On Friday the 13th (ah, I love that date!), the family and I loaded up and headed for the beach. An hour and a half later, we made it to the beach house we’d rented in scenic Fort Morgan, Alabama. Here are a few pics from my stay. Notice the nice baby foot prints in the sand. 🙂

I’m in between books right now. Actually, I’ll be starting a new manuscript this week, and I really feel like this little trip was a great way to recharge. But leaving–packing up my too heavy gear and coming home–ugh, so very hard…

I’ve taken the last few days off from my writing (with brief editing exceptions for Blood Hunt). I like to take a break between projects (as long as my schedule lets me) b/c I think the break gives me a chance to put the previous characters to rest…and better focus on those waiting in the wings.

So, during my rest, I’ve been reading some books–some for pleasure, some for research, and just some that I should have read long ago. Tonight, I read through The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood. This book is designed to inspire writers, pretty much as the name implies. So far, there’s been one section of this book that has interested me. Monica Wood says that every writer should have two critics. The first critic should have nothing but great, wonderful, glowing things to say about your work. This person will need to be someone who loves you a great deal and thus pretty much thinks everything you do is perfect. This person is the one you turn to when you need that important positive reinforcement. The second critic, the non-positive one, should be someone who “never, ever lies.” I’d imagine this critic would be a bit harder to find. : -) The second critic is the one you face when you need help–or you know your story does.

I know many people who work with critique partners on their manuscripts. I’ve never done that. And I don’t make a habit of running my work by a friend or a loved one, either. Yes, my husband does sometimes read my work, but generally, I don’t give him the book until it’s actually in print–then, well, his comments usually fall under critic category #1.

I started working with Laura Bradford (my agent) last November, and I feel that she gives me very honest, straight-forward comments about my work–and I like that about her, a lot. So I guess that means she’d fall under category number 2.

What about the other writers out there? Do you have critics? And are they in category one (I love your work!) or category two (This scene falls flat.)?

My friends and I are organizing a book club. Okay, Ashley, my instigator friend, and I are harassing our other friends into joining our book club.

The types of books we’ll read: Pretty much anything. Although I am really, really hoping to avoid the Oprah Book Club type–yes, I know those are wonderful books, but often they are just too sad for me. I like books that end happily (at least partially)–that’s why I write romances (guaranteed happily-ever-after).

The first book on our agenda: Alabama Ghosts: They are among us. Ashley and I were bumming around Books-a-Million a few weeks ago, and this little baby happened to catch our attention. No, it’s not a weighty volume of epic literature, but I bet it will be a fun, interesting read. And I’ll even post some of the ghostly lore that I discover here on my blog. 🙂

Hmmm…I wonder if this book will inspire some ideas for me, or at the very least, inspire the creation of a ghost hunters’ club (something Ashley and I have been talking about for quite some time!).

When I’m done with the book, I’ll be passing it on to my mom. She loves a good ghost read. It’s really in the blood.

In a few weeks, I’ll be heading to Houston for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention (yay!). This will be my first time to stay in the city (I think I drove through Houston very quickly once), and in addition to the convention fun, I’m hoping to explore the area a bit.

So, for anyone else out there who might be looking for a few non-convention activities, here’s what I’ve discovered so far:

1. Downtown Aquarium–I did a mapquest search on this place, and, according to the directions I received, the Downtown Aquarium is only three minutes from the hotel hosting the RT event. Three minutes! And the place has a Sunken Temple exhibit and something really intriguing called a Shark Voyage. How could I miss that???

2. Houston Zoo–Located about ten minutes away from the RT hotel. I’m a sucker for animals–gotta see this place. The zoo boasts one of the world’s largest collections of venomous snakes, and, yeah, I’m terrified of those slithering crawlers–but I do so love to see them!

3. Memorial Park–a perfect place to get away from the crowds. Wide open spaces, scenic beauty. Nice.

4. Houston Museum of Natural Science–when I read the description for this place, two things jumped out at me: dinosaurs and Egyptian artifacts. I’m crazy about dinosaurs, and I’ve been wanting to write a story about ancient Egypt for years. I will definitely try to stop by this place!

Does anyone have any other recommedations for me? I’d love to hear them!

HelenKay Dimon has been nice enough to post my Kensington news over on the Brava Authors website. She’s got details of my sale on the blog, and she’s planning to give away a $15.00 Amazon gift certificate as a way of celebrating the newest Brava addition (little old me!). To qualify for the prize, just leave a comment on the Brava post by Thursday, April 5. HelenKay will pick a random winner. How cool is that? Check it out!