How 'bout this for roughing it ;O)

Okay, so not a lot of die-hard campers in the bunch, LOL.

Honestly, me either. Tent camping was the only way my fam. could afford travelling growing up, so I've done my time.

This is what I like to see my campsite looking like now. Wanna come rough it with me at the Ritz ;O)

Ahhhh, me and my laptop...room service with cute little cater waiters...I'm betting there's a killer view out that window, too, for those times a girl needs some non-hunk distractions.

Yeah, I like the great outdoors. Every time the wind blows, my creativity recharges. But the great indoors is a lovely thing, too!! And because I travelled so much as a consultant once upon a time (and stayed in some dives on the client's dime), I'm not a budget-elle kind of girl anymore...good thing for all those American Express points I can trade in.

Okay, the new RWA National Prize. I'm going to go ahead and say I'll be drawing a winner on the 10th, instead of next week. The AAF revisions are going to be my focus until then, and I don't want to leave anyone hanging. Here 'tis...let me know what you think!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Gone Fishin'...

Just when you think it's safe to relax and tie up all those lose ends you've left dangling around the campfire, one of the fish you've stocked in your rustic pond jumps the bank and drags you back into the muck for a bit of tuggle war ;O)

Yeah, I'm swimming with the fishes right now...fiddling with revisions on the book I turned in not two weeks ago--All-American Father--because the deadline's so tight on this one, it's due into production in early October.

I know, I know...you're wanting to know, "Where's the website update, newsletter, excerpts and prizes, you big tease!!! Where's the s'mores and the trail mix and all the fun stuff that makes camping the bomb???

Well, this camper's had to throw some sand over the fire and pull the stakes from the tent. Vacation from deadlines over, until my Editor gets her revsions.

One thing's for sure in publishing...feast or famine rules the day. And when it's time to feast, and your family says, "rock on, we've got things covered while you're fish wrangling," you dive into the bounty.

So, a quick RWA Conference giveaway update, and I'm off to make All-American Father my best Superromance yet (my editor L-O-V-E-D this story and the hero, BTW), and also two weekends of promotional stuff I'd planned, back when I thought I'd be in control of my schedule this fall, LOL!!!!

I'll be in and out over the next week or so, but I'll keep doing the giveaways, 'cause I can't leave my buds hanging out here without their campfire songs (okay, honestly, I need to move this stuff out of my PR room, or my husband's going to lose it and give everything away to the folks living in the next Winnebago over).

So, stop by and chat...keep me in the loop, so I can live vicariously through you for a bit. It was so much fun to hear everyone's dream get away places (and, yes, my dreams often include peaceful cooking and other at-home-without-deadlines-and-preassure-loming over-me passtimes). Leave comments, be in the running for prizes...I'll be back soon, with lots of coathanger thingies to melt marshmellows, grahm and chocolate on ;O) How do we all feel about camping...are you a purist (tent lover) or a comfort-monger (camper lover)? Wanna guess which I am???

Okay, this week's winner of the great RWA tote and paranormal/historical grab bag of books...Fannie, who commented at 11:10 on the Sept 19th post. (Just as an FYI for the friends who've emailed worried about not winning...I'd love to give everyone who keeps me company out here something, but, alas, my fishing isn't reeling in the million dollar deals yet. In the mean time, winners of blog and website contests are all randomly drawn. I'm not playing favorites or excluding anyone on purpose...love you all...kisses...hugs...sorry for the fishy smell, but what are you gonna do with writers, huh???)

Fannie, send me your mailing addie... Sharon, I still have your tote with the Harlequin titles waiting to be shipped...I'll get both prizes in the mail PDQ...promise...

Next up for the "better in your house than in mine" RWA mega-giveaway... Well, I have a great set of single title thrillers from Lisa Gardner, Carla Cassidy, Karen Harper, and Christina Dodd...To-die-for titles...and Blogger won't let me load the image. You'll have to trust me until I can get another blog post out here in a few days...

In the mean time, leave comments for the drawing I'll do sometime mid-week next week...I'll even throw in something fun from the promo goodies I brought back ;O)

So...camping anyone?????

Fun girls have fun friends who give away fun prizes, too!!!

My family and friends are loving me not being on deadline!!! I'm alive, they're relieved to know ;O) And still interested in taking part in the real world, no less (yes, I've rolled from one book deadline to another for the last 12 months or so, but now that I have a few weeks off, I can honestly say I'm a real world kind of gal again, LOL!).

Okay, so on with the more fun prizes I promised. Catherine Mann and I go back way too many years (back to when both of us were dreaming if being published and working our buns off trying to get there and not lose hope). And we've been partying every chance we get since. Cathy's latest HQN single title, Blaze of Glory, is out--part of her wingman warriors serires, of course--and to celebrate, she's chatting it up on eHarlequin and giving away great prizes (including one of my Funky Purses on Friday).

Here's the link. Once you get there, click Last at the top of the thread, and it'll take you to the most recent posts (including Cathy's note about her latest giveaways).

http://community.eharlequin.com/webx?50@105.czreaS0PUEo.0@.4a83a575/163

I'll be popping in this week...you should, too, so you can get the skinny of all the fun and all the goodies. And you should definitely buy BoG...Cathy does the best hunky warriors (and warrior goddesses!!!).

Okay, for all who found Sunday's nice, cool Zen place a little frosty (FYI, girls who have migraines love cold places to go for their dream getaways), I'm soooo wanting a beach trip right now, too. So, head away with me tonight for a seashore sunset...that's my yoga focus for the day...make it yours, too, and enjoy ;O)


Or maybe this'll work better for you. My fam. and I went to the county fair last night. My ten-year-old LOVED it, and of course so did I. There's something about all those lights at night, with the fair sounds ringing and singing around you and the smell of salt and vinegar fries and corndogs...Man...it gets me every time... That's another happy place I get to go to, every time I remember.

What's your favorite place? Where do you go when you need a break and you can't get away anywhere but in your mind? Who're your favorite friends you'd take with you, because you know you'd have more fun than if you went yourself????

Pop on over to Cathy's loop, and meet a few of mine ;O)

On your mark, get set...

Go!!! Another wonderful week, another wonderful prize ;O)


This is my last RWA tote bag, and some more of the great books given away at the Atlanta conference...

How about a paranormal and historical selection...




Stephanie Rowe...

Kinely MacGregor...

Stephanie Laurens...

Who's your favorite blog buddie, hmmmmmmm???

It's books only from now on (with the occassional promo item), so everyone leave a comment if you want a tote...I'll be drawing a new winner next Monday!!

I've also updated my website contest page:

http://www.annawrites.com/contests.shtml

Check out the new winner and the new Funky Purse!!!

I'll be updating all kinds of stuff as the week goes on, inlcuding new excerpts for The Perfect Daughter and All-American Father, so stay tuned!!

Anna (feeling spunky after her time off, and ready to come out and play again ;O)

Saving time in a bottle...

The days are still flying by so fast, with so much to do... But I'm loving all the "do" that's not heads-down writing right now. So much family stuff to catch up, then there's the business admin that falls by the way when the books take over.

So tonight, it's short but sweet for us, my friends ;O) Our winner of the great RWA bag and Harleqin books... is Sharon, who left a comment in the Sept. 12th post. Email me your snail mail address, and next week your goodies will be on their way.

Tomorrow, I plan to include a pic of our next bag of goodies that a busy writer can't use, but how could I leave such wonderful stuff behind at the RWA conference, when there are so many great friends out here who'd enjoy them??? So check back in. There are hard backs in this one ;o)



Then, there's all the website stuff, still...I'm going to get there. I really am!! In the mean time, this is what I try to visualize when I close my eyes in frustration, because I'm still behind...lots of cool, beautiful snow and sky...lots of space and freedom...wanna go with me ;O)

Thanks for hanging with me while I get caught up!!!

Tunnels and Trains and other Destinations

Woohoooo!!!! Destination, FINISHED!!!! Time for some serious partying!!!!

I Interneted All-American Father to my agent yesterday, and promptly fell into a puddle of sleep deprivation. At many points along the way, it felt like this "trip" was going to do me in. All signs were that it wouldn't be finished in time... Check out this vintage sign I dug up at some point over the last week, while playing around online (instead of working ;O) ...


But the blood and sweat that went into this book was soooooo worth it. The ride turned out to be lovely in the end. I learned so much about my writing style, and the scenery along the way was breathtaking (I think I've created some of my best characters yet) .

All-American Father is lighter than what I typically write, but now I know I can do lighter and still produce something emotionally rich and honest. Very contemporary themes. Hunky guy and spunky heroine (plus a a pre-teen that keeps her father on his toes until the end). Sigh...

And I guess that's what happens when you risk travelling somewhere you've never gone before...you usually think you know where you're going, but at some point the journey takes over and starts dishing out surprises. The kind that make memories you'll never forget. Look at this beautiful shot from the inside of Union Center. Who could have known that a subway terminal could look so beautiful?

But once you're in the tunnel (and leave the pretty ceiling behind), it's easy to get scared. How will you get out? What happens if the the train stops while you're trapped inside? What will you do then???

My advice, dive in to the adventure and don't you dare close your eyes...you'll miss the best stuff life has to offer if you do...out of control rides are the best...Take a look at the tunnel leaving one of the DC metro stations. It's like being in Star Wars or something...

If you miss your next great adventure or refuse to head into the long tunnel ahead, because you're worried about not being able to get off until you reach the other end, you'll be missing a wicked ride--and all the cool stuff that comes along with being scared of it ;O)

Which is all my long way of saying...sorry for being gone for a week, I've been off screaming as I wrote through my own tunnel of doom, but I'm back now, and the ride was way cool!!!!! My brain is toast, and blospot is resisting all kinds of things I've tried to do over and over today. So...I'm giving myself until Thursday to regroup, pick last week's winner, and pull together a new RWA prize. I'll be randomly drawing from any comments posted until Thursday morning, so be sure to give us a howdy ('cause it's a really cool prize!!!).

Also, I'm finally going to catch up with all things website, including drawing a new Funky Purse winner there, and uploading the picture of the FAB. new prize you won't want to miss.

But for today, I'm relishing the scary and the sweet of my journey...looking back at that long tunnel as I speed toward the horizan, taking a deep breath now that I'm done and feeling rather spanky, if I do say so myself.

Tell us about your out-of-control excursions, both the ones you've taken, and those you've only dreamed about. Then make a committment to get yourself there, and a plan for making that committment happen. The rush is like nothing you've ever known, take my word for it!!!

As is the pay off--coming home to the people you care about, and starting to plan all over again.

Thanks for being my online home!!!!

The Adventure of a Lifetime

If you don't watch tennis, you missed something amazing this weekend.

Andre Agassi played his final professional match, at the US Open. He knew this would be his last tournament. He'd been telling fans and the press for months. He's 36 years old, ancient for a professional tennis player. His back is giving out on him, but he loves the sport and the New York crowd, he had to make it to one more Open.

Last week, he played one of the most magical matches I've ever seen--finally winning in five sets while he was visibly hurting. Wowing the crowd until after one o'clock in the morning. It was a career defining moment. Then he had to come out Sunday to play again, and his body just couldn't take it. He lost to an unranked player in four sets, but to everyone watching he was a winner--The Ultimate Winner--in every point, because he got himself to the court and gave the crowd what they'd paid for one last time. Afterwards, tearfully, he talked about how much the fans and the sport had given him. How they'd given him the adventure of a lifetime.

You have to undertand that Agassi is probably the most important American player in modern tennis history. I can't image how many kids have grown up learning to play because they wanted to be like him--my son included. He's given us twenty years of giving everything he had to the sport (at least, since his comeback in the late nineties, when he didication and determination came sharply into focus). But all he could see at the end of his career was how much everyone had given him. How what defined him wasn't how many times he'd won or lost matches, but how many fans, peers, and press were on their feet cheering when he struck his last ball.

The thought for the day...how much do we get back from the people and places that are most important in our lives? How grateful could we feel if we took the time to reflect on that every day? How much more amazing could our the journey be, if we could step outside of ourselves and our goals more often, to be humbled by the impact we're making in the world around us?

You, my online friends, are such a part of what makes my writing career worthwhile, I didn't want to miss the chance to share that. One week to go on this deadline, and coming out here is one of the few parts of my day that makes me smile. You remind me why I'm working so hard to make this story the best it can be. You're one of my adventures of a lifetime ;O)

Okay, enough with the mushy tennis fanatic stuff!!

We need another RWA conference prize--how 'bout oodles of Harlequin books (many of them signed, including Debbie Macomber's ;O), and one of the nifty bags they gave away to attendies???


To secure your chance to win, leave a comment between now and next Tuesday.





And we need pics of the two additional prizes from last weekend's "what's wrong with the TPR cover" scavenger hunt!!








Don''t ask me who gets what (the goodies are already boxed up), but Sandra and Jennifer each get one of these lovelies I found as I was cleaning out the prize closet.





Carol was the first to comment about the mistake in the hair color, so she gets the great XOXO bag!!

You never know when we'll have another scavenger hunt, so check in as often as you can ;O)


I'll be posting a new website prize later this week, as well as the winner of the last one. I'll let everyone out here know out here when it's done. The newsletter's probably going to have to wait until after this book goes in, though...gotta focus...gotta make Bailey and Derrick's story great!!

Congrats to all the blog winners. All the prizes are going out today or tomorrow, so let us know when you get them later in the week!!! That includes the last two giveaways, too. My "shipping department" is finally back in town and working hard ;O)

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!!