Hubby and I spent a few days in the Poconos. The trip was supposed to be his Father's Day gift, but I had a good time, too. It was especially nice to have someone else do the cooking.
We visited Grey Towers in Milford, Pennsylvania, the summer home of the Pinchot family which is a National Historic Landmark. It was well worth the visit. I love to see old mansions.
The next day we visited the Asa Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, Pennyslvania. It is another National Historic Landmark. Unfortunately, it is not air conditioned and it was a very hot day. Nevertheless, it is an amazing home and our tour guide was very entertaining.
We also visited some antique shops. Hubby enjoys searching for old accordions or old toy trains. He saw a few accordions but he did not bring any home. :^)
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Friday, June 24, 2005
My Old Computer
I took my Mac Performa to the recycling center today. I hated to leave it there. That computer opened up the world of publishing to me. I wrote Sea Of Hope, Irons In The Fire, and lots of short stories on that machine. It still works, but nobody wants it. The technology is too old. Nobody needs a machine with limited capabilities--especially on the web.
But it was almost like a friend. I am sure that the hard drive is imbued with my emotions.
But it was almost like a friend. I am sure that the hard drive is imbued with my emotions.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Deer Enjoy Daylilies
Yesterday morning I stepped outside and discovered my daylily blooms had vanished in the night. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a rather ragged edge on the remaining stems. Evidently, the local deer decided to make a midnight snack of my daylilies. I am getting really annoyed with those pests. Recently, the deer in this neighborhood have become annoyingly bold. The deer population has increased and my backyard has become their feeding ground. It makes me want to start eating venison burgers.
Last year, we found a dead deer on our property. It must have ventured out into the road and been hit by a car. I called up the munipical office to tell them about the dead deer and ask that they remove it. The woman on the other end of the line insisted that if it was in my yard, it was my responsibility to remove it. The truth was that it had expired on the small strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road--which technically belongs to the town. I explained this to her. She asked if it was obstructing the sidewalk. Naturally, I insisted that it was definitely a problem to life and limb--although only one hoof lay on the sidewalk.
Fortunately, someone came to remove the dead carcass. If any other deer decides to take his or her last breath in my yard again, I will drag that animal to the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, I have tried cayenne pepper and horrible smelling anti-deer products to protect my garden, but the deer do not seemed fazzed by the spice or the chemicals. There are certain plants they do not eat. I guess I'll just have to plant more of those.
Last year, we found a dead deer on our property. It must have ventured out into the road and been hit by a car. I called up the munipical office to tell them about the dead deer and ask that they remove it. The woman on the other end of the line insisted that if it was in my yard, it was my responsibility to remove it. The truth was that it had expired on the small strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road--which technically belongs to the town. I explained this to her. She asked if it was obstructing the sidewalk. Naturally, I insisted that it was definitely a problem to life and limb--although only one hoof lay on the sidewalk.
Fortunately, someone came to remove the dead carcass. If any other deer decides to take his or her last breath in my yard again, I will drag that animal to the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, I have tried cayenne pepper and horrible smelling anti-deer products to protect my garden, but the deer do not seemed fazzed by the spice or the chemicals. There are certain plants they do not eat. I guess I'll just have to plant more of those.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Father's Day
For the past several years, I have been grilling up burgers for Father's Day. This year, hubby and I took the hedgeclippers and chain saw to my parents' house. Things are getting rather overgrown there.
It was the perfect day for yardwork--a little cool. My husband took down several small trees while I decimated some bushes (my specialty). With the power tools, the work did not take long. Then we all went out to eat. I enjoyed the day--so did my mother. I think the guys had good time, too.
Hubby is getting a few days in the Poconos for his Father's Day present from me. :^)
It was the perfect day for yardwork--a little cool. My husband took down several small trees while I decimated some bushes (my specialty). With the power tools, the work did not take long. Then we all went out to eat. I enjoyed the day--so did my mother. I think the guys had good time, too.
Hubby is getting a few days in the Poconos for his Father's Day present from me. :^)
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Tired Fingers
The chat at Romance Junkies last night was great. I had a good time, but my poor fingers were exhausted after an hour of chatting. I had to type faster to keep up with the running dialogue. I enjoy the chats at Romance Junkies because they are moderated. Having a moderator makes everything run more smoothly.
I gave away a t-shirt with the cover of Prince of the Mist on it. I'll be giving away another one on Labor Day to one of the lucky people entering the contest at my website. It's fun to give things away because I know what it is like to win. I enjoy the idea of making someone else happy--even if it's just for a little while.
I gave away a t-shirt with the cover of Prince of the Mist on it. I'll be giving away another one on Labor Day to one of the lucky people entering the contest at my website. It's fun to give things away because I know what it is like to win. I enjoy the idea of making someone else happy--even if it's just for a little while.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Chat at Romance Junkies
I'll be chatting at Romance Junkies on Wednesday, June 15th, at 9 pm (Eastern). Please stop in for a visit. It should be fun!
Friday, June 10, 2005
Long Island Luncheon
I drove to Jericho, Long Island, today for the Long Island Romance Writers' Luncheon. Ethan Ellenberg was the keynote speaker, but there were plenty of editors there from a number of publishing houses.
It took me an hour and forty-five minutes to drive there. There was absolutely NO traffic on the Belt Parkway, or the LIE. I just sailed through and got to the luncheon an hour ahead of time because I assumed there would be tie-ups. After all, it's Friday, it's hot, and everyone wants to go to the beach. Right? Well, not quite.
The luncheon was wonderful. It was much smaller than I expected, allowing everyone the opportunity to schmooze with the editors. I sat at a table with two editors, one from Crown Books and one from Avalon. Talking with the other writers was interesting, too. A whole contingent of New Jersey Romance Writers came, but there were three writers from Connecticut as well.
We all received a copy of Bertrice Small's book, LARA. She attended the luncheon and signed the copies. :^)
Some of the news:
Kensington will no longer publish Regencies. However, Signet will continue publishing them.
Historicals are on the decline. Paranormals on the upswing.
Men's fiction is dwindling.
Everyone wants Chick-Lit. Erotica is popular, too.
Harlequin is branching out. They will be releasing thrillers.
At least, that's some of what I heard.
Then I drove home. It took me four hours. The traffic barely crawled all the way from JFK to the Verrazano Bridge. Was everyone on the way to the beach? Or was the traffic due to the thunderstorm? I have no idea, but for the first time in history I actually got tired of listening to my Juice Newton CD.
However, I got back in time to join hubby and daughter #1 for pizza.
It took me an hour and forty-five minutes to drive there. There was absolutely NO traffic on the Belt Parkway, or the LIE. I just sailed through and got to the luncheon an hour ahead of time because I assumed there would be tie-ups. After all, it's Friday, it's hot, and everyone wants to go to the beach. Right? Well, not quite.
The luncheon was wonderful. It was much smaller than I expected, allowing everyone the opportunity to schmooze with the editors. I sat at a table with two editors, one from Crown Books and one from Avalon. Talking with the other writers was interesting, too. A whole contingent of New Jersey Romance Writers came, but there were three writers from Connecticut as well.
We all received a copy of Bertrice Small's book, LARA. She attended the luncheon and signed the copies. :^)
Some of the news:
Kensington will no longer publish Regencies. However, Signet will continue publishing them.
Historicals are on the decline. Paranormals on the upswing.
Men's fiction is dwindling.
Everyone wants Chick-Lit. Erotica is popular, too.
Harlequin is branching out. They will be releasing thrillers.
At least, that's some of what I heard.
Then I drove home. It took me four hours. The traffic barely crawled all the way from JFK to the Verrazano Bridge. Was everyone on the way to the beach? Or was the traffic due to the thunderstorm? I have no idea, but for the first time in history I actually got tired of listening to my Juice Newton CD.
However, I got back in time to join hubby and daughter #1 for pizza.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Bay Day and Dabbling
Hubby and I traveled down to Port Norris to join daughter #1 in experiencing Bay Day, an annual festival. You can read about it here.
Along with vendors, food, tours of NJ's tall ship, and shuttle bus rides to the East Point Lighthouse, several easels had been set up along the pier above the marsh for children and adults to paint watercolor scenes of the view. I have never been very good at watercolor painting, though I am quite proficient with oils, but I felt tempted to dabble with the watercolor paints that day.
Way back when I first started taking art courses, I had one watercolor teacher who sent the whole class off once a week at 8 a.m. to some part of town to do paintings from life. I enjoyed those expeditions, even if my paintings were less than stellar. Painting a landscape from life is a different experience than painting from a photograph, which is what I've been doing for quite a while now.
True, the white paper can be scary. Plus you know you will have people looking at your work as you paint it. Creating under those circumstances can be intimidating, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and paint anyway while daughter #1 and hubby walked all the way out to the end of the pier.
I had a nice time. The brushes were way too big--I'm used to working with much smaller ones when I use my oils, but I granted myself permission to mess up. Allowing myself that freedom made it more like play. A dab here, a dab there.
The painting is not very good, but I took it home anyway. I can unroll it and practically smell the salt marsh. I can feel the sun on my arms and see the fiddler crabs scuttling for cover. It's more of an evocative memory than a photographic representation. I felt daring and brave and more like an artist than I've felt in a long, long time.
Along with vendors, food, tours of NJ's tall ship, and shuttle bus rides to the East Point Lighthouse, several easels had been set up along the pier above the marsh for children and adults to paint watercolor scenes of the view. I have never been very good at watercolor painting, though I am quite proficient with oils, but I felt tempted to dabble with the watercolor paints that day.
Way back when I first started taking art courses, I had one watercolor teacher who sent the whole class off once a week at 8 a.m. to some part of town to do paintings from life. I enjoyed those expeditions, even if my paintings were less than stellar. Painting a landscape from life is a different experience than painting from a photograph, which is what I've been doing for quite a while now.
True, the white paper can be scary. Plus you know you will have people looking at your work as you paint it. Creating under those circumstances can be intimidating, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and paint anyway while daughter #1 and hubby walked all the way out to the end of the pier.
I had a nice time. The brushes were way too big--I'm used to working with much smaller ones when I use my oils, but I granted myself permission to mess up. Allowing myself that freedom made it more like play. A dab here, a dab there.
The painting is not very good, but I took it home anyway. I can unroll it and practically smell the salt marsh. I can feel the sun on my arms and see the fiddler crabs scuttling for cover. It's more of an evocative memory than a photographic representation. I felt daring and brave and more like an artist than I've felt in a long, long time.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Second Hand Books
My hubby had heard about a gigantic used bookstore from his friend. So this week we traveled to Cranbury, NJ, to visit the Book Worm, an old house on Main Street stuffed with second hand books. We found paperbacks as well as leather bound classics--with everything in between. It is sad to see all those lonely books on the shelves waiting for someone to pick them up.
I'm on a Celtic history binge and I found three hardcovers on that topic--which cost me all of $17. It was easy to find the historical books because some of the books in the store have been sorted, but those in the front are the new acquisitions and have yet to be properly placed. By the way, the store does take donations, but only on certain days.
There are tons of fiction books, of course. At home, I tend to hold onto the non-fiction books, but my "keepers" shelf for fiction is small. There really is not enough room--which reminds me of one of the best reason for e-books--they don't take up any space and when you don't want them anymore, it is a simple matter to delete them.
I also wondered why authors are not paid a percentage when the book is sold the second time around in this country. It seems only fair that they should collect a bit more money on their work. There ought to be a law concerning the matter.
I'm on a Celtic history binge and I found three hardcovers on that topic--which cost me all of $17. It was easy to find the historical books because some of the books in the store have been sorted, but those in the front are the new acquisitions and have yet to be properly placed. By the way, the store does take donations, but only on certain days.
There are tons of fiction books, of course. At home, I tend to hold onto the non-fiction books, but my "keepers" shelf for fiction is small. There really is not enough room--which reminds me of one of the best reason for e-books--they don't take up any space and when you don't want them anymore, it is a simple matter to delete them.
I also wondered why authors are not paid a percentage when the book is sold the second time around in this country. It seems only fair that they should collect a bit more money on their work. There ought to be a law concerning the matter.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
In Memory
Below is a photo of me and my brother at Disneyland. He was a navigator/bombardier in the Air Force and flew in the F-111 which was at that time an experimental fighter jet. His plane crashed in New Mexico a year after this picture was taken. He was twenty-five years old at the time of his death.
He did not die in the jungles of Vietnam, but he served his country nevertheless.
Both of my grandfathers served in World War I. My father served in World War II and his brother died on an island in the Pacific. My mother served in World War II, too, as did her brothers.
For all those who protect our country, I offer my thanks and prayers today.
May we soon have peace.
He did not die in the jungles of Vietnam, but he served his country nevertheless.
Both of my grandfathers served in World War I. My father served in World War II and his brother died on an island in the Pacific. My mother served in World War II, too, as did her brothers.
For all those who protect our country, I offer my thanks and prayers today.
May we soon have peace.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
An Opening
The students of Parsons School of Design had their thesis show last night. Hubby and I took the train into Manhattan again to see daughter #2's exhibit--which you can see below.
She replaced the door leading to a rest room in the gallery with another door that had an LCD screen. Instead of the usual man or woman symbol, the picture changed--or morphed--from a man into a woman and back as people passed the sensor installed above the door.
It was a popular exhibit and a few people actually used the rest room--both men and women. Daughter #2 stood by filming the reactions. Hubby and I presented her with roses to celebrate the occasion.
Of course, getting to Parsons by subway was a new experience. Neither my husband nor I had been on a subway in at least thirty years. We've gone into the city, but we've driven our own car. So last night, when we tried to get the Metro card to open the turnstile to enter the subway, we did not have any success until the subway attendant told us we had to swipe the card through with attitude. "You're in NY now," he said. "You've got to do it with attitude."
Okay. I swiped that card more forcefully and it did work.
There are homeless people here and there in the city. Yesterday was a cold, rainy, and dreary day. I saw one bag lady so covered in black plastic bags leaning on a cart also covered in black plastic that at first I thought she and her cart were a pile of garbage.
Nevertheless, I find the subterranean world of Penn Station fascinating with all the shops, restaurants, and bars far beneath the street. We had arrived in Penn Station at rush hour and the swarms of people running for their trains is--in itself--an amazing sight to see.
She replaced the door leading to a rest room in the gallery with another door that had an LCD screen. Instead of the usual man or woman symbol, the picture changed--or morphed--from a man into a woman and back as people passed the sensor installed above the door.
It was a popular exhibit and a few people actually used the rest room--both men and women. Daughter #2 stood by filming the reactions. Hubby and I presented her with roses to celebrate the occasion.
Of course, getting to Parsons by subway was a new experience. Neither my husband nor I had been on a subway in at least thirty years. We've gone into the city, but we've driven our own car. So last night, when we tried to get the Metro card to open the turnstile to enter the subway, we did not have any success until the subway attendant told us we had to swipe the card through with attitude. "You're in NY now," he said. "You've got to do it with attitude."
Okay. I swiped that card more forcefully and it did work.
There are homeless people here and there in the city. Yesterday was a cold, rainy, and dreary day. I saw one bag lady so covered in black plastic bags leaning on a cart also covered in black plastic that at first I thought she and her cart were a pile of garbage.
Nevertheless, I find the subterranean world of Penn Station fascinating with all the shops, restaurants, and bars far beneath the street. We had arrived in Penn Station at rush hour and the swarms of people running for their trains is--in itself--an amazing sight to see.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Graduation!
Today daughter #2 graduated from Parsons with a Masters in Design and Technology. The graduation ceremony was held in the theatre at Madison Square Garden. My hubby and I took the train to Manhattan. The weather felt more like March than May--cold and rainy.
We emerged from the depths of Penn Station into the hustle and bustle of Seventh Avenue. I contacted our daughter by cell phone and discovered she had not left her apartment yet--29 blocks south of where we were. However, she said she would be there in a half an hour.
We went across the street to a Roy Rogers restaurant for lunch. Afterwards, we stood on the corner of 33rd Street and 7th Avenue looking for our daughter. I called her on the cell phone and she said she was at the same intersection. However, she was on the opposite corner and it took a few minutes before I finally spotted her face in that sea of people.
After the graduation, we had to use the cell phones again to locate each other. (Cell phones are a wonderful invention!) Then we took some photos. Here's one of us.
After the pictures, we ate supper at Sbarro's restaurant--also across the street from Madison Square Garden. Daughter #2 showed us where to catch our train home and we left all the hustle and bustle behind us. New York is a rather exciting place, but I like peace and quiet, too.
We emerged from the depths of Penn Station into the hustle and bustle of Seventh Avenue. I contacted our daughter by cell phone and discovered she had not left her apartment yet--29 blocks south of where we were. However, she said she would be there in a half an hour.
We went across the street to a Roy Rogers restaurant for lunch. Afterwards, we stood on the corner of 33rd Street and 7th Avenue looking for our daughter. I called her on the cell phone and she said she was at the same intersection. However, she was on the opposite corner and it took a few minutes before I finally spotted her face in that sea of people.
After the graduation, we had to use the cell phones again to locate each other. (Cell phones are a wonderful invention!) Then we took some photos. Here's one of us.
After the pictures, we ate supper at Sbarro's restaurant--also across the street from Madison Square Garden. Daughter #2 showed us where to catch our train home and we left all the hustle and bustle behind us. New York is a rather exciting place, but I like peace and quiet, too.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
My Friend, the Harp Player
There's an article on my friend, Mary LeBus, in the Asbury Park Press. You can see it at:
Harpist is happy to pull some strings
What the article does not mention is Mary's skill in playing Scrabble. She plays Scrabble like some people play Poker. Her harp playing truly is wonderful, but I'm just jealous that she always beats me at Scrabble. :^)
Harpist is happy to pull some strings
What the article does not mention is Mary's skill in playing Scrabble. She plays Scrabble like some people play Poker. Her harp playing truly is wonderful, but I'm just jealous that she always beats me at Scrabble. :^)
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Pet Cemetery
In today's Asbury Park Press there is an article about a very upscale final resting place for pets.
You can read the article at:
Final resting place for pets
In the story, Bob Jordan quotes Howard Schoor as saying pet funerals will cost "from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars." Schoor has big plans.
We have always buried our pets in the backyard. It hasn't cost us anything. Of course, we never had any large pets. I can understand that the burial of a dead horse would be a gigantic undertaking. However, for parakeets, fish, and guinea pigs, the backyard has been sufficient.
We have always embellished the burial with a pertinent reading of the scriptures and a prayer. One of the most distressing pet burials happened to be the one for Pansy, a sweet little guinea pig. She happened to die on one of those miserable winter days when the weather outside consisted of sleet and freezing rain. My husband, at work, instructed me to use the post hole digger. I did that, but then the hole filled up with rain. I had to use the old manual boat pump to remove the water before we could place the deceased Pansy in the hole.
I was rather broken up about the event, in addition, I was exhausted from all my digging. My middle daughter read the twenty-third psalm.
When spring arrived, our youngest daughter planted some crocuses and daffodils at the site. I think it is much nicer so have our furry friends here in the backyard. Maybe there are some people who don't know how to use a post hole digger--or those who have a dead horse--but I won't be spending large amounts of money for our little pets.
You can read the article at:
Final resting place for pets
In the story, Bob Jordan quotes Howard Schoor as saying pet funerals will cost "from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars." Schoor has big plans.
We have always buried our pets in the backyard. It hasn't cost us anything. Of course, we never had any large pets. I can understand that the burial of a dead horse would be a gigantic undertaking. However, for parakeets, fish, and guinea pigs, the backyard has been sufficient.
We have always embellished the burial with a pertinent reading of the scriptures and a prayer. One of the most distressing pet burials happened to be the one for Pansy, a sweet little guinea pig. She happened to die on one of those miserable winter days when the weather outside consisted of sleet and freezing rain. My husband, at work, instructed me to use the post hole digger. I did that, but then the hole filled up with rain. I had to use the old manual boat pump to remove the water before we could place the deceased Pansy in the hole.
I was rather broken up about the event, in addition, I was exhausted from all my digging. My middle daughter read the twenty-third psalm.
When spring arrived, our youngest daughter planted some crocuses and daffodils at the site. I think it is much nicer so have our furry friends here in the backyard. Maybe there are some people who don't know how to use a post hole digger--or those who have a dead horse--but I won't be spending large amounts of money for our little pets.
Friday, May 13, 2005
If You Want To Know...
Romance Junkies posted the review for Prince of the Mist. So for anyone interested in reading it you just go to:
Prince of the Mist
My favorite quote by Romance Junkies reviewer, Billie Jo:
PRINCE OF THE MIST is a charming, sexy, and fun read. Penelope Marzec outdoes herself again with another magical love story that kept me enthralled from the beginning to the end."
I located the review by searching for my name on the internet. Often, a reviewer will send an email to let the author know that the review has been posted on the internet--but sometimes they don't. Then I have to go find it--and I am not the only author with this problem.
My writer friends who do this sort of thing on a regular basis have coined a new term for it--"googling." I google myself frequently. When I'm procrastinating, I google members of my family.
At last count, I received 308 links for my name in .29 seconds. Compare that with 1,420,000 for "Nora Roberts" in .08 seconds.
Such is life.
Prince of the Mist
My favorite quote by Romance Junkies reviewer, Billie Jo:
PRINCE OF THE MIST is a charming, sexy, and fun read. Penelope Marzec outdoes herself again with another magical love story that kept me enthralled from the beginning to the end."
I located the review by searching for my name on the internet. Often, a reviewer will send an email to let the author know that the review has been posted on the internet--but sometimes they don't. Then I have to go find it--and I am not the only author with this problem.
My writer friends who do this sort of thing on a regular basis have coined a new term for it--"googling." I google myself frequently. When I'm procrastinating, I google members of my family.
At last count, I received 308 links for my name in .29 seconds. Compare that with 1,420,000 for "Nora Roberts" in .08 seconds.
Such is life.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Our Changing Society
I teach in a pre-k class. Most of the kiddies in my class are already five and they will all be going to kindergarten in the fall. Five is a wonderful age.
Today I read them a book titled OWEN, a Caldercott Honor book, it was written by Kevin Henkes. It's a cute story about Owen who has a blanket named Fuzzy which he refuses to give up. Finally, with kindergarten approaching, Owen's mother gets the bright idea of cutting up the blanket and stitching it into handkerchiefs.
At that point in the story, the kids all looked up at me and asked, "What's a handkerchief?"
I wish I had brought one in to show them. However, I suggested that perhaps their grandfather might carry one in his pocket. A few of the kids nodded with understanding. One of them said her grandmother carried a handkerchief.
Times have changed. Everyone uses tissues nowadays. I still have a few dainty, embroidered handkerchiefs tucked in my drawer--one of which I carried with me, tucked underneath the bouquet, on the day I was married.
Next time I read that story, I guess have to bring in a handkerchief. Such a simple thing, but it's becoming obsolete in a society where everything is disposable.
Today I read them a book titled OWEN, a Caldercott Honor book, it was written by Kevin Henkes. It's a cute story about Owen who has a blanket named Fuzzy which he refuses to give up. Finally, with kindergarten approaching, Owen's mother gets the bright idea of cutting up the blanket and stitching it into handkerchiefs.
At that point in the story, the kids all looked up at me and asked, "What's a handkerchief?"
I wish I had brought one in to show them. However, I suggested that perhaps their grandfather might carry one in his pocket. A few of the kids nodded with understanding. One of them said her grandmother carried a handkerchief.
Times have changed. Everyone uses tissues nowadays. I still have a few dainty, embroidered handkerchiefs tucked in my drawer--one of which I carried with me, tucked underneath the bouquet, on the day I was married.
Next time I read that story, I guess have to bring in a handkerchief. Such a simple thing, but it's becoming obsolete in a society where everything is disposable.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Stroking My Ego
I received two more terrific reviews on "Prince of the Mist" yesterday--one with 5 Coffee Cups from the Coffee Time Romance review site, and a 4.5 review from the Romance Junkies' site. Getting wonderful reviews is one of the perks of writing. I get my ego stroked and I feel absolved from the responsibility for the layers of dust in my house.
Writing each of my books has been a long process with lots of hours spent in a chair in front of the computer. For me it has meant not watching television, not going out to lunch, ignoring friends, and being in a fog most of the time whenever one of my family members is talking to me--although my family has gotten rather used to it. They can tell when I'm not "in the real world."
My writer friends all talk about "filling the well"--that's what we do in between writing projects. For me, it mostly means cleaning the house as well as contacting all the people I have ignored while I've been submerged in my fictional world.
So fueled by my great reviews, I'll tackle some of that dust today. No doubt, some other story idea will attack me while I'm dusting though. I'm at the mercy of my muse.
Writing each of my books has been a long process with lots of hours spent in a chair in front of the computer. For me it has meant not watching television, not going out to lunch, ignoring friends, and being in a fog most of the time whenever one of my family members is talking to me--although my family has gotten rather used to it. They can tell when I'm not "in the real world."
My writer friends all talk about "filling the well"--that's what we do in between writing projects. For me, it mostly means cleaning the house as well as contacting all the people I have ignored while I've been submerged in my fictional world.
So fueled by my great reviews, I'll tackle some of that dust today. No doubt, some other story idea will attack me while I'm dusting though. I'm at the mercy of my muse.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
My New Review
I just received the first review on my latest release, Prince of the Mist. It's at ecataromance for anyone who wants to read the whole review. Here's the link:
http://www.ecataromance.com/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1089
Of course, there is one sentence I adored. "Penelope Marzec is a very talented author who keeps her readers hooked with this fabulous story which is full of fun, passion and intrigue." It made my day. :^)
Yesterday, I was up at 4:30 am, my head swirling with ideas for my current work-in-progress. I started jotting down notes, but even after that I found I couldn't sleep, so I gave up trying to rest, turned on the computer and typed.
Then I went to work as usual. Fortunately, I did not fall asleep on the job.
http://www.ecataromance.com/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1089
Of course, there is one sentence I adored. "Penelope Marzec is a very talented author who keeps her readers hooked with this fabulous story which is full of fun, passion and intrigue." It made my day. :^)
Yesterday, I was up at 4:30 am, my head swirling with ideas for my current work-in-progress. I started jotting down notes, but even after that I found I couldn't sleep, so I gave up trying to rest, turned on the computer and typed.
Then I went to work as usual. Fortunately, I did not fall asleep on the job.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Homemade Music
We visited with my hubby's nephew and family this past weekend. The nephew's daughter was to receive her First Communion. We drove five hours in the pouring rain on Saturday and arrived in time for take-out pizza. We stayed at the house and slept in the First Communicant's bed. Oh well. She didn't seem to mind.
We haven't seen the nephew and his wife in a year, so it was nice to catch up. The conversation flowed, helped by generous servings of wine.
The most unusual part of the visit was how truly fascinated the children were by my husband's accordion playing. The night we arrived, my hubby pulled out the accordion and proceeded to go through his usual repetoire. The kids rearranged the furniture in the living room to resemble something more like a theater.
The next day, after the First Communion, the kids clamored for my hubby to put on another show. The kids and their small guests watched in fascination as my hubby entertained. Some of the adult guests enjoyed the music, too.
My hubby loves an audience. He used to play the organ at church for a while--that way he had a captive audience. However, these youngsters who listened with such rapt attention made him very happy.
I wonder if any of them will ever be inspired to play an accordion.
We haven't seen the nephew and his wife in a year, so it was nice to catch up. The conversation flowed, helped by generous servings of wine.
The most unusual part of the visit was how truly fascinated the children were by my husband's accordion playing. The night we arrived, my hubby pulled out the accordion and proceeded to go through his usual repetoire. The kids rearranged the furniture in the living room to resemble something more like a theater.
The next day, after the First Communion, the kids clamored for my hubby to put on another show. The kids and their small guests watched in fascination as my hubby entertained. Some of the adult guests enjoyed the music, too.
My hubby loves an audience. He used to play the organ at church for a while--that way he had a captive audience. However, these youngsters who listened with such rapt attention made him very happy.
I wonder if any of them will ever be inspired to play an accordion.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
It's Still Cold At The Beach
My husband loves to go to the beach, and I do, too. However, hubby always assumes that whenever it is sunny and mild several miles inland, the same weather will prevail at the beach. I know better because I grew up by the water. It is invariably at least ten degrees cooler at the beach plus there is a stiff breeze blowing as well. Hubby grew up in Greenpoint.
We went to the beach today. Though there had been showers in the morning, the sun came out in the afternoon. I brought my jacket. Hubby did not want to bring his, but decided to toss it in the car at the last moment. It was a good thing he did. Only a few people had left their footprints in the sand today. The water was choppy and the air was misty. To me, it was a great day for a walk along the water's edge. Hubby wanted to know how long it will be before it's a good day for the beach. I told him that might be in July.
But I like it better now, when there's nobody there except the sea gulls. Today I listened to the lulling sound of the surf. In July, somebody's CD player will be blasting out music.
We went to the beach today. Though there had been showers in the morning, the sun came out in the afternoon. I brought my jacket. Hubby did not want to bring his, but decided to toss it in the car at the last moment. It was a good thing he did. Only a few people had left their footprints in the sand today. The water was choppy and the air was misty. To me, it was a great day for a walk along the water's edge. Hubby wanted to know how long it will be before it's a good day for the beach. I told him that might be in July.
But I like it better now, when there's nobody there except the sea gulls. Today I listened to the lulling sound of the surf. In July, somebody's CD player will be blasting out music.
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