Manic Monday

I promised myself that I would write a chapter today - so far that isn't happening, lol. I had the craziest weekend. Bittersweet. I've been waiting for April for a year or more because it is the month of change for me. Out with the old life, and in with the new. Different opportunties, more challenges, and the time to make things happen.
Whatever.
LOL. I am sitting here and imagining what the future might hold - a dangerous practice, unless you remember to add all of the superstitious shields so no bad luck can happen in while your defenses are down. My son is graduating and going off to college - guard season is done for four months, and I am finished being president of florida romance writers. Specifically, I want to finish four books this year (I know, I need to get busy) and I want to sell two or three new stories.
But that isn't all, lol. I want to dance with my husband, or go driving along Florida's beautiful coast with top down on the convertible.
I want to go to the movies and then out to dinner with friends. It sounds like I want a more balanced life...who knows if I'll get it?

The demented cheerleader in me certainly is rooting for it all!

I have a new blog I'm doing just on writing and following the career a step at a time... www.traciwritersblock.blogspot.com

come visit!

Her Wiccan, Wiccan Ways - release day!

http://samhainpublishing.com/books/her-wiccan-wiccan-wayshttp://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/product_info.php?products_id=921


It's finally here, it's finally here - yeah!! The ebook release of Her Wiccan Wiccan Ways - the first in the Rhiannon Godfrey series at Samhain Publishing (the next book, Something Wiccan This Way Comes will be released later this year) is today, and I can't hardly stand myself. My kids can't stand me either and the dogs are looking at me like I've lost my mind - not that they care, since I'm being very generous with the treats and spilled coffee, lol.

I will be all over the internet today - and I would love it if you would come and visit me!

Traci

fun in the sun -sunday

Today it is cloudy and Sunday's sunshine a nice memory

Greg and I went for a ride in the convertible on Sunday and had a total blast. I remembered to wear a hat, so my forehead is sunburn free! However the rest of my face looks like I leaned against the stovetop.

We took the the A1A north, heading toward the Sebastian Inlet - we saw a dolphin doing that lazy round and round rotation that would make a human being puke, and we saw two manatees - if you are not familiar with what a manatee looks like, imagine a seven foot long baked potatoe with whiskers. I was fascinated by the grace of the duck. This duck didn't have a single friend, probably because he was crazy, and totally happy lifting his body head first from the water before diving in with his beak. he did it over and over and over...he had to have been suffering from a head injury or some sort of duck dementia.

We were starving after so much mental stimulation (plus there is just something about the smell of boat gas that makes my stomach rumble) so we went off in search of a restaurant on the water where we could enjoy the water while we ate. There was nothing where we were at, but a few miles over the bridge was a place called Sebastian Inn. I've never been charged a cover fee for entering an eating establishment before, but I swear it was worth every penny. The deck was on the ocean's edge, the water was turquoise, the waves white capped and frothy. There was a reggae band setting up as we ordered from the limited menu, but the beers were cold and all was right in the world.

So we'd seen animals in the wild. Now we sat back and watched people The large twenty-something girl with the pretty face who self-conciously wore her white and pink striped bikini. She strategically carried her drink in front of her belly, as if her forearm and that little plastic cup would cover the bulge. Now, her friends were bone thin and one of them had very fake boobs that she proudly displayed. Pink and White girl should get bigger friends, or just not care about the roll on her hips - hell, even a thin sarong would detract from her discomfort.

Next on the list is hot granny with her bright green thong and too short shirt. And dreadlocks guy in the band, who is cool, and blind keyboard dude - he was terrific and talented. All in all, it was so fun and I highly recommend a cruise with your baby to go sight-seeing :)

Learning new tricks

Notice how I didn’t mention being an old dog? Lol.

I have been working for almost three hours now, and I’ve had four cups of lukewarm coffee (drinker’s error, no fault of the pot) a box of Good n Plenty’s, two fiber plus calcium chewables, a piece of peanut butter toast, and five mini strokes as the direct result of my frustration.

I’ve added friends, but I need three thousand more for MySpace to be an effective tool. I’ve updated Facebook, Shelfari, and Jacketflap. I’ve read my favorite blogs and posted comments. But I am no closer to feeling accomplished than I was at 7 am.

I’ve tried and failed at creating my own book trailer. (I will try again anothah day!) I don’t understand the ‘add links’ feature of any freaking website I am on. I can podcast, I can create my own ‘baby’ site, but I can’t add a link. Why is this so hard???

My goals for the week: Learn the link function backwards/forwards and upside down (you never know when this could come in handy!) Write three chapters and a synopsis. Build marketing and promo skills by finding at least one new site. Scrape up ten friends – another thing that shouldn’t be so hard, lol. I know lots of people! Send in FRW bylaws, contact PBS and remind them that Love’s Magic will be out in June, and prepare for my last meeting as FRW’s president.

Happy Saint Paddy’s Day to all of those who have an Irish hankerin’ for green beer and four leaf clovers – I will be making corned beef and cabbage for the family tonight!


Traci

back:)

I have been away - but hard at work!
Now I am trying to get acclimatized to the time change, and watching late night Chelsea Handler. She's hysterical! Here it is almost midnight, and I feel like like I should be out shopping or something. Not because of Chelsea, but because of the four hour time diff! (3 hours plus the time change)
It's always nice to be back home. The kids (holy terrors) the dogs (still alive) and my hubby (who is ready to kill me) - and my bed. I love my bed. Even though hotels can have ten thousand count egyptian cotton sheets, my pillow is just as flat as it needs to be. It's perfect and yes, I absolutely miss my hubby (even though he isn't speaking to me right now because we have TEENAGERS) - I just don't sleep as well without his snoring as background noise!
I am very excited about the new book I've started, Last Virgin Standing - an edgy coming of age YA, and a new medieval series (non-paranormal) that will hopefully sell BIG. Remember that the goal for 2008 is to make money writing. Stop laughing!!!!!!!! lol.
I've officially been offered the contract for my second YA in the Rhiannon trilogy, and I'm plotting the third book in the romance trilogy. At least I'm keeping busy

evil snicker....

Traci

Packing again - New cover

This time to Spokane for a brief weekend visit to catch up with my mama, and then off to Seattle for an intense plotting week with my buds

On the road again, lalalala...I have gotten to be a very good packer. I remember when I first started traveling and I would leave and the family would be "Make sure you have your itinerary taped on the fridge - leave us your contact numbers, and remember to call in between layovers!"

Now it goes more like, "You leaving? Can you change the kitty litter before you go?"

And next year my husband will probably forget what I look, lol. I've decided that he needs to have my bookcovers as his screensaver so that he remembers why I'm gone. Fortune, fame, oh -wait - not with writing?? The hell you say !!!

I can promise long hours of solitude, piles of books all over the house, dishes piled in the sink and a healthy imagination :)

Anyway, here is the latest bookcover - and link to my author page (pg 13) on Samhain's website.

http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/traci-hall

I will send pictures of Seattle!

All best - Traci

Done, done, done :) and Happy Valentine's Day

Hello to everybody!

I'm finished with my edits - yippeeeeee skippeeeee. I am so happy to be done since I was so worried I was never going to be able to finish another book - it feels like I've done nothing but edit or do proposals in the past year!

We passed the bylaws for FRW, something we've been working on since October. My friend Mary showed me how to do Powerpoint - thanks Mary, and she also showed me some cool tips on how to do a book video. She took the spooky out of it for me :)

I had the best Valentine surprise when I came home - my hubby asked me to be his Valentine roses, candles and romance. My heart-felt wish for everyone is that they have such a lovely day!

Traci