted on eHarlequin.com.

Happy reading!

Until next time,
Lee

This Week with the Wet Noodle Posse

2009-10-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

The Wet Noodle Posse’s theme—To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn—continues this week.
http://wetnoodleposse.blogspot.com

Monday: Diane Gaston—TBA

Tuesday: Theresa Ragan—TBA

Wednesday: Maureen Hardegree with ideas for “Easy No-Sew Costumes”

Thursday: MJ Fredrick on “Favorite Scary Movies”

Friday: Q&A Day—What can writers do to improve the turning points in their stories?

Until next time,
Lee

The Writer Side of Life

2009-10-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

The writer side of life has been keeping me busy.

Three weekends ago I gave a workshop on "The Hero’s Journey: Creating Characters Hollywood Style."

Two weekends ago the Vancouver Island Chapter of RWA had a booth at a trade show—The BC Women’s Show—and I was busy with that.

Last week I submitted a partial (the first three chapters) of my second San Francisco book (the sequel to Firefighter Daddy, July 2010) to my editor.

And this past weekend I attended the Emerald City Writers Conference in Bellevue, WA.

I’m especially thrilled to share the news that my friend Jodie Esch’s YA manuscript, Almost Perfect, placed second in the Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category of the Emerald City Opener contest. After the results were announced at the Saturday luncheon, we met for a celebratory glass of wine in the hotel bar. Here’s Jodie (right) with her critique partner, Sharron Gunn.

Now that this whirlwind of activity is over, I look forward to settling into a quieter and much-slower-paced routine of writing, blogging and preparing for Christmas, which is just a little over two months away. Okay, maybe not such a slow pace, but quieter. I hope.

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

2009-10-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend the Vancouver Island Chapter of Romance Writers of America took part in the BC Women’s Show, an annual trade show in Victoria. Hundreds of people stopped by to have a chocolate and chat about romance. It was heartwarming to meet so many enthusiastic readers, and to meet others who said they didn’t necessarily read many romance novels but would certainly pick up books by local authors.

Here are a couple of photos of the booth and a few of the writers who staffed it:

(l. to r.) Mimi Barbour, Daniela Hewson, Susan Lyons

(l. to r.) Mimi Barbour, Lee McKenzie, Susan Lyons

I gave away two “Afternoon Tea with Harlequin American Romance Authors” gift bags filled with a gorgeous mug, organic green tea from Silk Road, and books by Linda Warren, Cindi Meyers, Marin Thomas, Trish Milburn, Pamela Stone and, of course, me! Many thanks to my fellow Harlequin American Romance authors for generously donating copies of your books.

I wasn’t in the booth when one of the winners dropped by, but congratulations and happy reading to Valerie Wilson, winner of the second gift bag!

All in all a wonderful weekend for readers and writers alike!

Until next time,
Lee

This Week with the Wet Noodle Posse

2009-10-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

This month the Noodler’s theme is To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn. We have lots of tasty and fun stuff lined up this week, as well as some chat about writing and RWA’s Golden Heart contest. Drop by the Wet Noodle Posse blog and join the fun!

Monday: Candy Corn Isn't What It Used to Be

Tuesday: Top Ten Tips for Turning a Pumpkin into a Jack-o-Lantern

Wednesday: Hot Buttered Cider

Thursday: Writing Turning Points

Friday: Q&A Day—What's the best reason why unpublished romance authors should enter the Golden Heart?

Until next time,
Lee

Food for Thought—Boeuf Bourguignonne

2009-10-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to see Julie & Julia. What a wonderful film! Meryl Streep is so brilliant that there were times when it felt as though I was actually Julia Child on screen.

I loved that both Julie and Julia were making boeuf bourguignonne in the film. This is one of my favorites—so much so that I actually used it in my last book, With This Ring. In the scene when Brent goes to Leslie’s place to return her wedding dress, Hannah has made boeuf bourguignonne for dinner.

I have always used the recipe in The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rambauer Becker. This has been my go-to cookbook for years. I used my old edition so much, it fell apart. After numerous repairs with scotch tape and elastic bands, it finally had to be retired. Several years ago, my family gave me a new copy for Christmas.

I’m a little embarrassed to say I do not own a copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and that must change. And when I do get a copy, the first thing I’ll try is Julia’s version of boeuf bourguignonne.

Bon appétit!

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

2009-09-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day of school! Starting tonight, I’m taking an introductory Finnish class one evening a week. Why Finnish? My grandmother immigrated from Fnland and was so determined to learn to speak English, she didn’t teach her children or grandchildren to speak Finnish. She was one determined woman, and I loved and admired her for it, but I’ve always wished I’d had the chance to learn her first language. So after many years, today’s the first day of that journey.

Last Saturday I presented a workshop—The Hero’s Journey: Creating Characters Hollywood Style—to the Vancouver Island Chapter of Romance Writers of America. I used one of my favorite romantic comedies, Love Actually, as an example of how screenwriters use archetypes to create dynamic characters. I received lots of wonderful and positive feedback, which is always great, and as always when doing something like this, I learned a lot while putting the workshop together.

Can you believe we’re into autumn and it’s almost October? This weekend I’ll be taking part in the BC Women’s Show in Victoria, BC. Then I’m heading to the Emerald City Writers Conference in Seattle—October 9 to 11—and am so looking forward to connecting with a group of other writers. Busy days!

Until next time,
Lee

This Week with the Wet Noodle Posse

2009-09-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Wet Noodle Posse wraps up its Free Falling theme on Wednesday, and then we’re into October with a new theme—To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn. Here’s what we’re blogging about this week:

Monday: Guest Blogger Sandy James—“Free Falling”

Tuesday: Guest Blogger Mary Eason—Topic TBA

Wednesday: Merrillee Whren—“Falling for Niagra Falls”

Thursday: Introduction to October’s To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn theme

Friday: Q&A Day—How do you reward yourself after a mammogram?

Hope to see you there!

Until next time,
Lee

Small Town Quirks

2009-09-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging today with the Harlequin American Romance Authors about small towns that celebrate quirky holidays. Hope to see you there!

Until next time,
Lee