The Soullessness of City Life

Today came our first spring rain. With it came a piece of my soul that I hadn't realized was missing. I grew up on a seven-acre farm in a little town called Savage, Maryland. My sisters and I wandered all about the place, free to do or wear whatever we wished without having to worry about neighbors or passers-by catching sight of our antics. We also reveled in the beauty and freedom of nature. We watched as the woods, groves and fields changed with the seasons and with the years. At eighteen, hoping to become an actress, I moved to Los Angeles. I loved the big city: the people, the lights, the energy. It was so exciting to be a part of the place where the rich and famous lived and history was made. After deciding movie-making wasn't for me, I moved several more times, eventually ended up in New Mexico. I went there in order to be with my sweetie, who owned a business in Santa Fe. For several years, we lived behind his office located on the main thoroughfare, smack in the busiest part of the business district. However, the character and beauty of the rest of Santa Fe made up for our industrial-based locale. When my sweetie chose to move his business south to a town called Moriarty, I followed. We set up shop on a business strip just west of the town. Although we planted trees and created a lovely garden in front of our house, nothing could hide the presence of Interstate 40 on the north side of the property and Route 66 on the south. Seventeen years later (including two years of separation in which I lived in Cochran, Georgia in a house with train tracks nearby), my sweetie and I finally bought and moved into a house in Edgewood, a town west of Moriarty. Our new house, although an older house with requisite issues due to its age, sits on twenty-five acres of wild, wooded, GORGEOUS New Mexico countryside surrounded by panoramic views and several mountain ranges. For the first time in over two decades, I have no visible neighbors, no nearby roads, and no sounds other than those of nature. This morning, sitting on my covered porch, dressed only in my pajamas, drinking coffee and listening to the rain fall on the roof, I realized I felt happy, blessed, and content in a way I haven't felt since my childhood. At last, my soul is whole again.

First Sketches for Saint George

I have spent the last month trying to get my "Saint George and the Dragon" book mock-up finished. Here are a few of the pencil sketches from that manuscript:

Sage Advice from the SCBWI Conference

I just spent a wonderful weekend at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference in New York City. The lectures were incredibly educational, professional and fun. Even better, my attendance has provided me with several opportunities un-available otherwise. The best part of the conference was the advice and inspiration from the amazing speakers. Here is some of the sage advice I heard:

• "There is always something else to strive for. The only endgame is the love of the work." Sara Zarr
• "We need to stop half the things we are doing and do the other half well." Sara Zarr
• "The fundamental difference between kids and adults is that kids are shorter." Mo Willems
• "Don't believe in yourself....believe in the work." Linda Sue Park
• "Make one sentence worth reading 62 times" (The number of times a young fan had read one of her books.) Linda Sue Park
• For illustrators: "Advertise with the work you want to get." Dan Yaccarino
• "Use your Blog to showcase your work." Chad Beckerman

With that, I think I'll post another blog...

Idioms According to World of Warcraft

An avid gamer, I was playing World of Warcraft the other day when several idioms came to mind. Tongue in cheek (pun intended), I decided to change them accordingly. Here are I few I came up with:

1. A dungeon boss killed is an emblem earned.
2. Any portal in an enemy-won battleground.
3. Leave no brightly colored egg unopened.
4. Always on the wait list, never a raider.
5. A twink and his gold are soon parted.
6. A watched Murky never dances.
7. Longer than a month of raids.
8. Back to the starting zone.
9. At a turtle mount's pace.
10. From grays to purples.
11. As cool as the Lich King.
12. As mad as Illidan Stormrage.
13. A mana tide totem raises all intellect.
14. Recount speaks louder than Gearscore.
15. A screenshot is worth a thousand emotes.
16. A level 80 character is worth two in Outland.
17. Between the Lich King and the Frozen Throne.
18. Elwynn Forest is always greener on another server.
19. Almost only counts if the boss dies on the next attempt.
20. Beauty is in the eye of the one wearing Eyesight Enhancing Romance Goggles.

RWA 2010 Conference Musings

I've just returned home from the Romance Writers of America 2010 Conference in Orlando. It was an incredible experience! I met so many wonderful people and even geeked-out with quite a few of the SciFi/Fantasy lovers like me. I had a blast at the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Writers' party and won first place in the Steampunk costume contest.

The guest speakers for the lucheons, Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz, were personable and entertaining. They both told hilarious and inspiring stories from more than three decades of writing. The best part of the conference, however, was simply getting to meet the other writers. Each and every RWA member, from the lowest newbie to the rich and famous, was sincerely welcoming. Even as a not-yet-published author, I felt validated and worthy. I will forever cherish the memories and friends I made.