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OMG it's cold outside!
Thursday, January 7th, 2010

If you’re looking for my “Saddled” winner, you’ll have to scroll to the bottom of this post. All posts made on Tuesday through this morning were included in the contest (48 entries total)! Thanks, everyone, for commenting!

I’m in Central Arkansas and we don’t get temperatures in the teens. In fact, the weather guy said it is the coldest it’s been in fourteen years. I guess I’ll be staying inside and running a portable heater next to my desk. It gets a little drafty in my office.

I’ve been very, very busy this past week. I finished Fun with Dick and Jayne and mailed it to my lovely EC editor. She told me it cracked her up, so yay me! I finished edits of Bad, Bad Girlfriend, and again, my EC editor sent me laughing smileys.

I wrote a short story for a Cleis anthology and shipped it. Cross your fingers they like it—or not. If it doesn’t sell, you’ll likely see it as a free read. Nothing ever goes to waste. I wrote a short story for Samhain’s Valentine free reads and shipped it yesterday. Again, a cute, hot contemporary. Today, I’m working on adding a chapter to a medieval vampire story I wrote a few years ago for a now-defunct publisher so that I can submit it either to EC or Samhain. Haven’t decided yet. And I’ll start looking hard at a proposal for a New York publisher that I slammed last month and that seems to be missing something. Have to get that one out the door.

All in all, a very good start to the new year.

Did I mention that I’ve started Chantix to help me give up the cigs once and for all? I’ve never been a heavy smoker—10 to 20 a day—but I can’t kick them on my own and I’ve tried everything. The first day on this pill, I felt sick to my stomach, but at least I wasn’t anxious about quitting because I’m allowed to keep smoking. Don’t know how my writing productivity will be affected by it. I remember reading somewhere that Stephen King’s productivity was cut in half when he quit. And I have to find another way to “dream” my stories. I like writing a few pages, then heading outside, lighting up, and letting that Nicotine open up the synapses to find the next scene. My most fun story twists were found on the back porch while I inhaled. Am I going to lose that? Scares me some. The weather should help me keep those trips to the porch to a minimum too!

Keep posted. I’ll be doing another couple of flashback contests in the next few days to celebrate the release of Unforgiven. And if you haven’t already read Unbridled, you might want to do it now, because the two are very closely tied.

So, back to that winner. By random number generator, the winner is…Sue Brandes! Congratulations! And be sure to email me to let me know what email address you want me to send that download to!

12 comments to “OMG it's cold outside!”

  1. Lisa J
    Comment
    1
    · January 7th, 2010 at 11:25 am · Link

    Congrats to Sue.

    Keep going on the Chantix. The husband of one of the people I work with took Chantix to stop (he was a two pack a day chain smoker). He did great and has quit. He said he didn’t even mind quitting too much.

    I have faith you will keep your writing groove!



  2. Delilah
    Comment
    2
    · January 7th, 2010 at 11:34 am · Link

    Thanks, Lisa! Did hubby get the crazy dreams? I’m hoping I will, although I don’t need much help in that department. 😆



  3. Robin
    Comment
    3
    · January 7th, 2010 at 11:45 am · Link

    I quit 2 years ago with Chantix. I had crazy and technicolor dreams! It was very weird. I was able to stop smoking within a week and haven’t had one since. It affected my reading for about 6 months after. I would always smoke and read! Now I just chew gum or use peppermints. I hope it doesn’t affect your writing! I love your books!!!!
    Good Luck!
    Robin



  4. SonyaM
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    4
    · January 7th, 2010 at 12:01 pm · Link

    I don’t smoke myself, but I have 3 friends that stopped smoking together using Chantix. That was almost 2 years ago, and they have remained successful.

    With respect to your “smoking breaks,” I think you are inherently creative for that to affect your writing.

    Good Luck to you!



  5. Lisa J
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    5
    · January 7th, 2010 at 12:02 pm · Link

    She never mentioned he had crazy dreams, but he may not have told her about them.



  6. Wesley Nichols
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    6
    · January 7th, 2010 at 12:04 pm · Link

    Is First Knight your SOW novella?



  7. Cheryl McInnis
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    7
    · January 7th, 2010 at 1:18 pm · Link

    Congrats Sue!
    Delilah, you are so busy, I don’t see where you even have time to stop and smoke, LOL!
    Good luck though, quitting is really darn hard. I was “lucky” enough that when I got pregnant with my first kid, the smell and taste of cigarettes made me throw up-and I never started smoking again after that 😉



  8. Delilah
    Comment
    8
    · January 8th, 2010 at 11:15 am · Link

    Robin! In just a week?! I don’t think I’ll manage it because I’m still smoking, but congrats! It gives me hope.

    Sonya! There’s being inherently creative and channeling the nicotine god…

    Lisa! Especially not, if they were naughty! 😆



  9. Delilah
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    9
    · January 8th, 2010 at 11:17 am · Link

    Wesley! No, it’s not. It’s the medieval vampire thingie I’m trying to wrap up.

    Cheryl! I quit for 5 years after my children were born, then I was off to the field with the military and right back at it. Actually, it was long deployments and field exercises that gave me the habit in the first place. It was light up or be stunk out of an HQ van.



  10. Shayla Kersten
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    10
    · January 9th, 2010 at 10:09 am · Link

    I loves your EC editor too! LOL

    Keep it up on the no smoking! I know you can do it. You can do anything you put your mind to!



  11. Delilah
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    11
    · January 9th, 2010 at 11:27 am · Link

    Shayla! I was jealous for years until I got reassigned to YOUR editor. She is pretty wonderful.



  12. Robin
    Comment
    12
    · January 10th, 2010 at 5:21 pm · Link

    Believe me, I was surprised too, especially since I had smoked 2 packs a day for 25 years!! The first week I cut down to 3 a day…1 after each meal. I did have a big incentive….I couldn’t have my weight loss surgery until I had been smoke free for a month!
    Good luch
    Robin



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