How to Marry For Money

So we started a new book for a client called "How to Marry for Money". It is very much a smart ass how to manual for the lovelorn and finacially destitute - and its a lot of fun. Also on the menu is a sassy real estate book, a new solution for back pain, and the details of the worlds best money seminar. As busy as things are, they are really quite fun and entertaining as we don't get to do creative books very often.

Also working on the next couple of installments of my leadership series for CU Business. Hard to believe its been almost a year since it started. Its been a lot of fun and I've met some great business gurus like John Maxwell and Tom Feltenstien.

Also on the agenda is the final push for the ebook site. I talked to the developers today about how many people can download at once and he started in about bandwidth and mega giga bites....kind of like when Charlie Brown's teacher talks...wha wha wha.....that's all I heard. I just wanted to know if twenty thousand people downloaded at once would it work...he answered me but I still don't know. The correct answer is "of course it will" even if it won't, I wouldn't know the difference and I'd feel much better about the whole thing.

We also got three more fish - I know i KNOW...its eleven now and if they keep shitting in the pond, we'll have mud soon but oh well...we also now have lights on the fountain at night so its like a miniature Caesar's Palace...if you're around, come by and take a peek... Harley (my niece) was over this weekend and named the big fat one Nimo...I forgot what she named the other one...anyway when I have pictures, we finish the official naming....

Since several people know that we're writing a book about marrying for money, the question has come up....What would you do for a million dollars? So I ask - how low would you go?

Pond drama....

So...today was the day to go and pick out the lucky little goldfish that will get to inhabit our pond. I had thought we'd get six decent sized (4 or 5 inch) ones and that would be enough. Wellllll......there were two black ones (Esmeralda and Elvis) and one large calico(Spot just doesn't sound right for a fish). There there were two orange and white ones with these weird bubbles below their eyes....but they were smaller....THEN.....there were two yellow/black ones with pompadours....THEN there were two smaller gold ones with pompadours......sooo

You guessed it, they are all ours....NINE gold fish (plus one large and two small algae eaters to suck up all the fish crap).....so it will be a full pond....but most of them aren't that big. Of course they will all grow. Gina said if they get too big, we can swap them out for smaller ones so they don't overwhelm the pond. What a concept...too bad you can't do that with dogs, where every time your puppy outgrows the 'cute' phase you swap it out for another puppy! Dog lovers - don't email me, I'm not a dog person and don't care. I'm all about pets you can flush if they croak.

I have been working a lot, but that's normal for this time of year. We got a video camera to film some short clips for clients for video blogs and websites and of course as soon as I figure it out I will post video of the pond participants....

More tales from around the castle....

I know I know....this is a writing blog...BUT several of you have asked for an update on the pond and photos of Elvis and Esmeralda. Well, there was a delay of game (that's for you Britta!). The pond peeps couldn't come give it a look until last Sunday so E & E (as they are now being referred to) are on order and set to arrive Thursday!! So excited!! Tom and/or Gina will be coming by next Sunday to get the pond ready. We have also ordered blue gravel for the bottom cause I don't want to have to look at cement at the bottom of the pond.

They said it would take about 150-200 pounds of gravel ...which seems like a lot, but I guess they know their stuff. They are also ordering us a center fountain so we'll see how it looks....they said we could have about 6 or 8 decent sized fish so it will be E & E, Ed & Betty, and another couple as yet to be named. If you have any ideas, send them along.

I also found some new cleaning ladies and they are fabulous! Don't speak a word of English, but I say if someone wants to work they should get to work! God knows we run across numerous writer wanna bes who have no clue how to work!! The castle now sparkles and I feel a little bit guilty that they didn't ask for more money.

Business on the writing front has picked up a bit as more publishers are seeking us out!! Yea TAG! And that is only because the writers we do have want to work...go figure....work ethic speaks volumes no matter the country you are in or what language you speak.

The ghost was silent for a few days but the other night I heard him (or her) knocking..I 'd hate to think we'd run it off!!!

there is life in Baton Rouge!!!

I finally heard from one of our writers in Baton Rouge. Andrea. She told me it was really devastated....estimates of electricity back on in four to six WEEKS!! I can't even imagine. so of course i gave her the update on the Palin situation.....and what else was going on in the country. I can't imagine stopping life for weeks and hearing no news, no nothing...good to hear she and hubby Jeffrey are doing fine...still wondering about Camille and Heather though. Andrea and Jeffrey are helping man the radio station...sunny 103.3 go to the station website for live broadcasts....anyway she is going to try and get in touch with Heather and Camille tomorrow so we'll know that they are okay.

In other news, the castle has a ghost! there is this weird tapping in the pantry on occasion that we can't figure out... it almost sounds like a kid in the pantry knocking to see if you will come and check it out....and of course nothing is there. Its not scary, just interesting I think....cause its loud enough to make anyone in the kitchen or den go check it out. My husband is a HUGH disbeliever but then he never thought we'd have a castle either - JOKES ON HIM!! of course he was whining tonight because the 'man cave' doesn't have the balcony view....he keeps saying he has the 'projects' view - I mean really!!!! He used to have newspapers on the windows at the old house so you'd think this would be great.

I also found a guy to get the pond ready for Esmeralda and Elvis. His name is Tom and he's from Exotic Aquatics. He's coming to clean everything and get it ready to be a good home for our future goldfish clan. He'll even order Esmeralda and Elvis to our specs......so I wonder what one of those fish with a pompadour is called?

Stories from around the castle....

I'm getting used to the boxes you know.....but not getting far in the unpacking. Still lots to go and since work backed up during the move, I've been putting in long hours so who knows when the boxes will be gone and really - who cares?

So I'm taking it somewhat easy tonight and of course nothing is on TV. I added myself to facebook at the urging of some business friends and I'm surprised at how people have found me. Kevin is playing with timers on the sprinklers again - too bad he can't figure out how to make them go off every time someone lets their dog take a dump on our yard.

And what is the deal over here with everyone having a horse for a dog? If you want a horse, get a horse! A dog should not have to be walked with a golf cart! Our favorite client from Toronto will be in next week and then we'll be in Toronto with the Publisher Sept 24-26. Hopefully I won't have to endure the breeze from the ice cubes they have on that big lake up there...I mean really! February is not the time to hop into Canada.

YOu know how you get a really cool new fridge with all the latest features that seem really neat....like....um...i don't know - this really annoying beep if you hold the door open too long? So it sounds like a great thing right? And in theory it is if you're just staring into the depths of the fridge hopeing something will appear - this noise will snap you back to life and remind you, hey its the same stuff that was in there twenty minutes ago. Sounds great...right? NO.

See the little beepy noise is very effective for me - it beeps I close the door. But it doesn't seem to have the same effect on my spouse. It beeps - he ignores it. It doesn't bother him - it bothers me. Another ten seconds pass. More beeps and still no response. So now, its beeping and I'm complaining "HEY! It beeps for a reason!" And I get a blank stare. "What?" grrr...of course now that he KNOWS it bothers me its the funnest game ever - for him....

At least the moat is gone.....Yes I said moat. Last weekend, the fact that the sewer lines haven't had the roots removed in ..oh maybe five years became evident as a moat of raw sewage poured over our lawn and down the gutter around the castle. I'd even said something about wanting a moat but one with turds of unknown origin was not what I had in mind. Anyway, Paul the plumber to the rescue. The only good thing about the moat, was that all those people who let their dog/horse crap in my yard, also let them lap up the 'moat' water and then lick them in the face!! Yes, daddy loves his little horsey!!! Bwahahahahah

We Made It!!

So we are moved in!! - Not unpacked mind you, but moved. They delivered the bedroom furniture and the matching desks for our office. The red couch makes its appearance on Thursday along with the Frig. You know you never realize how attached you are to your frig until you are without one....I've had to ice down my bottles of wine in the sink for the last few days.

We absolutely love the house!!Kevin is on cloud nine and has been trying out all the neat features of the house - like the doorbell on the backdoor which is really annoying to me since I come downstairs to answer the front door and no one is there. And then there are all the various jets that come out of the wall in the master shower. I didn't notice them really or play with them - I just took a shower cause I wanted to get clean. Of course I'm a girl and that's what we do. Kevin however had to play with all the gadgets so he took a long shower then proceeds to tell me how cool the 'butt hole' cleaners are in the shower and how its the cleanest his butt hole has ever been. Really? Did ya have to share that??? Oh the joys of marrying a redneck. He has also arranged his 'man cave' with his desk, computer, TV, video games and beer frig which is the envy of all the guys who have been to the house so far.

Hopefully we'll be out of the boxes soon and can start having people over. For now, back to work!!

We move this Saturday!!

Its been a flurry of activity around here this week getting this house ready to lease. I have to say our renovations look pretty snazzy and we put the 'For Rent' sign out in the yard last weekend. We got quite a few calls so I'm sure we'll have it rented in no time.

We haven't packed as much as I'd like - okay I haven't packed as much as I should - Kevin is already packed and ready to roll. We have given away ten years+ worth of crap and I'm sure will be giving away more. I went and verified furniture deliveries for Saturday and me & Liz picked out two matching executive desks for the office. So the it will be two desks and the red couch so far in the office.

I'm really excited and went to the pet store to look at some fish for my new outdoor fountain/pond. I thought I wanted some KOI so I got a KOI for dummies book - turns out I don't' want KOI - They get really big and need all this special stuff. What I need is a fish that looks pretty and doesn't really need to be feed on a regular basis - turns out that's called a goldfish.
So once we have the little fountain cleaned, I'm planning on getting a few bug eyed goldfish - Perhaps a Black pair named Esmeralda and Elvis or a bright gold pair named Ed & Betty - what do you all think?

The Red Couch

So we've moved the closing date for the house up to the 16th.....eager to get there you know. Things are going well on the fix up for the rental and we've found the bestest handy man ever - his name is David and he can fix anything! So he's basically remodeling our house $50 at a time so it will be ready to lease out by Sept 1.

We bit the bullet and went furniture shopping this past weekend. We really only urgently need a bedroom suite - most of the rest can wait. However, over at Texas Furniture they had this little red couch I've had my eye on. Its curved and very girly and I wanted it for the office since we'll actually have room for people to sit in our office now. Anyway, I've looked at it several times and haven't gotten it because it was just a little pricey....then Saturday I went over to see if they'd sold it and they had marked it down to half price! Needless to say I snatched it right up! What can I say? The universe loves me! So now you all can get to visit the red couch when you come to the office - its really cute!

Today and tomorrow we have a client in from Calgary, CA. We're working on his book and some other programs he will be launching. His name is Todd Dean and he is a radio personality up there. We met in a couple weeks ago in Dallas and he's a nice guy. Actually I think he just wanted an excuse to come back to Texas...I mean who would live in the great white north on purpose??

Listen Up You Blog Stalkers!!

It has been pointed out that I have been incredibly remiss in my blogging - which is true...I've been swamped since the cruise which turned out to be a trip of a lifetime for everyone. I think we inducted a whole new generation of cruise lovers!! Jen & Ryan seemed to be quite smitten with the boat and ports of call and Ryan even went para sailing!

I'm not sure why the person who was the most reluctant to get on the boat (all that water you know!) ends up being the one tethered to a speed boat like a kite in St. Thomas. As most of you know I would highly recommend a cruise.

So anyway, like I said, we got back and I am swamped - which is good. We got our ebook site in the design phase and after some misses, they finally hit one out of the park!! The design is awesome and we should be ready to launch in the next month or so. We're presenting the idea in Dallas this week for one of our publishers and so far everyone who has seen it has loved the concept. It looks like a winner!

Added to the flurry of activity during this, our busy season, my husband finds a house online. We've been haphazardly and not really seriously looking at moving to a nicer home. We've gone to many open houses, but nothing has really struck as right. Not even close enough to investigate the financing. So we go and see this house which is really just a few block from where we are now. For those of you in Amarillo, we currently live in white trash Wolflin. This house is in REAL Wolfin. Anyway, I really liked it. So we began investigating financing and over the last few weeks everything has completely fallen into place. We're keeping our current house as our first investment property and will be leasing it out soon. We close on the new house the third week in August.

Since I'm so busy I'm seriously considering piling all our current crap in the yard and setting it ablaze...out with the old, you know. Below is the virtual tour of the new house and if you see a blaze in the yard of a house in white trash Wolflin soon, you'll know we moved.

Virtual tour:

Click here to view: http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?t=1380282&sk=1&prt=10003

It's Tomorrow!!

So tomorrow is the big day. We fly to Miami to begin our family cruise extravaganza. So far we seem to have everything in order. There was a very small blip this morning as Kaci's car broke down in Stinnett. Her Dad picked up the car and took it back home and I picked her up and brought her to Amarillo so no big deal. At least it will be fixed when she gets back.

I also picked up Kayla and we did the last trip to WalMart. We should be good to go and I think I have everything about packed. Didn't quite finish a couple of projects, but I guess it wouldn't be normal to actually go without work to do so I'm bringing them along.

We leave for the airport at a 6a tomorrow and should touch down in Miami shortly before 2pm so it will be a long day, but a relief once we all get there...of course there will be cruise updates!! so stay tuned.......

13 days til the cruise.....

Actually 12 days until we leave...we Fly into Miami on June 8. Everyone is so very excited and I for one, can't wait. Normally, I wouldn't take a vacation this time of year as summer is our busy season, but with everyone graduating and other people bringing their kids, this was the best time. Though work will pile up, I'm really looking forward to getting away. The map at the left shows where we will be going.

Here's one of the locations we'll be visiting:
Its the fort in Puerto Rico as you round the island coming into port.


Though we will be cruising the eastern Caribbean on this trip, Kevin and I are planning our regular birthday cruise for this fall. We usually go at the end of September and started it on our 40th birthdays (which are on the same day). We've continued to keep it up as cruising is very economical and life is too short to go for long periods of time without seeing the beautiful blue waters and feel the soft salt spray from our balcony. We'll be heading to the Mexican Rivera out of LA so it should be a good time. And its Mexico so we probably won't get off the boat that much - I'd prefer to stay on board anyway most of the time.

I'd have been saying that I hope to work on my book on the cruise for weeks - but I'm not saying that anymore. I WILL work on my book. I suppose some would find it odd that the one thing that I do every single day - write - is also the thing I look most forward to when I go on vacation. I guess that's a good indication of what your true passion is, if you do it every day and still can't get enough then its what you were meant to do. Anyway I will be finishing my new book on the cruise - and updating about the trip on the blog so stay tuned.

Memphis, Graduation, and Good Times

So I just got back from spending most of last week in Memphis. The hometown of Elvis, on the banks of the Mississippi, and keeper of secrets......yes, secrets (but more on that later). My parents and I all converged on Memphis for the graduation of my son from college. He is now a graduate of Rhodes College and to the thrill of the family and my son, HE HAS A JOB. He got his dream job at the corporate office of Auto Zone in Memphis. His does some kind of financial stuff (don't' ask me exactly what as it involves spreadsheets and stuff). But we were all VERY extremely proud of him.

So now I have two graduated from college and doing well in real life (with jobs and everything). We have another one graduating high school this year and one that's 16 so we still have a couple to go.

Memphis was totally fabulous. I had always envisioned it a very dangerous city (which it is if you look at the murder rate) because I watch The First 48 and its seems like every horrible murder happens in Memphis. However, I have to say that I totally loved it. The river was tremendous and I got an up close look from Mudd Island. The old peeps and me went down to Beale Street for a birthday lunch for my dad. Had fried green tomatoes, collard greens, grits and BBQ. We stayed downtown at the Madison and it was great. The valets were fab, and service impeccable. I got to treat my parents, but it was pretty obvious they aren't used to that level of service. Due to some issues with their room not being ready the hotel treated them to a suite and they learned pretty quickly why a $40 steak is better than sex and how fabulous room service really is.

My mom has been an Elvis fan her whole life and actually sneaked out late one night as a teenager in Dallas to watch the Elvis train roll through. She finally got to go to Graceland and will adamantly deny that the King is really dead (although she seems to think his estate is commercializing his memory??????).

The whole fam went to Rhodes for Graduation and it was really very nice. The weather was slightly overcast and the graduation was held on a large lawn surrounded by a forest of trees on the campus. I have to say that its something special to see your kids launch themselves into the real world.

In a few weeks we will all be off on the family cruise to the Caribbean to celebrate the grads and get together as a family before they all start acquiring spouses and reproducing. We're traveling essentially the same itinerary as me & kev did last year and I really think they will all love it. To top it off, my sister and her kids are going as well as Kevin's sister and her family so it should be a fun time.

On the home front, I'm catchin up on numerous books in the works and talking to many clients to get their projects underway. Thanks to all for the good wishes on my new book in the fall, The Trouble with Money. It is a book on reducing financial chaos in your life and we'll be teaching it as a class at Amarillo College.

Now for the 'secrets'.....I'm currently reading a book called "The American Plague" by Molly Caldwell Crosby. It is the story of how the epedimic of yellow fever almost destroyed Memphis in the first decade of the twentieth century. It is very haunting and yet educational. It was really intersting going to Memphis because 100 years later you can still see evidence of the result of that epidemic which is incredible......I'd advise everyone to learn about it and understand how it affected the population ....and if you have to go to Memphis and eat cheese grits (and visit Elvis)...to really understand it, then all the better....

www.candacehavens.com

The Trouble with Money

Good news! I have the preliminary mock up for my new financial book, The Trouble with Money. It may change a bit from this but it will be very similar. (the swirl is a watermark that will not be on the final)

The book is basically a look at what hang ups people have about money and why. Then I discuss how these money habits or erroneous beliefs can get them in really deep S*** financially and what to do about it.

It is interesting that I receive a certain amount of criticism for discussing money and financial issues so openly. Most people know that I have a strong background in finance, experience in the financial industry, and an MBA. But because my main source of income is writing they seem to believe that I'm not supposed to be interested in, or know anything about, money.

I'm sure all the business people out there are reading this thinking, "WHAT??" Exactly. Everything I do, whether that is writing, consulting, selling on the Internet, or playing poker is done from a business mindset. This does not mean that I only think about money, but it does play a part in what choices I make and where I choose to spend my time.

Often people just think about money as the amount in their bank account and they judge how they are doing in life by that amount. What they don't think about is money in relation to time. If you run out of money, screw up your credit score, or blow your retirement account on jet skis and tequila, it can be fixed, repaired or sold on Ebay (except for the used Tequila). But if you run out of time, that's it. There is no more and no second chance.

Time is and always will be your only non-renewable resource and as such, is the most valuable thing you have. This is why I am such an advocate about everything that I do bringing in the maximum dollar amount possible while taking the least amount of time. I know time is infinitely more valuable than money and spending time stressing over financial crises is a waste of life's most valuable commodity - especially when you could spend that time DOING something about it.

When I look back and think of all the time I wasted in endeavors that didn't serve me in the long run, it made me very conscious of how easily it could have been avoided and the financial issues in my life smoothed out. With the economy in a bit a slump there are millions of people living on the edge of that same financial chaos having no idea how to help themselves. I hope some of them will use some of their most valuable asset (their time) to read this book and understand that there is no financial crisis you can face that is hopeless. The release is set for fall and I hope you all will check it out.

WPT Ladies Event....

As many of you know, I'm currently in Vegas indulging my poker playing. It is sort of my 'secret life' that isn't really secret. Last night was the WPT Ladies event and I placed 26th (or 27th I'm not sure which) out of a field of 150. Not bad, but not in the money. It is really interesting how you can feel irritated when you play bad (even if you cash) but feel good when you don't get into the money because you played well. Part of the psychology of poker I suppose.

Speaking of which, I pulled up Travis' blog this morning and he had a post about Amarillo Slim (http://traviserwin.blogspot.com/). One line really caught my attention - he said : "Gamblers tend to be motivated by one of two things, cold hard cash, or fame. " Ummm....no....most of the time it's neither. Of course I'm speaking of poker players specifically but I can tell you that for the vast majority it's not about the money or getting your face on TV.

It has been said that playing poker is a hard way to make an easy living. Very few individuals make enough money over the long term to gamble full time as a profession - so why do they do it? Interestingly enough, the motivation of a gambler and of writers are virtually identical. They both work in industries that 'look' easy to outsiders. The population at large assumes they have fortune and fame at their fingertips and want for nothing. In reality, most have traveled a very hard road filled with years of hard work, trial and error, and massive rejection or failure.

The motivation of both of these professions is not money. It is not fame. It is the desire to be good enough. The desire to be the best. For the writer, the years of struggle that culminate in a book finally being published are deemed 'worth it' when their book is placed on a shelf shoulder to shoulder with Nora Roberts, John Grisham, or Tom Clancy. Does it matter that they made almost nothing in the transaction? Does it matter that 35 agents once rejected the manuscript? Does it matter that they probably don't have a prayer to hit a list? NO. What matters is that they were good enough. They competed and were recognized. Their emotions wouldn't be more intense if they'd made a million, what matters is that they won the race.

Poker feeds these same emotional needs. Like writing, it is one of the few arenas where anyone can play, but only the best win. It doesn't matter if you're a millionaire or a reject from white trash land, you stand equally side by side with the best in the world and you compete. You sit down shoulder to shoulder, as I did last night, with individuals who have literally won millions playing the game and you try your hardest. I sat at a table last night with Kathy Leibert, a woman who has won millions playing poker and just last week got second at the WPT event at Foxwoods. We played, we talked and we enjoyed the event. In the end, I was 26th and Kathy was 20th.

I am good enough, I can compete, and I will win the race - that's what matters.

New books plus Vegas.....

A quick update since its Saturday and I have so much to do that I don't know where to start...so I'm starting with a blog to get the creativity flowing. There is so much going on that I divided it into sections:

My books:

I have several in the works as always. The one that will be coming out in a couple of months is a book called: IRAs & IRA Investing. It's for Atlantic Publishing and will be great info for those of you who are interested in retirement investing. It was my specialty when I was at Prudential and I sure don't want to let that knowledge base go to waste. The cover is a little bland but I'm sure they are trying to convey a 'serious' tone. I think a cute little piggy bank would sell better though. Here's a preview -


We are also doing "I'll Start Monday" which is a diet and health book to support UC Fit. We have partnered with a guy who is starting the program and the book will be part of the launch in the fall. It is being done by TAG Publishing and will be available by August. As soon as I have the cover I'll post it and see what you all think.

I'm also doing another book called "The Trouble with Money" It is a book about the hang ups people have with money that keep them from making more money or that encourage them to make poor financial decisions. Its how to move from financial chaos to an investor mindset to turn your financial life around - and it WILL have a cute cover that is less intimidating and more about helping real people with real problems. This one is also being published by TAG Publishing.

On the ghostwriting front:

We have a conference call with five new writers(new to us anyway) that will be coming on with our group this summer. They come from a variety of writing backgrounds but all have strengths in various areas so we're looking forward to them coming on. We are just now hitting the busy season and so we want to be as prepared as we possibly can to handle the volume. We expect to top 100 projects by the end of the season and so will at least double our output from last year. We are still looking for more writers, but are being very choosy.

Vegas:

Off to Vegas again this week (Thurs-Tues) to play with the big boys. On Friday I'm playing a satellite into the Five Diamond Classic at the Bellagio and on Sunday I'm playing in the WPT Ladies event. Wish me luck!

Good Books

Hard to believe two posts in one week! Its like the end of the world or something. During all my recent travels I had lots of time on planes to read. I haven't posted a list of current favorites in a while so I figured I'd catch you up on my current ones in no particular order:

Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas

I got to read an advanced copy and actually teared up at the end!! The flight attendant kept saying, "Ma'am are you alright?" So that's like the best compliment I can give that it actually brought some emotion out in me. It's due out in April so don't forget to pick up your copy.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I know its been on the bestseller list forever but I like it anyway (I don't usually like the ones that make the list for some reason). I think I like it because it's a framed story and I have a particular affinity for that particular concept which includes works such as Forrest Gump, Fried Green Tomatoes, Amadeus, Interview with a Vampire. And its about the circus - who didn't dream about running away with the circus after getting your mouth washed out with soap for the thousandth time? Okay, maybe that was just me...

The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen

This one centers on the Influenza epidemic in 1918 in a small town in rural Washington State and what happens when they try to keep the epidemic from coming to their town. The characters are really great though the subject matter is a bit dark. I have to admit it's really a page turner - I don't usually let my baggage take a free spin on the carousel in baggage claim just to finish a chapter!

Issac's Storm by Eric Larson

This one is actually nonfiction and is about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. Its pretty good as it intertwines the survivor accounts into a narrative. It contained a lot that I didn't know about the race between Houston and Galveston at the time and how they dealt with the aftermath of the storm. Unfortunately it had some similarities to Hurricane Katrina's aftermath which says we haven't come far in the last 100 years.

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

This is also nonfiction and is a National Book Award winner. I have to say it is spectacular!! And not just because I grew up in the areas and with the descendants of the people he talks about. It is just very well written and includes a lot about the people who endured the dirty thirties and the time they live in. I remember my grandma telling some of the same stories that the survivors in this account did so it brought their experience home to me. I highly recommend this one to any writer who is interested in this era. I would also recommend reading the one about the Galveston hurricane before this one as the stories are intertwined in some strange and unexpected ways though they were written by completely different writers.......

happy reading!

Canada is Freakin cold!!!!

Yes it is. I'm sitting in Toronto looking out over Lake Ontario with its floating ice cubes and wondering why anyone would come to Canada on purpose in the winter. Although it looks like it would be really nice in the summer, its cold and dreary right now. The people, however, have been stellar and the service fantastic. I met my new ghostwriting client at the Royal York this morning and it turned out to be a fabulous day. His name is Joe Vitale and he is another of The Secret gurus but his expertise is in the marketing arena so we got along great. I also learned he lives in the hill country which begs the question, why are two Texans meeting in Canada?

The answer is that the publisher is shooting a TV special on Joe tomorrow and he was going to be here anyway, so it was convenient. But we both agreed we'd rather be in Houston than in the great white North.

In other news, the Virginia trip last week was informative and I think LSP is heading for a good future on the distribution side. The jury's still out the project management piece and I'm still working with the writers to address their concerns. Its given me a great chance to talk to everyone at length again, as we get so used to communicating by email, and its been a great reconnect.

The feature story I did for CU Business is due out this month and I can't wait to see it. It will have part of the interview I did with John Maxwell and I'm anxious to get it out there and see what the feedback is. I'm crossing my fingers. I'll post the PDF on this site as soon as the mag comes out (don't want to steal the editor's thunder!)

I finished up the Pilates book this week, but am still working on the geese parable. I think I have the characters down a bit more now so its flowing easier. I'm also still working on the IRA Investment book and the editor has been kind enough to extend the deadline to accommodate my travel schedule, although it really chapped me to have to ask - I hate not meeting any deadline and this is a first book wise for me. However she's been pretty understanding so I'm sure I'll make it up to her.

getting ready for VEGAS!!

so we're off to vegas next week for the credit union convention that I'm speaking at. I did land the Maxwell interveiw and it went incredibly well. I spent a day rewriting my kickoff article for the leadership series for CU BUSINESS with the stuff from the interview and the editor loved it! He even gave me a bonus!!! Dr. Maxwell also sent me a galley copy of his new book Leadership Gold and I told him that I'm more than thrilled to promote it during my talk in vegas. He really is very nice. It was an exciting week!

I also finished up the parable for Bob. It took forever!! I've gotten so used to doing non-fiction that I forget how creatively draining fiction is. I'm still not all that excited about the last two chapters, but we'll see what they think. I'm finally finishing up the wheelchair book - I feel really bad that I had to put it aside for the Bob thing, but I'm hoping she'll understand.

Lots of little stuff to do before Vegas, and one big thing - TAXES....ewweeee. This year has been crazy and I'm still getting 1099s from aritcles and stuff I wrote that I totally forgot about! I have a big pile of them on my desk and haven't even started gathering our business tax stuff....gotta get that done this week and over to our accountant dude......

squirrels eat cars....

OH YES THEY DO!!!.. so I'm just this unassuming little writer person and Gumbai the squirrel tries to make an example of me. I don' t know if I am just working for the man, buying into the reality of republican life as we know it, or hoping for the best when I turn that little piece of metal hoping my car will start. Which ever, the road kill that was previously destined to be on Larry King live has now made my formerly fine KIA ride a four door paperweight.

Yes its true. I hopped in the KIA to run up to market street to get my rotisserie chicken and the whole vehicle started shaking like a meth addict in lock up!!! I was real scared until we opened the hood. Hidden inside was a little nest that some squirrel had decided to make his home. On top of which he'd also decide that the main wires to my engine were incredibly tasty.

I thought that this was a big deal. But according to the D&K guys, it's really common. Our tow truck driver said his sister had it happen to her. Go figure. It was totally new to us and really it wouldn't be that big a deal, but the squirrels at our house constantly throw acorns at all visitors and generally make our lives miserable. So now I dont' feel the least bit bad if I squish one. They are horrible little rodents and I don't care...so there. Report me to PETA already....I dare you!

hooterville - the sequel.......

so...just when you think our hooterness has dissipated.....the amityville.....al la squirrel and plumber... commences......

so the first thing was that we had a plumbing issue....not unusual.....its an old house! But the plumber they send....Lupe....was totally unfamiliar with the house. We know to ask for Paul...he's been our plumber for more than ten years. He knows the pipes....he knows that Curly and Moe put this house together....but do they send Paul????? NO....they send Lupe....who piddles around for two hours figuring out what Paul already knows. Then he snakes the drain for 15 minutes and charges me $120 bucks. Of course while he was wasting time he finds out that I'm a writer and he ASSUMES that I make big bucks....which granted I do, but hey what does that have to do with my pipes???? So he overcharges me (Paul never does) and I'm totally fuming....but I figure, as long as he fixed the issue its not that big a deal - right?

So then this guy sits out in the drive for freaking ever...and then finally he rings the bell again. Come to find out he has no clue where the key to his van is - and he thinks he lost in underneath the house!! So I'm of course laughing as the guy spends the next 45 minutes searching under my house for the key to his van - serves him right for over charging me.... which still would have been fine if the problem was fixed.

BUT the problem is that it was not fixed. The washer is draining, but the dishwasher is not....so I try to remain calm...a tough thing for me. I don't hear from them most of the next day. So by 5, I'm speed dialing everyone and their mama. Finally the owner calls me back...they are swamped and he is going to send over Paul...so excited!!!!! That's what we wanted in the first place!!! woo hoo...Paul is the bomb! So sure enough he pops over....fixes the problem in less than fifteen minutes.....teases me that my xmas tree is still up and leaves...he's just the most fab plumber ever!!! more on the squirrel thing in the next post.

catching up

So I haven't blogged in a really long time...been busy...also have been working from my laptop a lot because I had surgery in Dec. Not the kind of surgery you dread, but the kind you look forward to after the birth of that first tax deduction. I had a tummy tuck. All went well but the downtime was a bit of a bummer. However the results are great! Its really fabulous that you can just write a check and they make you beautiful...I can see why some women get addicted to it.

The ghostwriting is now moving back into full swing after the xmas lull. More projects coming in from our main publisher. Two other publishers contacted us this week and we now have projects from them - so its is going very well indeed. My feature for CU Business magazine was due today, but I also heard back on the contact info for John Maxwell's office - I've been trying to get an interview with him to kick off the series so hopefully that will happen by Monday or Tuesday. I called the editor and he was excited so we're putting it on ice for a few days to see if the interview happens. It would be great to get to promote an interview with him as well as the series in Vegas.

Plans for Vegas are all secure and we're staying at the Paris where the credit union conference will be held. Kevin made reservations for the restaurant at the top of the hotel, but I'm pretty sure he's not going to like French food - at least we'll have a nice view.

I also got word that I'll be flying to Toronto in March to interview another guru that I'll be ghostwriting for so that's on the schedule too. We're also making the plans to attend Ryan's graduation in Memphis in mid-May. The family cruise will be coming up shortly thereafter in June and I think that will be great fun for everyone.

So far nothing on the schedule after June, but its early yet.

I live in hooterville.....

That's right folks........our hooterness is definitely showing as it often does in the fall. Just today I'm buzzing down the block in my little car, and what doth my wandering eyes behold, but three guys in flannel shirts skinning Bambi in the drive way. Only in Texas could they wield long knives in the middle of a decent neighborhood while skinning and chopping up a deer that they have hanging from a tree - in front of the house.

Of course, a couple of years ago when I worked for a financial firm that processes debit cards, my boss drove to work with a dead deer in his truck which dripped blood for several hours before he took it to the processor. Interesting thing was, people would just walk by the truck and say, "Hmmm, guess Dave got 'im a deer this year." And keep right on walking.

As far as other goings on, I got to see Leanna Ellis this weekend as she flew in to talk to the local writers' group. Her new book is called Elvis Takes a Back Seat and comes out in Jan just in time for the King's Bday. It was great to reconnect with old friends again - I don't get to do much of that these days.

On the writing front, I'm finalizing the leadership series for CU Business magazine. It will be a feature to introduce the series and then 10 article on various aspects of leadership. I think it will be a fun and informative series, and if I can piggyback a book deal, all the better. As for the ghostwriting, our group is expanding and growing tremendously. We're now rotating 50 book projects at a time and its amazing to look back at the volume we've produced over the last year. It's also exciting to think where we're headed as we become more involved in the process everyday.

Not bad for a bunch of writers from hooterville, TX.......

plotting, scheming, and other pursuits...

The busier I get the worse of a blogger I become. Natural I suppose. After returning from the wonderful trip to CA(see last post) I was home almost two whole weeks! Then it was off to West Palm in FL. Work again but still it was nice to get to go somewhere warm as its starting to really cool off at home.

In FL I got to meet several of our clients that TAG has been ghostwriting for. It was great to see some of the covers and media they had received as well! Most of the time, we finish the book and are pretty much out of the process so it was neat to see the end result. We are also going to be very busy as we have even more projects in the pipeline. Good thing we found more writers and editors this last month. While they're twiddling their thumbs right now, the flood is soon to come!

The TAGsters have also been very responsive to the idea of doing their own books and are working on several good ideas. We'll see what comes of the plans. If I've learned anything from the gurus, it is that incremental change is the key to sustained success it's not about making it overnight. We are adding to our expertise incrementally both as contractors and as business owners and it is really building into something worthwhile. Speaking of stuff we've added, see our trailer on You Tube for Picks & Shovels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH0damLPvrg

post cruise update.....and then some

So, I've been reminded numerous times by those near and dear (and not so near, but still dear) that I haven't wrapped up the Cruise. We stopped in Tortola, but spent an AMAZING day on the boat cause we were too tired after Antigua to get off!!..Then on to the Bahamas... the scene of the "crime" as most of you are aware....when we got married on Cable Beach, they were building Atlantis - actually it was a giant hole in the ground - so it was exciting to see what they did. I have to admit that in the end, I was disappointed. I thought it would be a great 'Bahamian' experience but it's more like Vegas south with a Carribean theme. Since they have no competition, they have few table games with any kind of player advantage (this means NO poker!!!) so I was stuck playing black jack with a $15/bet minimum...forget the fact that I won a grand, it was still a bit on the 'less than great' side. If I were paying to go to Atlantis, I wouldn't - so there. The end of a cruise is always depressing, and the lightening storm in Orlando that soaked our suitcases was a cherry on the top. You don't really think about all those T shirts you buy that are bright red sitting in the suitcase with your precious whites....till you get home and they have somehow mutated into a pink melange......oh my!!!! What???? Were they mating and gyrating furiously during the storm??!!

So then I was home for 5 days........a short stretch in anyone's book. Then I was off to the ranch in northern CA once again for 9 days. Nothing is as serene as northern CA in fall....except for the deer (its mating season) and the mountain lion alerts (apparently mating deer are yummy to the local big kitty population) and the traffic!!! Who hits bumper to bumper at 85 miles an hour on the way to the airport at 4:30 in the morning!!!!????

It was still an incredible week. The highlights of which were hearing Bob Proctor, Gerry Roberts and Paul Martinelli speak. We've worked for these guys almost 2 years now and this was the first time live! I have to admit they were different than my perceptions which was very good. I also got to hear Mark Victor Hansen talk about their new E-book business and his goal of selling 1 Billion books this year (yes that's with a B). It was incredible that the idea that me and Liz have had for the last few months is exactly on target with his ideas. Not only was he very encouraging, he said our goal of $1 Million by Dec 31 this year was a piss ant goal!!! So we've raised it...as you all know....... and asked for a little help from our friends. We'll be in the US, Australia and India in just a few short weeks and our goal is to make millionaires out of every single TAG member that jumps in with us. Nothing like confirmation from the big guys to encourage you along the way!!!

Update from the Cruise #4

Antigua!!! I have to say I’ve looked forward to today as we booked a catamaran cruise so we’d know if we want to do one with the kiddies next year. I was a little concerned as I’m not a sun person and generally can’t spend more than ten minutes in the sun without getting toasted – and tropical sun is especially brutal. But we were on a large double decker catamaran with plenty of shade. Even though there were easily 60-70 people on the boat it didn’t seem crowded at all. The one we chose was a 6 ½ hour trip where they circumnavigate the whole island, drop you at a private beach to swim for a couple of hours, feed you lunch and then bring you back to the ship. Once they got the catamaran going, it was wonderful!!! The breeze was fabulous and the views stunning. They pointed out the great beaches, celebrity homes (I took a photo of Oprah’s new house) and other points of interest. It was a very fun ride as we hit the Atlantic side and the waves got bigger. Our cruise director was also on this excursion and it’s always a good thing if you see crew members from the ship as they know the best excursions. After a couple of hours, they pulled up to the private beach, lowered the stairs and we walked right out on the sand. They had snorkeling, or you could just soak in the beautiful water – which is what we did. Except Kevin forgot he had his wallet in his pocket so it got soaked. While we swam, the crew fired up the on board grill and grilled chicken and steamed red snapper for lunch. It was very good and was served on real china – no paper plates and plastic ware! And did I mention that it was an open bar? It was all included. They had beer and fruity drinks, then red and white wine was served with lunch. After lunch we got to swim a while longer as they cleaned up and then we were off again. We got back a bit early so they dropped us off at a second beach for a short swim before heading into the dock. All in all it was well worth the $99 each and definitely a “have to do” with the kids next year I think they will love it! We didn’t do any shopping and got back , went to dinner and hit the hay. John and Joella are doing the catamaran tour in Tortola tomorrow but we decided to have our own “Fun Day at Sea”. We’re too old to go go go everyday and I did get a bit sun burned and need a day to rest up so we’re sleeping in…..

Update from the Cruise #3

Today is the fabulous St. Thomas!!! Kevin bought tickets to the Sky Ride which is a tram that takes you up the Mountain…in the Caribbean that’s anything that approaches 800 ft. There was a little shop and bar at the top of course and we sat up there and enjoyed the beautiful views and the breeze. I also got a great little coral and turquoise necklace at the artists booth. There were three Carnival ships in port lined up and the ship we are taking next year with the kids was behind ours. It is the Triumph and sails out of Miami. After our Sky Ride, we decided to go to the other side of the island to Coral Cove. It is a really neat marine park where you can take pictures of sharks, pet the stingrays without getting wet and play in the tanks with the star fish, anemones and sea cucumber. They also have an undersea aquarium that you can walk down to and see out into the bay as if you were scuba diving which is pretty nifty. Everywhere we went there were iguana all over the place – they are kind of like squirrels at home just not as cute. But they were everywhere. We went back to the outdoor mall at the dock and decided to have lunch at a place called Delly’s bar where the specialty drink is the Bushwacker. It is a coffee, amaretto thing like liquid tiramisu. Anyway its very good and you don’t really realize how much liquor it has in it as you suck down the first one. So of course, I ordered another as our fish and chips arrived. The fish was hand battered mahi mahi and was wonderful. So by the time I finished lunch I was very glad we were within crawling distance of the ship….needless to say we took a short nap when we got back on board. We got up in time to see the ships pull out of port. It’s a very tight fit for three big cruise ships and I wondered how they were going to do it, but they backed it up and swung it around no problem missing the next ship by a mere 50 feet or so. I have to think it must be like trying to parallel park a foot ball field on water but they are very good at it. That night I went to the onboard watch sale and picked up a very sparkly fossil watch for next to nothing. We went to bed early as we have booked an all day catamaran excursion on Antigua tomorrow.

Update from the Cruise #2

Here is the second installment of news from the cruise….

Day 3- Sunday – Today is our first fun day at sea as we steam toward our first destination of Puerto Rico. I spent most of the day actually working. I plugged my little laptop into the bar and wrote, sipping on the fruity drink of the day and watching the waves roll by. I love that I can now work from literally anywhere in the world and enjoy myself tremendously. Oh, and BTW, after a few hours and several fruity drinks it sparks an incredible creative writing session where numerous new ideas burst forth – I didn’t say good ideas just ideas. Tonight is also the first formal night aboard ship and it was great fun. We stayed up for the midnight comedy show as is our usual habit – cruise ships usually have great comics. He was the guy that has cerebral palsy who won Last Comic Standing. He was very funny. We also attended the Broadway type show that was right before but ended up leaving. I have very little tolerance for so called culture. The seas were slightly choppy but quite fun in my opinion. Neither one of us suffers a bit of motion sickness so it works out well.

Day 4 – Monday – I again worked on my laptop at the bar most of the day. I did venture into the spa to get my teeth whitened. They offer it for $199 on the ship and its $500 at home. It really worked well and took that grey look off the enamel caused by an overindulgence in red wine. We didn’t get into Puerto Rico until 5 pm and we only had about 5 hours there. We didn’t stay that long. There are some wonderful historic sites that I wish we’d toured, but the sun went down so fast I don’t know that we would have seen much. Since we’re scoping all these ports for the cruise with the kids next year we want to know what to do and what not to do so we’re trying some new stuff. One of the things we tried was a local dish called Mofongo. It is basically a bowl of what I thought was potatoes, stuffed with meat and gravy. Turns out the bowl is mashed plantains – which are not sweet and act very much like potatoes. It was good, but not something you’d want to eat every night. Then, instead of a dinner mint, they brink you an after dinner drink called coquito – OMG it’s the best stuff every like cinnamon eggnog on crack!!! It comes in a tiny little glass of less than an ounce and is a wonderful blend of coconut cream, cinnamon, Puerto Rican rum, sugar, cream, and egg yolk – and it tastes as rich as it sounds. WE left Puerto Rico at midnight right about the time we were again in the midnight comedy club. This time we were listening to Happy Cole who was even better that they guy last night. I bought his CD to listen to when I get home.

Update From the Cruise #1

So we’re steaming along through the big blue ocean and here I am updating my blog…isn’t technology great?? So far its been pretty wonderful – as expected. So here’s the update.

Day 1 - Friday– We flew into Ft Lauderdale to spend the night. Probably unnecessary, but I always have that dream where we’re standing on the dock and the boat has left without me – so we always come in early to avoid the stress caused by flight delays and thunderstorms. Anyway we got a cheap room at a hotel which shall remain nameless and went down to the bar shortly after arrival to get our first drink of the trip (okay not first, but first out of an airport). The bar was a very small operation tended by a woman who apparently has a deep love for cats judging by the way she kept letting them into the back room and feeding them in between preparing drinks. We decided that we’d rather no eat there (go figure) and asked the cat woman for a recommendation to someplace “nice”. She said that the Rustic Inn was famous for its ambiance and was right on the water. Have I mentioned that it’s HOT in Florida?? I mean like HOT HOT HOT!!! Anyway we hop a cab to this well known local place where the specialty includes all types of crab….and the ambiance includes mallets that are used to crack said crab and splatter everyone including the diner with bits of seafood. The mallets also double as congratulatory instruments for when a birthday, anniversary, etc is announced - you are to pound them on the table mercilessly in celebration. This is proof that everyone has a different definition of “nice” and the word ambiance is used rather loosely these days.

Day 2 – Saturday - We, and many of our fellow cruise goers, piled onto a bus the next morning and were spirited off to our wonderful ship – the Liberty. Our room is very near where ours was last year with a balcony toward the back of the boat and its weird that many of the same crew on this boat were on the Conquest last year so it’s like old home week at the bar…go figure. The first evening we got to meet our dinner mates for the week who turned out to be a fabulously normal couple from Missouri named John and Joella. They have been a lot of fun.

5 days til the CRUISE!!

As I made my obligatory flip flop run today for the cruise, it occurred to me that I hadn't updated in a while...actually almost a MONTH! So here's what's up since I last shared with my fans (all two of you). We leave on 9/14 to fly to Florida to hop a boat to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.

I can't tell you how bad I need to get away for a while. Our group has produced so many books in the last two months that it boggles the mind - but we did it and so I think we have reached a whole nuther level of production capabilities. We've also had some contact with several people that have offered to help our little endeavor in one way or another which underscores the amazing generosity of people.

The covers are done for our first two fiction releases and our nonfiction release for fall is a short six weeks away. We'll be producing a video trailer for our books thanks to more help from amazing friends who happen to have offspring in the video production biz. I'll be doing some editing on the cruise, but I don't mind...its kind of funny that when you love what you do, you also consider it recreation.

Classes are well underway at AC again and we're teaching a critique class and the ghostwriting class. The novel class didn't make, but quite honestly I was so swamped I wouldn't have been at my best anyway - maybe it will make for spring.

The garden is winding down and somehow I still feel like I missed the whole summer. It's this whole working around the clock thing I guess. I have talked to several outstanding people in the last couple of weeks while doing some research so I'll be sending out more magazine queries before I leave on the cruise and we'll see what happens. Right now I'm looking very forward to fruity drinks and no phone for 8 days!

So here's what happened.....

You all know I quit my job...on a Thursday(July 26)....so on Friday I got a call from the publisher that we do ghostwriting for. They wanted me to fly to California to interview a person who is a personal friend of the guy who owns the company. And of course I said YES!!! So on Saturday I was on a plane to Sacramento....then drove north west about 70 miles to a place called Clearlake Oaks. Clearlake is a fabulous lake second only to Tahoe for beauty.....anyway..... stayed 2 days at one of their lake houses...then was moved up to a multi million dollar Casa for the next two days. Hills topped with vineyards.....great beef on the hoof in the valley (about 60 miles due north of Napa) like Texas only with no humidity....or wind.....or weather......just gorgeous......and this ranch had such a peace about it.....really fabulous. At first I was a little disoriented since I didn't have Internet access and cell phone reception was spotty....like being cut off for the first time in I don't remember when. So after the first day I decided to quit stressing and just go with it. I met the most amazing people and learned much about myself and the person I'd like to be. All while interviewing this woman who has gone through amazing and tragic events and yet run a company for 40 years that is on the cutting edge within the personal development industry. Her name is Jayne.

So after I got back, we were slammed with projects. Australians, Europeans, British (no apparently they are not European - who woulda guessed?) and we're trying to get everything finished before the Cruise in Oct. Not the birthday cruise my hubby and I are going on Sept 15, but a cruise on Oct 6 for business that many of our ghostwriting clients will be on. Sucks to be us right??? NOT!

Anyway we're hauling butt toward this cruise. So I got back from my respit in CA on a Wed. Then the most fabulous thing happened.....I got an email on Friday from a marketing person for the 26th Annual National Credit Union Convention. She had read an article of mine about creating Buzzzzz to increase your bottom line in Credit Union Business. AND SHE ASKED ME TO SPEAK AT THEIR NATIONAL CONVENTION!!! In Vegas! What a fabulous opportunity. So of course I'm going!

So I emailed the publisher of the magazine to let them know the good news and he requested a call the next Tues to discuss future issues. So on Tues, while we're talking about the possible ideas, I tell him about Jayne and the work she is doing. He loved it! In fact he will be featuring her on the cover of the January issue and I will be interviewing her for the cover story. I will also be writing a monthly column for them next year on the field of human development/human potential. How fab is that???? And that was just this week. Stay tuned folks cause it's looking like a wild ride to the end of 2007!!! And BTW I will be speaking in Vegas on Feb 19-22 if any of you want to drop by!!!

hehehehehehehehehehehehehehhe

59 days to my next CRUISE

Gee time flies!! This year on our birthday cruise we'll be off to the Virgin Islands, Antigua, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. I remember the Bahamas like it was yesterday but its actually been nine years! My husband calls it a "return to the scene of the crime" since we were married there. On the beach. In our swimsuits. Not sure exactly what day - those fruity drinks were free you know.

I'm now working full time at the writing, my stint in corporate America finished for good. It's weird to finally get to do something you've wanted to do for twenty years - and fabulous. Speaking of which, I am swamped with Projects but I am also deferring more to our other writers as they are able to handle more projects. I can't even tell you how great its been to have so much good help from the writers and editors. They take a huge load off of me.

Tomorrow Liz and I will be speaking at the PPW meeting on ghostwriting and answering questions about how The Amarillo Group (TAG) works. From a conceptual standpoint its very different than most other freelance or writing associations and sooooo many people are interested!

My friend, Jodi Thomas is back from her hop across the pond and did a little promoting of our ghostwriting book at a conference in England. There seems to be just as much interest over there as here. I also had lunch today with a Brit who is interested in being our UK connection and I think the arrangement shows promise since we have so many UK clients and their needs are so specific.

On the home front, our garden is nuts this year. We're actually giving away tomatoes and it's only mid July! Everything is producing abundantly and keeping up with it is quite a chore - but worth fresh veggies.

The collegiates will be home the second week in August so that will be fun. They so rarely get to come home anymore. We decided that since all four kids were getting older, we need to take one big family vacation before the are all gone for good. Jen's already a grown up, Ryan graduates college next spring, Kaci graduates high school and Kayla will be 17. The only vacation that makes sense to us at this point of course is a cruise. The kids can run amuck on the boat all day and we can still do our thing. We also decided that we'd invite both sides of the family and if they want to join us, they are welcome to. We're calling it the Virden-Burks family cruise (like a Chevy Chase movie with sharks instead of a dead granny). We're planning a tour of the Caribbean (without Jamaica if we can avoid it) but don't know if we'll go out of Ft. Lauderdale or Tampa at this point.

That's all the news for now, must get back to the writing that actually pays!!

Is it summer?

I hear it is, but haven't really looked out lately to see! Busy as always. Since Austin, I've written three (almost four) books, been chewed out by two clients, loved by two more. Pretty average I'd say. I've been amazed at my ability to ramp up and meet the increasing management demand for TAG even to the point of engaging in administrative overkill (long story). We've taken on two new writers, and are talking to two more next week. Our project load has doubled in the past two weeks and I have to say I'm really proud and encouraged that our existing writers have stepped up production and are handling everything that comes their way.

The last freelance/ghostwriting class is next Wed and as busy as I've been I almost hate to see it end. There are several promising writers who I think you will be seeing in print shortly. I really enjoy the class although more and more people are asking why I do it with all the projects we have. I must admit part of it is just being able to spend a few hours talking to writers who are serious and want to get into the business. I remember when that was me and it has completely changed my life for the better and I hope it does the same for them.

I read a short essay a while back about finding your purpose. That purpose being what you were put on the earth to do. I have to say writing is it. It's something I do into the wee hours, not realizing the time has slipped away. Something I think about constantly and can't wait to get back to. I wish I could describe it better, but it's an acknowledgement that what I've know about myself since I first picked up a pencil in grade school was right. I was born to put words on the page. It is truly who I am whether I am helping someone else complete their book, or working on my own i know that people world wide will read words I've written and hopefully take them to heart.

A recent event reminded me of how short life is and how sad it would be if I didn't spend my time doing what I love. So I've decided to let the weeds grow, ignore the dust bunnies and spend my time immortalizing thoughts and dreams by putting words on a page.

Off to Austin

The Amarillo writer's conference last weekend was really fabulous!! Great time to catch up with old friends and make new ones as always. Our book made its debut and the reception was excellent. We're off tomorrow for the Austin Agent's & Editor's conference and anticipate great things. I actually have some time to make my to do list for next week and so far here's what's on the slate:

1. Gathering more stories from some of my girlfriends about their views on aging for the Aesthetic Cosmetic book.
2. I received some background material from a new client that is involved in funding real estate through non-recourse loans within an IRA - very interesting concept and the book cover was fabulous! Can't want to start writing this one.
3. Finish up editing a book concerning the meaning we associate with money and how that affects us.
4. Get TAG Publishing website up and start email marketing campaign for our book.
5. Get Bosses From Hell website up. This was an idea I had a couple of years ago when I was contemplating the Doctoral degree in Management. The basic idea is to run a contest to let people submit stories of awful bosses and then write a book with those stories as well as advice for dealing with them in the jungles of corporate cubeland. This is one of those ideas that just won't die - so be thinking of the worst things your boss has ever done to you so you can submit! I'm not sure what the prize will be but I'll let you know.
6. Get some sleep!! You'll notice this is last on the list which means, if there's time, I'll get to it.
Happy Writing!

Excitement!!!

The book is out in two days!!! So exicted! We also found out this week that our financial book that comes out this fall will have a cover quote from Bob Procter (Mr "Secret" himself) and possibly Jack Canfield of 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' fame. It's really more than I hoped for and a great sign I think.

Projects for TAG are picking up nicely, as they tend to do during the summer. July and August may be wild but we're clearing out a number of old projects and have the room. We've also added some more members to our ranks and several of our member school teachers will have more time during the summer so it works out great.

The Amarillo writer's conference is this weekend and I'm very much looking forward to seeing old friends that come into town for the occasion. Speaking of friends, there are several you need to meet. The first is Leanna Ellis. She has her new website up and a new book out soon called Elvis Takes a Back Seat. It's a wonderful read and a great cover! Visit her at www.leannaellis.com.



Candy Havens, who many of you have meet if you've taken one of my classes, also has a new book out this week. Charmed and Deadly is her third for Berkley and there's more on the way! You can visit her at www.candacehavens.com. Don't miss her blog! She's one of the most entertaining bloggers I know.



I'm off to class now, tonight's subject will be the business side of writing and the elements of a great query letter.

New Class, No Divorce

We had the first meeting of our ghostwriting and freelance class last night at AC and I think it went very well. There are 14 total signed up and all but one showed (or let me know they had to be gone)! They were very receptive to the ideas and I think it will be a great class even though its only six weeks long.

One of the students is a teacher from England, Sally Vaughan, who has been over here on a teacher exchange program. She's a house guest of Jodi Thomas' right now and is incredibly delightful! (gee you can almost hear my English accent!). After class we went back to Jodi's and had a fine time chatting about the oddities and frustrations of the book business - but that and two bottles of wine is still a good time!!

For those of you (my spouse in particular) who are wondering about the mysterious nature of my last post, NO I'M NOT GETTING DIVORCED! It's weird when your husband reads your blog and then says, "Ummm, is there something I need to know?" Really! I think when he read the "has been a thorn in my butt for years" part he just assumed it was him.

Head Spinning

So much to do, so little time - as usual.

We're anticipating the arrival of the first copies of Picks & Shovels. They should be here the morning of June 8th - so excited!! We are also attending the local FiW conference that weekend so that will be the book's debut. The we're off to the agents and editors conference in Austin where we will be doing a preconference workshop on ghostwriting.

We are also starting our summer class at AC tonight which is a beginner's guide to ghostwriting and freelancing. Liz & I are teaching it together and then she will teach it in the fall and I will teach the novel class and the critique class.

We're also plotting the release of our fall books and devising marketing plans for each of them. The test work will be done using Picks & Shovels so we'll see the effectiveness of the different marketing avenues and plan accordingly.

Speaking of marketing, I went to a marketing meeting yesterday that involved a friend who is trying to reach the next level of her career. It was interesting to say the least. As much writing as I have done lately about the ingrained nature of old paradigms, it was very evident there. Some of the participants had already shifted their mindset to the next level and some really hadn't. It was an interesting example of how limiting beliefs can kill great ideas. We'll see what comes of it.

Speaking of limiting, I've made some decisions lately to take control over one area of my life that has been a thorn in my butt for years. There comes a time when you have to decide if you will continue to ignore you own issues or just frickin deal with it. So I'm dealing. Sorry to be mysterious, but I will also be keeping a diary about it and publishing it in 2008 so I can't reveal everything here.

On the slate the rest of the week are three ghostwriting projects that need various tweaks, nothing major, just time consuming. The ghostwriting has been going rather smoothly lately for a change and everyone is working away on their projects. All of the ghostwriters are busy though the editors are a little bored right now. Of course, their time is coming since so many of these projects will reach completion about the same time.

My next big project (are there ever any little ones?) will be getting the TAG Publishing website up and accepting orders. I'm planning to do that this weekend and since I've done so many websites now, it should be relatively painless - here again its just time consuming.

106 days to my next cruise!!!

The Next Cruise (and a bit of a rant)

Flights are all booked to Ft Lauderdale for our next cruise in September. This time, we're off to the Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Anitgua, and the Bahamas. I'm so glad we're making this an annual event! It really gives me something to look forward to.

September 13th will also mark the switch to my working full time for TAG Publishing. Not that I have any plans to discontinue the freelance work I'm doing - in fact I will probably be doing more since I will have more time, but I'm excited to see where it all leads.

On the slate this week is the next draft for the lipo book, finalizing the first draft for the Botox book, and finishing up a first draft on a business book for a client in London. I have to admit it's such a nice switch to go back to writing about business when I've been neck deep in nip, tuck, suck books this spring!

One other item that most of you have probably heard about is the uproar over Simon & Schuster changing the language in authors' contracts to now have indefinite rights to a work as long its in their electronic archives - which basically means forever. This is a perfect example of why small publishers (like ours) are popping up all over the place. As the corporate publishers squeeze more and more from the authors, they are looking for other options. While big name authors still have the power to negotiate a good contract, midlist and especially unknown authors are at their mercy.

The sad thing is that all of this is completely unnecessary. Big publishers operate from a sense of lack, that they must have every option available in order to squeeze out one more dime from a limited market. This is the worst backedup thinking that I have ever seen in a business environment. It's not like we're going to run out of readers! And the thing is, if you produce a good product, people will come to know that product and trust you to give them what they want.

It's time for authors to stop allowing publishers to push them into formula type, book mill books that are not where their heart is. It's time to just say no. No to the "us" versus "them" mentality. No to the disintegration of great fiction just to earn a buck. No to allowing your time and talent to be wasted while your book languishes in the corporate machine.

Personally, I think its time publishers and authors worked together for their mutual benefit. I think its time for honest communication and clarity in financial dealings and if it's broken, for God's sake fix it!!

Just my thoughts today.

Read All About It!!

We've been so busy my head is still spinning!! BUT we are solidifying plans to get our little publishing company off the ground. So Excited!! The offical name will be TAG Publishing, LLC. We've got our fall line up solidified and are tentatively and very selectively looking for manuscripts for next year. We've decided to launch a fiction line and add to the nonfiction line we currently have. Those of you reading this blog are the first to know - so pass it on but only to the very best writers or agents that you know.

The nonfiction line will consist of our writer's reference books (we will continue "The Wealthy Writer" series) as well as self help and financial books. That's not to say we won't entertain other ideas in the area, but they have to be good! (DUH!) Our next book in the non-fiction arena is The Wealth Attraction Factor and will come out in Hardback in October. We will be following that up with our first fiction release, The Christmas Rat - a small hardback gift book that details one family's zany xmas! Our publishing website will be up soon and I will keep you posted as to the new developments.

If you know of someone who may be interested in sending us an idea, please let them know to send queries and the first ten pages to: TAG Publishing, LLC P.O. Box 8975 Amarillo TX 79114.

Things are going swimmingly!

So I can't seem to get back in gear since Vegas - and I have SO MUCH to do!! I accepted another assignment from Kiplinger so I'll add that to the mix. I heard from one book client that I thought had dropped off the face of the earth and the others are all getting stuff to me so I'm swamped, which is good.

I also heard from an old friend yesterday by email and it so weird cause I had just been thinking about her. Its strange to get a blast from the past every so often. It reminds you of who you were then and how far you've come - its surreal. If you had asked me when I was 18 what I'd grow up to be, I hate to think what the answer would have been. I pictured myself something like the woman in American Gothic - and I'm soooooo glad that did not come to pass! OMG! I would have missed so much - and so would my kids.

In our latest bid to take over the universe, we're discussing how to manage the electronic version of the book and when we need to get the "Wealthy Writer Institute" off the ground. So many business opportunities to conquer, so little time.

Vegas is the BOMB!

Back from our most recent tour of Vegas....actually the only thing I toured was the poker tables. I played mostly at Binion's and the Golden Nugget. We went down to Caesar's to eat at Bobby Flay's place, Mesa Grill and it was great! So was the Australian Rock Lobster at Binion's Steak House. Unfortunately we had to return to real life....Bummer.

At least I got a little reading in on the plane. I read Nora Ephron's book, I Hate My Neck, and it was really funny. Quite the commentary for women over 40 - I loved her take on the purse issue. I also started a book called Stumbling On Happiness. Which is basically an explanation of why we think we know what we want, but when we get it it wasn't really what we wanted. It was written by a Harvard Psychology professor who has a surprisingly fabulous sense of humor.

I also discovered a love for mudslide martinis and indulged it on this trip. yummy. On the project front, I have been assigned two more articles for Credit Union Business and am finishing up some projects for Life Success. Liz and I are working on the content for our ghostwriting and freelance class that starts at Amarillo College at the end of May. We're also getting ready for our preconference workshop that we will be doing at the Agents & Editors conference in Austin in June.

I can't believe our book will be out June 1!! So excited. I spent some time today researching more conferences and possible speaking gigs to promote the book. Time is passing very quickly and I've already given notice that I will be quitting my day job in September. In order for that to happen on schedule, I am going back to spending a higher percentage of my time on the marketing and promotion side of things to get as many projects as possible in the works.

We will be having another get together for the members of TAG the third weekend in April. We'll be able to conference in the editors from Louisiana too so that will be neat. And best of all, JEN WILL BE HOME!! She hasn't been home in ages so I can't wait. And now that she is doing some editing for TAG she might as well learn the whole ball of wax.